Do you Get Travel Insurance?

[Kellie Poodle]

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.

 

 

Try Med Jet Assist. It's just medical evacuation service. If you belong to AARP, there is a nice discount.

 

I buy it even though we always have travel insurance. One can never trust the insurance companies to come through on medical evacuation.

[janina]

They all pretty much use the same insurance companies. I'd have your agent get you travelguard insurance. It is a wonderful company I have used for years, and never had any claim problems. I always use seperate insurance than the vendor or in your case RCCL.

[grellis]

I bought it thru my TA...traveling in August in the Caribbean, hurricane season...I think it is a must....

[Kellie Poodle]

They all pretty much use the same insurance companies. I'd have your agent get you travelguard insurance. It is a wonderful company I have used for years, and never had any claim problems. I always use seperate insurance than the vendor or in your case RCCL.

 

 

I hate travelguard. I only wish I had another company which would honor the one million dollars worth of medical evacuation insurance we had when DH got sick in Italy. Sure they pay the little claims, but when it comes to the high ticket stuff like medical evacuation from Italy to the US, they weaseled out of it.

 

If it wasn't for the intercession of the people from RCI, we'd never have gotten out of there.

[kooljamming]

I usually do, especially with the kids. On our last trip we didn't which was pretty stupid on my part. That was the vacation that I did the zip line, rock wall, ice skate and snorkel.

 

www.quotewright.com

[dirtgirl]

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!!

 

I know, I know! I tried!!:p Fingers crossed that nothing happens to you, but you can still purchase it. I would never travel without it. Anything could happen to anyone in your family. You can lose everything you own by having an accident out of the country. Out of country medical is darn cheap to purchase - it's the cancellation insurance that is the pricier item.

 

Peace of mind is worth the few dollars it costs.;)

[jjb415]

Never, and I travel for a living........................

[cruzincurt]

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

 

Neither, buy it directly through insurance comparison web sites.

 

I want an independent third party, and you may get a lesser policy for the same cost via a TA due to their commission versus buying direct.

[Esmerelda]

Absolutely...NEVER have sailed without it. (I worked in the emergency room for 17 years...it's very important to have coverage).

 

I go thru 'insuremytrip.com' and usually purchase Travelex. Their policies are always very good.

 

have a great cruise!

[newport dave]

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.

 

I think the majority off people like it, you never hear anyone complaining about it.

 

All our medical care is free via the NHS, so they only cover us in the UK. If we visit other EU countries we are entitled to reciprocal healthcare in that country, but it's only their basic healthcare, nothing like major operations as such.

 

Holiday Insurance in the UK is pretty cheap compared to what you pay in the US. My DW and I have Annual Worldwide Travel Insurance which cost us £48 for the both of us. That covers us for any holiday which costs less than £3000 each or £6000 per couple, this is also for as many holidays a year we want as long as they are not more than 30 days long. It also includes £10 million medical coverage inc. repatriation to your home country, lost baggage, delays, cancellation, stolen money etc.

[FLACRUISER99]

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

 

What are you doing or have done?

For your Radianceof the Seas Alaska trip you will be fine with RCI's Insurance. But there are no general rules, each persons circumstances are unique and I would shop around.

[orchidj5]

We usually purchase RCI's insurance for the Caribbean-mostly in case we have to cancel at the last minute. For our Europe trip i went thru USAA and purchased more comprehensive insurance-i used them specifically because they have a canceled military leave clause and since we purchased the cruise while DH was deployed-you need to plan for things like that.

[klove613]

I almost didn't get it on our last cruise...bought it the night before we left. It was just nagging me that I hadn't bought it. Wouldn't you know, I dislocated my ankle on the Flowrider and had $1900 in onboard medical expenses. My health insurance would have covered part AFTER we met our high deductible which we hadn't come close to, so it was a relief to be able to send in my paperwork and get all that money back. I will never travel without it again.

[RoofingPrincess]

I buy it any time I'm leaving the country. Mostly for the medical/evac benefits (I, too, have a moderately high deductible on my health insurance, and because of that I haven't even bothered to see if I'm covered out of country).

I don't buy through the cruiseline.

Generally I've gone to insuremytrip.com and found something suitable (don't remember which company I've ended up with). This time around, I have an interesting trip-on-the-way-to-the-cruise planned, and the Canadian travel company insisted that I either buy coverage or sign a form saying I had it elsewhere. The travel agent Wrona & I booked through just adds it automatically, so I had her bump up my coverage to cover the costs of the pre-cruise trip.

