Damian Tysdal, Author at Travel Insurance Review

Industry-wide Changes in Cruise Ship Safety Drills

February 14, 2012 By Damian Tysdal

As you might have expected, the cruise industry has re-examined cruise ship safety drills, also called muster drills, after the Costa Concordia tragedy which resulted in 17 known deaths.

In response to the disaster, a Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review was launched to assess the effectiveness of safety procedures on cruise ships. The key components of the review included an examination of critical human errors with the intent to identify policy changes and make recommendations.

One of the key complaints of passengers on the Costa Concordia was that the muster drill had not occurred prior to the accident. Those unfamiliar with the ship were not aware of proper procedures nor which lifeboat they should go to in order to abandon the ship.

Prior to this accident, cruise ships were required to hold a muster drill within 24 hours of embarking (the Costa Concordia accident happened within this time frame). In response to this disaster, muster drills will be required before the ship sets sail to ensure that all passengers are aware of emergency procedures before the ship leaves the dock.

The new rules about holding safety drills prior to leaving the dock are effective immediately.

See the final moments of the Costa Concordia infographic.

See our post on how one passenger was left on the dock for failing to attend a muster drill.

American Couple Trapped in Costa Rica after a Tragic ATV Accident

February 13, 2012 By Damian Tysdal

Celebrating a birthday and their wedding anniversary, Ron and Elissa Merritt flew from Minneapolis last week to Costa Rica for a winter getaway. The couple took an ATV trip into the scenic mountains when Elissa lost control of her vehicle and plunged down a steep cliff burying her in an avalanche of dirt and rocks.

At a San Jose hospital, administrators told Ron he would have to pay cash for her care, so he handed over his credit card for the first $5,000. The following morning, his card was charged more and the bill is rising each day.

Family back home have started a benefit to raise funds to get Elissa back to America, where the couple’s health insurance can defray the costs, but a medical evacuation is predicted to take up to $30,000 and Elissa cannot travel by commercial airlines as it would be medically unsafe.

It is crucial for travelers leaving their home country to understand that your health insurance does not extend beyond the borders – this includes Medicare and Medicaid as well. In some cases, U.S. health insurance companies will reimburse travelers for out-of-network costs out of country, but it depends entirely on the insurance company policy rules.

Our hearts go out to Ron and Melissa and their worried families and we wish the best for Melissa’s condition and recovery.

Why Travel Insurance Really is Cheap

We don’t know Ron or Elissa’s ages, or whether they have pre-existing medical conditions, but as an example, we ran some basic trip details through our travel insurance comparison tool to get an idea what travel insurance would have cost a similar couple.

Using these trip details:

2 travelersÂ ages 32 and 37
going from Minnesota to Costa Rica
5 days
NO cancellation coverage
hazardous sports coverage

We got a number of policies from a several companies. We’re showing you just a few below:

Note that two of these plans have as much as $50,000 in emergency medical (which is sounds like Elissa may need), and all have medical evacuation coverage from $300,000-$500,000. When you consider the bills, fear, and uncertainty Ron and Elissa are facing right now, the cost of even the highest of these three plans is very, very cheap indeed. Plus, travel insurance plans come with 24/7 emergency travel assistance representatives, many of whom will arrange for payments to be made directly to the hospital, and all will coordinate and pay for a medical evacuation back home.

Again, we sincerely hope that this couple is able to get safely home soon.

Have the snow and ice delayed your trip?

February 13, 2012 By Damian Tysdal

As unexpected snowfall and sub-zero temperatures recently plagued folks in England and Wales and travelers into and out of Heathrow were warned to check their flight status and leave extra travel time, we thought it a good time to review the benefits of havingÂ travel delay coverage.

It’s important to remember that airlines don’t guarantee their departure schedules and events like severe weather can make it impossible for flights to leave on time. In the U.S., airlines are not legally obligated to provide any compensation to passengers when a delay occurs due to weather.

Travel delay coverage, on the other hand, reimburses travelers for reasonable expenses (up to the policy limits) when their travel is delayed a certain number of hours. So, if your plane can’t take off because the airport is shut down due to heavy snow, Â and you have to get a hotel for the night, feed the kids, and find transportation, etc., those expenses will be reimbursed.

