Do you Get Travel Insurance?

[Lovincruisin1321]

I can't decide if I should go with RCCL or my travel agency?

 

What are you doing or have done?

[EmmaCel]

I bought RCCL's insurance, but after being on these boards I wish I had gotten insurance from another place. God forbid I need to be taken off of the ship by a helicopter! What do you all say that costs? $34,000 or something outrageous?

 

Anyway I am not worried enough about it that I am going to purchase other insurance...I'll just stick with RCCL's and do it different next trip.

[johnjen]

On our last cruise a couple of weeks ago, we didn't get any travel insurance. That was (sort of) a cross between forgetting and/or procrastination!

[tikimon]

Don't leave home without it!

Belive me if you need it you'll be glad you got it.

[sailingawaysoon]

We always get it thru Royal Carribbean, but I think next time we will shop around a little also. I don't recommend leaving home w/out insurance, and if at all possible, leave a day early for your cruise. So much can happen. Have a great trip!

[KeywestK]

Keep in mind that if you do not have travel insurance and something happens, you could out a lot more money than the cost of the cruise. If you or your spouse developed a serious illness, or had a serious accident, and you had to be airlifted either from the ship or a port, do you have any idea what those expenses could add up to?? We're talking tens of thousands of dollars. For the small cost of insurance, which hopefully you will never need, you can have piece of mind, and your savings in tact.

[Babyberger]

There is a whole forum dedicated to travel/cruise insurance. I found a lot of helpful information on various companies and policies on it.

 

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

 

Hope that helps out a bit.

[griffy116]

I purchase Travel Insurance. My Dad got a nasty cut while we were on a sea day that we couldn't get to stop bleeding (BADLY). He takes blood thinners. I can't remember the charge but it was a whooper. We met a woman who fell (on an excursion) and she had a broken leg. On one of our first cruises, an elderly gentleman had to be flown by helicopter. I'm told tht the charge can be as high as $96,000. We were foolish in the past but would never chance it again. We are traveling this summer as a family. Half the family got the insurance; Half didn't. If there is a problem (such as the volcanic ash) and you aren't able to get to the Port to leave, you are out of luck without travel insurance too. I buy through Access America instead of RCCL because I just think that if I had a problem, there could be a conflict of interest since the cruise is with RCCL and insurance to recoup my loss would be with RCCL....I just like an independent 3rd party making the decision on whether I get paid, or on how much I get reimbursed. You can check out InsureMyTrip for competitive quotes. It's very reasonable.

[Jt4428]

Check the websites insuremytrip.com and squaremouth.com . They have many A+ rated insurance companies that you can compare benefits. I used one of these to purchase mine instead of going with RCCL's policy which was much more expensive.

[cruiser429]

DEFINITELY get insurance. I am still submitting and collecting from an injury that occurred on July 4, 2009. I missed one step while in St. Thomas. Coordinated as I am, I fell on my outstretched hand. Long story short--chipped bone in wrist with complications of a pinched nerve. I've since had surgery. NOTHING out of pocket. All covered by the $150 that I paid for insurance for my husband and myself.

I do not travel without it. I always have gotten it through insuremytrip.

 

Vicki

[Beanie01]

I book cruises through an agency that has free trip insurance. You only pay for it if you have to use it. It also covers loss of job, which is a safety net I like having. Once final payment has been made 90 days out, if we cancel due to anything that falls under the policy, all we'd have to pay is $120 total for the insurance. Besides what can happen to you on the cruise, anything can happen before the cruise, like anyone in your booking party getting sick or having an accident, or loss of a family member.

[Whitnee1]

Insuremytrip.com is probably a good spot to buy. Question can anyone advise which plan gives really good coverage for trip cancellation AND also medical like transportation costs? It is mind boggling when you look at all of the choices and would appreciate anyone who has already done the leg work.

[klfhngr]

Never have purchased, have done about 20 cruises... Might have used it once if I had it.... Ruptured knee 3 weeks before cruise. Had major surgery then a week later I was on a plane then on a ship for a cruise. I don't remember much, but I think I had a good time ;)

 

Sailing next month, no insurance.. I know, I know!!

[Schooner_Bar_Girl]

There are many different types of travel insurance available. I don't buy travel insurance per se but I do purchase travel MEDICAL insurance.

[LittleMissS]

Whitnee1 I feel the same way. I have to buy some for my cruise next summer, and I Have no clue what to get.

 

I did a land-based tour a few weeks ago and bought the insurance that went with it. Thankfully, I needed it, as I got sick and needed to see a doctor. The ER visit (it was the only place I could see a doctor on a Sunday) and all the meds were paid for by the insurance.

[katz]

We always purchase travel insurance on my own. I hate to put out all that money, but it is a case of "you never know". I purchase it and then try not to think about the amount that I feel I will probably be "wasting". I guess that's why they call it insurance.

 

We did, however, experience something on our cruise in a few weeks ago. A man had to be taken off the ship by helicopter and flown 45 minutes to a hospital in Denmark. My first thought was "I hope they had travel/medical insurance".

 

We go through USAA and use Trael Insured International. I can't comment on how good they are, since we have never had to file a claim (knock on wood).

[Lou33]

The decision on whether to buy travel insurance is dependent on one very key question: Are you already covered by your health provider? If your health provider does not extend your coverage outside the country, then I can't imagine traveling without insurance. But the sad thing is that many people don't bother to check if they are already covered.

