Many people say they don't need trip insurance. Here are some of their reasons:
- I'm not going to cancel anyway
- My credit card will cover it
- It's too expensive
- Once they hear why I have to cancel, the cruise line will refund the money
Cruise lines and Tour Operators are not humanitarians. They don't want to know that your son broke his ankle and you can't go on the cruise. They don't care if you missed your flight and missed the ship's departure from port. What will they say? They'll ask if you have insurance? No? Well, then, you are out of luck.
If you have to cancel at the last minute and you don't have trip insurance, you will most likely lose the entire fare...no refund...no credit.
Okay, so you ask why would I cancel at the last minute? Perhaps, God forbid, there is a death in the family; someone in your family is hospitalized; you miss your flight because of a car accident on the way to the airport; there is a blizzard and you can't get out of your neighborhood; you lost your job; I think you get the idea.
No one plans to cancel their trip, but it does happen. And these aren't the only reasons for canceling. What happens if you are on a shore excursion and you break your leg? It happens. You say your medical insurance will cover that. Will it? Not if you have Medicare. And if you have other insurance, you better find out exactly what they will cover if you are out of the country. Will they cover your evacuation back to the U.S? What about the recent volcano flight cancellations? Once something like this has happened, it's too late to buy the insurance. That would be like buying car insurance after you have an accident.
Insurance protects you from the unforeseen. It will save you a lot of heartache if something does happen which causes you to cancel, or to cut your cruise short. What happens if you lose your passport or your money and credit cards while on the trip? Well, if you have insurance you can just call the trip insurance company and they will help you get your passport or they will arrange for you to get the money you need.
One thing to also keep in mind. Trip insurance through the supplier is fine, but if there is any type of problem such as a bankruptcy or strike, the supplier cannot insure itself against such things. It is usually in your better interest to purchase the insurance through a third party company such as Travel Guard.
