Cruise Travel Insurance
Many people buy travel insurance for a trip overseas, but tend to think that on a cruise ship, you have everything you need, including medical attention. What they don’t realize, is the facilities available may not be adequate, and the unknowns or unexpected things that can happen, may mean losing thousands of dollars, or being stuck in a foreign country without the money or ability to communicate and resolve your situation.
One of the biggest issues in travel insurance for cruises, is the cancellation coverage. If, at the last minute, you cannot go, or become ill during the trip and must return home, all that money you paid out is gone, without some kind of insurance.
The various packages available to cruise ship passengers will cover such eventualities as illness or other circumstances that cause cancellations, loss or theft of personal items, medical care, medical evacuation, and insurance against the failure of carriers to deliver on such things as connecting flights or transportation.
In the event of a medical emergency in one of your ports of call, the facility will require payment up front, even though the medical insurance or coverage your government may provide, does cover a small portion. Then you’d have to apply for reimbursement after you get home. But that is cold comfort when someone in your family takes ill in a foreign country.
That’s why it’s wise to shop around for a policy that suits your needs, prior to setting sail. Some companies will offer health coverage only, if that’s all you want. Many will not cover pre-existing conditions, but you will find some companies that make exceptions. Do your homework and make sure you get what will make your cruise a treasured memory, for all the right reasons.
