What Cruisers Should Learn From Yesterday’s Delta Airlines Nightmare

It’s a safe bet that among the thousands of people impacted when Delta Air Lines was essentially crippled Monday afternoon were some of our fellow cruisers. And it’s an equally safe bet that as a result, some of those folks wound up missing the ships on which they’d planned to vacation or having their post-voyage trips home turn into a buzz-killing nightmare.

By early evening, over 650 flights had been cancelled with another 2,000 delayed. It was estimated that nearly a third of all Delta flights were impacted by the situation. And while the company’s CEO, Ed Bastian, via video statement, apologized “for the challenges this has created” and said that the company had “issued system-wide waivers,” that was likely of little comfort to those who’d suddenly found their vacation plans grounded.

The Lesson For Cruisers

In the aftermath of a situation such as the one which began yesterday and continues to impact thousands of travelers, you look for a silver lining. And in this case, it is that many of those whose cruises were disrupted by the unexpected crisis had cruise insurance. And while policies differ and one should always make sure they know exactly what is and isn’t covered, it’s likely that the scenario currently playing out would have been covered by most insurance policies.

Should I Get Travel Insurance?

To buy or not to buy? When it comes to travel insurance, that’s a decision each and every cruiser has to make as they’re planning their trip. On the one hand, it’s easy to understand why many opt not to take on the added expense. “What could go wrong?” we tell ourselves. “What are the odds that something bad will happen to me?” And of course, there’s the “I’d rather spend that money on extra cocktails and a few nice dinners in specialty restaurants” defense.

But to our way of thinking, however, the overriding philosophy where travel insurance is concerned should probably be, “Better safe than sorry.” We’ve all seen stories about people being airlifted off ships due to injury or illness. Many of us have even been on board ships when it happened. And those medical evacuations — whether via helicopter or, in port, a private ambulance – do not come cheap. In fact, it can run as high as $25,000 or more. And when viewed in that light, the cost of a “just in case” insurance policy would seem to be worth any money saved!

Featured photo: flickr/Alan

Do you get travel insurance when you cruise? Have you ever had cause to use it or, worse, reason to regret having not purchased it?

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