New (cheap) travel insurance plan ?

Did anyone else get this email recently? I am not posting the images or links, but essentially it seems like a travel insurance policy for only $25 per person, which includes coverage for missed airfare, medical emergencies/expenses and lost luggage.

Trying to gauge the different between this and the other (way more expense) travel plan they offer when you initially book.

Dear Valued Guest,

Thank you for choosing Norwegian Cruise Line and Norwegian Gem for yourupcoming cruise vacation.

We are happy to announce that Norwegian has introduced a travel protectionpolicy, Essentials Travel Protection Plan, that you can purchase after makingyour final payment.

Essentials Travel Protection Plan is the ideal plan for our guests who arelooking for just the essentials.

This streamlined option gives you the opportunity to purchase valuable travelarrangement, medical and baggage protection at $25 per person.

Please click on the image below for more information

I had the same offer at my online check-in and am curious about the difference as well. I guess the biggest difference would be trip cancelation coverage.

What are the coverage amounts, and what is covered?

$25? How much/what types of coverage can that purchase?

This includes "what are the reasons for <cost(s)> that are covered?"

GC

Did anyone else get this email recently? I am not posting the images or links, but essentially it seems like a travel insurance policy for only $25 per person, which includes coverage for missed airfare, medical emergencies/expenses and lost luggage.

 

Trying to gauge the different between this and the other (way more expense) travel plan they offer when you initially book.

 

 

Dear Valued Guest,

 

Thank you for choosing Norwegian Cruise Line and Norwegian Gem for yourupcoming cruise vacation.

 

We are happy to announce that Norwegian has introduced a travel protectionpolicy, Essentials Travel Protection Plan, that you can purchase after makingyour final payment.

 

Essentials Travel Protection Plan is the ideal plan for our guests who arelooking for just the essentials.

This streamlined option gives you the opportunity to purchase valuable travelarrangement, medical and baggage protection at $25 per person.

 

Please click on the image below for more information

I got that last October and thought it was a scam. I called NCL and went over it with them and it seemed like a good deal, I bought it. As I spoke with people on ship no one else had heard about it or got the offer. Never had to make a claim so can't say much more. I'd do it again

Everyone has to understand what they are buying. Take the time to read before you say “yes”. CC has dozens of threads a day that essentially say “I just assumed I would get xyz when I paid for the package, but I didn’t.” Well,,, if they took even a minute to look at what they were buying, then there would be no reason to “assume”.

This is the schedule (from last year) on the “essential travel protection”.

Why are you buying this insurance?

What would you expect to claim on it?

I think that one key element is the coverage for travel delay. If your plane is late and you miss your cruise, it covers $500. Will that cover everything you need to fly to the next port and stay on a hotel until your cruise ship arrives? Probably not.

Would $25K pay the cost of having you medivac’ed in case of emergency? (Normally you would be looking for coverage 10x to 40x that amount).

Read the details on what is excluded.

This is not a cancel for any reason policy, so you need to have a covered loss to collect anything. It would not reimburse you your cruise costs if you had to cancel for any reason (covered or not).

For some, having a little coverage to pay for unexpected medical expenses is good enough. This plan would suit their needs. But if you have ever been in a hospital, even for a day, you know that $10K won’t last long.

For some, having a the piece of mind that they can go out and buy some clothes if their luggage is lost or delayed is good enough. This plan would suit their needs.

Just understand what you are buying.

Everyone has to understand what they are buying. Take the time to read before you say “yes”. CC has dozens of threads a day that essentially say “I just assumed I would get xyz when I paid for the package, but I didn’t.” Well,,, if they took even a minute to look at what they were buying, then there would be no reason to “assume”.

 

This is the schedule (from last year) on the “essential travel protection”.

Why are you buying this insurance?

 

What would you expect to claim on it?

 

I think that one key element is the coverage for travel delay. If your plane is late and you miss your cruise, it covers $500. Will that cover everything you need to fly to the next port and stay on a hotel until your cruise ship arrives? Probably not.

 

Would $25K pay the cost of having you medivac’ed in case of emergency? (Normally you would be looking for coverage 10x to 40x that amount).

