The question of whether to get travel insurance is one that comes up often.
This question has become even more relevant in recent years due to the pandemic, but even prior to 2020 it was an extremely common inquiry.
Our answer has never changed: We strongly recommend that all guests, regardless of age or health status, purchase travel insurance.
When do we recommend purchasing insurance?
We recommend that you purchase your travel insurance following the completion of your non-refundable deposit payment. In order to get full coverage, most insurers require that your health is considered “stable” for 90 days prior to purchase. By purchasing at the time of the deposit, you may be able to lock in the same terms for insuring the remainder of your trip, when payment is due 70 days prior to departure. This way, if your condition changes after your deposit has been paid, but prior to your remaining balance being paid, you should not be at risk of losing your deposit if it no longer makes financial sense to commit to your travel plans as intended.
Every season we have incidents happen that end up impacting our guests’ ability to travel. The only thing that they have in common is that they are totally unexpected. No one ever plans to get sick or injured.
In the event of wildfires when travelling through Western Canada, the Rocky Mountaineer does not provide refunds. Having travel insurance is something that will allow you a “refund” through your insurance provider in this type of situation.
Previously, we had a guest get severe food poisoning from a sushi restaurant she had eaten at the night before her flight. This was a restaurant she had visited many times in the past, and while she never had any issues before, she certainly got unlucky on this particular visit. She was so ill that she was unable to make her flight the next day. Without insurance, she would have lost the cost of her flight and the rest of the trip, however, because she had extensive travel insurance coverage she was able to be reimbursed.
Also, we previously had a guest test positive for COVID just a few days before his 16-day Canadian Trip of a Lifetime was set to begin. At this point, all flights, hotels, trains, and transportation were booked and paid for and the trip was completely non-refundable. Luckily, his travel insurance provider will be reimbursing him in full for his missed trip and he’ll travel with us as soon as he is healthy and able to cross the border again.
These are just a few recent stories of the many cancellations that we see each year. We hate to see guests get sick or have something happen that prevents them from travelling. While we will always do our best for our clients, in many cases, large components of the trip cannot be reimbursed no matter the reason for cancelling. For this reason, we direct our guests to purchase Tugo Travel Insurance online or call Sanderson Travel Insurance at 1-877-226-8728 and ask for Brian Sanderson, if you would like to speak with someone prior to purchasing. We’ve been recommending them since 2015 and our guests have always been looked after in the best way possible.
How good is the present COVID-19 Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance? If you or any travel companions happen to test positive before your trip starts and you have to cancel your trip, you will all be covered and eligible for a 100% refund of your trip costs!
Please see the following page to learn more and get a full quote: Travel Insurance
