coverage for non-essential travel

[SusieQft]

Hi Steve.

 

Thank you again for all the information that you share on this forum.  I am less hesitant to ask questions when I know that your efforts providing an answer will benefit others besides me, which is not the case when I ask you privately.

 

Someone just posted on another forum that  "Most travel insurance will only cover you if as long as your home country does not recommend that you avoid non-essential travel."  Is this true?  If it makes a difference, my earliest upcoming trip is in October and is insured with Travelex Select.  If the CDC does not remove the Level 3 warning to Avoid Nonessential International Travel, and the cruise line decides to go anyway, would my travel insurance be worthless?  What if the CDC downgrades the warning to Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions?  Will the insurance be good then?

[iamtrustworthy]

11 minutes ago, SusieQft said:

Hi Steve.

 

Thank you again for all the information that you share on this forum.  I am less hesitant to ask questions when I know that your efforts providing an answer will benefit others besides me, which is not the case when I ask you privately.

 

Someone just posted on another forum that  "Most travel insurance will only cover you if as long as your home country does not recommend that you avoid non-essential travel."  Is this true?  If it makes a difference, my earliest upcoming trip is in October and is insured with Travelex Select.  If the CDC does not remove the Level 3 warning to Avoid Nonessential International Travel, and the cruise line decides to go anyway, would my travel insurance be worthless?  What if the CDC downgrades the warning to Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions?  Will the insurance be good then?

SusieQft,

 

You're welcome.

 

This statement "Most travel insurance will only cover you if as long as your home country does not recommend that you avoid non-essential travel" is not correct. And, here's why it's not correct:

 

1) There is no wording in the Certificates of Coverage that addresses "non-essential travel". Until a few months ago, no one even used this phrase.

 

2) I don't know of any company that has changed the wording in its Certificates of Coverage.

 

> If the CDC does not remove the Level 3 warning to Avoid Nonessential International Travel, and the cruise line decides to go anyway, would my travel insurance be worthless?  What if the CDC downgrades the warning to Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions?  Will the insurance be good then?

 

None of these will affect you. On my Coronavirus Q & A page (https://tripinsurancestore.com/travel-insurance-epidemic-coverage/) I have this:

 

Q. Will my Trip Cancellation plan cover me due to the US State Dept Travel Advisories or the CDC’s warning(s)?

 

A. If you are going anywhere where you are fearful of the Coronavirus, concerned about getting the Coronavirus or simply want to cancel because of the US State Dept Travel Advisories or the CDC’s warning, here’s how it works:

 

- If you have a Trip Cancellation policy that includes the Cancel For Any Reason coverage, you may cancel your trip. Make sure you cancel all your travel arrangements at least 48 hours before your departure date.

 

- If you do not have the Cancel For Any Reason coverage, you will not be covered. This is because fear, worry, government regulations or prohibitions are excluded.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Steve Dasseos

[SusieQft]

Thank you, Steve.  I just noticed that the person who said that is Canadian, so perhaps it is different in Canada.

[iamtrustworthy]

2 hours ago, SusieQft said:

Thank you, Steve.  I just noticed that the person who said that is Canadian, so perhaps it is different in Canada.

You're welcome. Yes, Canadian travel insurance plans are different in unexpected ways from USA travel insurance plans.