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Travelogger

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.

Do I Really Need Travel Insurance for My Vacation Cruise Plans? Or Should I Really Have a Life Jacket in the Canoe?

April 15, 2013 By Harpermac

Unless you live under a rock, no doubt you’ve recently heard of the various catastrophes that have befallen certain cruise ship tours over the past year. The customers on the Carnival Triumph who suffered from the groundings, mechanical failures and loss of water and electricity for days on end were offered as little as the cruise companies could offer and not risk the wrath of the public. Recompense for being forced to live in squalid conditions and losing long-awaited vacation plans included a refund for only three days of the planned cruise and the offer of a half-priced cruise in the future.

The anger of these passengers and the reported filth and disorganization of the ship led to a senator calling for a passengers’ Bill of Rights and an investigation into this recent spate of disasters. During all the media hype with photo shots, video footage and great quotes, some investigators began to research what happened in the past to the passengers of such voyages and discovered precisely why it’s wise to consider insurance as a necessity when booking a voyage.

Travel Insurance 101 [Read more…]

Insurance Tips for the Savvy Travel Blogger

January 26, 2013 By Louise

medium_2339687721Living as a full-time travel blogger can be a liberating, exhilarating, and challenging experience. You are living your entire life as one big dare, hopping from country to country and thrill to thrill, chronicling every new experience for your audience. Experiencing novel cultural things — riding an elephant, trekking through sand dunes, and even eating things you never thought were edible – barely make the tip of the iceberg. You will also most likely be up for a few more experiences you never expected but must be ready for, such as hitchhiking, earning your keep at a local business, sharing a bed with a complete stranger, or even busking for your next meal. When faced with challenges like this, don’t be afraid – these can add richness and character to your jaunts all over the globe, and make your readers their new personal hero.

As a travel blogger, your tools are as vital to your craft as your personal skills, resources, and survival instincts. Going from coast to coast or continent to continent will test not only your mettle and fortitude, but also the hardiness and repair warranty of your gadgets. This is exactly why it is vital that you get travel insurance for your tools. Here’s a rundown of the types of equipment that need coverage, and why it matters.

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Your laptop – No blogger is ever complete without his or her trusty laptop. Your laptop is what helps you enhance, upload, and share your pictures and videos, set up your posts, create story boards to chronicle your adventures, and reach out to readers and potential clients alike. Even if your laptop is snug in the seeming impenetrable safety of your backpack, it can still be subject to the angriest typhoons, the harshest sandstorms, and sweltering levels of humidity, depending on how hard you trek. Let’s not forget that your laptop can also be attractive to unscrupulous people.

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Your camera – whether it be a point-and-click camera or a high-precision DSLR, your camera is your next best ally in your travel-blogging quest. Having your camera with you everywhere you travel can be a great way to continue developing your eye for beautiful pictures and documenting the moments you immerse yourself into. Another excellent reason to get travel insurance for your camera (aside from the abovementioned ones for the laptop) is that DSLRs can have very delicate lenses and parts. You will want to insure your baby in case of unexpected accidents so you can rush to the nearest trustworthy repair shop anywhere in the world and not have to worry.

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Your Tablet/ iPad – If you’re the type who gets bored easily during long flights or sleepless nights, your tablet can be a good way to wile away time or accomplish other things for your blog. Aside from trumping your high score and browsing the Internet, you can also use your tablet to catch up on your reading with a good eReader app. If you’re of the visual type, you can also try apps that allow you to sketch or draw whatever you want to give your blog posts a refreshing take on your trip.

Whatever tech tools you have on hand, getting them insured for travel is one of the best ways to care for them. Many major online travel companies can offer you this service. Expedia Australia can go the extra mile for you with all your travel insurance needs.

photo credit: Giorgio Montersino, Ed Yourdon, Zach Dischner, and Joel Bedford via photopin cc

Do You Really Need Travel Insurance?

September 13, 2012 By noemi

Travel Insurance
You’ve heard this topic discussed so many times, but let’s give it one more go for your sake. Do you really need travel insurance?

Some travelers will say that it all depends on the nature of your trip and your destination. At the end of the day, however, I believe in being safe than sorry. And that all points to the importance of having your butt covered in case something happens during your trip.

Knock on wood.

Bottom line: travel insurance is the best way to make sure you have safety net.

Here are several more reasons you should really consider taking out travel insurance.

The weather cannot be trusted.

I know, some people still think global warming is a myth, but seriously, have you been reading the news lately? All those natural disasters make one think about end of the world ideas! On the practical side, you might want to know that so many flights have been cancelled or delayed because of the weather. And we’re not even talking about people missing their flights because of similar reasons.

What do you do if this happens to you? If you have lots of cash or a credit with a high limit, then you can easily spend more on a new ticket. The smarter thing to do, obviously, is to take out a travel insurance policy to cover these kinds of situations.

Adventurers beware.

Adventure is risky by definition. That’s what makes it so exciting, though. And if you are the type to go on a trip to engage in adventurous activities, then it really is a no brainer when it comes to travel insurance.

Even the most seasoned adventure travelers know that accidents do happen. Actually, they probably are more aware of this than anyone else. In case of physical injury while you’re abroad, a good travel insurance policy will be able to help you with the medical costs.

Your baggage gets lost.

It happens more than we think, and while it may not have happened to you yet, it just might at some point. If you bring some valuables with you on a trip – which is not recommended, by the way, although there are cases when this is unavoidable – then taking out travel insurance is common sense. While you may not get the full amount for your loss – there is such a thing as depreciation – it is better than not getting anything back at all!

So, do you really need travel insurance? If you want to be on the safe side, I say yes.

Backpacking? Do You Have Travel Insurance?

October 30, 2010 By noemi

Backpacking is not for everyone, but there is no denying that it is one of the most interesting – and perhaps most fulfilling – ways that you can travel. While backpacking is affordable and simplifies many things, there are certain considerations that every backpacker must bear in mind. One of them is travel insurance.

In some cases, you will have to get travel insurance to be granted a visa to certain countries anyway. If you are planning an extended backpacking trip, you might as well go for travel insurance plans that are geared to meet the needs of backpackers. Top tips for picking out travel insurance for backpackers coming up!

Get a high level of health coverage

You have to face it – traipsing around the world, visiting strange places, and ingesting novel kinds of food may not be the most conducive conditions for a sick-free person. While you might be eating at nice restaurants sometimes, your budget will probably lead you to more adventurous fare most of the time.

If you are going to developing and underdeveloped countries, especially, you absolutely have to face the possibility of getting sick at least once. Not every backpacker gets sick, but do you really want to have to deal with the fees if you do?

Throw in rescue and repatriation

This goes along the lines of health coverage. If you are the adventurous type (read: extremely physical activities), then you will want to consider this feature. If you’re going to spend days in the middle of a mountain range or a desert, yes, please make sure you include this in your travel insurance plan. This feature covers cases wherein the policyholder needs to be airlifted and the like.

Include flight cancellations

Try traveling for a year non-stop, and you’ll realize just how likely it is for a flight to be canceled. If you are taking connecting flights, one single cancellation – or delay – can cost you astronomical amounts. In order to keep your money safe for use for better purposes, make sure your travel insurance covers these instances.

Photo via Online Photography School

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