Travel Insurance when visiting the Caribbean
Essential travel insurance tips
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The Caribbean, with its many island destinations such as Jamaica, St Lucia, and the Dominican Republic, has always been a mecca for international travelers who dream of escaping chilly climates and their frantic way of life. If you’re planning a trip to this unique part of the globe, considering travel insurance can provide support if your Caribbean holiday suddenly goes awry.
What’s covered
World Nomads travel insurance provides cover for illness, injury, or damage to your personal belongings. Depending on your Country of Residence and the plan you have selected, you may be covered for:
Overseas emergency medical: if you’ve had an injury or need urgent medical attention and require a medical centre or hospital, you must contact our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team in the first instance. They will confirm if the treatment is medically necessary and advise you on what to do, help locate suitable medical facilities (particularly in remote areas where access to medical care can be tricky) and monitor your medical treatments if needed to make sure you’re given proper care.
Medical evacuation and repatriation: we offer emergency medical transport and repatriation back to your Country of Residence if medically necessary and authorised by our emergency medical assistance team.
Baggage cover: if your baggage or other personal belongings are lost or damaged during your trip, then you may claim for these. However, claims without supporting documentation such as police reports and receipts may not be covered. Benefit limits, conditions and exclusions apply.
Extended stays: if you are having way too much fun on your Caribbean holiday and choose to stay longer, you may also extend your travel insurance for a maximum of one year past the start date of your policy.
Coverage for some Coronavirus (COVID-19) related events: if you are forced to cancel your holiday plans due to being diagnosed as having Coronavirus by your treating doctor, then you may claim for any non-refundable travel expenses. To find out what cover applies to you, read our Coronavirus cover article, which has all the details, including benefit limits, conditions, and exclusions.
How to get the most out of your insurance when visiting the Caribbean
The two travel insurance plans that we offer are the Standard Plan and the Explorer Plan. Both offer cover for injuries, illness, trip cancellation expenses and theft. However, the Explorer Plan offers higher benefit limits and/or sub-limits than the Standard Plan and cover for a wider selection of activities.
For example, if you plan to go Scuba diving in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, then you might want to consider our levels of coverage for Scuba diving in case you are involved in a Scuba diving accident.
Though both our Standard and Explorer plans include benefits for Scuba diving, each plan has a different level of coverage and may exclude certain types of diving or dives of a certain depth. Be sure to check your policy for exclusions, such as unguided dives or search-and-rescue missions.
Besides Scuba diving, World Nomads offers cover for 150+ adventure activities including:
- Surfing.
- Hiking.
- Backpacking.
- Kayaking.
- Sandboarding.
- Snorkelling.
If your favorite sport is not on the list get in touch with our Customer Assistance Team and they will let you know if we cover it. Be aware that an upgrade for certain activities and sports may be required.
What to look out for when traveling around the Caribbean
The Caribbean is a tropical playground where travelers from all over the world gravitate to enjoy the lush wilderness, white sand beaches and laid-back vibes. However, getting sick or injured could prove to be very costly, you may want to consider purchasing travel insurance before you go.
Here are some common problems that travelers can encounter when visiting the region:
Extreme weather: well known for being a sun-drenched paradise with year-round warm climates, the Caribbean Islands are occasionally lashed by powerful tropical storms that wreak widespread destruction.
Travel insurance tip: if your hotel is damaged by a natural catastrophe, you may be covered for transport expenses as well as accommodation in a different hotel up to the policy limit.
Theft: thieves are known to prey on unsuspecting tourists whose bags may be snatched from them in street mugging incidents or sneakily taken whilst their attention is diverted elsewhere.
Travel insurance tip: if any of your belongings are stolen, you must obtain a written police report as soon as you can. Where possible, provide witness details as well as photographs, comply with all conditions of any issuing body and provide receipts for all costs incurred, or we will not pay for any claim that you make.
What’s not covered?
Below is a brief list of what we do not cover. Please check your policy wording for a full list of benefit limits, exclusions as well as the terms and conditions.
- Pre-existing medical conditions as explained in the policy wording.
- Any medical treatment, medication, or hospitalization for a non-urgent condition. Examples could include cosmetic surgery, general check-ups, or other elective surgeries.
- Theft, damage, or loss of items that were unattended.
- Expenses that other organisations, including hotels and airlines are liable for.
- If you were breaking the law or acting in a careless manner.
- Failing to comply with official organisations and our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team to repatriate you back to your country of residence.
- Traveling to or staying in a country that the government in your country of residence has declared an official travel ban on or warned against non-essential travel.
This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy. You should read your policy wording in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. If you are unsure about your level of travel cover, please contact us for help.
Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you
Trip Protection
Protect your hard earned vacation from unexpected cancellation before you leave home.
- Explorer Plan: USD $10,000
- Standard Plan: USD $5,000
Trip Protection
- Unexpectedly hospitalised?
- Travel buddy unfit to travel?
- Close relative suddenly dies?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Overseas Medical Insurance
Take the pain out of medical costs while traveling overseas.
- Explorer Plan: Unlimited, up to 12 months
- Standard Plan: USD $5,000,000
Emergency Medical Insurance
- Need meds quick?
- Accidentally injured?
- Suddenly sick?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Transportation
We'll get you to hospital quickly.
- Explorer Plan: USD $500,000
- Standard Plan: USD $500,000
Evacuation and Repatriation
- Banged up abroad?
- Need a hospital urgently?
- Medivac home?
Help starts here.
Protect your gear
Cover your stolen or damaged gear and tech.
- Explorer Plan: USD $3,500
- Standard Plan: USD $2,500
Protect your gear
- Passport stolen?
- Airline lost your gear?
- Bags delayed?
Help starts here.
- Overseas Medical & Dental Expenses
- 24 hour Emergency Assistance
- Emergency Medical Transport
- Repatriation & Travel Expenses
- Pre-Trip Cancellation
- Trip Interruption
- Resumption of Trip
- Travel Delay
- Missed connection (Explorer)
- Hijacking (Explorer)
- Baggage & Personal Items
- Passport & Travel Documents
- Personal Liability
- Rental vehicle insurance excess (Explorer)
- Personal accident (Explorer)
24/7 emergency assistance
Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Phone:+353 21 237 8008 or +353 21 237 8003 (calls are not toll free. You can claim your itemised call costs)
Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.