[784caroline]

WE have used "insuremytrip" and have taken out polices with a number of companies including AIG, Travel Guard etc and fortunately we have NOT had a need to use this service. I recently found out that my primary insurance company USAA has started offering Travel Insurance for its members through Travel Insured Imternational and it offers two types of policies...a Comprehensive policy that covers everything from Trip Cancellation, Interuption, baggage delay or missing, missed airline/cruise connection, medical evacuation etc OR you can get the same policy at an extremely reasonable fee minus Trip cancellation.

When I buy a policy especialy for a cruise or for foreign travel I specifically focus on costs out of my control such as Emergency Medical Evacuation. I have personal medical insurance that would typically cover me where ever I am, BUT what I do not have is Medical Evacuation in case something really goes wrong. OK I lose a bag, that would be bad and cause an inconvience but not devastating if you know what I mean.As for missed connections, I try and leave a day or two early especially to make a cruise departure in a foreign port or if I an leaving in the middle of winter from a northern city. If you buy insurance directly from a cruise line most policies only offer $25,000 in Med-Evac coverage...let me tell you from what I have heard and read, that amount would be no where near adequate if you had to be air lifted off a cruise ship or you took ill in some 3rd world coutry and had to be returned back to the states for treatment.

HEY you dont have to be old to be concerned about this!!! Not that long ago a young girl, I think she was a teenager, was air lifted to a Navy Air Craft carrier for she needed an emergency appendicies operation. I dont know if the US Navy did this out of the kindness of their heart but it would have been expensive to take care of this medical emergency that is all not that uncommon.

Everyones situation is different, and in today age of flight disruptions, strikes or civil unrest, its best to be insured. Also you should look if you policy offers primary coverage or secondary coverage....If your travel insurace is primary they will pay first as opposed to coordinating with your Basic medical or other insurance. This certainly saves alot of headaches and paperwork pain.

I would be interested in hearing from people who had Travel Insurance and if you had to use it, in what way, and how the company paid or problems you encountered!!