| Travel insurance for your cruise vacation is an | | | | non emergency medical procedures like a cold or |
| optional expense. The cruise lines will offer you an | | | | flu. They also have set up emergency medical |
| insurance policy but it will usually be more | | | | contacts in all the destinations in case a situation is |
| expensive than other outlets. Your travel agent | | | | beyond their capabilities. They even have |
| should know all the options that are available to | | | | recommended dentists in each port of call. |
| choose from. Included here are some tips on how | | | | If you do have a problem, keep all receipts from |
| to obtain insurance, why you need it and the way | | | | any incident and when you get home make |
| to collect on your insurance if you have a claim. | | | | copies, and then send the originals to the |
| I recommend spending the extra money on | | | | insurance company. Your health care carrier in the |
| insurance. You never know what will happen since | | | | United States does not always cover you once |
| in most cases you have booked you cruise | | | | you leave the country. I know for a fact that |
| months in advance. You may arrive at your | | | | Blue Cross and Blue Shield do not. |
| destination feeling fine and a couple of days later | | | | Read the fine lines carefully. Good trip insurance |
| fall sick or sustain an injury. | | | | will cover trip cancellation, trip delay, medical, |
| For example, on one trip we took to London, I | | | | accident, emergency evacuation, or default by the |
| became extremely ill. Because we had the | | | | cruise lines. Although default is a remote possibility, |
| insurance we were able to get a doctor to our | | | | it has happened and by having the insurance |
| hotel room within an hour. All we had to do was | | | | cover all of the above, you will be stress free. |
| call an 800 number in the Unites States and they | | | | (Default means the cruise company abruptly goes |
| took care of the rest of the arrangements, and | | | | out of business while you are on the cruise or |
| this was on Christmas Eve! To say the least, this | | | | declares bankruptcy before you take your cruise.) |
| was a huge relief since we were in a foreign | | | | There a few things that you should know about |
| country and didn't know anything about their | | | | when taking out trip insurance. If you are a |
| medical facilities. Because we had purchased the | | | | mature traveler make sure the insurance covers |
| trip insurance we got immediate medical care and | | | | pre-existing conditions. There may be times when |
| we were reimbursed by the insurance company | | | | an airline delay can cause you to miss your ship. |
| for all out our of pocket expenses when we | | | | The insurance should pay to get you to the next |
| returned home. | | | | port so you can board the ship at that destination. |
| We've been on many trips where people have | | | | Anything could happen and with trip insurance you |
| sustained broken bones. Usually it was due to | | | | are prepared. I cannot stress enough to read the |
| their own foolishness, but since they had the trip | | | | fine print before you purchase trip insurance from |
| insurance they were covered. This especially | | | | any company, be it private or from the cruise |
| becomes an issue if you have to be airlifted to | | | | lines. |
| the nearest medical center. On a cruise we took | | | | Put the copies of the receipts that you send to |
| through the Baltic Sea, a woman suffered a | | | | the insurance company in your date book about a |
| stomach aneurysm and had to be taken by | | | | month out from the date you sent them to the |
| helicopter to a medical trauma center in Norway. I | | | | Insurer. If you have not heard anything by that |
| don't know if she had the insurance but I sure | | | | time, call them. They are notorious at dragging |
| hope so. After experiencing things like these you | | | | their feet. You will get it, but it might take time |
| can see why I recommend taking out a trip | | | | and a little bit of persistence. |
| insurance policy. | | | | Follow these suggestions and you will have a |
| Understand that the ships do have doctors, | | | | stress free cruise knowing that you are covered |
| nurses and infirmaries. But they are only for the | | | | for all eventualities. |