By: Christopher Faris

In our last blog, we visited whether you need a passport in order to take a closed loop cruise (starts and ends in the same U.S. port). As we pointed out last time, you don’t need one, but it’s a very good idea to have one. Today we’re going to talk about purchasing travel insurance to protect yourself and your trip, COVER YOUR ASSETS. Travel insurance is not something that is necessary, but when you need it, it is truly a blessing. Travel insurance isn’t just for cancellation protection, it will also help cover expenses if you are ever injured while on your trip.

Being a member of numerous Facebook groups, I have read horror stories from people who were medically evacuated from a cruise ship due to a medical emergency. I read a story from a woman who was traveling with a family member who began to have heart issues and needed a pacemaker implanted. Because the closest port was Cozumel, the woman was medically evacuated there. After the customs fees, cost of the medical procedure and after care, plane tickets, hotel expenses, and other incidentals, the woman incurred over $55,000 in costs. This would have been more difficult if the woman in question did not have a passport, thankfully she did. Luckily the woman had paid the $57 it cost for the travel insurance, and she was quickly reimbursed.

Imagine, however, if you didn’t have the insurance and you didn’t have the ability to come out of pocket for those expenses. Travel insurance is not that expensive, and it provides the safety net that protects you and your loved ones if this ever happens to you. Any of us here at Vacationista Travel & Co, LLC, can make sure to find you affordable travel insurance rates to ensure your protection. We are going to make sure that you enjoy your trip by making your vacation dreams come true, but we also want to make sure that you are protected during your trip. This is one of the many reasons we continually advocate for purchasing travel insurance policies with your dream vacation.