EscapeToParadiseVacations: Do I Really Need Travel Insurance? Yes, You Do!

'Most Americans don't realize their regular health insurance may not cover them when traveling outside of the United States'

•Travel Arrangement Coverage
•Medical Protection
•Worldwide Emergency Assistance
•Baggage Protection

When your sights are set on an exciting vacation filled with sun- splashed beaches, it's not much fun to stop and consider the options that protect against unforeseen events that may mar your getaway (not to mention the additional cost). But it's time for a reality check. Whenever a problem occurs during a trip, it's almost always the traveler that loses out. They lose either time or money, but most often it's both.
In addition to illness and accidents, here are some other unforeseen (and unhappy) events you may encounter prior to or during your travels:

You've paid for your cruise six months out and a crisis hits: you're down-sized out of a job, there's a death in the family, or some other catastrophe strikes and you're unable to get away. While the deadline for a "free" cancellation has passed, you may think that the cruise line or resort will be able to waive the cancellation penalty, but unfortunately, they cannot. Travel insurance has you covered.
A big snowstorm hits the day you're scheduled to start your vacation, and your flight is cancelled. Or your flight is delayed — as a result, you don't make your connection in time and arrive after your ship has sailed. Ultimately, you catch up to your cruise ship, but you've missed several days that you paid for. You've also incurred the costs to change reservations and arrange flights to the next port of call. Is the cruise line or the airline responsible? If you read the small print on your tickets you will find that they are not. Only travel insurance will make up for this loss.
Cruise lines and airlines cannot claim responsibility for anything that's beyond their control. If you miss your plane, there's no reimbursement for days missed aboard ship. In the event of a weather or carrier-created delay, no airline is obligated to connect you with your cruise ship — they're only obligated to get you to your ticketed destination. Similarly, your cruise line isn't required to pay any extra costs involved in connecting you with your ship, and your resort is not obligated to reimburse you for days missed. Travel insurance, however, would give you some recourse in all of these instances.
It's also important to know that if a serious health issue arises on your vacation, you shouldn't expect to find medical conditions comparable to those found in most U.S. hospitals. For example a cruise line is not required to conform to American medical standards. Their ability to handle a critical situation is limited — if you fall ill, the ship's doctor will either contact your insurance carrier or put you ashore at the next port of call where you'll be met by an ambulance and taken to a local hospital. And, conditions at foreign hospitals are frequently not up to American standards.

It is very common that people shut down when they hear the word insurance." Even though it is an extra cost, it's invaluable if you have a problem. It can get really expensive when you don't have insurance.
Additionally, there's the added security that comes with knowing that insurance can offer full or partial compensation in the event you can't travel. Buying insurance doesn't guarantee your trip will be worry free, but it does help alleviate enormous concerns that can arise when trouble occurs before or during your hard- earned vacation. For many, it's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

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CruiseOne Eric & Barb Svenson