Travel insurance for your cruise vacation is an optional expense. The cruise lines will offer you an insurance policy but it will usually be more expensive than other outlets. Your travel agent should know all the options that are available to choose from. Included here are some tips on how to obtain insurance, why you need it and the way to collect on your insurance if you have a claim.

I recommend spending the extra money on insurance. You never know what will happen since in most cases you have booked you cruise months in advance. You may arrive at your destination feeling fine and a couple of days later fall sick or sustain an injury.

For example, on one trip we took to London, I became extremely ill. Because we had the insurance we were able to get a doctor to our hotel room within an hour. All we had to do was call an 800 number in the Unites States and they took care of the rest of the arrangements, and this was on Christmas Eve! To say the least, this was a huge relief since we were in a foreign country and didn't know anything about their medical facilities. Because we had purchased the trip insurance we got immediate medical care and we were reimbursed by the insurance company for all out our of pocket expenses when we returned home.

We've been on many trips where people have sustained broken bones. Usually it was due to their own foolishness, but since they had the trip insurance they were covered. This especially becomes an issue if you have to be airlifted to the nearest medical center. On a cruise we took through the Baltic Sea, a woman suffered a stomach aneurysm and had to be taken by helicopter to a medical trauma center in Norway. I don't know if she had the insurance but I sure hope so. After experiencing things like these you can see why I recommend taking out a trip insurance policy.

Understand that the ships do have doctors, nurses and infirmaries. But they are only for the non emergency medical procedures like a cold or flu. They also have set up emergency medical contacts in all the destinations in case a situation is beyond their capabilities. They even have recommended dentists in each port of call.

If you do have a problem, keep all receipts from any incident and when you get home make copies, and then send the originals to the insurance company. Your health care carrier in the United States does not always cover you once you leave the country. I know for a fact that Blue Cross and Blue Shield do not.

Read the fine lines carefully. Good trip insurance will cover trip cancellation, trip delay, medical, accident, emergency evacuation, or default by the cruise lines. Although default is a remote possibility, it has happened and by having the insurance cover all of the above, you will be stress free. (Default means the cruise company abruptly goes out of business while you are on the cruise or declares bankruptcy before you take your cruise.)

There a few things that you should know about when taking out trip insurance. If you are a mature traveler make sure the insurance covers pre-existing conditions. There may be times when an airline delay can cause you to miss your ship. The insurance should pay to get you to the next port so you can board the ship at that destination. Anything could happen and with trip insurance you are prepared. I cannot stress enough to read the fine print before you purchase trip insurance from any company, be it private or from the cruise lines.

Put the copies of the receipts that you send to the insurance company in your date book about a month out from the date you sent them to the Insurer. If you have not heard anything by that time, call them. They are notorious at dragging their feet. You will get it, but it might take time and a little bit of persistence.

Follow these suggestions and you will have a stress free cruise knowing that you are covered for all eventualities.