I am a seasoned traveler and relatively healthy, so I never saw a need to buy travel insurance...until

One time my family and I went to travel and unfortunately someone got sick. We had to alter plans and fly back (language was also a problem) and it was luck that we got back when we did. At the time, we thought about a lot of options to ease the cost, but ultimately, we all decided to come back since things were unraveling pretty quickly. We were out a bit in terms of the non-refundable and change fees, but it could've been much worse financially.

Since that, I've bought a travel insurance for every 'international' trip I've ever taken. Sure, you could say it's money down the drain (and what I always thought too), but it's worth its pennies when things go wrong (that's stressful enough already without worrying about the costs). Just in case. Mostly, I care just about the medical coverage, and having that insurance gives me some peace of mind when I travel.

And, yes, I'd get it if going on a cruise too.