Remember to keep all your receipts and documentation issued by the airline regarding the flight cancellation – those are very important bits of data when you make a claim.

Read all about travel delay coverage and for a funÂ photo treat, check out the photos of the UK snow.

Worst-case Travel Scenario: What to do if you’re kidnapped

February 10, 2012 By Damian Tysdal

As news of two European birdwatchers and their abduction from the Philippines recently hit the news and last week two American women and their Egyptian guide were abducted at gunpoint in Egypt, Â travelers have again been forced to think about what they should do if they are kidnapped while traveling.

Kidnapping has, unfortunately, become almost a designer industry.

One form of kidnapping is implemented solely for the purpose of gaining access to cash. There are a few terms for this form of kidnapping: tiger grabbing or express kidnapping. These are more scam than actual kidnapping, but that doesn’t mean the victim absolutely will not be harmed. This type of kidnapping involves taking a hostage and using the situation to get a ransom or taking the hostage to their own bank and having them empty their accounts, handing the cash over to the kidnappers. Often, the hostage is released after but the risk remains that the kidnappers could do violence.

Lately, virtual kidnappings have been taking place as well. Again, these are more scam than truly dangerous situations. The perpetrators wait until the target is unreachable, traveling in an area with no cell phone coverage is one example. Then, they contact the family or the individual’s business demanding a ransom.

What are the best recommendations for avoiding a kidnapping?

As always, stick to safer areas and stay alert. Looking confidently around you and making eye contact with otehrs, can deter thieves from choosing you.
Avoid looking like you have a lot of money – leave your jewelry and baubles at home, keep your wallet close to you, and dress to fit in with the locals.
Keep others informed about your whereabouts. If your family or business partners know that you are going off grid for an expected amount of time, they won’t be as easily fooled or worried.
Vary your routes and daily routines – kidnappers tend to watch their targets for a little time before they strike so they can more easily manage the situation.
Never leave your drink unattended and limit your alcohol consumption in public areas.

So, what do you do if you are kidnapped?

Unfortunately the key, according to experts, is to comply with the kidnappers requests. It’s important to do what you’re instructed since the kidnappers are more likely to quickly get you out of their lives to avoid further risk to themselves if you simply do what they want.

In most countries, paying a ransom is illegal. That’s because it perpetuates the problem by encouraging other desperate people to try it. Members of law enforcement typically advise families not to pay the ransom.

Guarding against electronic theft while traveling

February 9, 2012 By Damian Tysdal

As the news of a TSA agent stealing iPads from checked luggage erupted last week, many travelers – business and leisure alike – are re-examining how to prevent theft of their electronics, including laptops, MP3 players, e-readers, and more. (See our FAQ does travel insurance cover theft for an overview.)

Why electronics get stolen

Way back when, it was cameras, then it was camcorders, then it was laptops, and now it’s the latest hot electronic device – the iPad. Why? There’s a relatively good return on the investment of the theft. Criminals understand that there’s a risk to stealing and so they go for the items they can sell at a good price.

What happens to the stolen goods

In the past, you could unload stolen goods at a pawn shop or on a street corner, but it’s even easier now. As easy as it is for you to get rid of that leather jacket you never wore, the Internet is making it easy for thieves to quickly cash in on stolen goods – one at at time in many cases. Stolen goods are nearly always sold over the Internet these days.

Will the airline or cruise line reimburse me for the loss?

It’s important to realize that travel suppliers like the airlines and cruise lines have clauses that automatically exclude them from any responsibility for the theft or destruction of electronics. So, you won’t be able to make a claim and be reimbursed (you’ll get a little, but not what the product was worth). It’s also important to note that most travel insurance plans cover electronics only to a limit (often as little at $150 if anything at all). You can purchase extra baggage coverage that may cover the worth of your electronics in some cases.

What do you do to protect your gear?

There are several things you can do to protect your electronics when you travel, but the first and foremost is to keep them with you, at your side, in your carry-on and close by, guarded at all times. A thief can’t steal what they can’t get their hands on.

