klfrodo

Thanks to @CruiserBruce and @FlyerTalker for the information. Allows me to start a gameplan.

Situation : Looking to use miles to get to Venice, Italy next year. Way too early, but just doing research. My miles are on AS (One World) BA is about my only choice that I'm considering. (BA/AS is currently not offering a married itinerary that will satisfy my desires). Will be choosing Business Class at a minimum. Live in Seattle but want to begin travel from LAX if at all possible. Will pay cash for one-way tickets on AS to LAX and then begin the "mileage" tickets on BA from LAX to LHR, then into VCE. Question Is it no way/no how to get the AS check-in agent to check baggage all the way to VCE if we show the itinerary? Or, since all One World, it's no problem at all?

Any reason why the earlier check in time could just wait until the later check in time and then everyone could check in at the same time?

I'd just do a 1 policy single trip. But, I would also recommend that you work with a broker who can discuss with you what you feel is most important coverage for you. There are a couple of brokers whom I recommend. Get the Best Trip Insurance Details, Advice (tripinsurancestore.com) and Travel Insurance Quotes - Compare & Buy Trip Insurance (insuremytrip.com) TripInsuranceStore is my go to but either way, call them and speak to them live.

Yes, purchase your insurance within the time frame required to ensure you receive the pre-existing condition waiver. Most insurances increase the price at the $500 increment. Therefore, I'd recommend an initial Trip Cost at $500. Then, as you accrue additional expenses, call your insurance provider to increase the amount of the trip cost. Also, completely understand the terms and conditions as to what expenses you must include to maintain the waiver. Some providers require ALL expenses, some require all non-refundable expenses, some don't care just as long as you purchased within the initial time frame. These requirements are based on provider and on the regulations governed by your State of residency.

My TravelSafe policy which I just purchased the other day includes the same as above that @GeezerCouple posted. As a side note, my county of residence utilizes electronic jury pool notification and information system. I receive notification by mail, then you log into the system. The system allows you to electronically delay your jury duty date up to a month, I believe on a 1-time basis.

Was recently looking to book a quick getaway for my wife's birthday in May. Flying to Cabo and staying at an AI instead of a cruise. We've got cruises booked in December this year and August of next year.

Would be interested in hearing someone's experience with the new automated TSA pre-check screening that the TSA is testing at some airports.

🤣 Tell me you're a Boomer without telling me you're a Boomer. BTW, I'm a boomer who enjoys using new technology.

A quick google search confirmed my understanding that To qualify for any of these complimentary protections, you must use your Chase Sapphire card to pay for a portion or all of your travel expenses, like your flight, hotel or rental car. Depending on the coverage, your immediate family members may also qualify for reimbursement — even if you're not traveling with them. Here's a link to the card benefits if you can find the language Guide to Benefits (chasecdn.com)

Only IF all 3 of the following happen. 1. The treating facility agrees that you need to be evacuated 2. The receiving facility agreed you needed to be evacuated 3. The insurance company agreed with the other 2. If you have Medjet Assist, then you and Medjet could make that decision if you are a member and you fall within their guidelines.

I agree. Sounds like a single trip to me. Coverage will begin when you walk out your front door and ends when you walk back into the house. In my opinion, travel insurance is a risk sharing business. If the expectation is to get insurance to cover 100% of all potential situations with no questions asked, then you'll be unhappy. Figure out what's most important to you and cover that potential. Travel insurance can be very complicated but can also be a life saver, physically, mentally, and financially. I agree with calling TripInsuranceStore. They can help you find the coverage that best fits your needs. They might even have suggestions about things you haven't even considered. Hope this helps. Safe travels.

Thank you for sharing some great info. My experience here in the States is different though. When you reserve a slot in a shared van to leave your hotel to go to a cruise ship, the van shows up with a trailer hooked up to the van just for the luggage. That's my experience and that was my expectation for shared transportation from London to Southampton to the cruise ship. As it turned out, my expectation was unrealistic. Fortunately, I was able to correct my mistake in time. My original post was to just share my experience for someone traveling a great distance and let them be aware of the different operational practices.

There are 2 advantages for cruise line insurance in my opinion. 1) It includes "Cancel For Any Reason" in the base cost and allows you to cancel up to scheduled departure. 3rd party offers CFAR at an additional cost and requires 48 hour notice prior to departure. 2) The price is fixed no matter your age. 3rd party prices increase as you get older. The disadvantages 1) Low medical limit. $20K on most. 3rd party offers plans of $50K, $100K, and high if you wish. 2) Cruise line policies pay as "Secondary". You have to files claims with your other home-based policies first, wait for payment or denial, then send all that documentation in to get fully reimbursed. Some 3rd party policies offer "Primary". You only have to deal with them. 3) The cruise line will offer no assistance when it comes to filing your claim. They just sell it, receive the commission, the rest is on you. 3rd party, if you go thru a broker such as mentioned above, will assist you and intervene if necessary. 4) Cruise line plan is fixed. You can't mix and match for what fits YOUR needs. 3rd party can. 5) Cruise line insurance does not offer to work with the hospital for direct pay if required before treatment will begin. Some 3rd party policies do offer this service (at their discretion). Just as a side note: Many cruisers think evacuation means emergency evac from the ship. This is not true. Emergency evacuation from the ship will not cost the patient a dime. This is done via international treaty by Navies or Coast Guards around the world under at Safety at Sea or like a Search & Resue thing. Evacuation once medically stabilized from 1 hospital to another is where evacuation costs to the patient comes in. Hope this helps.

