Vantage Deluxe World Travel Insurance - 2024 Review

Vantage creates upscale escorted tours to a variety of destinations all over the world. All their itineraries are unique to Vantage and provide the customer with a complete package including airfare, meals and comprehensive sightseeing. River cruises in Europe are among Vantage's most popular programs.

They call themselves the “Leader in Women’s Solo Travel” and provide roommate matching for women as well as unique trips geared toward women travelers. They have been awarded one of the Top River Cruise Companies for 2021 by Condé Nast Traveler in their Readers’ Choice Awards and have won awards for their solo traveler vacations. Vantage is celebrating its 40^th anniversary in 2023.

Vantage has partnered with Allianz to provide their Protection Plan insurance policy and it is underwitten by United States Fire Insurance, which underwrites many policies found on the open marketplace.

Travelers can buy Vantage Travel insurance at checkout on the website.

In this review, we discuss Vantage travel insurance in detail and discuss what to look for in a trip insurance program. Then we’ll look at alternatives to Vantage in the open marketplace through sites like TravelDefenders.

Our Sample Cruise: Luxury on the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Wonders

For our review, our two travelers aged 55 and 60 chose the 15-day Egyptian cruise down the Nile with 4 nights in Cairo pre-cruise and 1-night post-cruise. The cruise cost is $7,499 per traveler for a total cost of $14,998.

We are offered travel insurance through TripMate, Vantage’s partner for insurance. The insurance is based on the trip cost and not the age of the travelers. The current pricing table for Vantage’s insurance is listed below:

At $7,499 per person for our trip cost, according to the table above, the insurance will be $949 per person for a total of $1,898. The policy will provide $100,000 of medical coverage and $500,000 of medical evacuation coverage, which is excellent coverage compared to most cruise insurance we’ve reviewed. What’s covered in the plan? Let’s see...

Benefits Summary
PART A - Cancellation Waiver Program (Provided by Vantage Deluxe World Travel) **
BENEFIT	Maximum Limit
Cancellation Penalty Waiver	Trip Cost
Enhanced Cancel For Any Reason Penalty Waiver	Trip Cost

PART B - Travel Arrangement Protection (Underwritten by U.S. Fire Insurance Company)**
BENEFIT	Maximum Limit
Trip Interruption	Trip Cost
Missed Connection	Was $750 Now $1,600*
Travel Delay expense	Was $750 Now $1,600*
Accident and Sickness Medical Expense, including dental	Was $50,000 Now $100,000*
Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation	$500,000
Accidental Death & Dismemberment	Was $25,000 Now $50,000*
Baggage & Personal Effects	$3,000
Baggage Delay (Up to $250 per day)	$1,000

 

The policy was recently updated and now provides $100,000 of medical coverage and the same $500,000 of medical evacuation coverage as previously provided. We’re pleased to see the increase in the medical coverage as $100,000 is our recommended minimum coverage for overseas travel. Other benefits recently increased were Missed Connection is now $1600 per traveler as is Travel Delay Expense. Accidental Death & Dismemberment has also increased to a maximum of $50,000. Overall, this is excellent coverage!

Pre-existing Condition Coverage

Pre-existing medical conditions can be covered under the Vantage policy as long as the policy is purchased within 14 days of your initial deposit. If you need to cancel your trip and have purchased the policy within the 14 day period, you qualify for a cash reimbursement. However, if you purchase after 14 days, you’ll receive a voucher for future travel only.

Comparison Quotes

Now that we know how much Vantage travel insurance costs and what is covered, we’ll look at travel insurance available in the broader marketplace.

TravelDefenders always recommends travelers leaving the US take at least $100,000 Medical Insurance, $250,000 Medical Evacuation, and a Pre-existing Condition Waiver whenever possible. For destinations further afield such as Egypt, we recommend increased medical evacuation of $500,000.

Using our trip details, we requested a quote from TravelDefenders, and were presented with 27 options from a variety of insurers. The least expensive comprehensive plan that meets our recommended coverage is Trawick First Class. The cost is $897.82 for both travelers—that is less than half the cost of Vantage travel insurance. It includes $150,000 of Medical Insurance and $1 million of Medical Evacuation, as well as 150% reimbursement for Trip Interruption:

If we cancel for a listed reason in the policy (such as illness or injury) prior to departure, we’ll receive up to 100% of our trip costs back in cash. However, if we want maximum cancellation flexibility to be able to cancel for any reason whatsoever, then we need to look at a different policy – a Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) policy.

The least expensive plan with a Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) benefit is the Trawick First Class (CFAR 75%) for $1,526.29, nearly $300 LESS than the Vantage plan. It includes the same benefits as Trawick First Class but adds a 75% reimbursement if you cancel for any reason not named in the policy.

