I have traveled extensively both on land and cruising. I have mostly traveled without trip insurance, and to be quite honest with you I never gave it much thought. That is until now. On my most recent cruise, we found ourselves in a bad situation when my mom slipped on the pool deck and landed on her wrist. Granted the situation could have been much worse, thankfully it was just her wrist.
The fall caused inflammation and pain that until this day she still has. On the cruise we decided to go to the medical center, but the insurance was never used. The doctor examined my mother quickly and said nothing major had happened. The situation was not managed properly by the cruise line (MSC), but that is not what we are discussing now.
That cruise taught us a very important lesson. I will never travel without travel insurance ever again! What you just have to realize is that while on vacation, we are more likely to undergo through an emergency than while we are at home doing our normal routines.
There are a few reasons for this:
- We walk a lot more than usual, usually over surfaces we are not familiar with and lots of stairs.
- We eat a lot more than usual, and consume products from abroad.
- Alcohol consumption (Most companies won’t pay accidents cause by alcohol use)
- Active shore excursions (Most insurances don’t cover the extreme ones)
These are all factors that we cannot ignore. Just being on a cruise alone increases the risk of something possibly going wrong. Add to that issues with current health conditions, and the fact that the health insurance from your country of residence does not apply while on vacation.
Considering the costs of what an aerial evacuation could cost you, plus the additional medical costs. Could possibly mean that you would be paying for this event for the rest of your life. Who among us wants to go through that?
As far as the cost of travel insurance? I have paid anywhere from $15 to $110 for a 7-day cruise. You need to be careful when reading the conditions of the insurance. Some insurance policies require you to pay upfront and then they reimburse you the money. Of course, how much you pay for the insurance, really tells what your benefits are going to be like. However, my personal recommendation is to buy an insurance that will cover the costs without requiring you to pay upfront. I don’t about you, but I do not exactly have 20k laying around on my wallet.
Also, do not forget about the deductible, we always tend to overlook this part of the insurance. But when you realize that you have to spend an extra $250 for a bad stomach ache or a small injury, that is when you really think that a lower deductible would have been much better.
There are a few added extra benefits of travel insurance such as lost baggage compensation, baggage delay, dental, travel delay, trip interruption, trip cancellation, rental car insurance, and roadside assistance.
If you ask me Is Trip Insurance Worth It? Personally, I will not travel without trip insurance ever again. We make an effort to save money for our vacations. It is a true shame that some of them sometimes get ruined by accidents or other circumstances. Nevertheless, not having to worry about the costs is so much better than being stuck with a bill that will take a lifetime to pay for.
Personally, I recommend insuremytrip. They have a large selection of cruise insurance companies, and you can select from the one that best suits your family. They have some insurance policies starting at $15 with great reviews. There is really no reason not to have one on your next trip.
Safe Travels everyone =)
