IMPORTANCE OF TRIP INSURANCE

No, I am not selling cruises or trip insurance. I’m just passing along some information that I think may be of use to you.

Last October, several of us in the Tucson chapter booked a cruise to Alaska through the MOAA Travel Service. We liked Jon Brenneman’s presentations at various MOAA meetings and we liked his offer to donate $50.00 to our scholarship fund for every cabin booked.

We were set to set sail from San Francisco on June 3, 2009. In setting up the trip, I had not requested trip insurance, but when the paperwork arrived, there it was; $123+change. Oh, well, I thought, maybe this is the way they do it, so I let it go. That turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. Jane and I had already done 8 cruises without trip insurance, so we accepted this charge with a ho-hum attitude.

On May 11th, less than a month before departure, Jane’s eye doctor examined her eyes and said, “No trips. Stay in Tucson.” He then wrote a letter saying that she could not travel.

We sent the letter to MOAA Travel. They notified the cruise line and within a week or so the cruise line refunded some of our money. We then contacted the trip insurance company, iTI (I TravelInsured). They sent us some forms to fill out. Nothing complicated, just straight forward information. There was a form for the eye doctor to fill out (about 6 questions). His receptionist looked at it when we arrived at his office and told us that for him to fill it out and sign it would cost us $45.00. But then she added, “I will give you a copy of his last diagnosis for free.” We took it.

Everything was sent to iTI, and three weeks later we received a check for the remainder of the amount we had paid for the cruise.

So, the bottom line here is this: I booked a trip, I could not make the trip, and I got my money back. All I’m out is the $123+change that I paid for the trip insurance. One of the best bargains I ever got.

Oh, yes, one other thing; on May 27th, as we left a MOAA luncheon, Jane fell in the parking lot and broke her right foot. Truly, that cruise to Alaska was doomed from the “git-go.”

Vern Pall, President, AZCOC

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