Did you buy insurance?

[jacpan]

I'm just wondering if I should get insurance. I know Discover has insurance if anything happens before the cruise, but I don't think it covers anything during the cruise.

 

Do you recommend us purchasing insurance and who do you go with?

[the_monkey]

I learned about trip insurance here on CC back before our first cruise, and purchased it on the recommendation of people here. Ended up having to make a claim because a hurricane left us stranded on the ship for two extra days. All of our incidentals were paid for, including the extra gratuities we paid to the crew on the ship.

 

You are much more likely to need it for something like that than for a medical evacuation, but as plans generally cover that as well, it's excellent for peace of mind. I won't cruise without it.

 

Most people use the site that Google showed me to Insure My Trip. :) It lets you compare various policies all at once.

[mephistoles]

I'm just wondering if I should get insurance. I know Discover has insurance if anything happens before the cruise, but I don't think it covers anything during the cruise.

 

Do you recommend us purchasing insurance and who do you go with?

 

We didn't get insurance for our Liberty cruise last month but thanks to some awesome posts from CC members, I will do it for our cruise next year. Sadly enough, I have never purchased insurance but it truly is better to do so..."just in case"

[WDBGUY]

Royal Caribbean sent out the Majesty of the Seas just before tropical storm Issac at the end of August, everyone spent 3 days at sea without stopping anywhere, it was friday to monday....a cruise to nowhere, I bet some people wished they had it on that trip.

[ccruisequeen]

After parents needed to cancel without insurance we decided to purchase it for our upcoming trip. You never know when health problems will pop up, especially at their age!:D

[Rancher Dave]

Yes it is a good purchase. Travel Guard Gold is a good plan to look at.

[cathyz]

We always buy insurance from Travel Guard. We could probably eat the cost of the cruise if we had to, but the cost of getting sick or hurt on the ship would be unmanageable. The cost of an emergency evacuation is prohibitive (can be several tens of thousands of dollars).

[Nebr.cruiser]

We always buy insurance from Travel Guard. We could probably eat the cost of the cruise if we had to, but the cost of getting sick or hurt on the ship would be unmanageable. The cost of an emergency evacuation is prohibitive (can be several tens of thousands of dollars).

 

That's our take on it; yes, it would be awful to lose the price of the cruise and other incidentals like hotels, but we would survive it. If one of us had a medical emergency that required evacuation, that could potentially be a bankrupting crisis.

 

We also make sure the plan has a very good pre-existing condition clause, due to elderly parents, and, as we age, we have a few of those conditions ourselves. We've had to cancel three trips, all in the $6-$10,000 range, so our insurance has definitely paid off.

 

Travel Guard is good, but we've also used other companies. We compare what they offer on Insure My Trip.com

[cathyz]

That's our take on it; yes, it would be awful to lose the price of the cruise and other incidentals like hotels, but we would survive it. If one of us had a medical emergency that required evacuation, that could potentially be a bankrupting crisis.

 

We also make sure the plan has a very good pre-existing condition clause, due to elderly parents, and, as we age, we have a few of those conditions ourselves. We've had to cancel three trips, all in the $6-$10,000 range, so our insurance has definitely paid off.

 

Travel Guard is good, but we've also used other companies. We compare what they offer on Insure My Trip.com

I have a pre-existing condition also and always buy the insurance the same day we put a deposit on the cruise so we get that part of the coverage too.

[nwcruiselover]

I wouldn't travel without insurance. I know there are lots of good companies, but I use Access America (now called Allianz). In order for it to cover pre-existing conditions you need to purchase your policy within 10 days of putting down your deposit. That means pre-existing conditions of yourself, your travel companion, or immediate family members that might disrupt your plans, even though they're not going on the cruise.

[misstopgun]

On our 2nd cruise a tablemate had to be airlifted to the US for medical reasons and as it was not the cost gaurd taking them off the ship, their friends told us the cost was extreme. They were all much younger than we were so from that point on we have bought the insurance.

 

This year it has come in handy as I injured myself while on a non ship sposored excursion. (broken foot with complictions) Not only will it cover the cost of the medical on the ship but also the co-payments my insurance will not cover for the care I have recieved since we came home.

 

We always bought it thinking my husband was at risk after 2 heart attacks. Funny how it works out that I am the one who needed it. You just never know and Don't think you need it until you do.

[twinbee]

I always buy travel insurance. I purchase it through the website insuremytrip. Would not travel without it.

[CJ0226]

Based up on our luck of "if we didnt have bad luck, we would have no luck" we really should get insurance, but we don't.

 

It just seems this is another way for companies to make money, but I guess it is a worthwhile investment just in case.

[ronandannette]

Always do emergency medical even though we're both covered to some extent through work. We don't always buy cancellation but have for my last cruise (Princess in May) and for our upcoming trip on the Victory this weekend. What made the decision for us is having a very elderly DM (95 and on the proverbial "edge") and leaving our DS (15) at home. The risks in this cases are higher than we're willing to gamble.

 

P.S. We bought directly from Carnival and found the price to be competitive, and it covers our independent air/hotel arrangements also.

