Q – We will be leaving in three months for a two-week cruise to Greece and Turkey with Sea Dream 1. Picking the cruise was easy, the ship only has 50 cabins and 100 people. But choosing insurance is tougher. How do we find the best deals on travel insurance?
A – We’re not going to tell you because you are asking the wrong question. If this were the Mayo Clinic site would you be asking us to direct you to the cheapest heart surgeon? You don’t normally want the “cheapest” anything when it comes to vacation planning, a reality that applies in spades when looking at comprehensive travel insurance. In fact, the most expensive policy is often, usually, the one that will actually protect you in an emergency. There are several good insurance companies with very similar rates. Your insurance discussion should be held with the consultant who sold you your trip – knowing about insurance options is an important part of every travel consultant’s job.
Travel consultants are constantly updated on travel policies and they normally have vast experience dealing with issues related to insurance. You would need to know, for instance, which insurance companies are most active in fighting on your behalf and which firms will do a comprehensive review of a “coverage declined” decision at the request of a consultant. Look for two things upfront: Can you get the pre-existing condition waived? (Absolutely necessary for most travelers) and know exactly what amount of emergency evacuation is included. We would never recommend a policy that gave you a penny less than $50,000 of medical evacuation, the most likely serious expense travelers encounter.
As a general rule, although there are specific travel product exceptions, you want to avoid any policy sold by the tour operator or cruise line. You want to be represented by an independent insurance firm with solid long-term financial stability. That really narrows the field.
How many people fly the “cheapest” airline without ever considering the salaries paid to that airline’s pilots or the condition of the equipment they fly. This notion of “cheapest” is popular with the media but it is a silly way to approach something as serious as planning the best moments of your life – or insuring them.
