InsureMyTrip Blog

The news is stunning: Fifty-five passengers, according to preliminary reports, robbed at gunpoint while enjoying a sponsored excursion from their cruise in St. Lucia.  Witnesses tell of masked gunmen, money and jewelry taken, and a possible injury to one passenger who may have fallen and broken her leg in the course of the events.  The cruise line has reported no injuries, but has confirmed the robberies and the rest of the witness accounts.

Even in the midst of the most diligent preparations for “unforeseen events” during your vacation, chances are, you’d never envision falling victim to a crime such as this one.  Shore excursions, particularly the type these passengers were engaged in — sightseeing at the botanical gardens! — are generally regarded as safe, convenient ways to maximize the enjoyment of a cruise.  Yes, everyone knows that the advice is to be aware of your surroundings while on shore, and to take safety precautions to avoid getting lost, being pickpocketed, or becoming injured in a needless accident.  But “watch out for masked men robbing your entire tour group at gunpoint in St. Lucia” isn’t usually on the list of warnings for travelers.

Fortunately, for those victimized passengers who had the benefit of travel insurance, there is some assistance that can be offered to them by their insurance providers.  There are a few key areas of help and recovery that can be addressed by travel insurance:

1. Reimbursement for stolen items.  Most travel insurance policies include some coverage for loss or damage to your property while traveling.  Victims of theft who have this type of coverage can file a claim with their insurance company to help offset the costs of replacing stolen items.  Before filing a claim, however, it’s important to check the coverage limits on your travel insurance policy, as well as the benefits offered by your homeowner’s insurance policy.   Often, homeowner’s insurance will offer coverage for big-ticket items like jewelry that may exceed the limits of a travel insurance policy, while travel insurance can take care of the reimbursement for additional smaller items that a homeowner’s policy will not cover.  Make sure that in any case, you are able to provide a police report verifying the incident, as well as any proof you may have that documents what items you were traveling with at the time the crime occurred.  The more documentation you are able to provide, the easier it is for an insurance company to process your claim.
2. Replacement of stolen documents.  If any personal documents or identification are involved in the theft, an immediate call to the 24/7 assistance hotline offered through your travel insurance provider can help in starting the process of replacing them.  Often, the assistance will include acting as a liaison on your behalf to handle many of the stressful details of reporting the theft and submitting the necessary paperwork to get replacements.  Additionally, if your credit cards were among the items stolen, your travel insurance provider may be able to help you in contacting the companies to cancel them and get the cards re-issued.  Before calling the assistance line, be sure to check the terms of your specific plan to see which of these assistance services are included in the benefits available to you.
3. Identity theft mitigation. Adding insult to injury, being robbed while on vacation can leave you more vulnerable to identity theft.  In addition to helping with the process of cancelling stolen credit cards and replacing stolen documents, some travel insurance providers offer specialized benefits to help minimize the damage of possible identity theft.  Identity theft coverage typically includes services such as credit monitoring, assistance in reporting to all the necessary authorities, and continued attention to the resolution of any problems and the restoration of your reputation for a defined period of time after the theft occurs.

Our thoughts are with the victims of this dreadful crime, and we are relieved to know that there were no serious injuries or fatalities.  We hope that there is a swift resolution for each of them in recovering or replacing their stolen belongings and in controlling the damage of these horrible events.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

Today is Fat Tuesday, which gives us a good opportunity to talk about not just Mardi Gras, but celebrations in general.  It’s wonderful to experience a major carnival, street fair, or festival somewhere in the world; however, your carnival experience can also, sadly, bring with it a heightened possibility of misfortune.  Where there are large crowds of people, there are bound to be accidents and petty crimes.

Of course you’ll be careful.  Smart travelers will take every necessary precaution to protect themselves from the expected mishaps during Mardi Gras or any other festival.  But if your street smarts alone aren’t enough, you may find yourself having to file a travel insurance claim.  Here are a few tips and things you should know about the claims process before you need to navigate it.

Document your belongings.  It’s much easier to show your insurance company the value of any lost or stolen belongings if you have a record of what you’ve packed.  One smart and simple way to do this is to photograph the contents of your suitcase before you depart (or, if you’re a bit late in reading this, as soon as you arrive at your destination).  Anything that’s of particular value should also be photographed separately, and if you have a receipt for it, take a photo of that, too — just in case you lose the original document.

Don’t wait to ask for records.  Whether it’s a police report to help you document a theft, or a medical record that shows treatment of an injury, make sure to ask for these documents up front.  Too often, travelers think they’ll contact the police department or the hospital after they’ve returned home, and end up mired in endless red tape, phone calls, and emails, sometimes to no avail.  Don’t leave the premises until you have your requested documents firmly in hand or have made what you feel is a suitable arrangement to receive them.

Don’t invalidate your claim.  Did you know that your travel insurance becomes void if your claim arises as the result of something that happens while you’re drinking, using recreational drugs, or engaged in a crime yourself?  This falls under the category of using your street smarts, but it bears repeating: Don’t overimbibe, and don’t get caught up in something you’ll later regret.  While having your travel insurance claim rejected may be the least of your worries under the circumstances, it could certainly add insult to injury.

Remember that if you need to file a claim, you should contact your travel insurance provider directly using the  information provided on our Claims and Assistance page.  Above all, travel safely, and enjoy the experience.  Laissez les bon temps rouler!