Travel Insurance

[Commander Quan]

Has anyone ever purchased travel insurance? The Soon-to-be Mrs. Quan and I are going to the Caribbean for our honeymoon the 3rd week of September, peek hurricane season. We haven't picked a resort yet or even an island, but should this me something I talk to the travel agent about?

 

[mretzloff]

I would not. Unless you or your wife (congratulations!) have a medical issue now, I would take the chance, especially if it is only for one week.

EDIT: I have traveled to the Caribbean during that time twice before and nothing has happened to me. Of course, YMMV (hopefully not).

 

[Jim B.]

Yes, talk to your travel agent about it. Then you can decide whether the benefit is worth the cost.

I recently had to cancel a trip to New Zealand when my golden retriever was diagnosed with lung cancer. I wasn't going to end his time on this earth early just so I could take my trip as scheduled. I fortunately had the kind of travel insurance that covers the cancellation of a trip for any reason. Worked like a charm and saved me thousands of dollars.

I've since re-booked the trip. And I again have the travel insurance that can be canceled for any reason just in case something else comes up.

 

[dpmtherrien]

At this point in life, we purchase it whenever we are going on an extended vacation. Such as to a resort, cruise, etc.

We're off to Disney World in a few weeks, and we've again purchased the insurance. The main reason we do, other than the trip being so expensive, is that my father is still with us, but at age 88 he has a few issues and you just never know. The extra $130 dollars for the insurance is a good safety feature when you compare it to the possible loss of almost $3,000 dollars should we not be able to go.

I think when looking at travel insurance, one has to look at the whole picture and then decide. In our case the loss of just a little extra cost far outweighs the loss of the entire amount.

 

[RBE17]

My wife and sister have both purchased travel insurance and both have used it. It was worth the cost.

 

[BigRich]

Yes and no. Like all things it depends on the cost of your trip, destination, time of year, cost of the insurance, and other extraneous factors.

Taking a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas, probably not. However, my wife and I are going to Cancun in a few months and we have a young daughter who will be staying with my in-laws while we're gone. With a trip costing several thousand dollars and the potential for something to go wrong with my daughter or in-laws, the $138 Cancel for any reason coverage was something I decided to get. As with everything B&B related, it's a YMMV kind of thing but weight all the factors carefully.

Oh, and congratulations on your pending wedding!

 

[raisindot]

Has anyone ever purchased travel insurance? The Soon-to-be Mrs. Quan and I are going to the Caribbean for our honeymoon the 3rd week of September, peek hurricane season. We haven't picked a resort yet or even an island, but should this me something I talk to the travel agent about?

I've done it several times. I made a claim once, when there was a medical crisis in the family that required cancellation of a trip. Documentation was a gigantic pain in the keiser (multiple letters from different physicians to 'prove' it wasn't a pre-existing condition), but it did pay back. There are a lot of scammers in the industry out there, so you have to be careful. I've always used Travelguard, because their premiums tend to be lower. Again, the documentation is a pain, but they did end up paying the claim.

When choosing a provider, read the terms carefully, particularly around pre-existing conditions. The earlier you pay the premium, the less trouble you'll have should a medical condition occur closer to the time of the trip.

Jeff in Boston

 

[TonyH]

Anything over a couple of days away, and I buy it. I don't have enough money to cover lost expenses on a suddenly aborted vacation.