Should I Buy Travel Insurance?

While most people carry several different insurance policies, they often are unfamiliar with travel insurance. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints looking to take a family vacation such as a Cruise Lady Israel tour, a Mediterranean cruise or any of our other land tours or cruise options, purchasing travel insurance should be something to consider.

When you are planning the vacation of a lifetime, you might think about exotic locations, award-winning restaurants, and glamourous resorts. It’s easy to avoid thinking about those things that might ruin an otherwise perfect trip.

• Did you know that most medical policies do not cover you when you leave the country?
• What if your flight is cancelled due to a hurricane evacuation at your destination?
• What if your baggage is delayed forcing you to purchase necessary essentials or prescription medications?
• What if you experience an illness or injury on your trip that requires a visit to a clinic or hospitalization?
• What if you lose your passport and travel documents leaving you stranded abroad?
• What if your trip is cancelled due to a terrorist incident in a city listed on your itinerary?
• What if you must return home early due to a death or illness of a family member back home?

Purchasing travel insurance will help cover these risks.

Is Travel Insurance Worth It?

How can you know whether purchasing travel insurance is worth the cost? There are different options depending on the money you’re spending on the trip and any potential risks such as travel delays, medical emergencies or even cancellations. Here are a few general factors that help you determine which travel insurance policy is the right one for you:

• Amount invested: How much do you have invested in your trip overall? We’re talking travel costs, accommodations, food and drink, plus any other areas you might want to consider. In addition, are there potential outcomes that could risk this investment? Such risks may include illness, accident, natural disaster, stolen passport or several others.
• Health insurance network: Another big factor to consider is whether you’re traveling outside your health insurance network’s coverage area. If you are injured or need medical care in another country, travel insurance could be a huge benefit to you through saving major out-of-pocket costs in some areas of the world.
• Medical care: In other cases, you might have some concerns about standard medical care in certain countries. In these situations, travel insurance is valuable if it includes emergency medical evacuation.

Assessing Travel Risks

Due to the various risks listed above, we always recommend buying travel protection when you leave the country. However, if you’re unsure whether to purchase travel insurance, we recommend making a list of any possible concerns or risks particular to your scenario. If you’re a parent, ask about cancellation policies and other factors in case your child becomes sick. If you’re going to be traveling abroad or to a particularly remote or undeveloped location, consider factors like medical coverage and evacuation services.

Understand Insurance Costs

If you do choose to purchase travel insurance ahead of one of our land tours or cruises, it’s vital to understand what your money is going toward. Most policies cover standard medical plans and coverage, but for areas like medical evaluation and trip cancellation coverage, you may have to specify coverage to ensure you receive it.

For more on whether travel insurance is a prudent move for you ahead of your next land tour or cruise, or to learn about any of our family vacation options, call Cruise Lady today.