Travel Insurance – Why Do I Need It?

 

 

You have planned the perfect vacation, contacted a travel advisor (or not), put down your deposit, and begun making payments.  Your trip is 6 months away and you have lots of time to finish making payments and making plans.  You are so excited about all of the things that you are going to do – the flight, resort, excursions, or perhaps you are taking a cruise.  But have you thought about travel protection insurance?  What is travel protection insurance and why do I need it?  I know that is what you are thinking!

Like any other kind of insurance, travel insurance is meant to offer protection against sudden and unforeseen situations and events.  What could possibly go wrong between the time you put your deposit down on a trip and you take off?  What about once you are actually on your vacation?  What could happen to make you have to change your plans?  Well, let’s explore a few things.

• What if you get have an accident or get sick and cannot go on your trip? Did you know that most vendors have cancellation policies that can cause you to lose all the money that you have put down? 
• What if my parent or sibling is hospitalized the day before I take off for my vacation? Should I leave?  Should I stay? 
• Let’s say that everything is going great. You have made it to your luxury resort in Jamaica.  You go on that jet skiing excursion that you have always wanted to experience. You fall off the jet ski and break your arm.  Does your health insurance cover the expenses in a foreign country?  What happens if you get so sick that you must be evacuated back to the US?  Will your health insurance help? 

I could go on and on about the what if’s, but the reality is that “life” happens!  You must protect yourself!

Some of you will say that travel insurance is too expensive.  But, just like car insurance, you purchase it with the hopes of never needing it.  However, if you need it, you can rest assured that your needs will be met without more out-of-pocket expenses.  Some of the things that travel insurance will cover include:

• Trip cancellation or interruption
• Missed connection
• Travel delay
• Emergency medical or dental coverage
• Travel accident
• Baggage loss/damage
• Emergency medical transportation

As you are planning your next vacation, remember to budget for the cost of travel protection insurance.  Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it!

For more information about travel protection insurance, contact Tina Higgins @ Cruise Planners.  She can be reached at (337) 405-7650 or tina.higgins@cruiseplanners.com.  Also, check out www.DestinationsByTina.com.