Like last time, let me create a scenario to bounce off of you. 

Let's begin by stipulating I have a $9,375 FCC that Princess provided me after cancelling a cruise. Let's go further and stipulate that of this total amount, $7,500 is the part of the FCC that represents my "refund of cash paid" for the cancelled cruise and $1,875 is part that represents the Princess 25% "bonus" associated with "Option 1". Same with the 50% bonus from Pause 1 with only the numbers being different. 

Now I'm sitting here with $9375 that I'm ready to apply to a new cruise. Right now! And when I buy the cruise I have in mind, I'm going to contact you and purchase a Travel Insured Worldwide Trip Protector policy. All pretty well straight forward so far, right? Not so fast. Travel Insured's position, and for all I know all of the trip insurers, is that they will NOT insure any "bonus dollars" that I receive.  Here's where it gets complicated. 

The $9375 I have in my Captain's Circle account that will go to funding my new trip is a mixture of "real money" and "bonus dollars". Once these monies are mixed, it's impossible to re-separate them. Much like mixing a quart of whole milk with a pint of chocolate milk. The resulting mixture can never be separated into the individual components that went into the mix. Same with the "real money" cruise dollars and the "bonus" cruise dollars. How in the world can the determination be made to insure only "real money" and not "bonus dollars".

So, here's where I'm going with all of this. When I purchase this new cruise that, for the sake of this part of the scenario, we'll say cost's exactly $9375, how do we style a TI WTP policy?

Now let's complicate it a bit further. Let's say the new cruise that I'm purchasing costs only $4,000 rather than $9,375. Now I'll have FCC left over in my Captain's Circle "bank". How would I then insure the $4,000 cruise? Remember, the "real money" and the "bonus dollars" remain mixed but are now only partially being removed unlike the first example where the entire amount was used to pay for the cruise. 

To add another layer of complexity (mind you, all of these scenarios are very much real life possibilities), after I've somehow insured the the $4,000 cruise, I'll have $5,375 left over from the original stipulated $9,375 FCC that Princess has put into my Captain's Circle "bank" (remember that original stipulation?). Now when I use that $5,375 to purchase yet another new new cruise, how in the world am I going to insure that? By this time the "real money" and the "bonus dollars" thoroughly homogenized. 

I can certainly understand any insurer being unwilling to insure "bonus dollars". But for the life of me I cannot figure out the mechanics of how they are going to make this happen.

All of this follows nearly exactly what I'm looking at doing (only the numbers are different) for several upcoming cruises. This isn't a theoretical exercise. I'm going to be coming to you when it's time to book these cruise using FCCs and I'm bewildered how these cruises will be insured given the position of the insurers.

Thanks for letting me ramble in the weeds.

Bill 

We are taking a 75 days cruise in Fall of 2021.  Since I have pre-existing condition with my heart, our TA has helped us take out trip insurance with a third party.  She told me that we should add to our travel insurance each time we add port excursions that would not be cancellable.

We just purchased a Safari for 4 days that costs a bit over $5000.  My husbands says we shouldn't have to add it to our travel insurance policy because we paid for it with a credit card that refund the money if we couldn't go on the 

Safari (ship didn't make the port, one of us was sick, etc. etc. etc.).  I know that works for some products (like a vase that breaks) purchased with our Master Card or American Express card, but would those cards really reimburse us for a missed port stop?

Also, I read in an earlier post on this thread where you said it is required to add everything (including wine) if it isn't refundable if trip is cancelled.

I'm inclined to add this safari excursion and others to our travel insurance policy.  What would you do?

Thank You to everyone who participated in my June 2020 Cruise Insurance Q & A.

I am very thankful to Cruise Critic for allowing me to do another month long Q & A. This forum is still active, so if anyone has any new or followup questions, please ask me.

You may also email me at steve@tripinsurancestore.com

Sincerely,

Steve Dasseos

Other than TI showing on the quote form of $25 for primary coverage, is there any downside for making it 'primary'??

I'm hoping to avoid any med center visits, but insurance is all about 'just in case' - $50 seems reasonable for less paperwork / expedited reimbursement.

Let's say I book a cruise on June 1, 2020 with a sailing date of June 1, 2021. For this booking I put down a deposit of $200 (either cash or FCD). Let's stipulate that the deposit is 100% refundable until 90 days before the sailing date. 

Let's also say that I independently book a pre-cruise hotel for the night before sailing and the booking is guaranteed but is cancellable until the day before the cruise. 

Let's also say that I purchase a water package, a drink package and a bunch of tours directly from the cruise line. Let's stipulate that any and all of these purchases are cancellable until a week or so before the cruise sails. 

Let's add a reservation for independently provided pre and post cruise transportation to and from the airport. Let's stipulate that I've provided a deposit and that deposit is 100% refundable until the day before pickup at the airport. 

Lastly, let's assume that I purchase air transportation (either independently or through the cruise line) that is 100% refundable until just prior to sailing.

Consider that all of the above takes place on June 1, 2020. At the completion of all of this activity, I'm out of pocket zero dollars that are non-refundable. I can cancel any single item above, or all of them, and not incur a dime out of pocket. The first moment I've actually committed any money which I cannot retrieve without a penalty is when the cruise deposit goes past the 90 pre-cruise mark. At that moment, I've committed $200 that I will not get back if I cancel.  

Assume my intention is to buy a travel insurance policy (let's use Travel Insured WW Trip Protector as an example) that I want to provide me with coverage for pre-existing conditions and that policy has a 21 day window after the first payment has been made to lock in pre-existing condition coverage. 