 

Read the details on what is excluded.

 

This is not a cancel for any reason policy, so you need to have a covered loss to collect anything. It would not reimburse you your cruise costs if you had to cancel for any reason (covered or not).

 

For some, having a little coverage to pay for unexpected medical expenses is good enough. This plan would suit their needs. But if you have ever been in a hospital, even for a day, you know that $10K won’t last long.

 

For some, having a the piece of mind that they can go out and buy some clothes if their luggage is lost or delayed is good enough. This plan would suit their needs.

 

Just understand what you are buying.

Thanks for including the "terms" (pesky little details! ;))

You mention this is not a CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason) policy.

But does it cover *any* cancellation, such a due to medical emergencies prior to departure? Or interruption, if one needs to leave for medical care or such? I'm referring to getting refund of the cost of the cruise?

For some of us, and for many long cruises, the cost of the cruise can be high.

Some people don't want coverage for forfeited cruise costs, just for the possibly much higher medical costs, etc. (Coverage is low, if the "possibly much higher medical costs" are a consideration...)

And that's fine, as long as each person understands what they are getting.

Most travel insurance covers medically necessary trip cancellation (or interruption) costs, but not necessarily the CFAR, which is not medically necessary/etc.

(We've all ready plenty of "my child needed an emergency operation the day before we were supposed to leave home, and the nasty <cruise line name> wouldn't give us a dime back" type of complaints. Is this type of claim *not* covered by this "travel insurance policy"?)

Thanks again.

GC

Thanks for including the "terms" (pesky little details! ;))

 

You mention this is not a CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason) policy.

 

But does it cover *any* cancellation, such a due to medical emergencies prior to departure? Or interruption, if one needs to leave for medical care or such? I'm referring to getting refund of the cost of the cruise?

 

For some of us, and for many long cruises, the cost of the cruise can be high.

 

Some people don't want coverage for forfeited cruise costs, just for the possibly much higher medical costs, etc. (Coverage is low, if the "possibly much higher medical costs" are a consideration...)

And that's fine, as long as each person understands what they are getting.

 

Most travel insurance covers medically necessary trip cancellation (or interruption) costs, but not necessarily the CFAR, which is not medically necessary/etc.

(We've all ready plenty of "my child needed an emergency operation the day before we were supposed to leave home, and the nasty <cruise line name> wouldn't give us a dime back" type of complaints. Is this type of claim *not* covered by this "travel insurance policy"?)

 

Thanks again.

 

GC

They describe it as "post departure coverage."

Thanks.

As long as everyone understands.

But does it include "trip interruption" (if you/traveling companion or possibly elderly relative get sick/etc.)?

Of course, for $25, that's not much of a cost, but the problem with this - and many insurance policies - is making sure one understands what IS covered, or is not.

(Alas, some of the "right questions to ask", don't occur to everyone... until a loss situation arises...).

My concern here is ONLY that some may assume it's "like other travel insurance policies", if it is not.

And that is NOT necessarily any failure of the insurer, but a problem with understanding these coverages, especially for those who don't yet have familiarity.

On the Travel Insurance sub-forum here on CC, there are many tales of woe (complaints) that some weren't reimbursed for "x"... but the policy never claimed to cover that...

It can be a tough and expensive lesson.

OTOH, for the extra baggage loss alone, this $25 is probably less expensive than adding that same coverage through one's homeowner's insurance! (We checked on that, and the cost was startlingly high.)

But again... just which "losses" are covered...:confused:

Thanks again!

GC

The other high profile case in the last few weeks was the late return to port - a common ocurrence - or any variance in return to port for that matter. You'll only be able to claim under trip delay for $500. Many people who returned late had thousands of dollars in new air costs, plus a hotel night and meals to cover suddenly.

Some things I look for when buying insurance:

Does it cover cancellation due to sickness (mine, spouse, or relative) ?

How much is the medical coverage....remember your US insurance doesn't pay if you get sick in a foreign country. $10K may be on the low side

Who underwrites the policy and how are they rated? I want to make sure they're there if I make a claim.

