Travel Insurance Worth the Bother and Cost?

[newcastleunited]

My mom and I are doing a 7-night Alaska cruise on Sept 2nd and I haven't purchased travel insurance. I used frequent flyer miles for the airfare. Is it worth the bother to get travel insurance? I have always gotten it in the past and never needed it.

[peaches from georgia]

Like any insurance it depends on how much risk you are willing to assume. All you'll need to make it worth the cost is to have to cancel one time and chances are the insurance costs for all your other cruises where you didn't collect will be a lot less than what your loss would be just that one time. The insurance premiums are a pretty low % of your reimbursable out-of-pocket travel costs, so it usually is worth it unless you cruise many times a year.

Don't forget coverage is not only for you who are traveling, but for family members' illnesses which may require you to cancel your cruise plans. For us that is definetely worth the cost. You may be healthy, but if family member illness or accident requires you to cancel, you are covered.

I'm not sure what the 'bother' you ask about means. The procedure of purchasing insurance is simple.

[Roz]

To add to what Peaches said, the main reason I purchase insurance is to cover me in the event of a medical emergency. My medical insurance gives me very limited coverage outside the US, and it doesn't cover me at all if I have to be airlifted. Med-evac can run $10,000 - $50,000, depending on the distance and the situation.

The idea behind any insurance is to hope you never need it. :D

Roz

[ASue]

I think the insurance is a good idea. We had to cancel a cruise at the last moment due to a medical emergency. Was so happy we were able to get all our money back. And having the extra coverage for on board is worth it to

[thomasale]

If the cruise was in Alaska would your regular insurance cover it?Not a cancellation but an injury

[lougee1043]

My mom and I are doing a 7-night Alaska cruise on Sept 2nd and I haven't purchased travel insurance. I used frequent flyer miles for the airfare. Is it worth the bother to get travel insurance? I have always gotten it in the past and never needed it.

i am going to presume that you do have life insurance --- why you have never needed it yet

i personally think its always worth "the bother"- ive even insured plane tix to cabo from pdx that were non exchangeable and non refundable and wouldnt you just know it that cabo was hit with a hurricane about a week before we were going and our friends house was damaged so we couldnt stay there -- got my money back from the travel insur company and then rebooked about a month later

if you decide to book insur you might want to check out www.insuremytrip.com (http://www.insuremytrip.com)

[GmaPajama]

We're new to cruising, compared to the regulars here, but have already used our trip insurance twice. Once for a cruise we had to cancel, and again when airport delays caused us to miss a connecting flight to get home - we were re-imbursed for hotel, taxi, and meal expenses. As for that second claim, we've learned to book our own flights!

I'd say the cost of the insurance is definitely worth while!

Donna

[jhannah]

If the cruise was in Alaska would your regular insurance cover it?Not a cancellation but an injury Maybe. Maybe not. If you have an HMO, likely not. If you have a PPO, you MIGHT ... if that PPO exists there. Is it worth it? I guess you could say no insurance is worth it. UNLESS you ever need to file a claim. Then it's priceless! As for me, I always purchase it. I cannot afford to "eat" what I've spent on a cruise if I am unable at the last minute to go.

[arabrab]

You're probably fine -- but my dad was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer not long before we were due to depart on an expensive cruise -- long after we'd paid for it in full. We liked knowing that if we need to cancel because his condition worsened, we could do so with no financial loss, and that if we needed to leave the trip early for the same reason that it was also covered.

It is one bill I'm happy to pay, and just as happy to not have to use. The cost was really quite moderate if you look on insuremytrip.

Just seeing the number of people with sad postings about unexpected surgeries, in-laws who've had heart attacks, broken legs and the like reminds me each time why the peace of mind is worth it.

[Stevesan]

Is it worth the bother to get travel insurance?

Absolutely not, assuming you can afford the outlays for emergency medical air evacuation, inpatient hospital care with the associated surgery, specialist, tests, procedures and sundry other fees in foreign hospitals. Then - no worries!

[cruzincurt]

It's really not a "bother" to purchase; a few keyboard clicks, and hopefully you won't need it. Do you need it, no, but if you do, you'll be glad you spent the few bucks.

My mother-in-law died one week before one of our cruises, one of my business partners was killed in a car accident the same day we got back from our May cruise (wasn't on the cruise). Not the kind of call you want to get as you are unpacking. You just never know what life has in store for you.

