Do I need dive travel insurance?
The short answer to this question is YES.
The importance of dive travel insurance
People tend to believe that because we are understanding people, and operate Dive Travel Services (the travel company that books international travel), that if something comes up before the trip leaves, and the reason is good enough, that we will somehow be able to get your trip payments back to you.. You should know that it is very unlikely that you will be getting any sort of refund or credit (the exception here being that for trips that include international air – for a fee you can usually get an airline credit for tickets issued in your name). It is important to understand that Island Divers is not operating these trips. Payment schedules are not arbitrary; we collect the money, then pass it on to operators on a group payment schedule. The operation resorts, live aboards, airlines are collecting deposits and trip payments along the way for exactly so that they don’t get stuck with last minute cancellations and empty hotel rooms, seats, etc. You should absolutely expect that any money you send us to for international dive travel will be used by the trip operator to RESERVE service during the booked dates. Whether or not you are able to make it on the trip does not make a difference in the price.
The only way to reliably get your money back for an unexpected turn of events is through trip insurance. It is HIGHLY recommended that you secure this insurance, because if you break your leg a week before the trip and can’t go, it would be really nice to get the $4000 you paid for that Palau trip back so you can afford to go again next year. I can’t imagine how disappointing it would be to save for a year for a dive trip, not be able to go, and lose the entire trip price due to a last minute emergency. These are things that you cannot control. Protect yourself with trip insurance!
What are some of the reason you might use trip insurance?
- Illness – you get sick and cannot go
- Weather – there is a storm and some of all of the trip is cancelled. Either before you even get there or while you are there.
- Trip interruption – you missed a connection, a flight was delayed
- Bankruptcy – The resort goes out of business before you get there and disappears with the money
- Natural Disaster – the resort is destroyed
- Medical Issue on island – health insurance coverage and even medical evacuation
- Bags are lost/delayed
Dive Travel Insurance providers
There are a number of insurance providers, a quick google search will reveal more that one. I have personally used both DAN and DiveAssure, though I have never needed to make a claim. One time I didn’t have insurance I got stuck paying for an extra 2 days of hotel in Puerta Galeara while a typhoon passed. Would have been nice to have it then. If that typhoon had hit 5 days earlier? Trip would have been ruined. The folks that did have it got free meals and hotel and basically a free extended vacation. That is when I learned my lesson. The banner below is quick and easy way to get a trip insurance quote.
Update: DAN dive insurance program is back online. DAN is an industry leader. Always worth checking out.
Dive Insurance claim example
Update: on the Palau trip in March of 2015 we were delayed on day in Guam due to a missed connection. While United put us up in a hotel (not a nice one) and gave us food vouchers (also not impressive), we did miss a day in Palau. Now, Sam’s Tours felt bad for us and turned a couple of our two tank days into 3 tank days – Sam’s is and has always been awesome. So we did not end up doing any less dives, but we did lose a day of hotel in Palau (non refundable) and a day of diving. Those that held trip insurance got reimbursed for that lost day!