Should you get cruise insurance? Yes, but ...

But in other cases, it might be a life saver. For instance:

• Do you have a "pre-existing condition" which might cause your trip to be interrupted? (You have to have been symptom-free for at least 60 days prior to your deposit payment.)
• Are you going to be traveling on land as well as on your cruise? Will you have a rental car?
• Are you worried about the health of a family member whose condition might worsen before your travel date?
• Are you planning to travel during a period (winter weather, hurricane season) when your flights might be delayed or canceled?
• Are you planning on doing anything other than shopping or sitting on the sand? Will you scuba, water-ski, climb glaciers, try a canopy zip line or take a helicopter trip?
• Are you traveling internationally with one or more layovers? Or, if you're flying domestically, are your connection times fairly tight?
• Will your cruise be in a region or regions other than the Caribbean, Canada/New England, Alaska, Hawaii or the Mexican Riviera?

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, travel insurance is a good idea.

What kind do I need? Ahhh, this is a much more complicated question, and has no easy response. Coverage varies widely, and while all offer the same basics, some offer better protection in some areas than others. So you first need to determine where you need the most coverage and then you can decide what kind of insurance to purchase.

Cruise line or third-party insurance: Cruise lines are not in the insurance business, they're in the vacation business. It's certainly convenient to go through the cruise line to get your coverage, but is it your best option? Most travel agents think it's overpriced and doesn't offer the same protections as outside insurance, and that, even with outside administration, claims processing is more difficult. Also, it's important to note that most cruise line coverage is secondary, and kicks in only after your personal insurance has paid off, and on top of that, you are often reimbursed in cruise credits rather than in cold, hard cash.

Medical evacuation: Many frequent cruisers have seen, at least once, someone being evacuated by helicopter from their ship, or being carted away from the pier by an ambulance. These medical emergencies, while rare, are extremely costly ... and it's the patient and his or her family that bear the cost of this service. A helicopter or aircraft evacuation can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Travel insurance covers these costs. If your cruise takes you into the Indian Ocean, into the fjords of Chile or Norway, or down the coast of Vietnam or even through the Panama Canal (just a few examples of exotic cruises) the cost to get home to the U.S. in a medical emergency will be extreme. This is where you want to ramp up your coverage.

Pre-existing conditions: This can be a critical component of your insurance choices because the companies offering coverage vary widely in the amount of time you have to have been symptom-free before your condition is covered.

Let's face it: If you have a serious heart condition, for example, no insurance company in the world will allow you to purchase a $65 policy when it's more likely than not that you will require a $30,000 medical evacuation during your trip.

What you need to research, in the case of pre-existing conditions, is the number of "lookback days" the company requires in order to "waive the exclusion." This means, in plain English, how long you have been symptom-free so your insurance purchase will cover the condition. Some companies require a 180-day period, some a 90-day period, and some as few as a 60-day period. And in order to waive the exclusion, you have to purchase your trip insurance within 10, 14 or 21 days of your initial deposit, again depending on the insurer. Yes, it's complicated!

Trip cancellation: If you break your ankle or someone in your family becomes ill, if your friend who is sharing your cabin ends up canceling, if you can't travel for any reason that isn't excluded by your policy, you will get 100 percent of your trip cost reimbursed. Your "trip cost" includes everything that is pre-paid, not simply reserved. In fact, if your hotel is going to charge a one-night penalty should you fail to arrive, it's better to pre-pay the entire amount. Your insurance will cover the penalty as long as the stay is pre-paid, but if it's just guaranteed to your credit card, you're out of luck.

Flight delay and/or cancellation: This comes under the broad definition of "travel delay" and each insurer has its own plan for reimbursement. Usually coverage is provided for accommodation, meals, and new travel arrangements with a maximum cap of about $1,000, an average benefit of $200 per day. The benefits don't kick in until you have been delayed at least six hours (and in some cases 12 hours) so reviewing your plan's provisions is important.

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