Credit card travel insurance warning

Over the years, I have seen that many Regent customers rely on the travel insurance that comes with certain Visa cards. I recently had a very bad accident that caused me to cancel a Regent cruise. I had paid for about $10,000 of the cruise with my credit card that provides insurance, or at least I thought I had. To my chagrin, I learned that because I had transferred the payment from one cruise to another, rather than having the payment refunded and paid again, the insurance denied my claim.

I know moving deposits is also a common event with cruise passengers, so I am posting to let you know this will void your insurance. If you have this type of insurance with your card, always have your payment refunded and charge it again for the new cruise.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thank you for the heads up. That is good information to know!

Thanks, I agree you really need to read the fine print. What it looks like isn't what it is..........

This brings up a very good question. What credit card do folks find the best to use for a cruis and why? I know Amex plantinum gives you shipboard credits, it what else is out here?

The new go to card for booking any travel expense is the Chase Saphhire Reserve (CSR) card. Pls see link below.

https://www.chase.com/card-benefits/sapphirereserve/travel

We had a cruise payment (incl final pay) to make and we could of used AMX-P to earn a $300 SBC and Galley tour on Regent..however, by using the CSR (let's say our cruise cost was $25K), CSR will earn you 3X the travel expense in cash or $750. Which would you rather earn a $300SBC and Galley tour or $750 in cash? Moreover, as the link above explains there are more lucrative benefits to using your CSR card to pay for cruises or any travel expense (i.e., air fare, excursions, et. al.,).

https://www.chase.com/card-benefits/sapphirereserve/travel

The new go to card for booking any travel expense is the Chase Saphhire Reserve (CSR) card. Pls see link below.

 

https://www.chase.com/card-benefits/sapphirereserve/travel

 

We had a cruise payment (incl final pay) to make and we could of used AMX-P to earn a $300 SBC and Galley tour on Regent..however, by using the CSR (let's say our cruise cost was $25K), CSR will earn you 3X the travel expense in cash or $750. Which would you rather earn a $300SBC and Galley tour or $750 in cash? Moreover, as the link above explains there are more lucrative benefits to using your CSR card to pay for cruises or any travel expense (i.e., air fare, excursions, et. al.,).

 

https://www.chase.com/card-benefits/sapphirereserve/travel

I second Wes's comments. Choosing a credit card to use for anything is no different than choosing to use cruise air or take the credit and book yourself, either with miles or $$. Each situation can be different so there is no way to recommend a specific choice. You have to analyze each situation and determine the best for you at that specific time.

To add, the CSR benefits and specifially cancellation insurance are great. And, if you have two cards like Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserved the amount of dollars covered are doubled. We're soon dong a cruise at about $40 K and have both cards so with $20K each, we are fully covered. What is not covered is medical and evacuatoin so we bought at initial payment to cover pre-existing conditions an insurance policy with the minimal coverage of $1000 for cancellation and get the full coverage for medical, evacuation and other benefits. Only cost about $100 and well worth it. Had we had to cover the entire cruise for cancellation, the insurance would have been over $2.000 and only have to pay a portion of the cruise with Chase to be covered on both cards.

Amex which only provides the OBC that is non-refundable and requires 100% of the cost be charged on the Amex Card. So we save over $2K on the insurance and get enought Chase Points for 2 one-ways or 1 round trip business class ticket to Europe, etc. Your choice, your money but, as Wes stated, the mostly best card today is the CSR card,

Vrhiatt, thank you for the warning and Wes, thank you for your thoughtful and helpful posts. I agree the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is excellent (and I enjoyed the 100k point bonus!). As the OP noted and others in others threads the insurance benefits appear to be good but one must look at their own individual situation to see if its sufficient. For example, the CSR insurance doesn't cover pre existing conditions. One might say, I don't have any. What about your loved ones? What if there is an emergency that requires you to cancel your trip, did he/she have a preexisting condition? Especially for the more expensive voyages, it is worth the extra time to speak to an insurance expert to make sure your individual situation is covered.

