Why Travel Insurance is Important

Travel insurance is one of the smartest decisions you can make when planning a trip. Whether you are traveling solo or with family, unexpected events can occur at any time — and without proper coverage, you may lose money that you cannot recover.

To reserve your trip, Family 1st Travelers works closely with cruise lines, airlines, hotels, and tour operators who require deposits or full payment at the time of booking. Once these payments are made, they are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Because we enter into binding agreements with our travel partners on your behalf, we’re unable to refund deposits or payments after they’ve been sent to the supplier. We understand that unexpected situations can happen, which is why we strongly encourage purchasing travel insurance. Travel insurance is often the best way to protect your travel investment if plans change for a covered reason.

Travel Insurance Helps Protect Your Trip Investment

Travel insurance can help reimburse you for prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if you must cancel or interrupt your travel due to a covered reason. These covered reasons vary by policy, but typically include:

• Illness or injury (you or an immediate family member)
   
• Travel supplier bankruptcy or financial default
   
• Severe weather or natural disasters
   
• Unexpected work obligations or jury duty
   
• Emergency medical expenses while traveling
   
• Trip interruption — when you must cut your travel short
   

For example, if you become sick and cannot travel, or an unexpected event forces you to cancel your trip, travel insurance may reimburse the money you have already paid — which otherwise you would not get back due to the non-refundable nature of deposits and ticket payments.

Travel Insurance Can Provide Additional Valuable Benefits

Travel insurance is not only about trip cancellation. Many travel insurance plans also offer:

• Medical coverage if you become ill or injured while traveling
   
• Emergency evacuation coverage
   
• Lost luggage protection
   
• Travel delay reimbursement
   
• Accidental death or dismemberment benefits
   

These protections help give you peace of mind and financial security — especially when traveling internationally or with children.

 Buy Insurance Early

To maximize the benefits of your travel insurance policy, it’s important to buy coverage as soon as possible after your first trip payment. Many insurance providers offer enhanced benefits — such as a pre-existing medical condition waiver — only if insurance is purchased within a certain number of days from your initial trip deposit. Delaying purchase can limit your coverage or disqualify you from certain benefits — so don’t wait until the last minute.