Why Travel Insurance Is Always a Smart Investment

When planning a vacation, most travelers focus on the fun parts—choosing the destination, the ship or resort, and the excursions. One of the most important pieces, however, is often overlooked until it’s too late: travel insurance.

At Golden Key Escapes, we strongly recommend travel insurance for every trip. Even the most carefully planned vacations can be impacted by unexpected events, and travel insurance is what protects both your financial investment and your peace of mind.

Below, we’ll explain what travel insurance covers, why third-party policies are usually the best option, and why we primarily recommend Allianz Global Assistance and Faye.

What Travel Insurance Actually Protects

A comprehensive travel insurance policy can protect you against:

• Trip cancellation or interruption due to covered reasons (illness, injury, family emergencies, weather, and more)

• Medical expenses while traveling, including emergency treatment

• Emergency medical evacuation (often one of the most expensive risks without coverage)

• Travel delays and missed connections

• Lost, stolen, or delayed baggage

• 24/7 travel assistance services

For cruises and international travel especially, these protections can be critical.

Why We Recommend Third-Party Travel Insurance

Many cruise lines, tour operators, and resorts offer their own insurance during checkout. While this can seem convenient, these policies often come with major limitations.

Downsides of Supplier-Offered Insurance

Supplier insurance typically:

• Covers only that specific booking

• Does not protect flights, hotels, or transfers booked separately

• May have lower coverage limits

• Often provides future travel credit instead of cash reimbursement

• Can be harder to use once travel has already started

Because of these limitations, we usually do not recommend supplier-offered insurance unless there’s a very specific reason to use it.

Instead, we focus on comprehensive third-party policies that protect your entire trip, regardless of who provided each component.

Our Preferred Partners: Allianz Global Assistance & Faye

Allianz Global Assistance

Allianz is one of the most trusted and widely recognized names in travel insurance worldwide. It’s a long-standing provider with strong financial backing and extensive experience.

We most frequently quote Allianz’s Journey Plan, which offers:

• Broad trip cancellation and interruption coverage

• Solid medical and emergency evacuation benefits

• Coverage for delays, missed connections, and baggage issues

• 24/7 global assistance from a well-established support network

Allianz is an excellent option for travelers who value stability, familiarity, and proven claims handling.

Faye

Faye is a newer, modern travel insurance provider designed specifically for today’s travelers. Their policies are easy to understand, app-based, and built around fast, transparent claims support.

Faye stands out for:

• A user-friendly mobile app

• Real-time travel alerts and assistance

• Streamlined claims submission

• Clear, plain-language policy design

Faye is a great choice for travelers who want a more digital-first, intuitive experience without sacrificing coverage quality.

Important Disclosures (What You’re Required to Know)

When discussing travel insurance, regulations require transparency. In simple terms:

• Travel insurance only applies during the covered trip

• You may already have limited coverage through credit cards or other insurance, but benefits vary widely

• Travel insurance is not required to purchase travel services

• As your travel advisor, we cannot:

  • Interpret policy exclusions or benefits beyond general guidance

  • Evaluate whether your existing insurance is sufficient

• For detailed policy questions, the insurance provider or your personal insurance agent is the best resource

Our role is to help you choose a strong option, not to sell unnecessary coverage.

Why Travel Insurance Is Worth It—Even If You Never Use It

Travel insurance is not about expecting something to go wrong—it’s about being prepared if it does.

Medical emergencies abroad, trip interruptions, or last-minute cancellations can easily cost thousands of dollars without coverage. Travel insurance is often a small percentage of your total trip cost, but it protects a much larger financial investment.

Most travelers never need to file a claim—but when they do, they’re grateful they planned ahead.

Our Recommendation

At Golden Key Escapes, we believe travel insurance is one of the smartest investments you can make for any trip. That’s why we primarily recommend Allianz Global Assistance and Faye—providers that offer comprehensive, flexible coverage designed to protect you, not just the booking.

If you have questions about which option is best for your trip, we’re happy to help guide you through the choices and provide quotes so you can make an informed decision.

Because the best trips aren’t just well-planned—they’re well-protected.