I'd suggest finding a really good travel agent that's knowledgeable about travel insurance as (IMO) NASTC's cancellation policy is pretty draconian
Whenever traveling out of the country, I always recommend travel insurance, at a minimum to cover medical evac back home. While many will have medical insurance that works out of the country, for about $60 a trip, you can guarantee private medical care ride home, whether your insurance covers it or not. Travel medical insurance generally covers about $50K of medical costs and $1M of medical travel costs. Essentially... get you stable and then get you back home. Full travel insurance, which covers the cost of the trip too is generally about 5-10% of the trip cost.
As far as cancellation policies at Portillo, they are steep. Since the resort accommodates less than 450 guests, they are very restricted on cancellations... only a 50% refund within 60 days and no refund within 30 days. This is similar to policies on cruise ships. Ski camp coaches and their participants face the same restrictions so cancellation policies even with great camps like NASTC are also strict, even for medical. For those that may not be aware, airlines no longer offer medical cancellation either. Get insurance, if you want to be covered.
I tend to approach vacation and even ski camp vacation as just that... vacation. If I get sick or something happens, it's gone. Thus, while I always book travel insurance for medical, which is quite inexpensive. I often forgo the more expensive full trip insurance. However, it is available. My favorite provider Allianz Travel, whether for medical or full trip coverage. Although you can look at plans online, I find I get better rates, when I call them directly. You can reach Allianz online
www.allianztravelinsurance.com or call 866.884.3556.
So great to see Chile start their season off white. Similar to California, they've had drought for many years. I am looking forward to getting back to Portillo in a few months!
