Kilchurn Castle
Kilchurn Castle

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One less thing to worry about...

We are delighted to share that we have partnered with a provider to offer you fully comprehensive travel insurance that covers COVID-19 from as little as just £17.50 per person*, meaning there's one less thing to worry about the next time you head out on holiday with us. 

The disruptive effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the way we travel has been truly unprecedented and, even if you now feel ready to holiday again, you may find that your usual travel insurance provider does not cover you for all COVID-19 eventualities. Some insurers continue to exclude COVID-19 from their cover, as they did from the start of the pandemic; others will cover you only if you fall ill during your travels, not if you show symptoms before you depart and need to cancel. Only a handful of insurers cover you for both cancellation and return from holiday. We, however, understand how important it is for you to feel confident that this new condition is taken care of with your insurance.

We can quote for any age of traveller up to 90 (at time of departure) and for any destination within the UK and Europe. At a glance, your cover will include:

  • COVID-19 pre-departure cancellation up to £3,000
  • COVID-19 holiday curtailment up to £3,000
  • COVID-19 medical and other expenses up to £1,000,000
  • Standard (i.e. non-COVID-19) cover for cancellation, delay, missed departure, personal accident, personal property, personal liability, loss of passport and legal expenses

This policy is not the cheapest in the market. Our intention was not to cut corners, but to source a genuinely ‘peace of mind’ level of travel insurance cover in these unusual times. The provision of COVID-cover travel insurance is part of our market-leading 11-point action plan to keep you safe on your travels. Other actions include PPE travel kits, COVID-level health and safety checks, half-capacity coaches and other social distancing measures.

To secure this travel insurance, simply speak to one of our expert sales consultants when you make your holiday booking with us. Or, if you have already booked, please just give us a call on 01334 237831 to add travel insurance. Then, all that's left to do is look forward to your travels safe in the knowledge that there's one less thing to worry about!  

*Lead price based on a UK short break up to 3 days, 65 years of age and below.

Your Questions Answered

 

Is insurance included in my holiday price?
No, it is an additional cost. As many of our guests have their own preferred provider and/or annual policy, we decided to offer COVID-cover insurance as an add-on, rather than costed into your holiday price.

How much will this insurance cost?
It depends on your age (at time of departure), your chosen destination and the duration of your holiday. Our prices range from £17.50 to £162 per person.

Can I buy your insurance on its own?
We make no profit on this insurance – instead, we decided to introduce it as part of an 11-point action plan to keep you safe and protected whilst travelling with us. As such, insurance may only be purchased alongside a Brightwater holiday.

I’ve already booked my Brightwater holiday – can I add insurance?
You can. Simply give us a call on 01334 237831 to do so.

Who would be covered by your insurance?
Any UK-resident traveller up to the age of 90 (at time of departure), travelling on a Brightwater holiday in the UK or the EU.

Does your insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
If you have pre-existing medical conditions, you will be provided with a contact number to discuss them in more detail. An additional premium may apply.

I’m travelling with you to a destination outside the EU – can I get your insurance?
We expect to be able to offer COVID-cover travel insurance for worldwide destinations very soon. Please let us know if you are interested and we will call you back as soon as it is available.

I’m not a UK resident – can I get your insurance?
At this time, unfortunately not.

Can you advise me on the best travel insurance policy for me?
No, we cannot make recommendations. We have sourced a policy which we believe is competitively priced and offers comprehensive cover, but we are not permitted to advise on personal circumstances, so the decision to proceed with insurance must be yours alone.

What if I buy insurance then change my mind or find that pre-existing conditions are not covered?
You may cancel your policy within 14 days of receipt of the policy documents (or before departure, if you are departing within 14 days of purchase), by writing to us. Any premium already paid will be refunded providing you have not travelled, no claim has been made or is intended to be made and no incident likely to give rise to a claim has occurred.

Specifically, what COVID-19 cover does this policy offer?
Pre-departure cancellation up to £3,000, curtailment up to £3,000 and medical/other expenses up to £1,000,000.

My holiday costs more than £3,000 per person – should I get your insurance?
To keep insurance prices as competitive as possible, we chose cover limits which would suit the overwhelming majority of guests but were not open-ended. We are therefore unable to provide a level of cancellation and curtailment cover above £3,000 per person.

Does your policy cover me for non-COVID eventualities?
Yes it does – a competitive level of non-COVID cover is included.

My holiday departs in 2020 or 2022 – can I get your insurance?
At this time we only have rates and policies for departures up to the end of 2021, but you can register your interest now and we will contact you as soon as 2022 travel insurance becomes available. Travel insurance is available for 2020 departures, but please note – any insurance booked up to now will only cover COVID-19 medical expenses, not cancellation or curtailment. Please give us a call if you wish to upgrade your policy for comprehensive COVID-19 cover, and we can requote.

Am I obliged to buy insurance from you?
You are absolutely not obliged to buy insurance from us – there are a few other insurance providers offering COVID-19 cover for your travels.

Is it a requirement to have COVID-cover insurance to travel with Brightwater Holidays?
COVID-cover travel insurance is a requirement for destinations outside the UK and very strongly recommended for UK departures.

If my tour is cancelled as a result of COVID-19 and I transfer to a different tour, does my insurance also transfer?
Generally speaking, the cost of your insurance is dependent on your tour destination and duration, and your age bracket at time of departure – if your transfer alters any of these factors, we will need to requote. Also, because insurance booked up to now only covered COVID-19 medical expenses (not cancellation or curtailment) we will need to requote your insurance for the additional cover if you are transferring from a 2020 departure to a 2021 departure. If you are transferring from 2021 to 2022 we will contact you when insurance rates are available.

Our first holiday post-lockdown!

Did you know that we recently took our first group of guests back out on holiday? That's right, our popular Classic Scottish Steam Break departed on August 7th with 10 guests and our guide Alastair Walker at the helm, and it was a success.

We created a blog to share with you that explains how the holiday went from start to finish – detailing things from what social distancing looks like as part of a group tour to how meal times will be now that communal dining isn't as close – and we've thrown in some photographs from the trip, too!

Click here to find out how the experience went. 

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One less thing to worry about... was published on 19 August 2020

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