Upgrades and trip insurance

There has been a price drop on my cruise, and am debating upgrading from GS to OS, as the price difference is under $200. I have already paid for gratuities and trip insurance, but what I am not sure of is if my trip insurance will go up for the more expensive cabin, will I need to buy new insurance, etc. For less than $200 I am tempted to upgrade, but if there are any other hidden costs in there, I will stay where I am.

Your insurance will cover only what you've already paid for, not any upgrade. So if you estimated that the total cost of your cabin is $1000, and you upgrade to a cabin that costs $200 more, if you cancel you'll only get the $1000.

Why would your insurance care if you upgrade ?

They insure the amount of the trip not the cabin Cat booked

Well....if your fare dropped and you took the decrease (and didn't take an upgrade as compensation), you would expect an refund on some of your premium, won't you?

That being said, for a $200 increase in fare, can't think the premium would increase too much.

I would upgrade. You could leave the insurance as it is and it just won't cover the incremental amount or you could purchase more insurance.

Keith

If you can afford the lose of $200 (cost of the upgrade) should something happen and you had to cancel, go for it.

Well....if your fare dropped and you took the decrease (and didn't take an upgrade as compensation), you would expect an refund on some of your premium, won't you?

 

That being said, for a $200 increase in fare, can't think the premium would increase too much.

This is an interesting point. All the GS cabins are sold out on my cruise, so their prices are no longer listed, and I would assume have not been discounted. Is that correct?

This is an interesting point. All the GS cabins are sold out on my cruise, so their prices are no longer listed, and I would assume have not been discounted. Is that correct?

I am not sure of your point. As others have stated, the insurance premium is based ONLY on the cost of your vacation. Not the level of cabin.

Sorry. I was trying to address your comment about the fare for our cabin coming down - it hasn't. At least, I assume it hasn't because all the cabins of this type are sold out (so no means to check the prices). What has come down is the cabin type above ours.

I was not commenting on the insurance.

Any insurance I have purchased had a 'fare bracket' between which the cost of the insurance didn't change. Ex - any fare between $1501 and $2000 was the same cost for the insurance... if it went to $2001 then the insurance premium increased. However, the insurance will only cover the amount you specified ie. $1650. If you upgrade to $1850, they will only pay out the initial amount you specified. Call the Insurance Co to see if there is an increase in premium, or at least to change the amount you are insured for if there is no increase in premium.

Many, if not all companies will let you "top up" your insurance any time after initial purchase and before the effective date (normally the date of departure). Lets say you bought insurance for the cruise but haven't bought air yet. Once you buy the air you call them and change the cost of the trip and they will insure for that amount - normally for an increased premium if it doesn't fall into the bracket mentioned above.

Any insurance I have purchased had a 'fare bracket' between which the cost of the insurance didn't change. Ex - any fare between $1501 and $2000 was the same cost for the insurance... if it went to $2001 then the insurance premium increased. However, the insurance will only cover the amount you specified ie. $1650. If you upgrade to $1850, they will only pay out the initial amount you specified. Call the Insurance Co to see if there is an increase in premium, or at least to change the amount you are insured for if there is no increase in premium.

Many, if not all companies will let you "top up" your insurance any time after initial purchase and before the effective date (normally the date of departure). Lets say you bought insurance for the cruise but haven't bought air yet. Once you buy the air you call them and change the cost of the trip and they will insure for that amount - normally for an increased premium if it doesn't fall into the bracket mentioned above.

Thanks. That helps a lot.

Any insurance I have purchased had a 'fare bracket' between which the cost of the insurance didn't change. Ex - any fare between $1501 and $2000 was the same cost for the insurance... if it went to $2001 then the insurance premium increased. However, the insurance will only cover the amount you specified ie. $1650. If you upgrade to $1850, they will only pay out the initial amount you specified. Call the Insurance Co to see if there is an increase in premium, or at least to change the amount you are insured for if there is no increase in premium.

Many, if not all companies will let you "top up" your insurance any time after initial purchase and before the effective date (normally the date of departure). Lets say you bought insurance for the cruise but haven't bought air yet. Once you buy the air you call them and change the cost of the trip and they will insure for that amount - normally for an increased premium if it doesn't fall into the bracket mentioned above.

Thank you for writing the bones of my planned post, good info. Just want to add, that there may be stipulations to consider, such as a pre-existing medical condition exclusion. Example- Travelguard Gold (excellent policy) will waive this only if the amount of Trip Cancellation coverage purchased equals the full cost of all prepaid non-refundable trip arrangements. (Like upgrading to the $1850 amount above). And the cost of any subsequent arrangement(s) added to the same trip has to be insured within 15 days of the date of payment or deposit for that subsequent trip arrangement(s). If you fail to do this, it may affect your pre-existing medical condition coverage.

(And as mentioned, with a 'fare bracket' cost, it may or may not change your premium).

Travelguard Gold -

And the cost of any subsequent arrangement(s) added to the same trip has to be insured within 15 days of the date of payment or deposit for that subsequent trip arrangement(s).

Pre-existing conditions are a whole different thing!!

If Travelguard gives you 15 days to purchase - that's pretty good. I've seen it as low as 48 hours from making deposit (if you're looking for pre-existing condition coverage).

Pre-existing conditions are a whole different thing!!

 

If Travelguard gives you 15 days to purchase - that's pretty good. I've seen it as low as 48 hours from making deposit (if you're looking for pre-existing condition coverage).

Travel Safe gives you 21 days to buy their insurance and get pre-existing conditions coverage.

Travel Safe gives you 21 days to buy their insurance and get pre-existing conditions coverage.

Good to know... If you need it!! Thanks.

I have 'topped off' travel insurance when I addred a hotel stay pre-cruise. No problem doing that with TravelGuard.

duplicate

On a note, read the fine print for your insurance also.

I know mine if we make any changes to our costs, we need to report and add it with in 15 days or it could forfeit the WHOLE insurance. While the fine print doesn't say anything about decrease in costs, it does specify anything that costs more.

Insurance companies are really there to pay out as little as possible. For the probably very little cost for that $200 in insurance, don't give them an excuse to not pay if something really does happen!

I have 'topped off' travel insurance when I addred a hotel stay pre-cruise. No problem doing that with TravelGuard.

We have done that kind of thing too. You keep your original policy and it doesn't affect any of the extra coverage(s) you get for buying early.

beachchick

On a note, read the fine print for your insurance also.

 

I know mine if we make any changes to our costs, we need to report and add it with in 15 days or it could forfeit the WHOLE insurance. While the fine print doesn't say anything about decrease in costs, it does specify anything that costs more.

 

Insurance companies are really there to pay out as little as possible. For the probably very little cost for that $200 in insurance, don't give them an excuse to not pay if something really does happen!

Yes, that can't be emphasized enough.