Im curious about the experiences of anyone submitting a claim and how well they paid. I have a hard enough time getting my medical insurance to pay routine medical bills. Is there a rating group out there that rates the different cruise/travel insurance? I would gladly pay a couple more $$$ if i was pretty sure they were going to actually pay and not give me the run around.

Im curious about the experiences of anyone submitting a claim and how well they paid. I have a hard enough time getting my medical insurance to pay routine medical bills. Is there a rating group out there that rates the different cruise/travel insurance? I would gladly pay a couple more $$$ if i was pretty sure they were going to actually pay and not give me the run around.

For more general information about travel insurance and a variety of insurers, you might want to follow - or ask - the specific CC sub-forum on travel insurance:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=635

LOTS of helpful information.

Personally, we've had several claims (including 2 large ones) with Travel Insured, all paid promptly.

We've used

www.TripInsuranceStore.com

to help us select which insurer/which policy.

GC

Some things I look for when buying insurance:

Does it cover cancellation due to sickness (mine, spouse, or relative) ?

How much is the medical coverage....remember your US insurance doesn't pay if you get sick in a foreign country. $10K may be on the low side

Who underwrites the policy and how are they rated? I want to make sure they're there if I make a claim.

What kind of health insurance does everyone have? I specifically checked with our HR department (I work for a large county government in the US) and specifically asked the question of, does my health insurance cover me if I get sick on a cruise, and was told yes (on a reimbursement basis obviously). I was even given the specific example of an employee (no names provided) who got the bends scuba diving near South America. He was airlifted back to the US for treatment, and the insurance paid everything , including the air ambulance charges) after much negotiation between the vendor and insurance company.

What kind of health insurance does everyone have? I specifically checked with our HR department (I work for a large county government in the US) and specifically asked the question of, does my health insurance cover me if I get sick on a cruise, and was told yes (on a reimbursement basis obviously). I was even given the specific example of an employee (no names provided) who got the bends scuba diving near South America. He was airlifted back to the US for treatment, and the insurance paid everything , including the air ambulance charges) after much negotiation between the vendor and insurance company.

Plain Medicare doesn't cover out of country, and many cruisers of "of a certain age...";)

Adding some sort of plan that includes out of country would be wise for those.

We also have Employer insurance that supposedly covers "anywhere in the world" (also reimbursement).

But the one time we had a claim for about $1k for overseas/on board medical costs, the insurer processing claims simply could not handle it.

We had to get HR VP involved, and they gave her the run-around, too.

SHE said, "They aren't used to doing this." DUH!

But we also don't want to deal with the "customary and reasonable charges" restrictions, etc.

And we DO want the coverage for trip cancellation/interruption.

Almost all of our claims (and both large ones) were due to medical issues, but for cancellation/interruption (not the actual medical care costs), and the first claim, which was a full cancellation just before departure.... that refund covered several years of insurance premiums.

The next similar claim, for travel interruption costs, covered a few more years.

We'd "love" to be a bit more "behind" on the balance for this category!

GC

Here's my situation and why I purchased this coverage today. I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, which provides EXCELLENT trip insurance for myself and my "family". I am traveling on an upcoming cruise with my fiance and my parents. Because I put all of the cruise fair and travel expenses on my Chase card (everyone paid me back for their share), myself and my parents will be covered by the insurance provided. However, my fiance will not, because he is not "family" by Chase's definition. In order to claim him as a "domestic partner" we would need to show evidence of join accounts, which we don't have, because we handle all of our finances separately (he pays me rent, as the mortgage is in my name, and he reimburses me for his "share" of all the bills). Since we are just driving to the port and sailing out of NYC, my main concern for him not being covered is potential accident/medical emergency and this plan will at least give him SOME coverage for a minimal cost. When we do our transatlantic next fall and we have to fly to London, stay for a few days, fly home from Miami, etc., I will insist he get much better coverage.

How do these compare from the other nil travel insurance plans

Sent from my iPad using Forums

.

 

Just understand what you are buying.

Great advice - and not just for travel insurance. Pretty much for everything significant.