[hammybee]

I am having what is now an 8 month dispute with an independent and well known cruise insurer because we had to cancel the cruise due to unexpected hospitalization of an immediate family member with an eating disorder. The cruise line refunded us 50% and I continue to expect the insurance company to cover the remaining 50% or give us a credit for a future cruise. I think I am being reasonable.

The insurance carrier however, denied the claim because the problem was not physical in nature. While the source of the problem was not physical, the end result most definitely was and around we go. They claim this is the first time they have had a claim for this reason and do not want to set a precedent. The cruise line ( not HAL) says had we purchased their insurance, we would not be in this situation.

I will persevere and get the money or credit but this has been one long battle of escalation and teeth pulling. At this time I am more than a little off on the entire topic of cruise insurance, but sanity prevails and I have and will do the prudent thing for future cruises.

[RuthC]

My husband and I were in Rome, preparing to board the Rotterdam for a 22-day cruise, when he dropped dead.
The insurance covered the cost of the cruise, my flight home, and transportation of his remains home.

I was very glad he had purchased the insurance.

[Sunshine91]

Ruth...........I had no idea. I'm so sorry.

Your posts are always so informative, cheery, friendly & spot-on. I hope to one day sail with you. :) I make awesome brownies & chocolate chip cookies.

[serendipity1499]

hammybee...I'm wondering if you had the Travelex policy..Their policy reads something about an illness or injury resulting from a non-physical such as a mental, nervous or emotional illness will not be paid unless the person is in the hospital for 3 consecutive days or more...Was that family member in the hospital for 3 or more days?

If you had travelex & that person was in the hospital for 3 or more days, I believe the insurance company should pay 100%..Check out the fine print of you policy & maybe you can get your additional $$$..It doesn't seem quite fair that they will not cover it..


Newcastleunited, I agree with the other posters about purchasing insurance..We never purchased travel insurance when we were working, because both our companies insurance always covered us while in or out of the country..All I had to do was submit my medical bills & they paid them..

However after we both reached the retirement age, we began to get travel insurance..

The crux of the matter is: What are you willing to risk..If your mother falls or becomes incapacitated, while on your cruise, & has to go to a local hospital or be airlifted to home can you pay those expenses? Also can you both afford to loose all your money for the cruise if an immediate family member becomes ill or passes away?..

If the answer is yes you can afford it, then by all means don't waste your $$$, but if you can't afford to lay out anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000
then you had better get Insurance..On our last cruise we had five instances where people on our ship were taken off by ambulance to go to local hospitals in foreign countries..Yes, Alaska is in the US but is quite a distance from the US mainland & the cost of airlifting home & hospitals could add up..

Hope you enjoy your cruise..

[kryos]

My mom and I are doing a 7-night Alaska cruise on Sept 2nd and I haven't purchased travel insurance. I used frequent flyer miles for the airfare. Is it worth the bother to get travel insurance? I have always gotten it in the past and never needed it.
Trust me, the time you don't get it is when you will need it.

Is travel insurance worth it? Not unless you have a problem. I try to get the bare bones now in travel insurance ... something that will cover medical problems while out of the country and that will cover me if I have to cancel at the last minute due to a medical emergency or a death in my family. The other coverages, I'm not too concerned about.

I guess travel insurance is the same as with auto insurance. I guess it is bothersome to pay all that money in premiums for something you never seem to use. But come the day you have an accident, you're sure glad you have it, huh? :)

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

Maybe. Maybe not. If you have an HMO, likely not. If you have a PPO, you MIGHT ... if that PPO exists there. Is it worth it? I guess you could say no insurance is worth it. UNLESS you ever need to file a claim. Then it's priceless! As for me, I always purchase it. I cannot afford to "eat" what I've spent on a cruise if I am unable at the last minute to go.
I was seriously injured while out of state. A PPO covered everything ... major surgery, hospitalization and even a medical flight home ten days later (I broke both femurs and was non-weight bearing ... hence, I could not travel via regular air carrier). The logo on my insurance card is a suitcase ... the coverage is portable. However, it is only portable within the U.S., so I sure wouldn't want to be without travel insurance on a cruise outside of U.S. boundaries.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Krazy Kruizers]

We always buy the insurance -- once had to cancel due to a death in the family. If we hadn't had the insurance we would have lost everything - air, hotels, cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our medical insurance doesn't cover airlifts or anything of that nature. Should one of us have to be airlifted from the ship, etc. the cost would have to be paid by us. Thus - one more reason to buy insurance.

