5 Reasons To Buy Travel Insurance For A Cruise Vacation
By MAUREEN JONES (Star Patcher)
We stress the importance of buying travel insurance, and you should not buy it from the cruise line or tour company you are dealing with. If they should go bankrupt, you have lost your insurance. This might sound unlikely, but we did have 21 companies declare bankruptcy the same day so it does happen. Use a third-party company.
Your cruise holiday is a voyage of a lifetime and we can help you protect your valuable investment.
Here we highlight five benefits of travel insurance to give you peace of mind on your next holiday.
- If your cruise is cut short or canceled due to a hurricane or other unforeseen event, trip delay or cancellation insurance can recover your costs and get you home without hassle.
- A medical emergency on a cruise may require being transported off the ship to the nearest facility or even being flown back home. Medical evacuation and repatriation coverage includes those expenses that can add up.
- As you sail to multiple ports of call, your passport or other official ID is an essential part of the journey. If lost, a travel insurance specialist can provide necessary support to replace your important documents no matter where you are in the world.
- While we recommend flying into your departure port at least one day before your ship sets sail, we know that delays happen. Should you miss embarkation, an insurance plan can cover the out of pocket expenses to connect with your ship in another port. San Francisco airport has the worst record of any other city with regard to cancellations and delays. Don’t take a chance.
- Unlike a hotel, where delayed luggage can be delivered during your stay, a cruise ship is always on the move. If your bags don’t make it on the ship, insurance can cover the costs of replacing personal items for your trip.
A couple of real horror stories where the client did not take travel insurance:
- An African safari, chap died, took the family three weeks and $50,000 to get the body home.
- Family of 6, flight cancelled, the ship sailed without them. Wasted $45,000.
- Family on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, chap had heart attack and died. Cost the wife $25,000 to get him to shore and funeral arrangements.
We have every one who refuses to buy travel insurance sign a waiver so we can prove they were told about it. This protects us.
Protect your vacation, and investment. We recommend peace of mind.
Maureen Jones
Other recent columns from Maureen:
- What Are The Hottest New Cruise Ships?
- Today’s Club Med: Ideal Place For A Family Holiday (YES, Families!)
Maureen Jones is president of All Horizons Travel at 160 Main Street, Los Altos. Members of her staff are experts in business travel, cruises, and all types of leisure.
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