Next, let’s look at a side-by-side comparison of all three policies:

Benefit	Vantage Travel Protection Plan	Trawick First Class	Trawick First Class(CFAR 75%)
Trip Cancellation	100% of trip cost	100% of trip cost	100% of trip cost
Trip Interruption	100% of trip cost	150% of trip cost	150% of trip cost
Medical Insurance	$100,000	$150,000	$150,000
Medical Evacuation	$500,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
Baggage Loss/Damage	$3,000	$500/article up to $2,000 per person	$500/article up to $2,000 per person
Baggage Delay	$1,000	$400	$400
Travel Delay (Incl quarantine)	$1,600 ($300/day)	$1000 per person	$1000 per person
Missed Connection	$1,600	$1,000 per person	$1,000 per person
Cover Pre-existing Medical Conditions	Yes if purchased within 14 days of deposit	Yes if purchased within 14 days of deposit	Yes if purchased within 14 days of deposit
Cancel For Work Reason	No	No	No
Interrupt For Any Reason	No	No	No
Cancel For Any Reason	Future Cruise Credit	No	Yes
Accidental Death & Dismemberment	$50,000	$25,000	$25,000
Cost of Policy	$1,898 (12.6 % of trip cost)	$897.82 (6% of trip cost)	$1,526.29 (10.1% of trip cost)

Both Trawick First Class plans provide more coverage than the Vantage plan and come with significant cost savings. These additional savings could be used for additional excursions, shopping, or other adventures.

What should travelers be looking for when choosing a travel insurance policy? Let’s look.

Trip Cancellation

A significant concern for travelers is Trip Cancellation. If you became ill or had an accidental injury prior to your departure date, you may have to cancel your travel arrangements, resulting in financial losses. While disappointing, Trip Cancellation is doubly painful without cancellation insurance.

Vantage’s Protection Plan permits cancellation for the following reasons:

• Sickness, injury, or death of traveler, travel companion, or family member
• Quarantine, jury duty, court order to appear as witness for traveler or travel companion
• Traveler or traveling companion’s place of employment damaged due to natural disaster, requiring traveler or travel companion to remain at work
• Documented theft or loss of passport or visa
• Job transfer
• Documented traffic accident causing missed trip departure
• Organized labor strike, bad weather, or mechanical breakdown of aircraft for 24 hours or more
• Shutdown of airport or air traffic control system for 6 hours or more, preventing trip departure
• Emergency military duty resulting from natural disaster for traveler or travel companion
• Previously granted military leave revoked for traveler or travel companion
• Job termination or layoff with employer

We recommend policies that also include:

• Default or bankruptcy of the common carrier or travel supplier
• Mandatory evacuation

In addition, the Vantage Travel Protection Plan will not repay you for bookings made outside Vantage. It does not cover cancellation for your flight reservations made directly with the airline. Consequently, travelers face increased financial risk from this coverage gap. Policies purchased in the open marketplace can cover any pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs no matter if they were booked through the cruise or purchased separately.

Cancel For Any Reason

As mentioned previously, Cancel For Any Reason insurance provides the highest level of flexibility and reimbursement if you must cancel your trip for any reason not covered by the policy.

If you cancel your Vantage cruise for a reason not listed in the Vantage Protection Plan, their Cancel For Any Reason benefit provides a cruise credit valid for one year in lieu of a cash refund.

Alternatively, travel insurance policies like Trawick First Class with Cancel for Any Reason included pay a 75% cash refund of all prepaid, non-refundable trip costs including arrangements made outside of Vantage. This could include flights, hotels, rental cars, excursions, and transfers. When it comes to refunds, we always prefer cash since future credits may not be used.

Cancel For Any Reason policies, like the Trawick First Class, have several stipulations:

1. Purchase the policy within 10 - 21 days (depending on policy), of your initial payment or deposit date and
2. Insure 100% of the prepaid trip costs subject to cancellation penalties or restrictions. For additional prepaid non-refundable payments made after the purchase of the policy, insure within 10-21 days (depending on policy), of each subsequent payment added to your trip, and
3. Cancel your trip 2 days or more before your scheduled departure date.

Trip Interruption

A Trip Interruption is a situation during your trip that causes you to miss some or the rest of your vacation. It’s like Trip Cancellation but happens during your travels.

This benefit reimburses you if you must cut your trip short due to a covered interruption reason. Most often, the unexpected injury, illness or death of a traveler or non-traveling family member triggers a trip interruption.

If you had an injury or illness on your vacation but can continue traveling after treatment, trip interruption reimburses the unused portion of the trip, and the cost to rejoin the trip in progress.

Vantage has a robust list of covered interruption reasons:

• Death of insured
• Death of family member
• Death of travel companion
• Destination uninhabitable
• Destination inaccessible (6 hours)
• Extended travel delay of 50%
• Hijacking
• Home uninhabitable
• Hurricane warning
• Covered in front of illness and injury
• Involved in traffic accident
• Legal proceeding
• Loss of accommodations abroad
• Mandatory evacuation
• Military obligations
• Quarantine
• Terrorism (foreign and domestic)
• Canceled services

However, Vantage only offers 100% for Trip Interruption, so you may have to pay for your own transportation back home with the Vantage policy.