 

If you are already covered, then you can make an informed decision as to whether you need insurance for trip cancellation or trip interuption. We usually skip travel insurance because we are fully covered by our health provider when outside the country. Yes, even for medical evacuation.

 

But if you do buy travel insurance, you don't need to get it directly from the cruiseline or travel agent. They may be taking a cut of the fees. You can probably get it on your own for less money. See insuremytrip.com

[windham depot]

Just my two cents here, My husband & I had booked a 12 day Alaska Cruise along with my BIL and his wife. WE have never used travel insurance. Both our parents are gone and both our boys(in thir 20s)and us our very healthy. We were scheduled to leave Sunday, August 9th 2009. On Friday, August 7th I had a stroke. Needless to say we did not make our trip. We were able to get 100% refund from the airline(we had used frequent flyer miles),hotels, and car service. From the Cruise line we received 25% of the cruise cost each in a credit which had to be used towards another cruise within a year. My husband and I cruised to the Eastern Cribbean in April, we had the best vacation ever. Needless to say we don't travel without insurance ever. I am not willing to take that chance again. We were very lucky to get back what we did. It is worth the cost for the peace of mind. Get the insurance then sit back relax and enjoy your cruise.

[gadaboutgal]

In 46 cruises, we've purchased insurance only once-and did not need it.

 

Now, though, our medical insurance does not cover us outside the U.S. so we are shopping for coverage. As we cruise a lot, I've found the best policy for us is an annual one through TravelGuard sold through the TripInsurance store. I recommend anyone who is on Medicare to check their policy and then look into additional insurance.

[pamurchu]

We always purchase insurance. Going back a few years, we left a perfectly healthy father and went off to Ireland. We were only there for 3 days when we received news that Dad had passed away and we needed to get home stat with a three year old in tow. Thank goodness for the insurance. And surprisingly, that was the first time we had purchased it. Now we include insurance in the price of whatever vacation we are planning...one less thing to worry about.

[cruiser429]

Insuremytrip.com is probably a good spot to buy. Question can anyone advise which plan gives really good coverage for trip cancellation AND also medical like transportation costs? It is mind boggling when you look at all of the choices and would appreciate anyone who has already done the leg work.

 

As mentioned before, I've had occasion to use the insurance. I also take it because of a pre-existing condition. To use insuremytrip to your advantage:

 

1. Go to their website. On the right side, where it says, "see plans and prices," enter the cost for all travelers, where and when you are going, ages of travelers, what state you live in, and the date of your first payment (deposit).

 

2. Click on "plans & prices". You will see a huge list of plans.

Near the top of the page, it says "Narrow by." Included in bar is coverage. Under coverage, you can check off the things you really want. Medical evacuation, cancel for any reason, pre-existing clause, etc. The website then lists which plans are best for you.

 

3. I choose the lowest priced plans and put a check in the "add to compare" box. Then I click "compare now." This lines them up next to each other. I compare their ratings, how much they cost, what the coverage is for things like medical evacuation, lost baggage, etc.

 

4. Once I decide, I click on "buy." You can first choose to have an email of the plan sent to you before you buy.

 

If you have problems while searching, you can get live, online help. I did that last week--when I didn't know what to do--I've booked a cruise for next March, but the airline I want isn't selling tickets that far in advance--The agent told me how to handle it. [i needed to buy within 14 days of purchasing my insurance to get the pre-existing waiver]

 

Hope this helps some of you.

 

Vicki

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

We never leave home with out it!!!

 

***

[newport dave]

You're not allowed to book an overseas holiday in the UK if you don't have Insurance or don't provide evidence of it by final payment date.

[Stags14]

You're not allowed to book an overseas holiday in the UK if you don't have Insurance or don't provide evidence of it by final payment date.

 

Wow... do you guys like this? That would never fly in the US.

 

I only get the travel insurance closer to the final payment time if I think I'm going to need to cancel (happened once). But, I also have out of network benifits so for the amount of my deductable and the amount I save every cruise by not getting it, it makes no sense for me to get it. So, this topic changes for each particular situation.

[stargate fan]

Keep in mind that if you do not have travel insurance and something happens, you could out a lot more money than the cost of the cruise. If you or your spouse developed a serious illness, or had a serious accident, and you had to be airlifted either from the ship or a port, do you have any idea what those expenses could add up to?? We're talking tens of thousands of dollars. For the small cost of insurance, which hopefully you will never need, you can have piece of mind, and your savings in tact.

 

Everyone should check his/her health insurance provider about these kinds of costs.

 

We always purchase travel insurance because we have elderly parents and want to be protected should something happen and we need to cancel. I contacted my health insurance and we are fully covered for emergency evacuation, hospital stays abroad, etc.

 

We want the added insurance for lost luggage, trip cancellation, trip interruption, etc.

 

Also keep in mind the pre-exiting waiver offered by travel insurance. The time preceding the purchase of insurance coverage varies. For instance, we chose the RC insurance because its pre-existing coverage was only 60 days prior to purchase date. Since we knew there were no medical or health changes to us or our family members in the 60 days prior to purchasing the insurance, we were covered. Some companies have 120 and 180 day pre-exiting waivers. When inquiring info from the insurance companies, ask questions, ask questions, ask questions.