To add, the CSR benefits and specifially cancellation insurance are great. And, if you have two cards like Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserved the amount of dollars covered are doubled. We're soon dong a cruise at about $40 K and have both cards so with $20K each, we are fully covered. What is not covered is medical and evacuatoin so we bought at initial payment to cover pre-existing conditions an insurance policy with the minimal coverage of $1000 for cancellation and get the full coverage for medical, evacuation and other benefits. Only cost about $100 and well worth it. Had we had to cover the entire cruise for cancellation, the insurance would have been over $2.000 and only have to pay a portion of the cruise with Chase to be covered on both cards

 

 

I have med jet in case we are hospitalized. But, what insurance to cover medical? I had a 2500.00 ship dr bill in January and the travel insurance covered it but I don't want a full blown policy. Can you share a link for full coverage medical? Thank you

Not really purpleally. I bought a regular policy thru Steve at insure my trip dot com as originally our cruise was over $50k but has gone to a little less than $40 k meaning our 2 chase cards cover the cruise fully for cancellation which is how the insurance is priced

So in your case suggest you buy the minimal cancellation policy that has the best medical. Simply call Steve and sure he can confirm this plan and find the best medical with the worst cancellation and get the other coverages free.

Only paid about $100 for the minimal $1000 cancellation coverage. Steve is the go to guy. Haven't priced medical only.

Good luck

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

I have med jet in case we are hospitalized. But, what insurance to cover medical? I had a 2500.00 ship dr bill in January and the travel insurance covered it but I don't want a full blown policy. Can you share a link for full coverage medical? Thank you

Take a look at GeoBlue. (https://www.geobluetravelinsurance.com/index.cfm).

 

I have a yearly policy from them at a reasonable price. They also waive any exclusion for pre existing conditions.

Hi Dave I checked out your suggested medical coverage and it is about triple what we are paying for minimal cancellation and our medical as well as evacuation are each $250k vs your $50k. We have Global alert preferred as I described above.

Like everything else one has to evaluate each situation. In our case we are on a 4) nite cruise and your suggestion is priced per day while cancellation is priced per dollar of cancellation coverage with medical the same if less than 60 days.

So it all depends and accidentally our cruise price decreased significantly and the minimal policy is better than your suggestion in this case. Also no deductible. We are happy campers

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Just an added note for GeoBlue. It is a yearly policy and pays for Medical on the land portion of any trip. If you are on Medicare, you have no coverage outside of the US.

Just an added note for GeoBlue. It is a yearly policy and pays for Medical on the land portion of any trip. If you are on Medicare, you have no coverage outside of the US.

Some Medigap policies do cover medical outside of the U.S. (up to a limit of $50K).

Just an added note for GeoBlue. It is a yearly policy and pays for Medical on the land portion of any trip. If you are on Medicare, you have no coverage outside of the US.

I have an Advantage plan and I am covered world wide. My wife has blue cross retirement medical which is secondary to Medicare and she is covered world wide.

Have to be very specific about Medicare as all us citizens 65 and up have Medicare and only if you have the basic Medicare are you not covered world wide. Many millions of people have advantage and medigap which mostly offer coverage world wide.

Don't believe many if any plans have dollar limitations

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

I second Wes's comments. Choosing a credit card to use for anything is no different than choosing to use cruise air or take the credit and book yourself, either with miles or $$. Each situation can be different so there is no way to recommend a specific choice. You have to analyze each situation and determine the best for you at that specific time.

 

To add, the CSR benefits and specifially cancellation insurance are great. And, if you have two cards like Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserved the amount of dollars covered are doubled. We're soon dong a cruise at about $40 K and have both cards so with $20K each, we are fully covered. What is not covered is medical and evacuatoin so we bought at initial payment to cover pre-existing conditions an insurance policy with the minimal coverage of $1000 for cancellation and get the full coverage for medical, evacuation and other benefits. Only cost about $100 and well worth it. Had we had to cover the entire cruise for cancellation, the insurance would have been over $2.000 and only have to pay a portion of the cruise with Chase to be covered on both cards.

 

Amex which only provides the OBC that is non-refundable and requires 100% of the cost be charged on the Amex Card. So we save over $2K on the insurance and get enought Chase Points for 2 one-ways or 1 round trip business class ticket to Europe, etc. Your choice, your money but, as Wes stated, the mostly best card today is the CSR card,

I also have the CSR and agree with the others... it's a great card for travelers.

rallydave, did you split your cruise payment between your CSR and CSP in order to get the coverage from both cards?