[Tinknock50]

I understand the value of travel insurance...... but what bothers me is will I actually get paid for a claim.

My best friend had throat cancer and we decided to make one last cruise.
He was fit for travel when we booked the cruise. The cancer progressed to the point where motion, even in a car, caused him pain ,so we decided to cancel about a month out. We had purchased it with Trip Assured and even though I bought it the same day as the booking to have pre-existing conditions covered, they denied the claim because his ilness was "forsee-able" ( as stated in their fine print). I was stilll working with them when he died. Appeals were denied. Heaven help you if you have a child in "make- a- wish" and his condition worsens!

So now I am wary of a false sense of security insurance gives. I still buy insurance, but not every trip. Because of my Moms age, I buy that insurance that can be bought at final payment time and still covers pre-existing. ( the name excapes me at the moment).

I don't think it would be against the rules to mention insurance companies here.
Hammybee, what was the name of your bad insurance company?

And those who had successful payouts, what were your companies?

[Atomica]

Personally I think the bigger the trip, and the greater distance away from home, the more necessary it is to have insurance, wether it's cancellation, medical or both, because as it's been stated above, the one time you need it will be the one time you didn't buy it.

[hammybee]

hammybee...I'm wondering if you had the Travelex policy..Their policy reads something about an illness or injury resulting from a non-physical such as a mental, nervous or emotional illness will not be paid unless the person is in the hospital for 3 consecutive days or more...Was that family member in the hospital for 3 or more days?..

Thank you for the feedback. I used a different company and policy is silent on the topic. BTW, hospitalization was almost 3 months.

[hammybee]

My husband and I were in Rome, preparing to board the Rotterdam for a 22-day cruise, when he dropped dead.
The insurance covered the cost of the cruise, my flight home, and transportation of his remains home.

I was very glad he had purchased the insurance.

I too had no idea. I am so sorry for your loss.

[RuthC]

Susan and Lynn---thank you so much for your thoughts. It's almost seven years; there's no reason you should have known.

I only brought it up because it's such an excellent example of why travel insurance is important. I do wish I could remember the name of the insurance company, though. The service was outstanding! I didn't do anything about it until six months later. I mailed the form with a cover letter and verification on a Saturday; the mail must have been picked up on Monday. I had a check the following Monday or Tuesday.

[Nasmas]

My mom and I are doing a 7-night Alaska cruise on Sept 2nd and I haven't purchased travel insurance. I used frequent flyer miles for the airfare. Is it worth the bother to get travel insurance? I have always gotten it in the past and never needed it.

Definitely. We always get it and had never needed it either until two years ago. My husband got sick & we had to cancel and we got all of our money back except the insurance, of course. But it is well worth it. You never know. He got better and we booked a Mexican Riveria for 10/05 and about two weeks before, he got admitted to the hospital for a blood transfusion and we had to cancel again. I was worried that they'd give us some flak about cancelling but we got our money within two weeks. I would never book a cruise without the insurance. To us, $3000 is a big expenditure and worth the extra $300 or so for the insurance. Its a gamble but you have to weigh the risks. They paid everything, even the hotel room that was non refundable. Good luck and good cruising. BYT we used insure my trip and bought Travelguard. I'd wholly recommend them.

[sunflowerstarr]

Something else to keep in mind is (not sure if its still being reported a lot) but for a while there were a lot of reports of noro. People were reporting on here having to pay thousands of dollars because they werent insured and/or it wasnt covered there. I havent purchased it yet(didnt at the time because I hadnt researched on here) but plan to before my friend and I leave. Nothing will probably happen but my mom always said our family motto is "if it wasnt for bad luck wed have no luck at all" so I figure it would definitely be something that would happen to me! Gl with your decision.

[sirarthur]

This thread has convinced me! What reliable carrier has the best coverage at reasonable rates?

[the2ofus]

If you are considering an insurance policy that requires a three day hospital stay before coverage begins, run away from that insurer as fast as you can. In the modern medical climate, stays of that length are increasingly rare unless it is a really serious illness.

