Survey says… get insurance
US-based insurance comparison website InsureMyTrip has announced the results of its travel survey of 568 US respondents, which revealed that a vast majority of cruisers have experienced some kind of travel itinerary disruption during a trip. Twenty-five per cent of those polled had filed a travel insurance claim for a cruise-related issue, and analysis showed that health reasons led the majority of those claims from travellers.
Other findings from the travel survey included:
· Cruisers are more concerned about an illness or injury affecting a trip than bad weather or terrorism. Nearly half polled (49 per cent) worry most about a family member or themselves getting sick or injured. Twenty-six per cent worry most about bad weather affecting a cruise. Twenty-six per cent also experienced seasickness or a stomach illness during a voyage.
· Forty-six per cent experienced an unexpected itinerary change during a cruise. Despite these types of disruptions, cruisers are generally pleased with their overall experience, with 62 per cent stating that a cruise always met their expectations.
· The cruise itinerary is the top reason why travellers choose to book a particular cruise. Other top factors included reputation or reviews (59 per cent) followed by price (14 per cent).
· Travellers who participated in this survey had all researched or purchased travel insurance within the past 24 months. Out of those polled, 25 per cent had filed a travel insurance claim for a cruise-related issue. Common reasons for filing a claim were: medical care required during a cruise; medical issue forced a trip cancellation; bad weather forced a delay or cancellation of cruise; missed flight led to a delay or cancellation of cruise; items stolen or lost during a trip.