Vacation Protection...did you buy it?

[bythehex]

We booked a huge beach house in the OBX during hurricane season. I bought the insurance 'cause there were 3 other families involved. Our trip was cancelled last Sept. due to Irene washed out the only highway. So yes, insurance is a great safety net for those not willing to take a chance. As I posted elsewhere, I used to book last minute when there was much less chance of fate intervening. Imagine if CCL made insurance mandatory to shut uo the whiners.

 

That's exactly what insurance is. It's a safety net for those situations that can (and do) arise without warning.

 

We were on a cruise a few years back when I received the phone call that my mother had died unexpectedly.

 

I guess until you experience a situation yourself, you'll consider those of us who are in favor of insurance as "whiners". Hope you never have to find out the hard way why travel insurance is a must.

[klmorg]

Also keep in mind that many medical plans cover out of country expenses, evac, etc. I know mine does. Do you know if yours does?

 

Our regular health insurance covered a good part of the medical (later), and travel insurance reimbursed the rest. For example, the air ambulance to Miami was nearly $25,000, not 100% covered by regular health insurance. We had to pay for much of these costs up front (not the air ambulance thank God), including S&S bill of nearly $4000 (mainly infirmary), and Cayman Islands hospital nearly $5000. Then we were reimbursed later.

 

But besides the medical, we had alot of other expenses, such as private flights for our kids to fly to Miami from GC, taxis, hotel in Miami, meals, transportation back home (after 2 weeks, required private nurse to accompany him) and on & on. Other expenses people might not think of, were covered under trip interruption. We also were later reimbursed for half of the cruise for 4 people, related tips, excursions, that we missed, etc. Total expenses were around $115,000.

 

I could do a commercial for travel insurance!! Best part is.... hubby survived & is doing great! We've been on a few cruises since this happened.:)

[megmno]

I don't really think people need to be hostile just because some of us don't like cruise insurance. I buy enough insurance as it is and don't really care to purchase cruise insurance--just a personal choice--my choice. But there is nothing wrong with another's choice to buy it if they wish. :)

 

To each his own. I buy insurance but respect your right not too.

But I do hate it when people who didn't choose to buy it then complain if they can't get reimbursed by Carnival when something untoward happens on their cruise.

 

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[Rottweiler Puppy]

I don't really think people need to be hostile just because some of us don't like cruise insurance. I buy enough insurance as it is and don't really care to purchase cruise insurance--just a personal choice--my choice. But there is nothing wrong with another's choice to buy it if they wish. :)

 

 

I don't think anyone was getting hostile over your choice to not be covered. I think its high foolishness to not spend $20 on insurance just in case you get hurt or sick but that just me. I hold no animosity towards you if you don't mind the risk or are wealthy enough to cover the evacuation and foreign hospital bills.

[spiritfox]

I don't think anyone was getting hostile over your choice to not be covered. I think its high foolishness to not spend $20 on insurance just in case you get hurt or sick but that just me. I hold no animosity towards you if you don't mind the risk or are wealthy enough to cover the evacuation and foreign hospital bills.

 

As others have said, having good health insurance avoids that problem--and you don't need to be wealthy to have good health insurance. :)

[BenjiRodney]

We always buy the insurance just in case.....

[laumicmah]

Yup, I added it a few weeks ago. I never got it in the past, but will from now on.

[cobianlover]

insure my trip gives me 171 options from 21 carriers??!?!? :eek: Well this will certainly eat up my "143 days til I cruise" !!

[gtalum]

insure my trip gives me 171 options from 21 carriers??!?!? :eek: Well this will certainly eat up my "143 days til I cruise" !!

 

To make it easier on yourself, I suspect that in a vast majority of cases each company's most basic option is adequate.

[Surfwench]

I booked my cruise thru Carnival but bought the travel insurance thru AAA .. MUCH better rate and the kids were free to cover.

 

Us too... $150.00 for the entire trip as compared to $280.00 for Carnival. I can so see myself breaking a leg and having to be medivac'd off the ship.... and getting a bill for $50,000.00 for the helicopter ride. My parents and in-laws are elderly as well.... it isn't too inconceivable that something might happen to them right before the cruise and we would have to cancel unexpectedly. :(

[jetsfan]

We are family of 6 going on the Spirit to Alaska this July. I looked on insuremytrip and got a great rate. With the money we are spending, and the age of our parents it is a must have for us. Happy sailing!

[cocontom]

We don't usually get trip insurance, but we also don't usually book trips 11 months out, and we especially don't book without airfare, or pay the majority of the expenses in full, pretty much non-refundably, in a huge chunk 90 days out.

 

I think we probably will for this trip. It's only another $98, and that covers a lot.

[kicia]

We usually don't buy trip insurance but we did on our European cruises. I was looking at insurance, mostly trip cancellation/interruption, for our European cruises next year but am finding the prices too high. It's over $1100 from Carnival and about $1000 from companies at insure my trip. We have good health insurance and it will cover medical evacuations. I haven't found any companies that offer just trip cancellation/interruption. I sent an e-mail to insure my trip and asked if there were any companies that offered that and the response I received said they could not recommend any companies. I guess we won't be buying insurance for next year.