I can't begin to tell you how many elderly people think they have nursing home insurance until they run into that 'qualifying stay in the hospital requirement' and discover their policy is worthless.

[hammybee]

Are we allowed to recommend/pan specific insurance carriers or is the prohibition only for T/As?

[the2ofus]

Sirarthur, your best bet is to go to insuremytrip and to compare policies that appear to have the components you need. You will find a wide range of prices and of options. It takes a bit of reading at first and a bit of playing with "what if" scenarios, but the homework is worth the effort.

Our choice to buy travel insurance was based on our unwillingness to lose the cash represented by the cost of the trip plus the expense out of pocket in event of an accident or injury while away from home.

Our decision was spurred by observing helicopter airlifts of three pax while six hundred miles out in the Pacific. When we considered the staggering cost, we decided to never again travel without the ins.

My late DH had a pre-existing illness when we booked our family cruise. After he died our family decided to cruise anyway, in his memory. Access America reimbursed me the amount of his cruise fare. They also covered the single supplement so I could cruise as planned with the family. The only thing I paid was the difference in insurance cost based on the price of my single-supplement cruise.

[serendipity1499]

If you are considering an insurance policy that requires a three day hospital stay before coverage begins, run away from that insurer as fast as you can. In the modern medical climate, stays of that length are increasingly rare unless it is a really serious illness.

I can't begin to tell you how many elderly people think they have nursing home insurance until they run into that 'qualifying stay in the hospital requirement' and discover their policy is worthless.

As far as I know, there is no Insurance policy which requires you to be in the hospital 3 days before it begins to pay your expenses..

you have completely misinterpreted my post..

Hammybee was speaking of a problem with an Insurer who would not pay for a physical illness that was caused by a mental, emotional illness such as an eating disorder....I quoted the Travelex Insurance policy which basically says you must be in the hospital for 3 days or more if your illness was caused by a mental or emotional problem..

I would bet dollars to donuts that your insurance policy states the same thing under charges not covered..

Betty

[NancyIL]

The OP is cruising in less than two weeks, so I don't know if you can even buy trip insurance at this late date.

I have always purchased it for cruises. My sister was supposed to cruise with me in April 2005, but had to cancel 4 days before we sailed when her husband required bypass surgery. I'm sure she is glad she bought the insurance!

[Tinknock50]

Found my old receipt.....It was CSA I bought the last time my Mom and I cruised. It was more expensive I think, but they allow you to get pre-existing coverage closer to sailing, whereas other companies require purchase near the time you put your deposit down.

All went well so didn't need to use it.

[NancyIL]

Found my old receipt.....It was CSA I bought the last time my Mom and I cruised. It was more expensive I think, but they allow you to get pre-existing coverage closer to sailing, whereas other companies require purchase near the time you put your deposit down.

All went well so didn't need to use it.

With CSA, you have to buy the insurance within 24 hours of final payment to have pre-existing conditions covered.

[hammybee]

Hammybee was speaking of a problem with an Insurer who would not pay for a physical illness that was caused by a mental, emotional illness such as an eating disorder....I quoted the Travelex Insurance policy which basically says you must be in the hospital for 3 days or more if your illness was caused by a mental or emotional problem..

I would bet dollars to donuts that your insurance policy states the same thing under charges not covered..

Betty

This was a 3 month hospitalization as is common with ED. We did not see this coming and there was no way to predict it would go as far as it did.

[Tinknock50]

With CSA, you have to buy the insurance within 24 hours of final payment to have pre-existing conditions covered.

That's correct......other agencies want it near booking.

[Bucky3]

Does anyone know the actual cost of being airlifted, say, from the middle of the Pacific? We watched as two diffferent times two people had to be taken from our ship going to and coming from Hawaii. One was airlifted from the ship while we were off the coast of Oregon and the other was taken off our ship by a Coast Guard boat off the California Coast near San Diego. Both were injuries from a fall onboard. They happened to be elderly but that kind of injury could happen to anyone. Now we will always get insurance, but I'm wondering just how much we need for evacuations like these. Is $50,000 really a good portion of what medical and evacuation costs would be I wonder.

[serendipity1499]

This was a 3 month hospitalization as is common with ED. We did not see this coming and there was no way to predict it would go as far as it did.

