Why you should always Travel with Insurance

If you are going on a trip, travel insurance should be part of your budget, period! I obviously feel pretty strongly about this and I will tell you why later on in this post.

There are many types of travel insurance companies out there. Whether you are booking a packaged vacation, a cruise, or just airfare it is important to protect that investment during the planning phase, before your trip, and while you are on your trip.

Protecting your trip offers you peace of mind, but not all insurance is the same. Make sure you ask these questions and read your policy:

Does the policy cover all medical expenses while traveling? Read and understand any pre-existing condition clauses, and know what type of medical they cover.
Do you have to pay for covered expenses up front? This is important to know so that you can be prepared to cover the expenses in case of an emergency.
Is there a deductible?
Do they cover transportation?
Is there a dollar limit?
Make sure it covers any emergency that may happen prior to leaving for your trip. This is important because you typically have to pay for your trip 60-90 days prior to leaving. Many packages come with their own refund policy, and many reduce reimbursements as the trip gets closer. Some may not reimburse at all once final payment is made.

Insurance will offer peace of mind if something happens before your trip preventing you from going. In most cases you should be eligible for a full refund -with the right insurance plan.

I mentioned above that I would explain why I feel so strongly about travel insurance. About 3 years ago my husband and I went on a Caribbean cruise. We planned it for over a year and while making our final payment (90 days prior to leaving) the agent asked if I wanted to buy travel insurance. She went on to explain this would be my last opportunity to do so. For some reason I said yes. I had never purchased it before. Well, not sure what made me do it, but I was so grateful I did.

About three days into our cruise my husband started to not feel well. On our fourth day, we had spent a beautiful day in St. Thomas but my husband was still not feeling well. When we got back onboard Oasis of the Seas my husband had to immediately go to the ship’s medical facility; he had a complication from surgery he’d had 2 months prior. We were forced to disembark immediately and he was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Charlotte Amalie, the largest city on St. Thomas Island. The insurance we purchased kicked in while we were still onboard the ship and did much to comfort us during a scary situation. They had someone from the cruise line come to the hospital with us, they found us a hotel for the night, and were in communication with us every step of the way. They even had a medivac plane readied to take us to Miami, over 1,100 miles away to a hospital better equipped to treat him. They had a team of doctors helping too, every step of the way.

We ended up having to pay the hotel upfront but we were fully reimbursed. Delta Airlines was so amazing –empathetic, caring and helpful. Considering our emergency they waived any costs and got us home the next day taking extra care of us during each leg of the flight. Royal Caribbean could not have been more accommodating either, but without insurance, the cost of the ambulance, overnight hotel, island hospital, and possible sea plane ride could have cost us $30,000-$40,000. Once we made it home, the insurance company continued to follow up with us to see how my husband was doing. In addition, every expense down to a taxi driver’s tip was either covered up front or reimbursed to us. I’m so grateful to have paid for the insurance that day I made our final payment! Also in case you are wondering – my husband is doing fine.

The benefits of travel insurance far outweigh its cost. In most cases it worked out to be about $20 per day and covered both of us. I hope our experience shows you the benefits that purchasing travel insurance offers. My hope is you will never have to use it, but nothing can beat the peace of mind it gives.