The tradition of the honeymoon has been around for many centuries and from the start it was intended to give newly wed couples time together. In the Christian bible, for example, there are references to a period of time after a wedding when a man should be exempt from public service and military duties in order to make sure his new bride is happy.
Today, the honeymoon tradition remains strong and honeymoons are seen as a time for the newly-married couple to spend time together without interruptions. A honeymoon gives new couples the chance to explore unique experiences together and get to know each other better after the wedding mayhem has passed.
Of course, a honeymoon is still a trip and just like any trip you take it can come with its own special share of risks and mis-adventures. If you’re planning a honeymoon soon, or know someone who is, see these reasons to insure your honeymoon trip – even if you’ve never purchased travel insurance before. These real-life honeymoon disasters will help you understand why.
1. My fiancé was in a car accident
The aftermath of any car accident can be devastating and when you’re focused on helping your fiancé recover from a car accident, your honeymoon may be the absolute last thing on your mind.
Still, if a traffic accident causes you to have to cancel your honeymoon, it’s nice to know that you can get 100% of your non-refundable trip costs refunded to you so that you can reschedule your honeymoon for a better time.
Trip cancellation is pre-departure coverage that reimburses the insured travelers for their pre-paid and non-refundable trip costs if the trip is canceled for a covered reason. It’s important to note that each plan defines the covered reasons for trip cancellation a little differently, so be sure to read your travel insurance document carefully.
See our review of trip cancellation coverage for more details.
2. We got food poisoning
Health care in countries outside North America may be less expensive overall, it’s still not cheap. Depending on the medical emergency that causes you to need emergency medical care, you could be paying out of pocket for x-rays, hospitalization, surgery, medication, and more.
If you need medical care outside your own health insurance network, or if one or both of you are not covered by health care that extends to your honeymoon destination, you could be in serious financial debt just as you are starting your life together.
To obtain emergency medical care outside the U.S., you’ll want to have emergency medical coverage that will reimburse you or coordinate payments to the hospital directly. If both of you are hospitalized for more than a short time, your travel insurance plan will fly a family member or friend to be at your bedside.
See our review of travel medical coverage for more details.
3. Our honeymoon suite was robbed
Even the best hotels experience robberies and when you’re the bride and groom checking in, all a potential thief sees is dollar signs – in the form of jewelry, wedding cash, and gifts. If your honeymoon suite is robbed and they take everything they can get their hands on, you may have lost more than your clothes.
Having a good travel insurance plan with baggage coverage will help. You’ll need to file a local police report to make a successful claim. It’s important to understand, however, that there is a maximum payout and a per-item limit. Expensive items like electronics and jewelry aren’t covered and cash is never covered.
Insure the more expensive items you’re traveling with – including the wedding rings – on your homeowners insurance policy instead. That will give you the best protection if they are lost or stolen.
See our review of baggage coverage for more details and keep that wedding cash in a money belt instead!
4. A tornado made us miss our cruise
When tornadoes rip through regions, they cause tremendous damage – sometimes including damage to airports and planes. The residual effects can mean canceled, re-routed, and/or delayed flights. If the cruise ship containing your honeymoon suite leaves before you arrive because you were delayed as a result of a tornado, a travel insurance plan with good missed connection coverage can help save your honeymoon.
Missed connection coverage reimburses an insured traveler for flight change fees and/or additional unexpected transportation costs that are necessary to meet a cruise or tour in the event of a missed flight connection due to an accident or bad weather. Plus, the travel assistance representatives will help you locate an alternate flight along your cruise ship’s path so you can catch up to it at another port.
See our review of missed connection coverage for more details.
5. We were called home – my father died
The death of someone important to you is heart-wrenching. When you’re traveling and get the call, it also means some critical decisions have to be made: such as how are you going to get home, by which route, and how quickly?
A travel insurance plan with trip interruption coverage means you’ll get up to 150% of your unused trip costs back if you have to cancel your trip cover a covered reason and return home. This means you’ll have the money you need to pay for unexpected trip costs such as last-minute airfares, hotels, and other trip expenses as you make your way back home to be with your family.
Trip interruption coverage comes with a few limitations, including the time to purchase and covering all your trip expenses, so be sure to see our review of trip interruption coverage for full details.
6. A hurricane left us stranded
While a hurricane’s path of destruction may be wide, there are many residual effects of hurricanes that affect travelers who are well outside the path of the hurricane. These effects come in the form of canceled and delayed flights, and more. In many cases, the airlines work with travelers affected by hurricanes, but even if your flight is rescheduled at no cost, resorts, hotels, tour operators, and more may not be as quick to refund your money.
If an unexpected travel delay occurs, you could be out days’ worth of pre-paid trip expenses and you could be paying out-of-pocket for some unplanned expenses such as rental cars, lodging, meals, and more.
A travel insurance plan with travel delay coverage means you’ll have a per-day amount you can use as reimbursement for unexpected expenses. Be sure to keep all your receipts and get a written copy of the delay from your airline (don’t worry, they know exactly what to print) for when you make a claim. Then, get back to enjoying your rescued honeymoon – it’s just a good sign for your bright future together.
7. We called off the wedding
Hey, it happens. Better to call it off before than pay divorce lawyers later, right?
If a wedding is canceled in the movies, one of the parties takes the tickets and leaves on their honeymoon trip anyway, but that doesn’t work for everyone. Plus, travel insurance plans don’t typically cover changing your mind, which is the reason this particular trip is being canceled.
‘Cancel for any reason’ coverage is usually an upgrade although some travel insurance plans include it if the plan is purchased soon after the first trip payment is made. This coverage reimburses the insured for up to 100% of their pre-paid non-refundable trip costs if the trip is canceled for any reason – like the wedding being called off.
If you want that last bit of protection – especially for an expensive, once-in-a-lifetime trip like this – then see our review of ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage for details and pay attention to the cancellation penalties. Usually this type of coverage requires that the trip be cancelled with a certain amount of time prior to the trip, so read the plan carefully to understand those critical details.