Hammybee You mentioned that your insurance policy does not have this clause nor does it even cover illness due to mental or emotional problems..I would think then that they would be required to pay you the full amount in the absence of such a clause in the policy..

Have you ever tried to take your case to small claims court? Hiring an Agtttorney probably would cost you more than what they owe you, but small claims court might handle it...Just be sure that nothing like that is mentioned in your policy..You have to read the fine print very carefully...Good luck & hope you get your $$$..

[serendipity1499]

Does anyone know the actual cost of being airlifted, say, from the middle of the Pacific? We watched as two diffferent times two people had to be taken from our ship going to and coming from Hawaii. One was airlifted from the ship while we were off the coast of Oregon and the other was taken off our ship by a Coast Guard boat off the California Coast near San Diego. Both were injuries from a fall onboard. They happened to be elderly but that kind of injury could happen to anyone. Now we will always get insurance, but I'm wondering just how much we need for evacuations like these. Is $50,000 really a good portion of what medical and evacuation costs would be I wonder.

Buckey3..Really don't know what the cost would be, but we always get the $50,000 evacuation...Perhaps if you called a local medivac company they might be able to give you a ball-park figure to help you decide what amount you need..

Good luck....Betty

[serendipity1499]

The OP is cruising in less than two weeks, so I don't know if you can even buy trip insurance at this late date.

I have always purchased it for cruises. My sister was supposed to cruise with me in April 2005, but had to cancel 4 days before we sailed when her husband required bypass surgery. I'm sure she is glad she bought the insurance!

You can purchase Travel Insurance right up till departure time or the day before departure...The only thing not covered in this case would be Pre-existing Conditions..

We always purchase our insurance through Insuremytrip.com however there are several other sites that also sell insurance..Another site would be TripInsuranceStore.com

They hava a FAQ section that is very easy to access..To quote one of the Questions:

QUOTE: Q. Is it too late to purchase trip insurance if today's past the date I made my first trip payment?
A. No, you're not too late to get trip insurance.
Your deadline to get travel insurance is the day before your departure for Travel Guard and Travel Safe or the day of departure for CSA, HTH, Travelex and Travel Insured. UNQUOTE

Happy cruising all.:) ..Betty

[Bucky3]

Thanks, Betty, good idea!

[jhannah]

This was a 3 month hospitalization as is common with ED. Careful with using initials. "ED" is also a male condition that gets lots of attention these days. I was thinking, "Three months???? Geez! I thought you just took a pill!" :D

[Roz]

Thanks for the laugh, Jim, :D I needed one this morning.

Some of you made the point that Alaska is part of the US...agreed. However, even though my med insurance covers me in the US, all Alaskan cruises either originate in Canada or stop at a Canadian port. Canada is a foreign country. The cruise ship itself is a problem, since it's foreign flagged, and is sailing in foreign or international water for a portion of the Alaskan cruise.

I read my med policy carefully before I cruised for the first time, and also called and talked to a claims rep.

For under $100, I can purchase travel insurance and protect myself from potentially thousands of dollars of ineligible medical expenses.

Roz

[serendipity1499]

Thanks for the laugh, Jim, :D I needed one this morning.

Some of you made the point that Alaska is part of the US...agreed. However, even though my med insurance covers me in the US, all Alaskan cruises either originate in Canada or stop at a Canadian port. Canada is a foreign country. The cruise ship itself is a problem, since it's foreign flagged, and is sailing in foreign or international water for a portion of the Alaskan cruise.

I read my med policy carefully before I cruised for the first time, and also called and talked to a claims rep.

For under $100, I can purchase travel insurance and protect myself from potentially thousands of dollars of ineligible medical expenses.
Roz

Roz..Thanks for the heads up on that..Never thought about the Alaska cruises stopping in a foreign country & the ship being foreign flagged & traveling in International waters....That's another good reason to be sure you have the proper coverage..

Happy cruising all.:) .Betty

P.S. Jim...I also got a big laugh over that one!:D

[Mary Ellen]

We once sat with an elderly lady who, some years before, had fallen on an Alaskan cruise and broken her hip. She was med-evac from Vancouver back home to Florida, where she preferred to have her surgury. Now, she was one of the fortunate ones who could just put the private med-evac plane/nurses on her credit card without blinking an eye (and that is what she'd done). We're not.

