Most of the time, we plan vacations, we go, we come back and plan the next one. But every once in a while things go wrong. As a travel agent, I have seen it all, and I am here to tell you: Buy the trip insurance.
In the past year, I have had clients need to use their insurance because of emergency surgery and not being able to travel, a trip getting interrupted by French Air Traffic Control strike, illness diagnosed after a trip was paid in full, and most recently, a client leaving a cruise ship by ambulance. I am here to tell you that these things happen.
Trip insurance is based largely on age, so the younger you are, the cheaper it is. Regardless, unless you can afford to lose all of the money you have spent on a trip, it is well worth the investment. When discussing insurance, clients always ask me what I would do, and I tell them: if I am going on a big trip, a cruise or a land trip with many non-refundable parts (expensive airfare, hotels, tours that can’t be cancelled), I always buy the insurance. I have already spent a lot of money on the trip, and spending a little more for peace of mind that if something does go wrong, I have help and reimbursement, seems like a wise investment.
Which insurance should you buy? Well, there are many choices, and yes, your credit card sometimes gives you some coverage, like for rental cars, but you should certainly consult your travel professional for a good company to use. What if you book direct with a cruise line? Why on earth would you do that? Call me, I can get stuff booked for you, get you some perks on cruises (and land trips, etc) and navigate the insurance for you. There is no reason to do it on your own, especially when it costs the same, or less, to use a professional.
For your next trip, please consider travel insurance. It may save you a lot of headaches, or you may not use it at all. Either way, you win.
