As news headlines over the last few years have shown us, there are things that can go wrong when taking a cruise.
You may want to consider a special insurance policy when you take your next cruise, in case you find yourself in any of the following situations.
You might need to cancel
Cruises can be expensive, and you don’t want to feel like you’ve wasted money should you need to cancel your trip. Cruise ship companies are not in the habit of issuing full refunds. In fact, you might not even get a partial one if you cancel within the two-week timeframe before the cruise is set to sail.
These companies usually offer their own travel insurance plan when you purchase your tickets. However, these policies can be restrictive, giving only a few reasons canceling the trip is considered valid. This means that if your reason doesn’t make the list, you are out of luck.
Medical emergencies
You may have health insurance back home, but when you are in international waters, it probably isn’t going to cover you. Even if you get sick or injured when docked, you may be in a country where the medical care is below your standards. Having cruise insurance will cover both your treatment and evacuation should it be required. Covering evacuation is important, as that alone can cost $100,000.
You might need to rush home
Just because you’re off having the time of your life doesn’t mean the rest of the world stands still, and this means that there could be an emergency back home that you need to attend to. Perhaps someone falls ill, or there is a work emergency, or even a break-in at your home. With the right policy, the assistance hotline should be able to help you make arrangements for flying home from the next port, reimbursing you for the portion of the cruise you did not take, as well as the transportation to get home.
Leave a Reply