Travel insurance plans like the Trawick First Class (CFAR 75%) provide 150% of trip costs for Trip Interruption. Like Vantage, it covers up to 100% of the unused trip costs, but it also includes up to an additional 50% to cover transportation costs to return home.

Medical Insurance for Emergency Treatment

One of the most important factors in selecting trip insurance is having adequate Medical Insurance when you travel. Anything can happen, including accidental injuries or sudden illness.

If you have a medical emergency when traveling and don’t have proper medical insurance coverage while overseas, you could find yourself with huge, unexpected hospital bills. Many Americans mistakenly believe countries with universal health care will treat them for free. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Instead, Americans receive treatment at private hospitals, not public, and must pay like anyone else. Admission for inpatient care can cost $3,000-$4,000 per day, plus the cost of treatment, x-rays, surgeries, and specialists.

A common misconception is that Medicare will pay for hospitalization overseas.  Unfortunately, they won’t. Medicare does not pay providers outside the US. Some Medicare supplements do cover overseas, but have lifetime limits or reduced benefits, and pay for emergencies only. They can still require you to pay 20% of the costs. As a result, you could go on vacation and end up with medical bills in the thousands.

TravelDefenders urges overseas travelers to take travel medical insurance of at least $100,000 per person. In a medical emergency, $100,000 provides ample health care and helps protect your retirement savings from unexpected financial burdens.

The Vantage Protection plan provides our recommended $100,000 for Medical Insurance, while the Trawick First Class plans offer slightly more at $150,000. In all three cases, you can relax knowing you can receive proper treatment without ending up in debt.

Emergency Medical Evacuation

Medical Insurance isn’t the only potentially expensive part of a trip. Emergency Medical Evacuation transports you from the place of injury or illness to the closest hospital. Once you’re stable enough for transport, Medical Evacuation brings you home via commercial flight or, if necessary, private medical jet.

Medical flights can cost up to $25,000 per hour and regular health insurance does not cover it. In addition, the US State Department does not offer any medical treatment or evacuation assistance for US citizens. TravelDefenders advises travelers to get at least $250,000 Medical Evacuation if traveling close to the US and $500k or more if traveling to further locations such as Asia or Africa, so they will have enough coverage to get back home from almost anywhere if they experience a serious medical event.

We were pleased to see that the Vantage policy includes a generous $500,000 of Medical Evacuation coverage per traveler, which is much higher than many cruise lines. The Trawick First Class policies provide double that at $1 million per traveler. With all three policies you can feel secure knowing you have adequate coverage to transport you back home if needed.

Pre-existing Medical Conditions

A significant concern for senior travelers can be pre-existing medical conditions. A Pre-Existing Medical Condition is one in which you’ve received medical treatment, testing, medication changes, added new medications, or received a recommendation for a treatment or test that hasn’t happened yet. Most travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing conditions unless you purchase the policy within the required time from your initial trip deposit date (called the Time Sensitive Period). Otherwise, the insurer will look backward 60, 90, or 180 days (depending on the policy) from the date you purchased the insurance to see if there are any pre-existing medical conditions they won’t cover. This is called the Look Back Period. Any medical conditions older than this Look Back Period, unchanged or stabilized with no medication dosage changes are covered, as are any new conditions that arise after you purchase the policy.

If you must cancel, interrupt, or seek medical treatment for a medical condition while traveling, travel insurance policies typically exclude claims related to Pre-existing Medical Conditions. However, if you purchase the policy within a few days of your Initial Trip Payment or Deposit date, many policies add a Waiver to the policy that covers Pre-existing Conditions. As a result, there is no Look Back Period and Pre-existing Conditions are covered.

Vantage’s Protection Plan as well as the Trawick First Class policies will cover Pre-Existing Conditions as long as you purchase the policy within 14 days of your initial trip payment or deposit date.

Conclusion

The Vantage Protection Plan is a solid policy but is slightly on the expensive side compared to other policies with similar or higher coverage in the open marketplace. Medical coverage is excellent at $100,000 and their medical evacuation is a generous $500,000. However, we were concerned that Bankruptcy or Insolvency of the carrier is specifically excluded from their policy. Overall, we rate it a 7 out of 10.

Travelers planning a Vantage Cruise will find the best value for their money and peace of mind when they shop for travel insurance at TravelDefenders Travel Insurance Marketplace. There, you can review dozens of options and select the best policy to fit your needs.

To help you find the best policy, TravelDefenders recommends having at least $100,000 in travel medical coverage and $250,000 emergency medical evacuation when traveling within a few hours flight time of US borders and $500,000 or more for travel further afield. And, if you purchase the policy within the 14-21 days of initial trip payment, please consider a travel insurance policy with the pre-existing condition waiver included to ensure the most coverage for your money.

Have questions? We would love to hear from you. Send us a chat, Email or alternatively Call Us at +1(786) 321 3723.

Safe Travels!