Vacation… that moment everyone waits (im)patiently for each year—a special time for friends and family to enjoy a week together away from the hustle and bustle of normal life. Thinking that something may interrupt or even cancel your vacation is probably an unspeakable topic among your travel group but unfortunately, no one can predict what the world will throw our way. Luckily, travel insurance exists to give you a peace of mind that if something does happen—and we are crossing our fingers that nothing will—you won't carry a financial burden from the loss of your travel plans.
What is Travel Insurance? What would you do if you had paid a few thousand dollars for a vacation rental and then had a sudden emergency come up that prevented you from going on your trip? Now, not only are you dealing with the emergency but you’re also out thousands of dollars because you are legally liable to uphold the terms within your rental agreement. That’s a reality that some people face but it doesn’t have to be. Travel insurance is exactly that—insurance on the vacation you have purchased designed to protect vacationers from losing out on the money they invested in their trip. Only it provides coverage for so much more than just a trip cancellation. When renting a Seaside Vacations home, visitors can purchase travel insurance through Red Sky - Sun Trip Preserver. Here are 3 reasons you should purchase travel insurance for your next Outer Banks vacation:
1) Travel Insurance Provides Trip Coverage
Trip coverage may be the most important aspect of planning a vacation, especially considering how much money is invested in a vacation rental. Many of us cannot afford to gamble that money by making the assumption that everything will go smoothly because sometimes life just doesn't work that way. For a small cost, you can rest assured that in the event of an unforseen event, your investment won't be wasted.
Trip Cancellation/Interruption/Delay
Trip coverage will reimburse your trip expenses in the case of a total trip cancellation, trip interruption (occurrence requiring you to leave your paid destination early or leave temporarily), and delayed arrival to your destination from a trip delay or missed connection. Coverage varies of course based on the circumstance and how many days of the trip are cancelled/interrupted. However, this coverage extends far beyond hurricane evacuations and delayed flights. Trip coverage may apply for any of the following unforeseen events:
- Death of you, a family member, a traveling companion, service animal, business partner, or traveling companion’s family member
- Injury or illness of you, a family member, a traveling companion, service animal, business partner, or traveling companion’s family member as certified by a physician that results in medical restrictions on travel or medical treatment during time of trip
- You or a traveling companion is required to serve on jury duty
- You or a traveling companion is directly involved in a traffic accident en route to scheduled point of departure
- You or a traveling companion being called into emergency service (for military, police or fire personnel)
- You or a traveling companion is laid off or relocated by primary employer
- Your or your traveling companion’s primary residence becomes uninhabitable by natural disaster, vandalism, or burglary
- A road closure causes delay in reaching your destination for at least 6 hours
- Trip departure is missed due to delay of a common carrier or weather
- Primary or secondary school is extended beyond the predefined school year for your dependent children or those of a travel companion
- Mandatory evacuation ordered by the local government at your trip destination due to natural disaster (including a named hurricane)
- Your destination accommodation is made uninhabitable by a hurricane
2) Travel Insurance Covers Medical Expenses
What would happen if you were enjoying your vacation and suddenly one of your family members had an unexpected medical or dental emergency or suffered an accident that would require emergency medical attention? If you’re just visiting, chances are the nearest facility may not be an in-network provider for your health or dental insurance. Plus, at a destination like the Outer Banks, there may only be one emergency room in the area and sometimes severe or life-threatening conditions may require transportation to a hospital in another city. Travel insurance can help.
Emergency Medical Expenses
Your travel insurance covers up to $25,000 for medical services including transportation expense to the hospital, anesthetics, x-ray examinations, lab tests, supplies, prescription drugs, therapeutic services, and hospital or ambulatory medical-surgical center services ordered or prescribed by a physician as medically necessary.
Emergency Dental Treatment
Your travel insurance will provide benefits of up to $1,000 for costs incurred for emergency dental treatment during your trip which will help alleviate the unexpected expense.
Accidental Death & Dismemberment
Although these instances may be rare, in the event that you or a party member sustain a tragic loss during your trip, there’s a peace of mind with knowing some sort of coverage will be provided to alleviate the financial burden of such a loss. Percentage of the benefit amount varies by occurrence but for an accidental death or dismemberment, a maximum benefit of $100,000 may be available. Coverage is provided for loss of a hand or foot, loss of eyesight, and even death.
Medical Evacuation
Transportation to another hospital is sometimes necessary for severe or life-threatening conditions, or in a situation where specific medical treatment is needed outside of what your facility is able to provide. In these cases, your travel insurance actually provides coverage for the charges sustained for such transportation.
3) Travel Insurance Covers Belongings
Travel insurance provides coverage for more than just travel arrangements and emergency medical situations. In some cases, travel insurance also provides coverage for your belongings and the belongings of others.
Baggage Reimbursement
If your baggage is lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed during your trip through no fault of your own, your travel insurance offers coverage (with coverage amount varying depending on baggage value). Coverage may also apply for replacing passports and visas or for charges and interests incurred from stolen credit cards.
Baggage Delay
What happens if your baggage, although not lost, is temporarily delayed and won’t reach you until 2 days into your trip? You obviously have no choice but to purchase new clothing and personal use items. Luckily, your travel insurance will reimburse some of these costs.
Rental Car Damage
If you rent a rental vehicle while on your trip and the car is damaged or stolen by any cause outside of your control, your travel insurance may provide coverage for the cost of repairs, rental company charges, and/or the actual cash value of the rental car (up to the maximum benefit amount provided).
Disclaimer: The information provided above is itended to act as a general guideline of what coverage may be afforded to you in the event of a covered claim through Red Sky's North Carolina Sun Trip Preserver travel insurance. All information, including specific coverage limits listed, was pulled from the policy declarations in August 2019 and is subject to change. For specific questions about potential claims, coverage limits and policy provisions, or for more information, all travelers should visit Sun Trip Preserver online or call their customer service department at 1-866-889-7409. A .pdf version of the NC policy is also available for download on their website.
About the Author: Jessie has been coming to the Outer Banks since she was just 5 years old. She loved it here so much that she finally relocated in 2018. Now her mission is to show the world that the Outer Banks is an incredible place that everyone should experience. When she isn't working, you can find Jessie hanging out with her friends, chilling at home with a good book, or discovering a new Outer Banks adventure.
