Cruise Insurance?

[absolutonrox]

I recently booked my first ever cruise on Grandeur of the Seas to the Bahamas and Florida next March. When booking through my TA, they gave me the number of an independent travel insurance company I can use, or that I can get it through RCI. Is it REALLY necessary? I've never taken extra insurance on anything before, so I'm curious what the generally accepted way of handling it is. I know everyone is different and has their own circumstances, just looking for some reasons you do or don't get it. I'm only about an hour and a half drive from the port in Baltimore where we're sailing from, so travel delays shouldn't be an issue to missing departure for me (barring a REALLY late March REALLY bad snow storm, in which case we could stay at in-laws before the storm hits, who are 20 min from Inner Harbor :D).

[Shmoo here]

I recently booked my first ever cruise on Grandeur of the Seas to the Bahamas and Florida next March. When booking through my TA, they gave me the number of an independent travel insurance company I can use, or that I can get it through RCI. Is it REALLY necessary? I've never taken extra insurance on anything before, so I'm curious what the generally accepted way of handling it is. I know everyone is different and has their own circumstances, just looking for some reasons you do or don't get it. I'm only about an hour and a half drive from the port in Baltimore where we're sailing from, so travel delays shouldn't be an issue to missing departure for me (barring a REALLY late March REALLY bad snow storm, in which case we could stay at in-laws before the storm hits, who are 20 min from Inner Harbor :D).

 

Insurance can cover more than trip delays or cancellations. One important coverage you might consider is medical/evacuation coverage. Many US health plans do not cover you once you are "out of country". And when you board the ship, in most cases, you are considered "out of country".

 

Generally insurance coverage you can purchase through cruiselines isn't all that great. It usually doesn't start until the trip begins. Buying by a 3rd party your coverage can begin as soon as you buy it. One thing, for most 3rd party insurance, pre-existing medical problems will not be covered unless you purchase within a certain timeframe from first payment on the cruise (usually around 14 days). You will find that most of the 3rd party insurance companies will be cheaper and cover more than purchasing through the cruiselines.

 

A couple of good place to check out prices: insuremytrip.com/ and http://www.squaremouth.com/ Both are insurance comparison sites, where you put in the information as to what coverages you want and they will show you several companies offers.

[Hlitner]

Is it necessary? We have spent more then 3 years on cruises but have only insured two shorter cruises (when we had parents with severe health issues). We do think everyone should have health insurance coverage on a cruise...but many policies (not Medicare) do give some coverage for outside the US. As to insuring the cost of our trips, we choose to self-insure and figure that at this point we are over $100,000 ahead. Trip insurance is very expensive (7-12% of trip costs) and since you are already paying for the trip you can afford it! But some folks love to spend their money on insurance (whether necessary of not) and there are plenty of travel agencies and cruise lines happy to make a nice profit on insurance. We do agree that if you really need to insure you should shop at insuremytrip.com and squaremouth.com.

 

Hank

[boogs]

...we choose to self-insure and figure that at this point we are over $100,000 ahead. Trip insurance is very expensive (7-12% of trip costs)

 

If my math is correct, if you are over $100,000 ahead by not purchasing insurance, and insurance costs average out as 10% of the cost, that means you have spend about a $1,000,000 on cruises. All I can say is "WOW!" I mean, "WOW!" That's a lot of money on cruises.

 

If I had that much extra money to spend on vacations, there would be a lot of things I wouldn't have to worry about.

[alaata]

I want to add insurance for my family's cruise. Who's is better carnival or a 3rd party's insurance? ? :confused:

 

new to cruising. . first cruise March/2014... sencond August /2014

[Elaine5715]

For a week cruise, it costs me about $60 for travel insurance. While that includes lost baggage and assorted items, it is for what happens if I tripped, fell and got hurt in a place where medical care is iffy. That $60 will get me home on a medical evacuation flight.

It could be the best $60 I ever spend.

[rvsullivan]

Well, we travel in suites on every cruise and not "kids" anymore. Our cost per cruise is about $150, trying to figure out how many trips I would have to make to run up a $100K in travel insurance? I think ours is closer to 1 or 2% of cruise cost?

[GTO-Girl]

I want to add insurance for my family's cruise. Who's is better carnival or a 3rd party's insurance? ? :confused:

 

new to cruising. . first cruise March/2014... sencond August /2014

 

Would absolutely suggest using a third party.......better coverage for less money!

 

We use http://www.insuremytrip.com to purchase our policies....

[alaata]

Ok .. do you add all your travel costs ..the air hotel shores excursions or just the cruise price.?

 

new to cruising. . first cruise March/2014... sencond August /2014

[GTO-Girl]

Ok .. do you add all your travel costs ..the air hotel shores excursions or just the cruise price.?

 

new to cruising. . first cruise March/2014... sencond August /2014

 

You add all expenses you wish to cover........to keep the cost down we usually just put the cost of the cruise itself.

[Shmoo here]

Ok .. do you add all your travel costs ..the air hotel shores excursions or just the cruise price.?

 

new to cruising. . first cruise March/2014... sencond August /2014

 

You would cover whatever non-refundable expenses you don't want to lose.

[Scrapnana]

For a week cruise, it costs me about $60 for travel insurance. While that includes lost baggage and assorted items, it is for what happens if I tripped, fell and got hurt in a place where medical care is iffy. That $60 will get me home on a medical evacuation flight.

It could be the best $60 I ever spend.

 

This is very true. My health insurance does not cover me outside of the country. If I had an accident or medical emergency in a foreign country, I could not afford the cost of medical treatment. Hopefully you will never need your insurance (be that auto, home, travel, etc.) but what will happen if you do?

[Langley Cruisers]

Of course this is a personal decision but this has been discussed here many times before. Here are just some of the hundreds of threads:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1865773&highlight=insurance

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1853585&highlight=insurance

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1802104&highlight=insurance

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1750325&highlight=insurance

[sloopsailor]

Is it necessary? We have spent more then 3 years on cruises but have only insured two shorter cruises (when we had parents with severe health issues). We do think everyone should have health insurance coverage on a cruise...but many policies (not Medicare) do give some coverage for outside the US. As to insuring the cost of our trips, we choose to self-insure and figure that at this point we are over $100,000 ahead. Trip insurance is very expensive (7-12% of trip costs) and since you are already paying for the trip you can afford it! But some folks love to spend their money on insurance (whether necessary of not) and there are plenty of travel agencies and cruise lines happy to make a nice profit on insurance. We do agree that if you really need to insure you should shop at insuremytrip.com and squaremouth.com.

 

Hank

 

Don't you just love it when people who are so wealthy that they brag about being able to afford to spend more than three years vacationing on cruise ships while self insuring themselves, come on these boards and tell those of us who have to save for months, if not years to take a single cruise, that we are throwing our money away by purchasing insurance to cover what to us could be a major financial setback. Talk about a classic example of the 1% being totally out of touch with the average person. Interesting to read how different the rich think they are from us "commoners". :rolleyes:

[mudscraper]

Don't you just love it when people who are so wealthy that they brag about being able to afford to spend more than three years vacationing on cruise ships while self insuring themselves, come on these boards and tell those of us who have to save for months, if not years to take a single cruise, that we are throwing our money away by purchasing insurance to cover what to us could be a major financial setback. Talk about a classic example of the 1% being totally out of touch with the average person. Interesting to read how different the rich think they are from us "commoners". :rolleyes:

Wow, You take exception to what ONE poster writes and you literally lump in several million other citizens with your accusations.

[sloopsailor]

Wow, You take exception to what ONE poster writes and you literally lump in several million other citizens with your accusations.

 

If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...... :rolleyes: