The Importance of Travel Insurance

With the event of the Elizabeth City, NC, based Coast Guard having to use helicopter missions to pick up two ailing cruise ship passengers from separate cruise ships on April 23, it calls to mind the importance of purchasing travel insurance for all age groups.  Any of the following scenarios can happen.

Vacationing Solo

Young or old, anything unforeseen can happen on a vacation, or even before you leave.  Your vacation is paid for and you find you are forced to cancel because your boss has an urgent matter requiring your attention the day you are schedule to leave.

Romantic Getaway

Nothing is more romantic than a cruise.  You can have as much or as little privacy as you want, and you get to visit exotic locations without having to pack and repack.  But if you or your significant other experiences something serious that requires medical attention, medical services onboard may not be covered by your insurance plan.  Worse, if you have a heart attack or other serious event, and need to be flown back to the United States, the cost may be your responsibility, as well as the cost to transport your significant other back with you.

Family Vacation

You work hard to save enough money to take your family on a memorable cruise.  Your youngest comes down with chickenpox the day before your trip. 

When you decide to go on a vacation, whether it is on your own, as a couple or as a family, your medical insurance may not cover these events if you are out of the country.  Some insurance policies don’t even cover you if you travel outside of your own state.  And, if it does, you can be certain you will have to pay something towards the deductible, and the possibility of increased insurance rates.  I’ve even heard of insurance companies denying you coverage when you re-enroll if you have “taken advantage” of the coverage too much within the policy year.  Like the unfortunate souls on the cruise ships, one experiencing kidney failure, the other a heart attack, an uneventful vacation is not guaranteed.  Of course, medical insurance does not cover urgent business matters that occur right before your trip, so you are out of all the money you spent and your plans for a dream vacation are shattered.

Unfortunately, events like these happen every day.  If you are not prepared for them, it can cost you thousands.  Travel insurance is offered to help offset these events.

The most common travel insurance policies combine coverage for trip cancellation and interruption, baggage protection, medical expenses, and emergency evacuation. There might also be a set amount of death and dismemberment insurance.

When looking at trip cancellation and trip disruption insurance, you should carefully read the fine print in terms of what timeline may apply – does the insurance kick in after 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours or another amount of time? You'll also want to look at whether or not a cruise line's policy will give you cash back or whether the reimbursement is in the form of credit for a future cruise. 

We at Travel Tours & Cruises do not sell insurance.  We only offer insurance as part of your vacation package, to help protect your investment.   Be well advised, and well prepared, before you spend your hard-earned money for a vacation.  Contact Travel, Tours & Cruises to plan your dream vacation.

Prepare for Your Vacation

If you do not travel often, call your credit card company before leaving home. You don’t want them to become suspicious and put a protective hold on your card while you are trying to purchase souvenirs & gifts in foreign lands. Tell them where you will be and when so they know it is you doing the spending.

Make plenty of copies. Photocopy your IDs, passport & credit cards. Keep one set in your cabin safe and email scanned copies to yourself so that you can access at any time.

Purchase travel insurance.  You know even the best made plans don’t prevent unforeseen incidents from occurring.  Travel insurance covers what your medical insurance doesn’t when you cruise, or travel to a foreign country.

Call your medical insurance company before departing and find out exactly what is covered while you are away. More importantly, ask what documentation you would need to provide (from both the ship & port) for any reimbursements. Keep detailed notes for future reference if needed.

Don’t take an entire Caribbean guide book on a 7-day voyage. Photocopy only the pages that are relevant and then leave the bulk of the weight at home. Remember, most airlines are charging new fees for luggage, so reducing luggage weight is more important than ever.

Regardless of the class of cabin you book, it is always a possibility that there will be noise that might keep you awake at night. After all, you will be sleeping on board a massive, metal, floating mega-resort. You might hear wind, vibrations & rattling, loud neighbors, banging doors and possibly music from the disco. Ear plugs are a very useful item.  We usually only need one pair per person for the entire trip.

Purchase a pair of acupressure bands to help prevent sea sickness, and wear at least one at all times, even when the ship docks.  If you remove the band, you could forget to put it back on when the ship leaves, and you will not be able to eat for the rest of the evening.  I recall during our first cruise we went on an excursion on a glass-bottom boat and I did not take my band with me.  I barely missed embarrassment by adding pressure to my wrist, where the band would be.  Shower with one and then replace it with the dry band.  Wear it when you retire for the night, as sleeping doesn’t prevent seasickness.

Cruise ships operate on a cashless system, therefore, guests must use the form of identification, usually a card, given to them when they check in.  This device is for purchases, for entering your stateroom, and for identification when you disembark/embark at the ports of call.  You must take it with you everywhere you go, as you will be showing it for identification on and off the ship.  But you’ll certainly need some money for this trip, so be sure to get organized before you leave home and take as much money with you as you think you will spend. US Dollars are widely accepted almost everywhere in the Caribbean and Central America but beware of those hefty ATM fees both on board the ship and in foreign ports. 

Contact us today at Travel, Tours & Cruises to start planning your dream vacation.