[Wolfie48]

Based up on our luck of "if we didnt have bad luck, we would have no luck" we really should get insurance, but we don't.

 

It just seems this is another way for companies to make money, but I guess it is a worthwhile investment just in case.

 

Insurance is one of those things....You buy it hoping you won't need it, and they sell it to you hoping you won't use it.

[TeamZambo]

I always buy travel insurance. I purchase it through the website insuremytrip. Would not travel without it.

 

Purchased a policy from said site, chose the plan from CSA, was around 80 or something. Heard great reviews, more than Travel Guard which we also heard great things about. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

[Almost Packed]

Here's my take on it...look at your age and health...look at what maybe your credit cards offer and even your life insurance policy offers. Many people are not aware of certain benefits their own health/life insurance may offer.

 

my dh has a heart problem. however, we have never purchased an insurance policy specifically for our cruise or land vacations. Our life insurance policy through my work covers traveling specifically...so we are covered in that aspect as long as we are more than 100 miles from home. Road trip 99 miles are less..we are S.O.L. lol.

 

for those who have to worry about airfare home etc. I can see a benefit for having insurance for that. Fortunately for us that is not a concern.

 

Any emergency that could arise to make us leave our cruise or cancel would be more important than us worrying about a few thousand dollars that we may lose. I personally would not be concerned about money at that time. Ask me 6 months later down the line and I might be kicking myself as I'm a tight wad lol.

 

If I had fragile aging parents or a severely sick child, it would be worth considering. But if I'm in my 20-50's and everyone's in good health...I'm banking those bucks for my vacation. But that's just me. I'm a gambler (and a tight wad lol)

[Fla Mike]

We always buy insurance from Travel Guard. We could probably eat the cost of the cruise if we had to, but the cost of getting sick or hurt on the ship would be unmanageable. The cost of an emergency evacuation is prohibitive (can be several tens of thousands of dollars).

 

Another vote for Travel Guard.

 

I have some health problems and if I purchase within 14 days, there is a pre-existng conditions waiver.

[bythehex]

I used to only buy CSA, this time I'm trying Allianz. Let's hope that none of us have the need to ever use the insurance! But for peace of mind, I always have it.

 

You never know when something will happen - we were on a cruise in 2008 when I got a phone call that my Mother had died unexpectedly. S**t happens that you aren't prepared for, but having insurance can make an already stressful situation just a little bit easier.

[thephantomsgirl]

I had never gotten in previous cruises but I do now. I have elderly parents and have had health issuses myself. I buy right after booking to get pre existing. I like the trip insurance store as one can call them and Ask questions

[emelvee]

Always. We also use insuremytrip.

[stargate fan]

I'm just wondering if I should get insurance. I know Discover has insurance if anything happens before the cruise, but I don't think it covers anything during the cruise.

 

Do you recommend us purchasing insurance and who do you go with?

 

We always buy insurance because:

 

1) We have elderly parents so just in case.

 

2) Our medical insurance sucks and doesn't cover medical evac.

 

3) I've read too many stories of people who get injured right before their cruises and have to cancel.

 

We always buy from TravelSafe because they have only a 60-day pre-existing condition rider, while most others have 180 days.

[ibcnusoon]

We purchased our travel insurance from InsureMyTrip. We ALWAYS get travel insurance for cruises, especially since we are leaving the country and our medical policies aren't in effect, especially my dad's medicare. Also, it's important to me to have medivac just in case we need it, and I also have coverage in case any one of us or our family falls ill and we need to cancel.

[ahwahoo2006]

We purchased our travel insurance from InsureMyTrip. We ALWAYS get travel insurance for cruises, especially since we are leaving the country and our medical policies aren't in effect, especially my dad's medicare. Also, it's important to me to have medivac just in case we need it, and I also have coverage in case any one of us or our family falls ill and we need to cancel.

 

I always get it because it is one of things that is better to have and not need than to need and not have.

 

Check your credit cards - I use my World MasterCard to book all my cruises because it comes with free travel insurance.

 

"Worldwide Automatic Travel Accident Insurance Pursue your travel with confidence. Automatic insurance against accidental loss of life, limb, sight, speech or hearing when you use World MasterCard to pay for your trip. Certain restrictions and exclusions apply. Travel Cancellation Insurance Plans can change unexpectedly, but you shouldn't bear the financial consequences. If your trip gets cancelled or interrupted, you're covered for the full fare when paying with World MasterCard, as well as for lost or stolen belongings, and for medical or legal emergencies. Certain restrictions and exclusions apply."

[proudpatriot07]

We bought through travel guard. It was less than $100 to cover for my husband and me- and we budget that into our travel expenses. After a scare with my husband's parents a few years back (my father-in-law's father passed away right before the cruise), we know how important it is and wouldn't cruise without it. We wouldn't buy through the cruise line though. You can go to insure my trip to compare prices and this was the best.

 

Like others have said, we could eat the cost of the cruise if we had to, but a medical emergency like that would be too much for us to handle... especially as 20somethings.