Babr

If you’d rather have a cash reimbursement if you have to cancel for a covered reason, investigate the third-party policies that recognize FCC as a form of payment. You will not be able to get CFAR because the initial deposit will be determined by the cruise that produced the FCC. You can still get a waiver for pre-existing conditions as long as you purchase before final payment. Call the Trip Insurance Store for details and explanation. They can help you pick a policy that works for you.

I contend that there is no basis for the advice never to buy cruise line insurance. There is nothing inherently wrong with it. It provides basic coverage from a nationally-known insurer at a reasonable cost. The percentage-of-fare pricing favors older cruisers because age does not impact the premium. The CFAR provision provides fail-safe protection at no additional cost. Plenty of people are happy to accept FCC because they sail often enough to use it before it expires. Now there are third-party policies that recognize FCC as a form of payment so the subsequent cruise can be protected against cancellation as part of a comprehensive policy. Those who express distaste for cruise line insurance probably do so because it does not meet their needs. They have plenty of options. And, yes, insuremytrip or squaremouth are valuable resources for researching and comparing policies. For those who still have questions or need more guidance, the Trip Insurance Store provides personal advice and assistance. It does not cost any more because insurance is regulated. However, those who can be well-served by cruise-line insurance should not be dissuaded from considering or buying it - - - unless you insurance experts can explain the”lots behind” your advice and why mine is not “solid.”

So what is incorrect about my statement? You said basically the same thing I did. Princess Vacation Protection is a cruise-line branded product underwritten by Nationwide and administered by AON. Princess sells it as another source of revenue with little effort or expense on their behalf. Nevertheless, it is a legitimate product with appeal to some segments who find it appropriate for their needs. Even you said you would not advise against buying it.

There are a number of comprehensive travel plans that allow a waiver for pre-existing conditions if purchased by final payment; however, they do exclude other time-sensitve benefits (CFAR and financial default) which can be purchased only during a period following initial deposit. Since the insurance premium itself is nonrefundable, some people choose to wait until final payment or the date when cancellation penalties take effect. That way there is no risk except for a minimal cancellation fee.

Chase coverage - and other credit card travel benefits - are not comprehensive enough to rely on.

So it is not exactly 12 months from issue but by the end of the next calendar year.

No. You may insure vouchers only when they are applied as a form of payment for a subsequent cruise. You can insure the amount that resulted from a cancellation for which you paid cash. You can not insure the value of any FCC awarded as a goodwill gesture or an incentive to accept the voucher. You have to provide documentation that defines the nature of the FCC. Using such vouchers sets the date of your initial deposit at the time of the cancelled cruise, so keep that in mind if you need a pre-existing conditions waiver. CFAR will not be available to you.

https://www.tripmate.com/plan/print_certificate/51037F40-3FBF-4F09-9FE9-811768D45CFD CFAR means cancellation for any reason other than the ones defined in the policy. That varies from policy to policy. Scroll down to the section on Trip Cancellation -about page 12 - to find the list of reasons covered by Viking.

Count on one year for FCC. That has been the standard. Anything else would be a gift.

Of course they did. It would have been a sweetheart deal for them. You take all the risk and keep putting new money in for deposits and perhaps additional fare unless you can find cruises in the Goldilocks range that matches the value of each voucher. Otherwise you forfeit any overage. If you can’t use them, they keep it all or whatever is left. Did they offer to extend the expiration date as well?

You misunderstood what Steve was saying. He was distinguishing between two different types of policies. The kind that provides medical coverage only with few or no travel benefits may require pre-certification. The other kind is more comprehensive. It provides cancellation, trip delay, and trip interruption as well as medical and evacuation while you are traveling. That is likely the kind of policy you’ve been looking at. The comprehensive travel plans that Steve works with will provide care without pre-certification.

Yes, Viking is pretty clear that they must be used entirely by the expiration date with no refunds, no cash value, no re-issue, no reinsurance under Part A, no - - -on and on and on. That is why a voucher has no appeal to me. I’d rather have more control over the decision about when and where to sail. Even though several third-party policies will insure vouchers in the amount you originally paid, there is no coverage for vouchers in excess of that. And it creates a new set of problems in determining initial deposit date if you want a pre-existing conditions waiver or CFAR coverage.

