Travel Insurance - Cuba no !!

Cook1e_Monster

I note that MSE's listed best buys/top value annual worldwide travel insurance be unsuitable for many users. Although "worldwide", as well as the usual warzone country exclusions, it also perversely excludes travel to Cuba - a very popular destination for UK citizens.
Beware

alanrowell

Why don't you tell us which policies these are rather than leaving us to guess.

stephb34

With Cuba now you have to have at least medical insurance if you haven't got it in your hand luggage and show it when asked for you can be turned round and sent back home.

dickydonkin

alanrowell wrote: »

Why don't you tell us which policies these are rather than leaving us to guess.

Direct Travel (not to be confused with Direct Line) will not insure their policy holders for trips to Cuba.

Maybe their underwriters are American and out of pettiness may not wish to encourage tourism to Cuba - I just don't know.

Seems strange though as this insurance company gets good reviews in some of the National rags. Indeed, I was with them for many years, but I found better value for similar cover elsewhere.

With Cuba now you have to have at least medical insurance if you haven't got it in your hand luggage and show it when asked for you can be turned round and sent back home.

Although I have never been to Cuba, that is good information for those that are considering going there - certainly I was not aware that such a requirement is mandatory.

Maybe other countries could follow this lead - there are just too many travellers who believe that they are invincible and will travel without insurance.

dzug1

dpassmore wrote: »

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Maybe their underwriters are American and out of pettyness may not wish to encourage tourism to Cuba - I just don't know.

It wouldn't be out of 'pettyness', it would be out of their obligation to comply with US law. If anyone is being petty it's the US government.

dickydonkin

dzug1 wrote: »

It wouldn't be out of 'pettiness', it would be out of their obligation to comply with US law. If anyone is being petty it's the US government.

As I stated in my post - I just don't know - I did not intend to instigate a political debate on U.S. foreign policies!

My post actually refers to the American Policy - hence the quote 'may not wish to encourage tourism to Cuba' although I could have made it a little more precise.

Obviously an insurance company cannot do that independantly as there are many other policy providers who will gladly insure travellers to Cuba.

alanrowell

dpassmore wrote: »

As I stated in my post - I just don't know - I did not intend to instigate a political debate on U.S. foreign policies!

US law forbids any form of trade with Cuba unless specifically sanctioned by the US government. Nothing to do with pettiness of the company, just trying to avoid being chucked in jail & fined a rather large sum of money

dickydonkin

alanrowell wrote: »

US law forbids any form of trade with Cuba unless specifically sanctioned by the US government. Nothing to do with pettiness of the company, just trying to avoid being chucked in jail & fined a rather large sum of money

Nothing to do with pettiness of the company,

If you read my last post - I have aready explained that I was not referring to the insurers - but the US administration itself. I did concede the wording was a little unclear.

It may be the insurers underwriters may not be American and there will be a reasonable explanation as to why some insurance companies will not insure travellers to Cuba - again, I have already stated I just don't know.

EDIT

Back to topic - here are some more insurance companies that will not insure visitors to Cuba (same underwriter) - note that the Direct Travel underwriters are 'Chartis UK' so would possibly NOT come within the US Governments trading exemptions with Cuba.

"Policies excluding Cuba include those underwritten by Chartis UK, which are sold by companies such as Direct Travel Insurance, Yorkshire bank and Barclaycard."