Travel insurance

[Scubapro Marcus]

Hey everyone i just booked a trip to bonaire and was recommend travel guard but i also was looking into diveassure it looks like the best deal would be to get the silver TG for the trip and the gold or platinum diveassure.

what do you guys recommend?

 

[robint]

we are using Travel Safe.
it is the one that our travel agent (Island Dreams) recommended for our trip to Bonaire in April. In the past we have used both of the others and never had to claim anything on them. Regardless of which you use, it is a good idea to have insurance if going out of the country.

robin

 

[BDSC]

what do you guys recommend?

I take a little different approach about travel insurance than some. I have only bought travel insurance one time in almost 20 years of dive travel and then didn't have to use it. I know everyone has to determine how much "risk" they are willing to take but when it comes to typical Caribbean trips, I just don't make the purchase. Now I may think differently if I were going to the other side of the world and had many thousands of dollars invested.

I do, however, have DAN insurance in case anything were to happen and I needed some type of medical needs.

But here is a link you may find useful to compare different travel insurance plans:

Quote Form - Travel Insurance - squaremouth

 

[vladimir]

In my opinion, travel insurance is a waste of money, because it generally protects you from small, manageable losses and costs a lot. DAN dive accident insurance (or similar) is a good idea, because it protects against potentially catastrophic losses. If you do decide to purchase travel insurance, study the exceptions to coverage beforehand to make sure it covers what you think it does.

Here are DAN's reasons to purchase travel insurance (DAN sells both dive accident insurance and travel insurance):

1. You could lose money you've invested for your trip, such as nonrefundable deposits, if bad weather conditions cause delay or cancellation of your trip.

2. You may have to cut your trip short and return home for an emergency such as an unexpected illness or death of an immediate family member forcing you to lose the remaining pre-paid, non-refundable portion of your trip and pay a ticket change fee for your return travel arrangements.

3. Your luggage could be lost, delayed or stolen, forcing you to purchase additional clothes, essentials or even prescription medications.

4. The airline, cruise line or tour operator with which you're scheduled to travel suddenly goes on strike leaving you with no option but to cancel your trip…with no recourse for reimbursement.

5. You could run into major travel delays forcing you to miss a portion of your trip or cruise and be forced to pay additional lodging expenses while you wait.

6. You could be forced to evacuate your resort due to a predicted hurricane or other weather conditions, cutting your trip short... with no recourse for reimbursement for the remaining portion of your vacation.

7. You could lose your important travel documents, stranding you while traveling abroad.

In my opinion, all of these events are either extremely unlikely, small change, largely preventable with a little common sense, or some combination of those. If you need to insure against the possibility of buying new T-shirts and toothbrushes (#3), for example, then you should postpone the vacation until you have more money in the bank.

 

[diver 85]

When is your trip to Bonaire??..I would not get any unless it's the middle of hurricane season ie July, Aug, or Sept(poss ?early Oct)---that's how we do it anyway, for over 25 yrs--& have only gotten it twice in those years, to Dominica in July of '09 & we bought some for our Fiji trip last Sept...

We actually used it on the Dominica trip ie LIAT tore up one of our suitcases on the way down(shrink wrapped it for the return trip--see below) which was fully monetarily replaced after the trip..btw, we went thru DAN(Travelguard) for those 2 trips....

 

[Scubapro Marcus]

Well my trip is in September and I have never bought insurance on my 12 trips to mexico but the trips were only around 2000-2400 total with air fair. However this trip is in 18 days and around 7000 dollars so thats why I am considering it, Im thinking I only need trip cancelation for emergencies and for weather problems. I think if I buy DAN or Diveassure that will prob cover the medical and other things. I don't know which to use I just know I have to decide in 5 days.

Thanks everyone for your help,

 

[vladimir]

Other things to consider, Marcus, are what your actual losses would be with an adverse event, and what your peace of mind is worth. I have found that I can usually recover the cost of a plane ticket minus a $150 charge for rescheduling or cancellation, for example. You can often cancel hotel reservations with no loss, or one night's charge, but this varies quite a bit. So even though you're laying out $7,000, a much smaller amount may actually be at risk. If you are going to worry about it, however, you're not going to enjoy your vacation. In that case, buy the insurance just to set your mind at ease.

 

[DandyDon]

Well my trip is in September and I have never bought insurance on my 12 trips to mexico but the trips were only around 2000-2400 total with air fair. However this trip is in 18 days and around 7000 dollars so thats why I am considering it, Im thinking I only need trip cancelation for emergencies and for weather problems. I think if I buy DAN or Diveassure that will prob cover the medical and other things. I don't know which to use I just know I have to decide in 5 days.

Thanks everyone for your help,

Nope. The top Preferred DAN plans includes Medical Non-Dive Accident Coverage Occurring outside home country $10,000 Lifetime Max., and DAN membership includes emergency evacuation handled by them, but the middle plan has no non-diving insurance, the bottom plan is a loser for only $10 less than the middle plan, and none of them cover your non-accident medical! See http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/insurance/compare.asp

I don't know much about Dive Assure, but as I recall their bottom dive accident plan is a poor choice compared to the middle too. You can read the details but I don't think they include non-accident medical.

You're thinking that you won't have a non-accident problem but the facts are that you could. Coverage is cheap so why risk it.

I like comprehensive coverage from TravelSafe, but you can shop around at InsureMyTrip.com | Quote | Help comparing benefits, costs, and ratings of dozens. The site does comparisons. You can get medical only, but for big loss possibilities, I like more coverage.

I was with a group on another board a few years ago, and we discussed the pros and cons. The trip should have canceled with the hurricane coming but the leader didn't so we all showed up. One left the next day, most the next, the rest as soon as possible. Lots of whining over the losses, extra expenses to buy a jacked up ticket out, etc. I remind them of their choices and money saved on premiums.

Look at the benefits here Our most popular product! | Travel Safe Insurance see what you don't want, but check the price. Then - whatever you decide to live with.

 

[robint]

We don't usually buy travel insurance for trips to Cozumel or US locations... all but one trip to Coz and we did end up needing it. I forgot about that one! It was going to be a quickie 4 day trip and I fell 2 weeks before trip and injured my knee - we got a full refund for trip (hotel, diving, and airfare). I don't remember which company we used for that one as it was 8 yrs ago.

as vladimir said... you have to weigh the costs, which is why we usually never buy insurance for Coz trips. EVERY liveaboard trip we have done we bought insurance... missing the boat means forfeiture of entire price of trip, which would really suck!
Both our Bonaire trips we bought insurance because of price and fact that a missed plane may mean you don't get there until halfway through the trip which would suck.

robin