My Broken Back Cost Much Less in France Than Travel Insurance

 

 

Sweeping View of the French Riviera

 

 

 In January this year, I wrote an article about how unnecessary travel insurance is if you pay for your trip with a branded credit card such as United Explorer, American AAdvantage, or Delta Sky Miles Gold. I based this article on my own research, personal experience, and the experience of a friend who broke her leg when we were traveling in the Provence region of France in 2005. Little did I know last January that I'd have a chance to update my theories this spring, sixteen years later. 

What Cruise Lines and Tour Operators Don't Want You to Know

 

I know tour operators don't want you to know because I posted some of the following information in a popular FaceBook cruise travel group, and the piece, after garnering dozens of comments, was removed by an administrator with a hand-slap for me — I was told never to supply such information again. Of course, the reason cruise lines and tour operators don't want you to have this information is because it affects their bottom line. When you buy travel insurance from them, they get a kickback from the insurance company.

Travel insurance, according to Ms. Mehta who is the chief executive of Squaremouth, a popular travel insurance company, said in The New York Times on 9 January 2025, that travel insurance costs 5-10 percent of the cost of the cruise or tour. So, a $5,000 trip might cost $250-$500 for insurance. That is, in my opinion, a totally unnecessary expense.

The tour and cruise industry would prefer I not tell you that you may not need travel insurance. But that is the truth. Let me explain why.