Travel Insurance - Mistakes & Misconceptions
We've all heard the stories of people who go on vacation, didn't buy travel insurance and now they are on the hook for thousands of dollars in hotel stays, or medical bills, along with a ruined vacation. Everyone thinks 'oh that'll never happen to me,' until it does. Travel is wonderful and goes as planned most of the time. But then there's that one time that things turn sour and it's important you are prepared for it.
Travel insurance can be a real thorn in your side when booking travel if you don't know what you need and what the purpose of each different product is. We're here to help you understand in easy language and make sure you are properly covered without being over covered.
In 2025 alone we assisted multiple clients with insurance claims related to unexpected cancer diagnosis', change of mind for various reasons, change in financial situation, change in school situation, unexpected hotel closures causing change in destination, in-destination illness requiring return home and two other surprise medical issues prior to departure, causing clients to have to cancel.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is believing you have insurance covered without checking the full details of your coverage. Time and time again when we encourage our clients to ask specific questions of their insurance provider, they find out they don't have the coverage they thought. It's always better to know in advance rather than be surprised when you need it and don't have it!
Three common misconceptions about travel insurance
1. "I have travel insurance through work."
While this may be true, most people have no idea what specific coverage they have. Many work plans only cover Emergency Medical and Hospitalization. They don't cover cancellation, interruption or baggage insurance. It's important that you know what you are actually covered for through your work plan.
2. "I have coverage on my credit card."
Yes, you likely do. Many credit cards offer coverage. If you pay a yearly fee for your credit card, you likely have slightly higher coverage than a card that you don't pay for. However, is it enough to cover this specific trip? Lots of people believe their credit card travel insurance is enough, but many credit cards only cover $1500 or $2000 per person, per trip. Some have 7, 9 or 15 day travel caps. If you are travelling for a longer duration or on dream trip like a River Cruise or African safari, $2000 coverage is not going to help a whole lot if you need to cancel. It's better than nothing, but far from ideal if your trip cost $10 000 and you can only claim for $2000. That means taking a loss of $8000 per person. It's important to find out exactly what you are covered for and then purchase an additional policy to cover the excess days or amount not covered within your credit card plan. It's also important to understand the terms & conditions of your booking and when your money becomes non-refundable.
3. "I'm not planning to cancel, so I don't need cancellation insurance."
We totally understand. Of course you have every intention of going on your trip. No one would book a trip if they planned to cancel. However, cancellation insurance isn't for if you change your mind, it's for if you cannot go for specific, insurable reasons. Most policies cover reasons such as a death in the family, your own illness or hospitalization or something like a house fire or burglary, among many other reasons. If you've paid $10 000 for a trip and someone in your family passes away, it is not the supplier's job to refund you. That means if someone passes away and you can't go on your trip, you are out $10 000 unless you have the proper cancellation insurance.
DID YOU KNOW?
You don't have to book your trip through us in order to buy travel insurance through us.
There's no charge for this service.
Whether you've booked your trip on your own, or you've booked with an advisor who isn't licensed to sell insurance in your province, we can help.
For residents of Nova Scotia, we can provide you with a quote for insurance if you don't have any at all. If you need assistance understanding what exactly you should be covered for or how much, you can speak directly with us for advice and a quote.
For residents of other Canadian provinces, we are not allowed to provide personalized insurance advice due to provincial licensing and regulations. However, if you want a simple option to purchase insurance on your own, we can provide you with our self-serve links to get a quote and purchase at your leisure. Our self-serve links work for anyone in Canada and are meant for anyone who does not need advice on their insurance needs.
Travel Insurance Hard Truth
The hard truth is this ... it is your responsibility to have the correct insurance for the amount and length of trip you are purchasing and to understand the terms & conditions of any suppliers you've purchased travel through. In many cases, once you have paid deposits or final payments, those amounts are non-refundable. It is not the company's responsibility to refund you if you have to cancel. It is your responsibility to make sure you've protected your purchase with insurance.
If travel insurance is a beast that overwhelms you, we'd love to help make it easier for you to understand. We can work through what you need, provide you with a quote and for clients who have hired us to book their trips, we can also assist you with gathering documentation if you do need to put in a claim.
Contact us today for a quote, or click here to use Louise's self-serve link or here for Shari's self-serve link.