When to purchase insurance?

[4cruisecampers]

When do you purchase your trip insurance?

 

Before or after final payment?

[cherylandtk]

That depends on the individual need. Some people have pre-existing conditions, some do not. Some people don't want the cancellation insurance, so can purchase any time up to departure, while others don't need the medical but do want cancellation insurance.

 

Some insurances require purchase within a few weeks of deposit, some before final payment, some at any time up to departure.

 

The best overall generic answer is to purchase when the amount you stand to lose is big enough that you want to have it covered.

[D4]

If you read a lot of posts, you'll see many people don't think they need trip insurance. Then something happens or might happen (illness/death of them or a loved one) and they complain because they can't purchase it to cover that event.

 

Just like most insurance, the time to purchase it is before you know you've got a problem. Wait too long and you're out of luck.

[sirwired]

If you plan on purchasing insurance no matter what, I see no reason to delay. You lose out on a LOT of options if you purchase after final payment (and you won't be able to get a Cancel for Any Reason policy from anybody at that point.)

[djwool]

So....with no pre-existing health conditions, the general answer is right before final payment?

[patseacruiser]

So....with no pre-existing health conditions, the general answer is right before final payment?

 

I guess so but make sure that doesn't come back to bite you in the a**. My father didn't have anything wrong and decided not to purchase until final. Just before final he hurt his back and put his trip in question. He ended up deciding to cancel because the price of insurance to waive pre-existing conditions was just about as much as his trip was. But the purchase of the insurance was not to cover the price of the trip - it was if he needed any medical help during the trip and the price of that.

[sirwired]

So....with no pre-existing health conditions, the general answer is right before final payment?

 

Most (although by no means all) insurance companies also apply pre-ex exclusions to family members not traveling with you. If some pre-existing condition they have flares up and you can't go (i.e. Grandma goes to the hospital for long-standing heart condition), you could get excluded.

 

Keep that in mind.

[ChrissieM]

Surely the Cruise Line won't let you sail without insurance! We always have to provide all details before a cruise, insurance company, policy number and emergency telephone details. Perhaps things are different in the USA. We have annual travel insurance renewed each year and they know about all our existing conditions, so we never have to worry.

[6rugrats]

Surely the Cruise Line won't let you sail without insurance! We always have to provide all details before a cruise, insurance company, policy number and emergency telephone details. Perhaps things are different in the USA. We have annual travel insurance renewed each year and they know about all our existing conditions, so we never have to worry.

 

Yes, the cruise line has no requirements that you carry insurance. Yes, things are different for you in the UK.

[D4]

So....with no pre-existing health conditions, the general answer is right before final payment?

 

I used to buy within 14-21 days of my deposit (to waive preexisting medical conditions), but last year I learned I should buy it right away.

 

Here's what happened to us. Early April 2010, we decided to go to Rome for a 2+ week vacation and we would leave 3 weeks from the day we decided to take this trip. I knew I would buy trip insurance within 2 weeks, but didn't do it right away because I was busy making all our other travel arrangements.

 

The Iceland volcano erupted about 10 days after I bought our flights but before I bought the insurance so we would not have coverage for travel problems due to the volcano. Our flight to Rome went as planned but our return flight was almost cancelled because the volcano flared up again. Instead we had a 6 hour delay before we took off from Rome. If the flight had been cancelled, we would have had to stay extra days in Rome at our own cost. That experience taught me to buy insurance the day I pay any initial amount.

[Smokeyham]

So....with no pre-existing health conditions, the general answer is right before final payment?

 

As others are saying, I wouldn't want to wait that long. Many things, beyond your own health, can affect your trip if you wait you may well lose out on the ability to "cancel for any reason." Who could predict that a volcano would have such an impact on European travel?

[great Grandad]

When do you purchase your trip insurance?

 

Before or after final payment?

 

 

We always look at the availability of the cruise that we wish to go on, and get a provisional booking reference number from the travel agents. We then have to hun tthe net for a company that will insure us, as we have pre existing conditions. If we get the cover, we pay the insurance company for it at that time. Any cancellation cover starts from this date, and the actual cruise insurance starts on the date we travel to the port of embarkation. Cheer's John

[PreciousCruiser]

Sounds like to me that if you don't purchase w/n 15 days of deposit a person should pay the extra prem. to include anything pre-existing. Would someone give me their thoughts on that pls. Haven't purchased the insurance yet. Was going to do so with the cruiseline, but now I'm considering TG. I'm past the 15 days after deposit. Final pmt. is 12/20/11. My cruise is in March, 2012. If we have to go to the doctor between now and when I get the insurance (or is it go on the cruise), and we have an issue on the cruise related to that doctor visit and need to use the insurance, wouldn't that be a problem if we didn't pay the extra to include pre-existing conditions?