I've filed a claim once, and it wasn't for medical. My Carnival Ecstasy cruise docked in Galveston on a Thursday morning. By 6 pm, both Houston airports had closed in preparation for Hurricane Ike; I had not been able to arrange to get out before the closure. I ended up taking a $100 livery service ride across Houston to get from Hobby to Bush, where a friend of my mom's picked me up. I rode out the hurricane at her house. Hobby reopened on Tuesday morning, and I took a cab to get there. The travel insurance picked up the cost of those two rides as they were related to the airport closing; they probably would've picked up hotel costs as well if I'd had them.

[kuddles14]

My parents are now in their early 80's and my in-laws in their late 70's. Won't travel without it. Had it with Royal this last cruise. My TA is going to research it for us and get us the best for the money for our cruise in June 2011. (She knows our circumstances).

[klfhngr]

I know, I know! I tried!!:p Fingers crossed that nothing happens to you, but you can still purchase it. I would never travel without it. Anything could happen to anyone in your family. You can lose everything you own by having an accident out of the country. Out of country medical is darn cheap to purchase - it's the cancellation insurance that is the pricier item.

 

Peace of mind is worth the few dollars it costs.;)

 

I'm thinking about it now! I've been lifting (working out) and I feel like my shoulder/tricep is about to blow out!! Ugh! I'll roll the dice and see what happens!

[The Viking]

Never, and I travel for a living........................

 

If you travel outside the US you are playing Russian Roulette.

 

We travel abroad several times each year and have a permament travel insurance which we have not used yet.

 

Next trip could be the one where we need it and the coverage might more that cover the many years of premium.

[Lou33]

If you travel outside the US you are playing Russian Roulette.

.

 

Unless of course, if that person is already covered for medical by their health provider

[north29]

I will explore my health care provider, now that it has been brought up, thanks I would probably buy some travel insurance anyway, and maybe could find a policy that lets me choose what coverage I want, When you book at least 6 months or more in advance I do believe that some TI is necessary. Of course, the price of the trip should be consider in part of how much is your threshold of loss if a trip ending event happens.

ONe thing, I did not read all, but did not see it, you must buy the TI within 15 days or so of your booking, I guess if not the price may go higher

[dirtgirl]

I'm thinking about it now! I've been lifting (working out) and I feel like my shoulder/tricep is about to blow out!! Ugh! I'll roll the dice and see what happens!

 

 

Take it easy! And watch for pre-existing conditions policies. You may not be covered for your shoulder if it's already hurt. ;) But, any of you could trip on the stairs and break a leg, too.:p

 

Hey - hope it wasn't my Facebook pic that made you hit the weights too hard! :eek:

[semiretired52]

I get mine thru the cruise ship with a cruise, and travel agent when I go to the Islands trips. It was very helpful on 2 of our trips. One trip I had to cancel due to an emergency family member and the other a medical issue. Had no problems getting my money back.

[fi'fi]

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!!

I sailed 2 times without it. And this will be my 3rd time without it. Have never had an issue. 

[fireofficer5]

Never brought it, never will.

Its a Rip off.

Unless you have a medical problem.

[janice4559]

If there is a likelihood that something will happen, purchase insurance. It's possible that home could be destroyed by rogue elephants. It's possible that a space fragment could demolish your car with you in it. It's possible that terrorists could invade your home and kill you. These are all insurable but not likely to happen so most (probably all) don't insure against those kinds of things.

 

The other dimension is the affordability in the event the worst happens. If you miss your cruise can you afford to stand the cost? If so, don't buy insurance. If not, buy it.

 

As for the possibility of an airlift at sea or hospitalization in a foreign, impovorished country - check your company health coverage. Mine covers these events, so to insure them again would be ridiculous.

[nana541]

As for the possibility of an airlift at sea or hospitalization in a foreign, impovorished country - check your company health coverage. Mine covers these events, so to insure them again would be ridiculous.

 

Wow....and you have insurance in the states???? Never heard of a domestic (as in US) policy that will cover anything out of the country....I am truely impressed with the employer who could afford such a policy for their employees.....

Congrats to you....as for the rest of us poor ---- who have just regular medical insurance like Blue Cross, Cigna, United Healthcare....well we will spend the extra $100 to back sure we CAN get airlifted out of the Congo (or where ever) and taken to a hospital NOT in the third world....

JMHO

 

 

oh wait a minute....you wouldn't happen to be a Federal Employee or something would you?????