Cruise Passengers Buy Insurance

USTiA Survey Shows 70% of Cruise Passengers Buy Insurance
Source: ModernAgent's Travel Pulse Daily

More than 70 percent of all cruise passengers buy travel insurance, according to a 2006 Consumer Survey conducted by the U.S. Travel Insurance Association (UStiA). The survey showed that people are more likely to buy insurance when there are more factors out of their control, when there are considerable pre-paid, non-refundable expenses, and when they want protection from unforeseen events. These are all considerations for the typical cruise vacation.

"When it comes to cruise vacations, the old proverb 'ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure' is a wise choice," said Jon Ansell, UStiA president. "The most common claim situation is that a sudden illness or injury in the family forces people to cancel a cruise. Other common issues can affect a cruise vacation too, such as lost, stolen or delayed baggage; missing connecting flights en route to the cruise; becoming ill or injured while at sea or while on a shore excursion. Hurricanes and delays reaching the port of embarkation due to bad weather are also circumstances typically covered by travel insurance."

With the growing popularity of cruising, new travel insurance policies address the special needs of cruise passengers that include standard travel insurance protections, such as trip cancellation/interruption, medical and evacuation coverage, as well as enhancements such as "missed cruise connection." If a passenger misses a flight to the point of embarkation for a covered reason, the insurance covers the flight costs to the ship's next port of call, and reimburses for the portion of the cruise that was missed.

Cruise insurance may also cover the cost of treatment in the cruise ship medical department, which can be quite high. In the case of a serious illness or accident in which the cruise ship's hospital may not have sufficient resources, both standard travel insurance and cruise insurance policies offer 24-hour hotline assistance to help arrange for medical care.

Ansell advises travelers to check their current health and homeowners policies to see what coverage they have and then look around for a reputable travel insurance provider to cover any gaps. "Many people are surprised to find that their medical insurance may not cover them in international waters, and may provide no coverage at all for medical evacuation," he said.

To view the article in Modern Agent, click http://www.modernagent.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=20383

For more information on UStiA, visit http://www.ustravelinsurance.org/.