I look at it this way, for $50 it’s a no brainer for extra medical insurance even though I purchased an annual travel insurance policy after this. JMO

How do these compare from the other nil travel insurance plans

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

3rd party 'basic/medical evac only' insurance is better and cheaper:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=56916731&postcount=44

$21 total for my 20day cruise. :o :)

$500k medical evac, $25k PRIMARY medical, $750 trip interruption (airfare only)

for $15, i could have gotten $300k medical evac, $10k secondary medical, $500 trip interruption (airfare only).

for $6 more, saving the hassle of dealing with both my medical insurance and then submitting what they rejected to the travel insurance policy is worth it!

3rd party 'basic/medical evac only' insurance is better and cheaper:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=56916731&postcount=44

 

$21 total for my 20day cruise. :o :)

$500k medical evac, $25k PRIMARY medical, $750 trip interruption (airfare only)

 

for $15, i could have gotten $300k medical evac, $10k secondary medical, $500 trip interruption (airfare only).

for $6 more, saving the hassle of dealing with both my medical insurance and then submitting what they rejected to the travel insurance policy is worth it!

I apologize but I don’t understand what you are trying to say. I bought an annual policy which will cover us for all the trips I take for the whole year. I have 4 cruises booked and a few local trips so I feel confident that I have covered all the bases. I put the NCL $25.00 pp post departure insurance on before I decided to go for the annual policy. It doesn’t hurt to have more than anyone needs. Please explain what you were trying to get across in your response so I can understand. Thanks

I don't understand why people are so worried about the cancellation and interruptions part of the travel insurance. The worst that will happen is that you don't go the cruise and you lose the money. Don't get me wrong, you should have insurance that covers the cost of the cruise and some sort of trip interruption. Losing the cost of the cruse is just losing money you've already spent.

What is going make an impact into the family fortune are the medical and repatriation. These costs can hit six figures depending on what your condition is and where you need to be evacuated from. I became severely ill in Mexico and the wonderful doctors made it even worse. I had a five day hospital bill of $28,000 and repatriation of $40,000. Luckily, I didn't need a private plane or it would have been close to $100,000. My Allianz policy covered everything.

Foreign hospitals charge you full price and most do not negotiate so you better have travel insurance.

I've said for years that anyone traveling outside of the country is a fool for not having travel insurance with at least $100,000 in medical and repatriation and I stand by that.

BTW: Most credit card travel insurance, including Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve and Amex Platinum do not cover pre-existing conditions. I have Chase Preferred and Amex Platinum and just today when I called Chase for another issue, they went over the benefits of Reserve and it doesn't cover pre-existing.

Take care,

Mike

This doesn't give you any refunds on your trip if your trip is cancelled. Read the specifics to see what it covers. And I think "travel delay" is for after the trip has started. So for your return flight for instance. Not for you missing the boat on embarkation day. But again, the only way to know this for sure is to read the fine print yourself. This is not standard "trip insurance". This is for things that happen DURING the trip. Check what your credit card covers for trip insurance. Check what your medical insurance covers while you're away, out of the country, etc. Particularly for getting airlifted somewhere for treatment, or brought back to the US. I felt that the $100 for our family of 4 was worth it for some of the added specific coverages if only because it meant I didn't have to call my health insurance to figure out some of these things. :) We didn't use it, no one was sick, but the small price gave me a little peace of mind. I suspect there are other ways/places to get similar coverage. But... some of us are lazy.

BTW: Most credit card travel insurance, including Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve and Amex Platinum do not cover pre-existing conditions. I have Chase Preferred and Amex Platinum and just today when I called Chase for another issue, they went over the benefits of Reserve and it doesn't cover pre-existing.

I am aware of this limitation. Fortunately, my parents and I have no pre-existing conditions. We are all in excellent health!

Sorry for starting another argument.

Was first time I got/saw the email so was mainly asking if this was new, or a known thing.

Sorry for starting another argument.

 

Was first time I got/saw the email so was mainly asking if this was new, or a known thing.

I don't think people are arguing, just discussing the pros and cons of this new option. Travel Insurance is a very personal choice, as everyone has different needs and expectations. For some, this might be "good enough" (and it's certainly better than nothing!), but for many, additional coverage would be needed to have true peace of mind.