Why Buy Travel Insurance?

It may be simpler to ask why not to buy travel insurance. Unless you are very wealthy travel insurance is the wise thing to do. It is a fact that you can miss your transportation to the cruise (it is not uncommon to encounter airline delays), loose your baggage, or become ill and need medical assistance during your trip. You may have to cancel your cruise due to unforeseen circumstances. Cruise insurance plans covers emergency medical and dental coverage, trip interruption/cancellation, emergency travel, repatriation of remains, loss, damage or theft of baggage or personal belongings, and the list goes on.

Now that you know travel insurance is important to have, how do you go about buying one? Word of advice, get your insurance outside the cruise line as coverage purchased through cruise lines do not cover pre-existing conditions and no coverage during certain segments of the trip.

With so many insurance companies out there it becomes confusing to choose one. Don’t know where to start? Check out insurmytrip.com. This is a travel insurance comparison site and it compares plans between 16 travel insurance providers. Choose a few and then check out their rating on AMBest and make sure the rating is A, A+ or higher.

There are two types of coverage – primary and secondary. You do not want a secondary coverage as you will have to submit claims to your existing insurance company before sending claims to the travel insurance. This waste time and can be frustrating. Look for Primary coverage.

Some insurance covers pre-existing condition if you purchase within 15 days of initial trip deposit. Check your limits on your coverage. Insurance coverage is sold by limits. Health cost is high so you make sure you are comfortable with the coverage limit. You do not want to end up with a $10,000 medical bill and your coverage limit is only $4,000! Your current health insurance in the US does not cover international medical coverage; neither does Medicare. Limits also apply to your belongings etc.

Look for exclusions in your policy. You can check it on-line. Cruises have a lot of activities including scuba diving, sky diving etc. Most insurance view these activities as dangerous and do not cover them. Also, check definitions like the meaning of ‘immediate family members?’

You have worked hard for your trip and you deserve to enjoy every minute of it. Don’t let your vacation become a financial ruin – insure your trip and buy the best coverage!