Vrhiatt, thank you for the warning and Wes, thank you for your thoughtful and helpful posts. I agree the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is excellent (and I enjoyed the 100k point bonus!). As the OP noted and others in others threads the insurance benefits appear to be good but one must look at their own individual situation to see if its sufficient. For example, the CSR insurance doesn't cover pre existing conditions. One might say, I don't have any. What about your loved ones? What if there is an emergency that requires you to cancel your trip, did he/she have a preexisting condition? Especially for the more expensive voyages, it is worth the extra time to speak to an insurance expert to make sure your individual situation is covered.

I have both the Sapphire card and the Chase United airline card. Birth are basically equal. I stay with the UA card because I have been with them for over 25'years when I was a gold every year.

I also have the CSR and agree with the others... it's a great card for travelers.

 

rallydave, did you split your cruise payment between your CSR and CSP in order to get the coverage from both cards?

The simple answer is yes but, requires an explanation. When we booked this cruise, the CSR didn't exist so only had the CSR which limited coverage to $20K and our cruise was over $50 K at that time. So bought the minimum travel insurance at $1K knowing I would increase it once the penalty ws over the $20K. Then my wife got the CSR which doubled the cancellation coverage so we would need to increase the insurance a lesser amoung. Then the cruise got significantly less expensive at under $40K so am now contemplating if I even need to increase the insurance as our air is a combination of bought and FF flights so have to see how much over the total limit of $40 K we go. Have only charged so far to the CSP but, with the tripling on points for CSR, the rest will be charged there in late June.

Really worked out well with the CSR which at first glance did not want to get but, it is certainly paying for itself and have to keep the CSP until the cruise is over as the card has to be open in order to get any benefits when they occur and are claimed but, expect to not renew in 2018

I have both the Sapphire card and the Chase United airline card. Birth are basically equal. I stay with the UA card because I have been with them for over 25'years when I was a gold every year.

Not sure which Sapphire card you have but, there are now 2, the old Preeferred and the new Reserve and they both blow the United Explorer out of the water, no comparison and they are as from from equal as could be. I have all three and they each have their place but, would NEVER charge a cruise to the UAL card. Really only thing the UAL card is good for is booking flights, getting the first bag free, early boarding and double miles however, the Reserve is triple miles for all travel so the only use for the UAL card is for booking flights if you don't want triple miles and need to get the first bag free and board early.

Plus with CSR you are not limited to flights with United, they have many transfer partners plus a 50% bonus on fares using the Chase portal which does have the same fares as booking diredt. So many other features of CSR and CSP that comparing them to the Explorer card is like comparing a gnat to a blue whale. Check out the differences and you will see how much money and benefits you are leaving on the table with them.

Really worked out well with the CSR which at first glance did not want to get but, it is certainly paying for itself and have to keep the CSP until the cruise is over as the card has to be open in order to get any benefits when they occur and are claimed but, expect to not renew in 2018

Thanks.

My un-asked question was "do you plan to hold on to the CSP just for the insurance coverage?", but I see you plan to cancel. My renewal for CSP is coming up, but, in my case, I don't see enough benefit in keeping it for $95/yr.

Thanks.

 

My un-asked question was "do you plan to hold on to the CSP just for the insurance coverage?", but I see you plan to cancel. My renewal for CSP is coming up, but, in my case, I don't see enough benefit in keeping it for $95/yr.

Originally was going to cancel this year, actually downgrade to a Freedom Unlimited to keep my available credit and it is free with 1.5 points per dollar as I don't' want to pay the $95 plus $450 but, $95 for this year to keep insurance for the cruise that is after the anniversary date is worth it but, don't believe I will need the added coverage after this cruise.

Will also try to get another year free by talking to retention at Chase or see what I can get but, that added $20K of coverage would cost me an additional about $1000 and $95 one time is a better use of money. I too doon't see enough benefit except for this expensive cruise the end of this year.

Thanks for the questions and any more more than happy to answer if I know.