Before you choose who to go with, ensure that the price includes the number of bags you can take. We discovered (in time to make changes) that they only allowed 1 bag per person. We had more than the allotted amount and we had to change to a different mode of transportation.

I believe that you intentionally took my quote out of context, but that's okay. I understand.

Evacuation from a ship is governed by international treaties and is always performed for free just as any search and rescue. Let's say for example you have a medical emergency at sea and the coast guard evacuates you from the ship to let's say Juneau. That will be free. Now, let's say the patient is stabilized in Juneau but requires additional treatment that Juneau can't do and they want to evacuate the patient to either Anchorage or Seattle. That will be treated as an ambulance here on land but by air (since there are no roads to Juneau). Ambulances is covered by your healthcare plan.

I can only speak from my experience. I'm on Medicare also. Also, like you, I'm not very concerned about losing the cost of the cruise. My major concern is, can I absorb the potential cost of a medical event. I also look at any insurance as a risk sharing cost item. What am I willing to risk vs. what do I need to do to share any possible risk. Last year my wife and I sailed out of Vancouver BC to Alaska, then flew home from Anchorage. I made the decision that since less than 5% of our time was going to be spent in Canada, I decided to risk no additional medical insurance. Evacuation from the ship is done by the Coast Guard at no cost. Chances were very high that I would be evacuated to a US based hospital along the voyage where my Medicare would be acceptable. Is there risk in this plan? Of course. I personally found this level of risk acceptable. However, you have to do what's acceptable to you and your family. Side Note: Since travel insurance is regulated by each State, it is necessary to purchase separate policies if family members have different residencies.

You have a very valid question and I hope you get some great advice. I do see that you are from the UK. A very large percentage of people on this particular forum are from the US or Canada and may not (I know I'm not) be familiar with insurance or how it's regulated for UK based clients. May I suggest that you copy your post and put it in the UK Cruisers forum. You might get quicker advice over there. You can find the UK cruisers forum at this link. UK Cruisers - Cruise Critic Community Good luck

I would have to ask why. What coverage are you currently missing that you are concerned about that a cruise line policy can alleviate? Any insurance is a risk management tool in my opinion. What can I assume full risk on? And what do I need to share risk on that could potentially cause me financial hardship or worse, bankruptcy. Cruise line policies are also secondary. They max out at about $20K on medical. The only advantage they have that I'm aware of is they include CFAR and the pricing is not based on age. Myself. My wife and I are retired. Both on Medicare. Most of our travels are 10 to 14 days. We can absorb the cost of losing a cruise. (If we were to take a world cruise on Cunard, I'd readjust my strategy). I cannot absorb a major medical event. I use a high limit card from Chase Sapphire Reserve that has some level of cancellation, baggage loss, etc. I buy an individual trip policy from Steve at TripInsuranceStore to share risk for the that portion of my trip that includes primary medical and a limited amount of Trip Deay and Trip Interruption. Steve is the expert I count on. You might want to consider giving him a call.

Forgot to add. GeoBlue Trekker is a "Secondary" plan. This means that they pay second. When filing the claim, you MUST file with your primary medical insurance company first. Then after they reimburse you or even if they deny any of the claim, then you file with GeoBlue and include any records of reimbursement or the denial letter along with your receipts/documentation. For example: You have a $3000 medical claim. You file with your Aetna plan. They reimburse you $1000. You then file with GeoBlue for the remaining $2000. Or, you have Medicare. You know that Medicare will not reimburse you for medical care outside the US. When I did this, when I submitted my claim, I asked them to expedite the denial and return immediately. When I did finally file the claim with my travel insurance provider, I included the denial letter.

As with most travel insurance, the answer is Maybe. Travel insurance, to include GeoBlue, is an indemnity type of insurance. In exchange for you paying a premium to them, they promise to make you whole for covered events. So, you go on the ship, you have a medical event, they treat your medical event, and you pay for those services either cash or credit. Then, you gather all the notes/receipts, submit a claim for the amount it cost you out of pocket, then they review/investigate and if they determine the event was a covered event, they reimburse you. One of the nice things about GeoBlue is that they claim to have a worldwide network of hospitals where they will direct pay, so no out of pocket expenses. The problem with this is that in a case of emergency, there is no way for you the patient to decide which hospital is going to treat you for this possible life saving event if you even know which hospital may be part of the network in the region of the world you are in. Some policies, and I can't answer for GeoBlue, will offer some type of guarantee of payment or provide payment upfront, but this is at the discretion of the insurance provider and even at the discretion of the hospital as to if they will accept this upfront payment from a 3rd party provider.

What do you mean by "cover me"? Are you asking will they reimburse you after you file a claim? Or are you asking if cruise ships have an agreement with GeoBlue for direct pay?

Having flown 1/2 million miles on Alaska, I'd chance it. If for some reason it doesn't fit, they will gate check it at no charge. Almost all the time now, they announce that they are happy to gate check any carryon for free in exchange for early boarding.

I doubt it's complimentary. I would imagine that the medical facility has a code that bills Royal in some shape or form. The medical contractor has to show revenue also. Complimentary in the fact the patient doesn't see the bill. When it comes to ships, every department has a cost/revenue bucket that at the end of the voyage, their revenue has to be more than the costs. Those department costs are labor, meal and drink expenses for their employees, living space for the employees, materials, etc. Those departments would include but not limited to shops, dining venues, entertainers (thats why they run the scratch offs and bingo), beverage services, hotel services, and of course medical.