When you follow a travel blog, you’re probably expecting to read about beautiful destinations, incredible cruises, and dream vacations—not travel insurance.
So, if you’re thinking, “Didn’t we already talk about travel insurance?” the answer is yes.
In fact, it was one of the very first topics I covered because I truly believe it’s one of the most important parts of planning any trip.
I’m bringing it up again because over the past few years I’ve been reminded—both through my clients’ experiences and one of my own—that travel insurance isn’t just another optional add-on. It’s protection for the unexpected.
Most trips go exactly as planned.
But sometimes they don’t.
And when they don’t, having the right coverage can make all the difference.
The Trip That Reinforced Everything I Already Believed
A few years ago, a friend and I were flying from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale to board a cruise in July.
While we were on our way to the airport, we received a notification that our flight had been canceled and automatically rebooked.
As it turned out, we were traveling on the day the global technology outage affected airlines during the CrowdStrike incident disrupting travelers around the world.
Although we eventually made it to Atlanta, the delays caused us to miss our connection to Fort Lauderdale. After hours of waiting, the airline canceled our flight around 1:00 a.m. and informed us they couldn’t get us to Fort Lauderdale in time to board our cruise the next day.
With thousands of travelers stranded, we spent two unexpected nights in Atlanta trying to find another way to reach the ship.
Fortunately, the cruise line agreed to let us board in Puerto Rico a few days later. We booked one-way flights from Atlanta to Puerto Rico and spent two additional nights there before finally boarding the ship on Tuesday.
Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse, our checked luggage never caught up with us.
For the first several days of our vacation, we had no luggage at all. We had to purchase clothing, toiletries, and other necessities just to get by while hoping our bags would eventually arrive.
Thankfully, we had purchased travel insurance.
Our policy reimbursed us for the unexpected hotel stays in both Atlanta and Puerto Rico, the airfare we purchased to meet the ship, meals and other eligible daily expenses while we were delayed, the clothing and personal items we had to buy because our luggage never arrived, and even the missed portion of our cruise.
What could have easily turned into thousands of dollars in unexpected expenses became an inconvenience instead of a financial disaster.
Once we boarded the ship, we were able to relax and enjoy the rest of our vacation instead of worrying about how much everything was costing us.
What That Experience Taught Me
Before that trip, I had always purchased travel insurance. Ironically, I had never actually needed to use it. Like most travelers, I hoped it would simply be something I bought and never thought about again.
That trip reinforced something I already believed as both a traveler and a travel advisor: Travel insurance isn’t about expecting something to go wrong.
It’s about being prepared when something outside your control does. The CrowdStrike outage wasn’t something anyone could have predicted.
- We didn’t cause the delays.
- We didn’t lose our luggage.
- We didn’t choose to miss part of our cruise.
- But we still had to deal with the consequences.
Thankfully, we weren’t also left dealing with thousands of dollars in unexpected expenses.
Travel Insurance Covers More Than Most People Realize
Many people think travel insurance is simply for canceling a trip before it starts.
While trip cancellation coverage is certainly important, comprehensive travel insurance may also include benefits for situations like:
- Trip interruption
- Travel delays
- Missed connections
- Emergency medical expenses
- Emergency medical transportation
- Lost, stolen, or delayed baggage
- 24-hour travel assistance services
Every policy is different, but my experience is a perfect example of how several different benefits can come into play during a single trip.
Medical Coverage Is One Benefit I Never Overlook
Although my claim didn’t involve a medical emergency, that’s actually one of the biggest reasons I recommend travelers seriously consider travel insurance—especially when traveling internationally. Many health insurance plans provide limited coverage outside the United States, and some provide none at all.
Depending on the plan you choose, travel insurance may include benefits for emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, emergency dental care, prescription medications, and emergency medical transportation. Medical evacuations alone can cost tens of thousands of dollars depending on where you’re traveling.
It’s one of those benefits you hope you’ll never need—but you’ll certainly be glad to have if you ever do.
Don’t Just Compare the Price
One piece of advice I give every client is this: Don’t choose a travel insurance policy based solely on the premium.
When I prepare insurance quotes, I always encourage clients to compare the coverage itself. Take a few minutes to look at:
- Medical coverage limits
- Emergency medical transportation limits
- Trip cancellation and interruption benefits
- Baggage protection
- Travel delay coverage
- Optional upgrades that may be available
Sometimes two policies are only a few dollars apart in price but offer significantly different levels of protection. Taking a few extra minutes to review those differences can help you choose the plan that best fits your trip.
Is Travel Insurance Worth It?
That’s a personal decision. My job as a travel advisor isn’t to tell you that you have to purchase travel insurance. My job is to make sure you understand your options so you can make an informed decision.
After my own experience, I can honestly say I’ll continue purchasing travel insurance for every major trip I take. Hopefully, I’ll never need to file another claim. But if something unexpected happens again, I’ll know I’m protected.
Final Thoughts
There’s a reason I keep talking about travel insurance. It’s not because I think something will go wrong on your vacation. It’s because I’ve experienced firsthand how quickly an amazing trip can be disrupted by events completely outside your control.
Without travel insurance, my vacation during the CrowdStrike outage would have cost thousands of dollars more than I ever planned. Instead, I was able to focus on getting to the ship, enjoying the rest of my cruise, and making the best of an unexpected situation.
I hope you never have to use travel insurance. But if you ever do, I hope you’re as glad to have it as I was.