You are correct. I was not considering RFG. I guess those are governed by the catch-all phrase “ Other restrictions apply; call for details.”

The down payment question is addressed in Part A of the Viking policy stating the limitations applied to the use of vouchers. It seems to be written in the policy even if it isn’t elsewhere in T&C. https://www.tripmate.com/plan/print_certificate/51037F40-3FBF-4F09-9FE9-811768D45CFD

Thanks. I was trying to understand why anyone would settle for a voucher if cash reimbursement were an option. Any bonus FCC is of limited value since it can’t be insured by third-party. Coverage includes only the original value for which you paid cash, not goodwill or incentive FCC granted by the cruise line.

If it is a health related issue, why not file a claim for reimbursement in cash? Unless it is an excluded pre-existing condition, it should be a covered reason for cancellation.

I have not been able to download the actual certificate of coverage for specific states from the Princess website, but you’ll find a summary there as provided in the post you quoted. As noted the cost of coverage is 8% for Standard and 12% for Platinum. Both of the Princess plans include a provision for FCC under CFAR with 75% at Standard and 100% at Premium. Perhaps your TA was referring to the new minimum premiums that were established as of January 2022 for new bookings after that date. Those would apply to very inexpensive fares which would not reach the set amount at 8 or 12%.

Then you know that states regulate insurance in order to address pricing among other things. Cruise lines merely sell a product with their name on it. They neither underwrite the policy nor process the claims. There is little incentive for Nationwide to side with the cruise line. We do agree that cruise line insurance provides pretty basic coverage. There are more comprehensive policies; however, cruise line insurance can be useful when age impacts the cost or when CFAR is a priority.

Sure but there is no reason to reject cruise line insurance outright as post #7 advised. Cruise lines contract with insurance companies to provide a branded product for their guests. In the case of Princess, it is Nationwide. While the medical coverage may be minimal, there are instances when it is a reasonable choice.

There is no basis for that advice. Sometimes cruise line sponsored insurance can be a cost-effective choice because the premium is not based on age as it is with third-party policies. Also, cruise lines often add a Cancel For Any Reason provision at no extra cost. The reimbursement is in FCC rather than cash, but that is often an acceptable trade-off for people who cruise often.

Yes. I did not mean to imply otherwise, only for the OP to be informed in order to get the right kind of coverage. As you pointed out, there are policies that cover both traveling and non-traveling family members for pre-existing conditions.

Important point since OP is depending on grandparents to care for son. Older folks often do have pre-existing conditions, and one can’t assume that a cancellation caused by a non-traveling family member is covered. Wouldn’t hurt to revisit the definition of pre-existing conditions for everyone involved. Sometimes people don’t realize it applies to them if they’ve had a test, treatment, diagnosis, or even a prescription change that can be associated with a cancellation.

Annual policies are primarily for medical coverage. You will not find an annual policy with a high dollar limit for cancellation. If you have two policies, each would pay to the schedule limit. You’d have to read the terms and conditions to see if there is a stipulation that the credit card pays only after other insurance has been exhausted.

Consider the insurance you already have. Medicare alone will not cover you outside the US. Most Medigap plans offer some coverage for foreign medical, but they have a lifetime limit of $50,000. Medicare Advantage plans have more generous coverage; however, there are many differences among them. The amount of insurance available to you will help determine how much more you need. Websites that sell travel insurance generally recommend at least $100,000. Consider a plan that offers primary coverage so that you do not have to file with your insurance first. In any case, be prepared to pay on demand and file for reimbursement later. Travel with a high-limit credit card.

Air fare is most often refunded with vouchers. In that case, insurance will not reimburse since the policyholder has already received compensation. On the other hand, cruise fare is reimbursed for covered reasons defined in the policy. Cruise lines do not routinely offer future cruise credits for people who cancel unless it is part of a COVID assistance plan. For the most part, those have expired. Travel insurance covers cancellation for COVID as well as other illnesses along with a long list of additional reasons. It is standard practice for insurance to pay valid claims with supporting documentation.