[Rottweiler Puppy]

As others have said, having good health insurance avoids that problem--and you don't need to be wealthy to have good health insurance. :)

 

I unhderstand and I too have insurance already that covers me worldwide.

 

My health insurance (BrueCross) covers me worldwide. It doesn't cover a 100k medivac though or give me an additional 50k life insurance for the trip. So if I die, my kids get an additional 50k on top of the regular 250 from my life plan. At that point (death) it helps my family even more.

 

I am not wealthy and have pretty good private insurance, still the $17 trip insurance covers things my regular insurance doesn't.

[kingoftheicedragons]

We've bought Carnival's insurance for one of the six cruises we've been on, and that was the Puerto Rico one.

 

I don't necessarily care about the medical aspects of it--I know my insurance will cover me whereever I am, and I also have worldwide emergency medical evac as part of my insurance as well.

 

I bought it that once in case I would need to recoup the cost of the airfare and cruise tickets should something happen--such as a blizzard--that would delay or prevent me from taking the trip.

[stormynow]

I unhderstand and I too have insurance already that covers me worldwide.

 

My health insurance (BrueCross) covers me worldwide. It doesn't cover a 100k medivac though or give me an additional 50k life insurance for the trip. So if I die, my kids get an additional 50k on top of the regular 250 from my life plan. At that point (death) it helps my family even more.

 

I am not wealthy and have pretty good private insurance, still the $17 trip insurance covers things my regular insurance doesn't.

40 some cruise's and have never bought it, but after reading this thread maybe should. Where can I get it for $17.00 aweek. Thanks

[blondietink]

We always buy trip insruance. It used to be because we had 4 elderly parents. We also have 2 disabled young adult sons, one with significant medical issues. It's a no brainer. We buy off the insure my trip website. Better be safe than sorry.

[spiritfox]

I unhderstand and I too have insurance already that covers me worldwide.

 

My health insurance (BrueCross) covers me worldwide. It doesn't cover a 100k medivac though or give me an additional 50k life insurance for the trip. So if I die, my kids get an additional 50k on top of the regular 250 from my life plan. At that point (death) it helps my family even more.

 

I am not wealthy and have pretty good private insurance, still the $17 trip insurance covers things my regular insurance doesn't.

 

I'll give you credit--I am at least thinking about travel insurance now. ;)

[Andoria]

I bought the insurance through Carnival. I noticed on my online booking, I have the option of removing it. Will I get all my money back so that I can go through a private insurance company?

[PaulMedik]

Basic travel insurance generally covers emergency trip cancellation, health care and medical evacuation. Most people seem primarily concerned about trip cancellation but the health care and evacuation are where the real economic risk lies. It can easily cost $100,000 to get a medical charter flight back to the US from a Caribbean port.

 

 

gtalum,

 

$100,000? I haven't flown medevac for a while, but our prices were about 5% of that figure; I'd guess prices are quite a bit more now, but no where near $100K.

[klmorg]

I'll give you credit--I am at least thinking about travel insurance now. ;)

 

Did you read my story earlier?:D My hubby was 47 years young at the time and in great health, or so we thought.:o

 

gtalum,

 

$100,000? I haven't flown medevac for a while, but our prices were about 5% of that figure; I'd guess prices are quite a bit more now, but no where near $100K.

 

Yeah in our case, the air ambulance from Grand Cayman to Miami was around $25,000. It was a small Lear jet, and included a private nurse, doctor, and the pilot. This was about 4 years ago. But we still racked up other expenses during our "trip interruption", beyond the medical part.

[mondello]

That's exactly what insurance is. It's a safety net for those situations that can (and do) arise without warning.

 

We were on a cruise a few years back when I received the phone call that my mother had died unexpectedly.

 

I guess until you experience a situation yourself, you'll consider those of us who are in favor of insurance as "whiners". Hope you never have to find out the hard way why travel insurance is a must.

No, I meant the people that whine when things go bad and DIDN'T buy insurance beforehand. Insurance is just a hedge against risk, we're willing to risk the decision to buy insurance or not. You won't see me whining here about my med-evac bill. OP asked if we buy insurance or not, its a personal choice. No need to convince the other side that only one choice is correct.

[Laurin612]

I got that same phone call (and spiel) yesterday from Carnival telling me that 90% of people take the insurance and this was the deadline to purchase it.

 

We always buy insurance for trips and for some reason we didn't on this one. Carnival wanted $320 for 2 adults and 2 kids. After looking around on my lunch hour, I ended up getting much better coverage directly from Travelguard for $113.

[blondietink]

I got that same phone call (and spiel) yesterday from Carnival telling me that 90% of people take the insurance and this was the deadline to purchase it.

 

We always buy insurance for trips and for some reason we didn't on this one. Carnival wanted $320 for 2 adults and 2 kids. After looking around on my lunch hour, I ended up getting much better coverage directly from Travelguard for $113.

 

 

If CArnival wants to be competative and sell more insurance, maybe they should think about offering a family type plan that is more in line with the independents. Since we are a family of 4, we always find a much better price using the insure my trip website.

[hannahsmomtoo]

My medical only covers me ( our of state ) if it is a "life or death" situation. I actually had a coworker go skiing in another state and break her arm.. only to have to fight the insurance company tooth and nail.

 

That is why I AM opting for the travel insurance. ( But through AAA .. not Carnival )