We've also been on an Alaskan cruise with a family group when the father died on-board. They, and his remains, left the ship in Sitka because it would be easier than having to deal with an international transfer of remains - if they had stayed onboard until Vancouver. I hope they all had insurance.

We do get cruise insurance even for Alaskan cruises.

[BRUCENLYNN]

My husband and I were scheduled on a cruise out of Venice and were on our way to the airport to fly over on 9/11/01. Because the cruise was still able to go as scheduled, and we couldn't get there, our travel insurance picked up the cost of the airfare and the cruise. Another time our baggage was delayed by 24 hrs. and our travel insurance reimbursed us up to $200 to purchase essentials. I wouldn't leave home without it! I actually worry more about the cost of being air lifted off the ship in case of injury or illness. My husband and I did crash our moped in Santorini and fortunately we were fine and didn't need medical care, but it could have been a different outcome.

Why take the chance? We all hate the extra expense, especially when nothing happens but what can you do. I'd be happy to share the name of my insurer if allowed.

My two-cents worth. :D

~Lynn

[kakalina]

Jim, as always your sense of humor makes my day.
Thanks

[AAAAmerican]

Where were you on 09/11/2001 AD when the first **** hit our WTC in the AMERICAN Air craft?
:mad:


We bow our heads in prayer for them.

Insurance is needed most when you least expect it. Having it then is priceless.

Suggestion of looking into primary coverage so as the useage starts with that policy versus secondary and/or terchiary. Ask your agent/agency that too.

Our friends were on a ship which was a Carnival Corp/WorldCruise vessel then and as it was sheduled to return to NYC,NY on that horrible day. With the NYC Port closed Boston, MA accepted her and all the passengers were bused back to this area near NYC/NJ as well no flights were allowed in our skies.

The DR's wife passed away after that just prior to the ship leaving and they had insurance which picked up the realated costs/expenses etc paid for as per the policy which was a primary one.


So yes having coverage when the unexpected can/does happen is vital !:eek:


On another Carnival Ship we were on a lady was not allowed to be MediVacked in from International Waters until she signed the Cabin Credit Card Bill.. she did not have insurance ... and she had a coronary condition...

[cruiseco]

I understand the value of travel insurance...... but what bothers me is will I actually get paid for a claim.

My best friend had throat cancer and we decided to make one last cruise.
He was fit for travel when we booked the cruise. The cancer progressed to the point where motion, even in a car, caused him pain ,so we decided to cancel about a month out. We had purchased it with Trip Assured and even though I bought it the same day as the booking to have pre-existing conditions covered, they denied the claim because his ilness was "forsee-able" ( as stated in their fine print). I was stilll working with them when he died. Appeals were denied. Heaven help you if you have a child in "make- a- wish" and his condition worsens!

So now I am wary of a false sense of security insurance gives. I still buy insurance, but not every trip. Because of my Moms age, I buy that insurance that can be bought at final payment time and still covers pre-existing. ( the name excapes me at the moment).

I don't think it would be against the rules to mention insurance companies here.
Hammybee, what was the name of your bad insurance company?

And those who had successful payouts, what were your companies?


I've been warning people about Trip Assured for years. I've never been able to figure out how they get away with selling "insurance" when they're not registered as an insurance company on many, if not all states. .

I just got a trade publication today with a story stating that they've been prohibited from selling to residents of North Carolina and Texas. And California is looking at complaints and has determined that they were never licensed to sell to CA residents either. Don't know how that will turn out. I've been barking about that for five years and it's taken your taxpayer supported regulators until now to figure out something is wrong here. Sheesh.

Unfortunately, before the complaints came rolling in several large internet cruise agencies were using tham as their preferred travel insurance provider. I'm not 100% sure but I bet it was because of that exact same licensing issue. In all states but three a TA has to have a license issued by the state department of insurance to sell travel insurance. But if the insurer isn't licensed, there would be no need for a TA to be licensed to sell the "product".

Just as a head's up, one major cruise retailer is now recommending a company called Vacation Protection Services which, strangely enough, is located just two blocks down the street from Trip Assured in the little town of Crossville, TN. Nowhere do they refer to themselves as "insurance", instead it's a "service contract." They don't list an unserwriter. They never say directly that they'll pay you cash money for your losses. Instead, here's the wording from the brochure:

"With Vacation Protection Services, there's no reason to worry about whether you'll be able to go on your vacation. If you have to cancel your trip, you will have peace of mind because your trip will be replaced at a date that's convenient to you."

