Need Insurance?
A cruise is
not just a vacation-it is an investment. And you need to protect
that investment. How? Purchasing some type of travel insurance
is a necessity for any travel
booking today. The need goes beyond personal factors
that could surface, like a family medical emergency.
The tragic events of 9/11 brought home the reality that the
unforeseen can happen and disrupt even the best-laid travel
plans. As a result, the purchase of travel insurance has
skyrocketed since then. And natural disasters like Hurricane
Katrina or the tsunami which devastated Asia are two more
examples of how the unexpected can disrupt travel.
These have caused the scope of travel insurance to completely
change. Suppliers defaulted, others went into bankruptcy and
travel insurance companies went through major overhauls of what
they cover and how they price their coverages, with more options
varying with the type of coverage needed.
Two Travel Insurance Options
When looking into insurance options for your group, you can
consider two possibilities purchasing travel insurance offered
by the cruise
lineor buying a separate retail travel insurance policy.
Regardless of which option you select, it needs to be clearly
included in the trip offering description. Secondly, if your
group opts to take a separate insurance policy it needs to be
done immediately, at the time of deposit. Why? Many retail
travel insurance policies will waive certain exclusions (such as
pre-existing medical conditions that might be under control at
time of booking) if the insurance coverage is purchased
immediately, usually within a week or two of when the original
deposit was submitted to the cruise line.
Even if your group opts to take insurance through the cruise
line, it should be included at time of the actual booking. A few
cruise lines even require that the insurance cost be submitted
with the initial deposit. Finally, if anyone declines coverage,
it is imperative to have the person sign a waiver stating they
were offered insurance, declined it, and are aware of the
cancellation penalties that apply. Be sure to get it in writing,
as a verbal, We are going and do not want to take any insurance,
is not sufficient. Be sure to always have clients pay by credit
card, as the Fair Credit Act provides some protection not
available to those who pay via cash or check. Finally, most
insurance coverage plans are usually available for purchase by
U.S. citizens only.
How do you Choose a Policy?
First and foremost, each group member needs to decide on his
needs, just like buying car or homeowners insurance. What
exactly should be covered if an emergency does come up and that
group member cannot travel? Think in terms of the worst case
scenario and work back from there. For instance, are there any
pre-existing medical conditions that could result in last-minute
cancellation, when penalties are in effect? Do any of your group
members have any elderly immediate family members or young
children not accompanying them on the trip who could have an
emergency and cause that member to cancel the trip at the last
minute, or result in having to fly back during the trip? Also,
travelers may already be covered under existing insurance or
through their credit card, although some coverage may not extend
out of the country.
Cruise Line Insurance
Many cruise
lines have customized plans developed with their insurance
carrier. Most base the premium cost on the price of the cruise
package, although Carnivals is based on the number of days of
the cruise. Recently some lines have begun to offer an upgraded
insurance package, as well as the basic coverage. Princess
Cruises, for instance, has a Princess Travel Care Gold plan,
which doubles the limits of certain insurance coverages. And
Holland America Line now offers a Platinum Cancellation
Protection Plan.
Source: Group
Travel Blog
For more information Visit Group Travel
Directory