 

Sorry if I'm wording this in a confusing way. Hope you can understand my question. I've talked to TG about it, but wanted a posters thoughts. So much to consider and I want to make the right choice. Next time I book a cruise, I'll go ahead and get the insurance w/n the 15 days and won't have to worry about this issue.

 

 

Thanks,

[sirwired]

There are plans that will still provide a pre-ex waiver at this date; some of the plans from CSA will, and there are others.

[cherylandtk]

Precious,

I don't think there are policies that allow you to pay extra for the Pre-ex waiver after you miss their 15-20 day period. As noted above, the CSA period is much longer and allows you to cover the Pre-ex up until your final payment is made.

 

The time period is from the day you purchase the insurance BACK some 60 or 120 days- depending on policy and lookback.

 

At this point, I would suggest you compare CSA coverage and the upgraded cruise any-reason coverage and select one of those. Unless TG policy has a unique coverage you want, the Pre-ex coverage sounds like your highest priority and the only way to include that now is one of those two. NEXT time you can purchase TG within the window.

[cruiseco]

Precious,

I don't think there are policies that allow you to pay extra for the Pre-ex waiver after you miss their 15-20 day period. As noted above, the CSA period is much longer and allows you to cover the Pre-ex up until your final payment is made.

 

The time period is from the day you purchase the insurance BACK some 60 or 120 days- depending on policy and lookback.

 

At this point, I would suggest you compare CSA coverage and the upgraded cruise any-reason coverage and select one of those. Unless TG policy has a unique coverage you want, the Pre-ex coverage sounds like your highest priority and the only way to include that now is one of those two. NEXT time you can purchase TG within the window.

 

I went to the Travel Guard web site and pulled up the following from their wording for the Additional Covered Reasons optional benefit (requires more $$$) available with the My Travel Guard plan:

 

"Additional Covered Reasons Upgrade

 

Includes Trip Cancellation/Interruption coverage due to Financial Default, Terrorist Incident and a waiver for pre-existing medical conditions up to the first $50,000 of trip cost. Also covers Trip Cancellation/Interruption due to involuntary job loss or layoff. For complete details of coverage refer to the Description of Coverage. (Must be purchased within 21 days of initial trip payment or by final payment.)"

 

The confusion may lie in the fact that residents of some states can't get this option -- for example, FL, IN, NH, NY, PA & WA. So if a resident of WA goes to the Travel Guard site he won't find this option, but a resident of CA going to the same site will.

[cherylandtk]

Thanks for that information; it looks like that is yet another policy available for many late decision cruisers.

[mexico8]

Most pople posting here assume that you can cancel before final payment with no penalty but that is not always the case. I just cancelled before the final paymen was due and have a $2,000.00 penalty. Heads up!

 

Wendy

[Smokeyham]

Most pople posting here assume that you can cancel before final payment with no penalty but that is not always the case. I just cancelled before the final paymen was due and have a $2,000.00 penalty. Heads up!

 

Wendy

 

Yikes... What cruise line was that with? We are travelling with Princess, and our TA has assured us that you can cancel your reservation, and have the deposit refunded, up to the time of final payment.

[sirwired]

Yikes... What cruise line was that with? We are travelling with Princess, and our TA has assured us that you can cancel your reservation, and have the deposit refunded, up to the time of final payment.

 

Some "boutique" lines have stricter cancellation policies. So does Princess, for that matter, if you book a World Cruise.

[griffy116]

Cheapest coverage, that includes pre-existing conditions can be found by purchasing w/i the tiny window at the time of purchase. I have a pre-existing condition and purchase early to cover. My parents didn't purchase right away on one cruise and the cost increased drastically to cover pre-existing for him. Also, anyone on Medicare should be aware they aren't covered when out of the country and need to purchase travel insurance. Lots of things can happen, including developing a condition prior to purchasing the insurance, but after the cruise has been booked. If you purchase right away, it's based on your age, not your condition.

[Smokeyham]

Some "boutique" lines have stricter cancellation policies. So does Princess, for that matter, if you book a World Cruise.

.

 

Thanks... Good to know that some lines have stricter policies regarding refunds of deposits. I hope to do a World Cruise one of these days, and so will keep that in mind.