Considering all of the above, by what date must I contact you to purchase this policy?

21 days from June 1, 2020 is, of course, June 22, 2020. But with the idea in mind that I've really not "spent" any money until the deposit is forfeited (90 days prior to sailing), don't I really have 21 days after the deposit is forfeited (or maybe paid to the cruise line might be a better word)?

Very much "in the weeds" I'll grant you but something that I've been thinking about for some time but have just never thought to ask.

Thanks,

Bill 

Currently we have America Express Platinum as well as Medivac which we have paid for the last five years as we began taking longer cruises that took us to the North Atlantic and Antarctica.  Now that my husband is 75, the cost of his Medivac will nearly double.  And then next year, when I turn 75, our cost for Medivac insurance will soar again.

America Express Platinum say they will transport us to a hospital of their choice where they think we will get the right care.

Can we trust that?  Or should we continue to pay for Medivac who we think will get us home if the situation is serious and that is what we want.  Or is there a better option for us?

Also, we are concerned about pre-existing conditions.  America Express Platinum tells us pre-existing conditions is not a concern unless we were treated for that within 60 days of our trip.  I normally see my cardiologist every 3-4 months and if we are going on a 75 day cruise, I will probably see him within 60 days of leaving on the cruise.  I would also probably get a 

cortisone shot in my right knee to help with pain and walking.  Does that negate coverage for a twisted knee or injury due to weak knee?  What insurance is best for pre-existing conditions such as heart disease and arthritis?

Thank you for any and all advice.

Myself, I have learned so much over the years by following the Cruise/Travel Insurance board here on CruiseCritic and then finding your website.

I know in the beginning of my travel days, I really thought I had finally become an adult when I spent the extra money on travel insurance. My thoughts were, now if I get sick or hurt or miss my plane, all I have to do is call the travel insurance company and they pay the bills or buy me a new ticket. Glad I never needed insurance during those days. I would have been very disappointed. 🤪

My question though is,,,, Do you know of websites or have points of contact where in the future when our friends in the North (Canada), or our friends across the pond, (UK), or our friends from Down Under (Australia) have insurance questions that we can possibly point them in the right direction?

I thought that if you purchased the insurance policy within the required number of days from deposit date, the pre-existing condition was waived.  However in the comparison chart on your site it shows the look back period as 60 days.  Is this just for people who don't buy the policy within the allotted time of booking or is it still looked back even if you did?

Thankx

Steve

Purchased a Worlds Nomads policy and I got the better policy back in 2018 for an Africa cruise in March 2020.

Had airfare on Qatar from Miami to Doha to Cape town for $1400 purchased early 2019

I at the time had a New Zealand cruise booked for February 2021.

We all know March cruises got cancelled and I contacted the insurance company and was advised to pay a change fee to Qatar airlines and submit it thru my insurance policy.

So I paid $520 for a change fee and submitted it,but had to pay an additional $1900 for flights from Miami to Doha to Auckland New Zealand.

Well NCL last week cancelled the NZ cruise.  Now I have $3400 out of pocket for flights I can't use. I did have another World Nomads policy for the NZ trip as well and its the better one.

Can I claim the airfare on the insurance as my cruise is now gone? 

 I do have another Africa cruise booked for November 2021 but that would require another $520 change fee and the cost is much cheaper than the $3400 total I have out. They will not let me use the ticket value for the change fee, so I need to pay $520 change, use $1800 for new seats estimated and will have $1600 left over if the cruise even happens????

What do I do?

Steve

I have two questions.

1)  Will the policies I purchased in 2019 (from the companies you sell) cover me for medical expenses if I get sick with COVID-19 while on my trip?

2)  If I purchase a new policy now (for a new trip), would it cover me for medical expenses if I get sick with COVID-19 while on my trip?

Thank you for doing this forum!

If I cancel a cruise that was booked through a travel agency and insured by Travelex, would I be covered by the insurance if the cruise company filed for chapter 7 before I received a full refund of my deposit from the cruise company? Thank you in advance.

Ed

I am also sure many are interested in the CoronaVirus (Covid-19) and how travel insurance does or does not cover the virus when it comes to cancelling cruises.

Thanks.

Stan

medical evacuation or medical assistance. Are there policies that just cover the cost of the trip pre embarkation?

Tom😀

It is a transatlantic cruise, the amount to be added to trip cost for flights is yet to be determined. We will both be 66 years of age at the time of the cruise.

I know it is not a major amount of money for the premium, but should we wait to purchase insurance now or wait and not let the insurance company work with our money for nearly two years?

Thank you. 

Do they cover if the cruise line goes bankrupt

I recently put a deposit down for the 2022 World cruise on Oceania, LA to NYC.  Any recommendations for insurance.  We are from Oklahoma, in our early 70s, and fortunately no preexisting conditions or medical issues.  Any insights would be appreciated.  
 

Thanks

We typically take 6 or 7 cruises a year and purchase a policy from Steve for each and every cruise. With this much activity (coupled with the inquisitive nature of my personality), I always seem to have questions. Whenever I call or email Steve, he always takes the time to walk me through any concerns I may have. Like so many others, we've had to deal with policies purchased for cancelled cruises. With every cancellation, Steve has always been there for us to help in getting things straightened out. 

There is almost no limit to the ways in which a traveller can purchase a trip insurance policy. Even other agencies who appear to offer the same range of services as Steve does.  Early on, I had conversations with some of the larger firms and found Steve to always be at the top of his game. I wouldn't consider even for a moment doing business with anyone else but Steve. 

He has earned my undying loyalty 

Bill

Thanks for your time.