22/11/2022
Annual travel insurance plans provide insurance coverage for one year of travel, therefore providing coverage for multiple trips as opposed to a trip-by-trip basis. For one set price, you’ll receive travel insurance on a full year's worth of trips (provided the destination is 100+ miles from your home).
You should consider annual travel insurance if you travel more than 2-3 times during the year. Annual travel insurance works not only for cruises, but all types of traveling and vacations. Even if you only plan to take one cruise per year, your annual travel insurance plan will work for any other trips you have booked throughout the year, whether short weekend getaways or business trips.
The cost of annual travel insurance varies depending on the specific cover you need, your age and where you live.
The Allianz annual travel insurance package, for example, costs $280 a year, which I find very reasonable, given that buying insurance per trip over the course of a year can easily be much more expensive.
It’s never a good idea to go on a cruise without travel insurance. While you may want to save the added expense and put the money toward something fun on your cruise vacation, such as a shore excursion or dining package, don’t underestimate the importance of travel insurance.
Many passengers partake in active activities on a cruise vacation that they may not do often at home, such as jet-skiing, zip lining, kayaking, and horseback riding. Any active activity comes with a risk, and you cannot predict if you’ll need medical attention while in port or onboard.
Because regular medical insurance will not usually cover medical services onboard or in port, it’s recommended to have travel insurance.
Additionally, a cruise vacation, like any other type of travel, poses a risk for trip interruption, delays, and other unexpected issues. From a bag getting lost in transit to flight cancellations, it’s always better to be protected than to not have insurance when you need it most.
Travel insurance benefits can vary by policy, but you can expect to see the following items covered:
Author: VCL team
22/11/2022