Here are some other tips:

Lock it down – physically and electronically. When you leave your hotel room, you wouldn’t leave an envelope with hundreds of dollars in cash lying on the table, would you? Treat your electronics the same way. Lock them in the safe, use a physical locking cable, and apply a password so your data can’t be stolen.
If you must leave it in the car, keep it out of sight – under the seat works to a degree, as well as putting it under the floormat.
Engrave it so that it is (slightly) harder to sell

For added protection, contact your home insurance provider and ask about adding a rider for your electronics onto your policy. In most cases, this will cost only a few dollars and you can cover all the expensive electronics in your life at replacement cost.

A Passenger is Left on the Dock for Failing to Attend Cruise Ship Muster Drill

February 8, 2012 By Damian Tysdal

After Costa Concordia passengers claimed that the ship set sail without a muster drill and the tragic sinking disaster occurred before a muster drill had been implemented, are cruise lines laying down a hard line for muster drill attendance?

Cruise captains have begun booting passengers off the cruise ships when they fail to comply during mandatory safety drills.

Anyone who has been on a cruise is familiar with this temporary break in the vacation fun when the bars are closed and passengers are ordered to gather at their assigned meeting places.Â The muster drill is a required emergency practice session in which passengers are informed of what to do in an emergency, and they practice donning life jackets.

In the wake of the Costa Concordia sinking, cruise lines are examining their procedures and tightening where they may have previously been lax. It is likely that failure to check in at the muster drills in the future may prompt increased passenger action and it’s likely well within the cruise line’s rights. The cruise contract typically has language stating that passengers can be denied transportation either before or during a cruise in situations where they fail to abide by the rules of the ship.

FYI: We can’t find anything in the travel insurance policies we read that indicate travel insurance would pay to get this passenger back home, but the travel assistance services teams might be able to help him arrange for a flight home.

As the second wave of traveler’s rights goes into effect, will the travel experience get better?

February 7, 2012 By Damian Tysdal

The second part of the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations have gone into effect and we’re wondering if this will make at least the air travel portion of the travel experience any more tolerable?

After six months to allow the online travel agencies (those companies like Expedia, Orbitz, Kayak, Travelocity and others) to upgrade their computer systems, they are not required to disclose ALL FEES and TAXES upfront when advertising an airfare. This includes baggage fee disclosures to inform passengers right away what extra fees they may expect to pay for checking their luggage.

Another rule allows travelers to change their minds: everyone gets a 24-hour period to do the following:

put an airfare on hold before clicking the buy button
cancel a ticket for a full refund without a penalty
avoid a price increase by airlines, tour operators, and cruise lines (excepting fully disclosed tax increases)

This means, travelers will be able to lock in an airfare and be assured that it won’t increase while they are checking their schedule, checking with family, etc. Travelers can also cancel a ticket when they’ve made a mistake.

A final rule ensures that travelers are informed of flight delays and cancellations because the airlines have to make that announcement within 30 minutes of pulling or delaying a flight.

Let’s hope all of these changes mean the skies get a little friendlier again.

How to get travel insurance when you don’t know your exact travel return date

February 6, 2012 By Damian Tysdal

We recently read this question on another forum: “I’m going backpacking for about three months in Europe. I don’t know exactly when I’ll return, can I still get travel insurance? It seems that all the plans want a hard return date.”

You absolutely can get travel insurance in this case.

What you want is a travel medical policy for at least 90 days that may also be renewed, or a plan that allows for a period of coverage that is longer than you plan to be gone.

In this plan, it’s likely that you’ll want these coverage options at a minimum:

Medical care
Trip interruption
Emergency Evacuation

See the following two travel medical insurance plans as examples.

Liaison International from Seven Corners

This plan has coverage for 5 days all the way up to 180 days. You choose the coverage limits and deductible. And, it’s available to U.S. and non U.S. citizens.

Summary of coverage:

Medical: $50,000 â€“ $1,000,000
Deductible: $0 â€“ $2,500
Emergency dental: $500
Evacuation: $300,000
AD&D: $25,000

See the complete Liaison International plan details.

TravelGap Voyager from HTH Worldwide

This plan covers trips up to 6 months and covers pre-existing conditions for medical care and evacuation. Your choice of medical limits and deductibles helps you keep costs down.