What does that mean? It sounds to me like some sort of a voucher arrangement instead of cash back. Anyway, if you're offered this "insurance" be sure to ask lots of question before you buy.

[hammybee]

Careful with using initials. "ED" is also a male condition that gets lots of attention these days. I was thinking, "Three months???? Geez! I thought you just took a pill!" :D

I just about died laughing when I read this. Oh my goodness- never once dawned on me. Maybe this is why they refer to it as ED, as in Mr, the talking horse, of course.

[hammybee]

[QUOTE=Tinknock50]
Hammybee, what was the name of your insurance company?

It's Trip Assured and given we have no pre-existing conditions I did not do my due dilligence about them before hand.

[serendipity1499]

I've been warning people about Trip Assured for years. I've never been able to figure out how they get away with selling "insurance" when they're not registered as an insurance company on many, if not all states. .

I just got a trade publication today with a story stating that they've been prohibited from selling to residents of North Carolina and Texas. And California is looking at complaints and has determined that they were never licensed to sell to CA residents either. Don't know how that will turn out. I've been barking about that for five years and it's taken your taxpayer supported regulators until now to figure out something is wrong here. Sheesh.

Unfortunately, before the complaints came rolling in several large internet cruise agencies were using tham as their preferred travel insurance provider. I'm not 100% sure but I bet it was because of that exact same licensing issue. In all states but three a TA has to have a license issued by the state department of insurance to sell travel insurance. But if the insurer isn't licensed, there would be no need for a TA to be licensed to sell the "product".

Just as a head's up, one major cruise retailer is now recommending a company called Vacation Protection Services which, strangely enough, is located just two blocks down the street from Trip Assured in the little town of Crossville, TN. Nowhere do they refer to themselves as "insurance", instead it's a "service contract." They don't list an unserwriter. They never say directly that they'll pay you cash money for your losses. Instead, here's the wording from the brochure:

"With Vacation Protection Services, there's no reason to worry about whether you'll be able to go on your vacation. If you have to cancel your trip, you will have peace of mind because your trip will be replaced at a date that's convenient to you."

What does that mean? It sounds to me like some sort of a voucher arrangement instead of cash back. Anyway, if you're offered this "insurance" be sure to ask lots of question before you buy.

To me that would be another reason why you should never purchase Insurance from a Cruise Company or Travel Agent unless you know for sure it's as A1 rated Insurance company..The Insurance Company that our on-line agent uses is un-familiar to me & even though it's less expensive, I will not purchase it..

[serendipity1499]

Further to my above post the Insurance Co. that our on-line agent uses is Vacation Protection Services & I believe cruiseco is correct..It only refers to a service contract & never states it's insurance..

They do not give refunds..They will only issue a voucher which must be used within 12 months with the same vendor you canceled with..

As cruiseco states, there is no underwriter..This so called Insurance policy smells very fishy to me!

[bplazo]

There is a post on another thread where someone just had emergency surgery and had to cancel his cruise. He is trying to get the cruiseline to at least reschedule his cruise. If he had insurance we would have been alright.

Out of our last four cruises we have used our insurance three times. 1) an emergency visit to the doctors. 2) a hurricane 3) my daughters friend cancelled at the last minute because of mental problems.

I dislike having to put the money out for insurance because I am thrifty about money but it is well worth it. If you do not get it and something happens you should live with it and not complain when you lose out and expect the cruiselines to have sympathy for you.

[kryos]

I just about died laughing when I read this. Oh my goodness- never once dawned on me. Maybe this is why they refer to it as ED, as in Mr, the talking horse, of course.
LOL ... the story I like to tell is about a piece of equipment in our data center ... an automatic backup system with a robot that runs inside of a silo ... managing all the tapes doing the backups on our many server farms. The system is called ADIC. Of course, it's an acryonym for the name of the company, which escapes me now ... Automated Digital something or other. But, I never realized the implications until the thing went psycotic one night and started tossing tapes all around the silo. So, I got to place my first service call and wound up talking to this nice gentleman in Australia.

"Hello ... is this ADIC?"

"I beg your pardon?" said the service rep, laughing.

Here they never refer to themselves by the name ... always using only the letters. :)

Blue skies ...

