Janine Foster was excited to take a cruise this past spring, but her flight that morning had a mechanical issue.

“We were standing at the little ticket gate, they put up a sign – 6:45,” Foster said. “Well, 6:45 came, then it was 7:45, then, at 8 minutes to 8 – ‘sorry for the inconvenience, this flight has been canceled.'”

Foster’s cruise was set to depart Miami six hours later. “We went to every counter, and we could not get there time-sensitive,” she said.

With her flight canceled, she missed her cruise. Luckily, the cruise line agreed to refund most of her trip.

But in many cases, that doesn’t happen if you do not purchase extra protection.

Watch as a travel agent describes when to buy extra insurance:

Travel insurance alert, after woman’s canceled flight leads to missed cruise

What to know about travel insurance

As many Americans prepare for that long-awaited summer vacation, you may wonder whether it’s worth getting travel insurance.

After you’ve scrimped and saved to pay for the vacation, you may cringe at the idea of shelling out more money for insurance.

Yet, Lesley Sawhook, Owner of Exclusive Travel Partners, warns that many travelers regret skipping insurance when unexpected situations arise.

“We’ve had people who show up on property, and on the very first day, they slip by the pool and break their leg,” Sawhook said. “That’s not something you’re planning on happening, but a lot of times, your medical insurance won’t work out of the country. Then if you’re needing to get on a flight and go home, and now you’re out that $10,000 you paid on your trip, that $200 to $300 investment’s looking pretty good.”

Sawhook emphasizes that those with pre-existing conditions need to be extra diligent about insurance, especially when taking a cruise. She says many people don’t realize that “even if you’ve added the travel insurance, you have to add and pay for that travel insurance within 14 days of booking that cruise for that pre-existing condition to be covered.”

She says it takes time to gather your medical records before the trip in case you need to be evacuated by a medical helicopter off the ship.

Sawhook suggests working with a travel professional who can connect you with insurance carriers. You can choose your coverage options based on your specific needs, such as whether you’d prefer a full refund instead of a credit on a future trip.

Common misconceptions that could be costly

Sawhook also advises consumers to make sure they clearly understand any policy, rather than blindly clicking on the added protection when booking travel, or thinking they have full protection with their credit cards.

“A lot of my guests will be like, oh, I don’t need it. My Amex covers it,” she said. “Okay, but if you have to be medevacked off a ship, is it going to cover that? I don’t think so.”

She further explains that a “cancel for any reason” policy sounds simple, but consumers need to read the fine print, especially with cruise lines.

“Even if you have to cancel for any reason, they may let you cancel, but you’re just going to get a future cruise credit. You’re not going to get a refund.”

“I always try to encourage my cruise guests to add travel insurance,” Sawhook said. “If they won’t, I tell them to have a flight out two days minimum before their cruise. Especially now that you’re in hurricane season and the weather’s crazy, you’ve got to allow for those delays because that ship’s not waiting for you.”

Janine Foster Janine Foster in happier times

Janine Foster says this was the first time she had booked a flight to a cruise the same day the ship was scheduled to depart.

She says she will rethink that next time and will make sure every part of the trip is insured. Almost all cruise insurance policies will protect you if your flight is canceled or delayed, causing you to miss the sailing.

Sawhook says this is a reminder to realize the cost you could incur if you aren’t covered by insurance and something happens.

That way, you don’t waste your money.

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