Podcast Cruise 4.0 - 12/08/2012

[NitroStitch]

I didn't purchase trip insurance until we started doing ABD trips. We're both healthy people overall, but couldn't afford to lose that kind of money for a whole ABD trip if something happened.

Last July, DH got sick and ended up in the hospital for most of the ABD trip, plus had gallbladder surgery, all while we were in California. We were VERY glad to have had trip insurance, which helps with medical, some meals if you have receipts, cabs if you have receipts, and some trip interruption reimbursement. Since ABD can't price each experience separately so that they could put a price on each thing we missed, the reimbursement was far less than expected (kind of a unique situation), but it still helped. We were lucky that DH was cleared to fly back home exactly at the time we had originally planned flying home, but changes in flights and temporary lodging would have been helped with insurance too. It's hard to imagine how many unplanned expenses you have if something unexpected goes wrong, especially if it involves medical flights off cruises and family flying from a port to join the ailing family member, plus lodging while they're diverted from the trip they already bought.

I'd much rather spend the money on trip insurance when I can't afford not to have it - I'd rather feel silly not needing it than need it and not have it. Everybody's financial and physical situation is different, and like OKWLover pointed out, you have to look at your own situation and decide whether you'd rather possibly lose the money on trip insurance you didn't end up needing or possibly lose money on medicals and other expenses if something does go wrong.

Good luck deciding! I know I've agonized over that decision myself. For some types of trips we take, I never purchase trip insurance, since there isn't much loss built in to those trips if something goes wrong.