--rita

[cruiseco]

Further to my above post the Insurance Co. that our on-line agent uses is Vacation Protection Services & I believe cruiseco is correct..It only refers to a service contract & never states it's insurance..

They do not give refunds..They will only issue a voucher which must be used within 12 months with the same vendor you canceled with..

As cruiseco states, there is no underwriter..This so called Insurance policy smells very fishy to me!

I think the online cruise retailer bears some responsibility here. Their link to the VPS info identifies it as "insurance" and they also tout "free insurance" as one of their give-aways. They owe it to their clients to do some sort of due diligence. And I'd be willing to bet that they'll get dragged into any lawsuits that thei relationship to, first, Trip Assured and now VPS leads to. I feel that if you tell a client that you're giving them free "insurance" it darn well better be real insurance.

[HeatherInFlorida]

This is a very interesting thread and I'm grateful for it. Made a note to myself about Trip Assured and Vacation Protection Services!

I always buy insurance, but not until final booking. So far, knock on wood, we have no "pre-existing" conditions. But that doesn't preclude something happening to our parents which is a concern. Still, we take the chance.

We had a cruise booked on Windstar right after 9/11 and decided not to go because we were nervous leaving the country. We had no insurance so we forfeited the deposit of $1000. I begged them given the situation to give me a credit of $500 (eating $500 of it) toward another cruise. They refused. I told them I will NEVER cruise Windstar again and I never will. Of course every time I book HAL I know the $$$ go the same place, but it's the principle involved. I understand their reasons, but it's just bad business not to have worked with me under the circumstances.

My current TA offers iTravelInsured in Indiana. It says it's underwritten and offered by Serius America Insurance Co in NYC. Anyone every used that? Know anything about it?

I've already also checked insuremytrip.com, but I was thinking instead of using the new Amex Global Travel Shield which is quite reasonable, but my TA is giving me a discount on the ITI.

[cruiseco]

My current TA offers iTravelInsured in Indiana. It says it's underwritten and offered by Serius America Insurance Co in NYC. Anyone every used that? Know anything about it?

.


If you look on the insuremytrip site you'll find the IMG Patriot Trip plan. IMG bought out ITI last year and the Patriot plan is the ITI plan under the IMG name. I hope that didn't confuse you. It's a good solid plan, nothing exceptional, and if it suits your needs I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I'll take a peek at that, cruiseco. Many thanks.:)

[sail7seas]

Our medical insurance doesn't cover airlifts or anything of that nature. Should one of us have to be airlifted from the ship, etc. the cost would have to be paid by us. Thus - one more reason to buy insurance.

KK....You need to check your AmEx Platinum. One of the benefits of membership is Emergency Medical Evacuation. Should either of you require evacuation, you only need notify AmEx of the medical emergency and they take care of it all.

Because we have this coverage as part of our membership with AmEx Platinum and because our medical insurance covers us worldwide, we have foregone purchasing travel insurance for at least our last 35+ cruises. (We happened to purchase it one time last year as a quirk and wouldn't you know that was the Volendam cruise which could not embark in FLL but had alternative boarding in Port Canaveral........what were the odds that we would have purchased coverage out of nowhere for that cruise???!!!)

Anyway, back to the subject at hand.

Because we have chosen to not purchase insurance for all those cruises and were willing to self-insure the cost of the price of a cruise we might have to cancel, we have saved tens of thousands of dollars and have taken a number of 'free cruises', if you will.

We are so way far ahead at this point, that even if we had to cancel a very costly cruise and suffer the penalty/loss, we still would be way ahead.

BUT.......this only works for US because of the medical evacuation and because our health insurance covers worldwide.

KK.....you may wish to check into this. It could effect your decision making???

[HeatherInFlorida]

Sail, it also only works for you because you take so many cruises and book on the high end (so the cost of the insurance would be higher and far more frequent).

But in our case, cruising once a year, we would be crazy not to get the insurance for cancellation reasons alone. That's the main reason we get it. If we had to cancel (after final payment) for an illness we would lose thousands of dollars.

This would be so for the average, less frequent cruiser. If the insurance runs us between $200 and $300 annually (which is our approximate cost as a rule), we would 10 years before we'd be self insured for just one cruise.

I mention this only for those reading who may not know you and how frequently you cruise. Even with the Platinum Amex, it wouldn't work for any of us.