Two Things Worth Protecting
Our expeditions take small groups to coral reefs, rainforests, and islands well off the usual routes. Getting there takes some planning, and we'd rather you plan for all of it, including the part most travelers would rather not think about. A travel insurance plan can help protect two things: the investment you've made in the trip and your access to care while you're far from home.
Before You Travel: Your Trip Investment
Most travelers never need to cancel their trip. But life occasionally intervenes in ways nobody plans for, such as an illness or injury, a family emergency, or a connection that doesn't happen, and trip cancellation coverage can
help you recover the cost of cancelling your trip for a covered reason instead of absorbing it. It offers coverage for your airfare on the same terms, which is also why we suggest holding off on non-refundable tickets until your departure is confirmed, about four months before the trip.
Because we charter entire vessels and reserve small lodges well in advance (liveaboard dates are sometimes held two years out), our payment schedule is firm. Full payment is due 120 days before departure, and from 119 days out, our cancellation schedule retains 100% of the expedition fee (see our Terms and Conditions here).
While You're Away: Care Far From Home
Part of what makes our destinations extraordinary is how far they sit from the ordinary world. That distance is part of the appeal. It also means that, in the unlikely event you needed medical care, reaching it would take longer and cost more than it would at home.
Carrying emergency medical and evacuation coverage is simply standard practice among experienced expedition travelers. It's also why we recommend DAN membership alongside a travel insurance plan.
Most travelers sort all of this out in a single sitting, months ahead, and never think about it again. That's the goal— not worry, just one fewer thing standing between you and your trip.
Our Recommended Provider: Travelex Insurance Services*
We've reviewed travel insurance providers against what our expeditions actually require — trip cancellation and interruption, emergency medical care, medical evacuation, baggage, and delay coverage in remote destinations.
Travelex Insurance Services* consistently offers the strongest combination of coverage and value for the way our travelers travel, and we've worked with them for years.
Travelex offers several plans at different price points. Their most comprehensive plan, Ultimate, includes primary emergency medical coverage and emergency evacuation and repatriation — the two benefits that matter most on a remote expedition.
Start a quote to see current options and pricing for your destination and departure dates, or call and speak to someone who can walk you through the differences.
Prefer to talk it through? Call Travelex Insurance Services* at 800-228-9792 and reference location number 05-2806 so your quote is linked to your Oceanic Society expedition.
Traveling More Than Once a Year? Consider DAN
We've partnered with Divers Alert Network for years, and membership is worth considering for snorkelers, divers, and wildlife watchers alike — though not every traveler needs it. Here are the key factors to consider.
A travel insurance plan covers this trip. A DAN membership covers you for a full year, on any trip more than 50 miles from home, diving or not, including trips you book on your own. If your Oceanic Society expedition is your only trip and you've purchased Travelex's Ultimate plan, its evacuation coverage already exceeds DAN's for the trip, and you may not need both.
DAN membership covers:
- Up to $150,000 in combined emergency medical transportation and travel assistance benefits
- DAN TravelAssist® — 24/7 emergency coordination, evacuation and repatriation logistics
- Access to DAN's insurance services and a subscription to Alert Diver
- Coverage for everyone listed on a family membership
Regular membership is $40 per year for individuals and $60 for families, and covers you for the full year from your join date. DAN also offers an Enhanced tier with higher limits..
One thing to expect: DAN's enrollment page is branded for scuba diving. Don't let that turn you away. Membership and its evacuation benefits apply to non-divers on any qualifying trip.
Buy Early. Some Coverage Has a Deadline.
Travel insurance is one of the few purchases where waiting costs you options rather than money. Some of the most valuable coverages — including the waiver for pre-existing medical conditions 1 and, where available, the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade 2 — are only offered if you buy the Ultimate plan within 21 days of your initial trip payment and insure the full cost of your trip. After that window closes, the plans remain available; those coverages do not.
We recommend securing an insurance plan the week you pay an expedition deposit.
Travel Protection FAQs
Choosing What's Right for You
Insurance needs differ from traveler to traveler. We offer these recommendations to help you start, but it's up to you to read the policy terms, confirm the coverage you need, and check that you're not duplicating coverage you already carry through a credit card, an employer plan, or an existing annual travel policy.
If you're not sure how travel insurance fits your expedition, call us at 1-800-326-7491. We can't advise you on policies, but we can tell you exactly what your itinerary involves, such as how remote you'll be, what medical facilities are nearby, and what your payment and cancellation dates are.
How This Works
Oceanic Society earns a commission when travelers purchase through the links on this page. You pay the same price either way, and that revenue supports our ocean conservation programs. We recommend what we'd recommend regardless — including, sometimes, that you don't need both.
*Travel Insurance is offered on behalf of and under the direction of Travelex Insurance Services, Inc (CA Agency License #0D10209), except for residents of New York. Residents of NY should contact Travelex at 1-800-228-9792 for more information. Your travel retailer might not be licensed to sell travel insurance and will only be able to provide general information about the product. An unlicensed travel retailer may not answer questions about the terms and conditions of the insurance offered and may not evaluate the adequacy of your existing insurance coverage. Insurance coverage underwritten by Zurich American Insurance Company (NAIC #16535, state of domicile: New York), 1299 Zurich Way, Schaumburg, IL 60196. Coverages available to residents of U.S. States and the District of Columbia only. Certain coverages not available in all states. Quote rates are subject to change prior to plan purchase.
1. To be eligible for the waiver of the pre-existing medical condition exclusion, the Travelex Ultimate plan must be purchased
within 21 days of your initial deposit, your full prepaid and non-refundable trip cost must be insured, and you must be medically fit for travel at the time of plan purchase. Additionally, any subsequent arrangements must be insured within 21 days of their purchase date to maintain the waiver.
2. Cancel For Any Fortuitous Reason for New York. To be eligible for the upgrade, it must be purchased with the Travelex Ultimate plan within 21 days of your initial deposit and at least 31 days before departure. Your full prepaid and non-refundable trip costs must be insured, with a maximum trip cost of $10,000. Any subsequent arrangements must be insured within 14 days of their purchase date, and cancellation must occur at least 48 hours prior to your departure date. The upgrade is not available if Israel and/or the West Bank are destinations on the trip itinerary.