| Many travelers do not purchase cancellation and | | | | disembarked in foreign ports of call. Emergency |
| emergency medical coverage when they book their | | | | evacuation by private plane or helicopter can cost |
| travel. Their usual excuse is that they will travel no | | | | over $10,000 per event. Medical fees in some countries |
| matter what happens or that they are already | | | | like the US can cost over a hundred thousand dollars if |
| covered by their credit cards. As the owner of Cruise | | | | the illness is serious and the treatment is lengthy. For a |
| Holidays of Vancouver and AlaskaCruiseExperts.com, | | | | few dollars per day, you can protect yourself from this |
| one of the largest cruise-only agencies in Canada, I | | | | potential financial catastrophe by purchasing a good |
| have seen many of our guests purchase this | | | | emergency medical policy. When a guest takes ill and |
| coverage (sometimes grudgingly!) and then coming | | | | is disembarked in a foreign county, the last thing on |
| back to us with relief that they did buy the coverage | | | | their mind should be the worry of paying for their |
| as something had gone wrong before or during their | | | | hospital bill and if they are admitted to a high quality |
| vacation. Several of our guests do not purchase this | | | | care facility. With a good medical policy in place, all it |
| important coverage as they feel that they have spent | | | | takes is a phone call to the 24 hour emergency hot |
| enough on their vacation and do not want to over | | | | line maintained by all the best insurers and their |
| extend their budgets. At the same time those same | | | | personnel will oversee your recovery and pay your |
| guests will purchase collision damage coverage to | | | | bills and then assist you with your flight back home. All |
| protect their investment on their new automobile in | | | | for a few dollars a day! Many of our clients also |
| case of an accident. Why will they not then extend | | | | advise us that they are covered for cancellation, trip |
| that train of thought and purchase cancellation and | | | | interruption and even emergency medical coverage on |
| excess medical coverage to protect their hard earned | | | | their credit cards. What they do not know is that most |
| vacation? A seven night cruise for two to the | | | | credit card companies are slowly withdrawing these |
| Caribbean in a balcony cabin with airfare from your | | | | once common privileges and not widely advertising the |
| home city could set you back over $5,000. Why would | | | | fact. Coverage could also be limited to a fixed amount |
| you not protect this investment? You may or may not | | | | that is less than the actual vacation cost. Many credit |
| get into an automobile accident and you may or may | | | | card coverage policies are only applicable if the entire |
| not get ill and have to cancel your cruise. However, for | | | | cost of the vacation is paid by that card. Travelers |
| only 5 to 8 percent of your vacation investment, you | | | | should call their credit card providers for all the details |
| can protect your vacation dollars from unexpected | | | | before assuming that they have full coverage. My |
| illness, death of an immediate Family member, certain | | | | advice to all travelers is to purchase cancellation and |
| types of job loss and even natural disasters to your | | | | emergency medical protection from a reputable |
| home (think Katrina!) by purchasing cancellation and trip | | | | insurer. Ask your travel agent for recommendations |
| interruption coverage. Unless you are willing to write | | | | and read the terms of policies of each insurer as they |
| off your vacation investment, a premium of about $125 | | | | do vary between insurers. Saving that extra $200 on |
| per person is not much to pay for the peace of mind | | | | that dream vacation could be a false saving should |
| this coverage brings to you. We have seen our clients | | | | you take ill! |
| take ill onboard cruise ships and have to be | | | | |