Alright, I admit it, I was once of those people who never wanted to spend the extra money on travel insurance. Travel insurance seemed like nothing more than an “extra” that I just didn’t really need and was only going to add to my overall trip cost. At first, it was hard to really see the value of travel insurance and instead only saw dollar signs. Well, I’ve since been converted.
For years, this was my thinking and I figured in the event that something happened, we would just “deal with it”. After all, we had savings for emergencies and planned our trips out months in advance. We felt pretty comfortable with each of our destinations as we would do our research and even familiarize ourselves with the local hospitals in the event of an emergency. Plus, we carry pretty beefy medical insurance policy here at home so I naively thought we could always fall back on that.
Is Travel Insurance Worth Getting?
Is travel insurance worth getting? Absolutely! Not only does travel insurance protect against illness, accidents, emergencies and even death it also protects against things like trip interruption, offers rental car coverage and also covers things like lost luggage.
Did you know the medical insurance coverage you carry at home (we live in the USA) doesn’t work outside your home country? It may be fine for domestic travel with your home country but international travel is a different creature. I was shocked to find out that regardless of in-network and out-of-network benefits on the various policies, I would have no coverage from my regular medical insurance in the event of an emergency or accident when traveling abroad.
This is why I highly recommend travel insurance for ALL of your international trips if for no other reason than peace of mind it’s well worth the extra cost (which is usually not more than a few hundred dollars).
What’s the best travel insurance to get?
Not all travel policies are created equal and finding the right one can be cumbersome. There are lots of travel insurance companies out there and they all offer some sort of coverage. Travel insurance doesn’t cover everything but the key is to find a company and policy that offers good coverage at a reasonable cost. Coverages vary from policy to policy and company to company (some have a pre-existing condition clause; some allow for weather-related delays) so just be sure to read what’s included and make sure it’s a fit for your trip needs. Some companies also offer add-ons such as cancel for any reason or additional protection for your personal belongings.
Insurance For a Cruise Vacation
When it comes to cruise vacation specific insurance, I want to note that a lot of cruise companies will offer vacation protection as an add on to your booking but be sure to read the fine print. Often their “protection” is not the same as insurance and their coverage can be limited. This is why I skip their offerings and purchase a separate plan from a third party on my own. I’ve been on a few cruises during hurricane season (4 to be exact) and I was glad to have insurance in the event that I needed it. Read more about my Hurricane Cruise Experience.
Travel Insurance Company
I have purchased policies with a handful of travel insurance providers and while I’ve never had to make a claim with any of them (not even on the hurricane cruises), Roam Right is the preferred company I now use exclusively. Why? Because they offer solid policies with great coverage at a reasonable cost and they are easily customizable to your trip needs.
RoamRight
I have used RoamRight to insure my cruises, my all-inclusive trip to Costa Rica (which included a vacation package with flights) as well as other international trips. It’s a company that’s not often talked about for whatever reason but they really should be because in my opinion they are a hidden gem.
As I said, I’ve never had to make a claim, however, this is the provider myself and my family use and well, some of my family members have had to make a claim. Based on their experience, RoamRight was easy to work with and quick to reimburse which is important in the event that you do need to make a claim.
So imagine, you find yourself with an amazing trip booked and you even snagged a great deal on the price. Your trip is paid in full months ahead, flights booked and everything set. The package is NON-REFUNDABLE. That word makes me squirm a bit. I really hate booking non-refundable things but sometimes it’s necessary and that’s where a thing called travel insurance comes in.
In the case of my family member, they did just this – had a fabulous non-refundable vacation package booked for a three-week trip to Asia. However, a few months before the trip date, said family member suffered an unfortunate injury that put him in a cast. Thankfully surgery wasn’t required but the recovery time alone was weeks and then there was physical therapy to follow. Given the long duration of his recovery, there was no way he could make the trip, and had he not purchased a travel insurance policy, he would have lost thousands of dollars. Since he had travel insurance, a claim was submitted and the cost fully recouped even though the booking was originally booked as a non-refundable trip through the booking vendor.
Note: The claim was processed under the medical clause and a doctor’s note to confirm the injury was required but once all the documentation of the trip costs were submitted, RoamRight provided a quick reimbursement of expenses
Get a Quote at RoamRight travel insurance
This is just one story of where travel insurance has come in handy. Insurance typically covers a variety of things such as an accident or natural disaster prior to your vacation date as well as coverage while on your trip. It really is invaluable and a must for anyone who plans to travel because it’s an easy way to protect your trip investment and yourself.
I hope this post has eased any concerns you may have about the need for travel insurance and finding the right coverage for your vacation. Thankfully, my husband and I been fortunate to travel to many places and go on many adventures without any major issues arising before or during our trip but you never know what can happen.
No one wants to have a travel horror story so save yourself the worry and headache, and just invest in a travel insurance policy. In the event that you actually need it, you’ll be so glad to have it and if you don’t need it, GREAT! At least you’ll buy yourself peace of mind and be covered just in case. And that’s why I will no doubt purchase travel insurance for every trip I take – cruising, all-inclusive or otherwise and you should too!
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