Why Travel Insurance is a BIG DEAL

I’m surprised at the amount of people that think travel insurance is not a big deal. I just don’t understand that! They think travel insurance is only important if you’re old or maybe have health issues to be concerned about. We at Direct Line Cruises know that couldn’t be further from the truth!

Gone are the days when cruise lines used to be flexible when it came to allowing passengers to rebook a missed cruise. Although it may not make sense to you, the cruise line will not let you move the money you’ve paid to another cruise the following month or next year. If something unfortunate occurs in your life, not going on a cruise shouldn’t cause you additional financial distress.

Trip-cancellation or interruption insurance is the most usable and worthwhile kind of insurance out there! Age is meaningless if you slip on the ice and break a bone while shopping last minute for one more swimsuit (I’ve got first-hand experience on this one), a close relative dies days before you leave and you have to cancel the trip to attend the funeral, an aging parent cannot be left alone or you’re child comes down with a nasty stomach bug the night before departure. Nobody is invincible to the mayhem that can instantly thwart your cruise vacation plans!

Did you ever think about what 24-hour world-wide travel assistance really means? It’s like having a personal concierge service at your fingertips. It can help you find doctors or contact family members if you encounter an emergency while you’re away, provide language interpretation assistance, or help you replace a stolen passport. It can even aid you in getting from Istanbul to Athens after you missed the ship due to lengthy (but successful) haggling at the Grand Bazaar.

If your regular health insurance doesn’t cover you while abroad, you’ll want to consider a policy that includes medical expenses outside the United States. Did you know that if you’re on Medicare and are traveling internationally Medicare doesn’t typically cover situations outside the country? I have tales to tell of many clients that have taken unplanned “shore excursions” to hospitals in the Caribbean and Europe!

Because travel insurance coverage is a BIG DEAL, Direct Line Cruises includes a standard cruise protection plan in our price quotes for cruises 5 nights and longer. In addition, a more comprehensive travel insurance plan that even includes the protection of a Pre-Existing Conditions Exclusion Waiver can be added for a small additional charge.