Travel Insurance, worth it?

[Seaworthy01]

What are your experiences Good/Bad with travel insurance? Is it worth it?

[sparks1093]

I've never had to use it but it is worth it to me knowing that if something goes wrong I would be covered, especially for medical evacuation expenses which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

[Nebr.cruiser]

It's worth it only if you need to use it. Since we have had to cancel three cruises/vacations at the last minute, each one in the $6000 plus range, it's been worth it for us.

 

We do buy insurance for every cruise and are just happy when we don't need to use it. With elderly parents, plus we are 'getting up there' in years ourselves, it's something we won't go without.

 

It is something of a hassle to get together all the paperwork required by the insurance company to prove that the cancellation is legitimate, but all three times they were easy to work with and helpful.

 

We choose a policy with very good emergency evacuation and a high dollar medical limit, as we could (wouldn't like it, but could) eat the actual cost of the cruise and other expenses, but medical expenses in the tens of thousands would be a lot tougher. We also make sure there is a good pre-existing conditions clause.

 

Ultimately, it's up to you if insurance is 'worth it'. I admit that when we were younger we didn't give a thought to insurance. However, even the young can have health/accident problems.

[xxoocruiser]

Most people generally think that the only reason to purchase travel insurance is in the event of a cancelation. Most health insurance policies have little to no foreign medical coverage. Also Medicare has extremely strict requirements for coverage as you need to be within 6 miles of a USA Hospital in order to be covered which is very unlikely when cruising.

 

Therefore to have peace of mind that I will not be hit with large medical bills and medical evacuation charges in the event of an emergency , the amount paid for travel insurance is well spent.

[NMLady]

What are your experiences Good/Bad with travel insurance? Is it worth it?

 

Travel insurance is more than just trip insurance. It also reimburses for covered medical costs for covered illnesses and emergency medical treatment on the cruise and also pays for medical evacuation if necessary (which can cost upwards of $25,000). I think trip insurance is definitely worth it.

InsuremyTrip.com is a good site for comparing policies.

[Keith1010]

It all comes down to the cost of the insurance and the risk you want to take.

 

Keith

[WatchHill]

I insure my house, car, health and travel. One never knows when it's needed, but the security of knowing we have it, is worth the cost.

 

Darcy

[Roz]

My main reason for buying travel insurance is for the medical coverage, including medical evacuation. It's never worth it until you need it. :D

 

Roz

[lamchops]

I always buy the annual trip medical insurance with an additional rider if trips exceed 14 days. We visit the US often on daytrips and it's not worth the risk.

 

I however do not buy cancellation insurance.

[calliopecruiser]

What are your experiences Good/Bad with travel insurance? Is it worth it?

 

Always, always, always have travel medical insurance. The cost of the insurance is very reasonable and a pittance compared to the potential costs of even something as simple as a broken finger or a case of food poisoning.

 

As for other travel insurance, like cancellation or lost-luggage coverage, I personally don't think it's worthwhile, but it depends on how willing you are to accept risk.

[Kamloops50]

What are your experiences Good/Bad with travel insurance? Is it worth it?

 

How much are you willing to gamble with your financial future?

Yes you can be self insured , but medical and other costs can rack up very quickly in case of an emergency .

[SadieN]

It is beacuse of a friend that we buy travel insurance.

She tripped in Florence and broke her leg into many pieces.

 

Her insurance paid for emergency flight home (for her and her partner) and all her med expenses related to the break. She was in a wheelchair for months. Took her over a year to fully recover.

[cattolica]

I begged my SIL and her husband to buy travel insurance before going on their first cruise. Thankfully they did. On the first full day of the cruise her husband fell (not the cruise lines fault) and broke his femur. He had to be have a medical evacuation from Mexico to Los Angeles and several surgeries. If he had not had the travel insurance the medical bills would have been in excess of $50,000. The travel insurance was a God send.

 

We always buy travel insurance. In 2007 due to an expected death in the family we had to leave a cruise early. Insurance covered all of our expenses to get home and refunded us the cost of the portion of the cruise we missed.

 

Please give serious consideration to buying travel insurance. You just never know what might happen.

[kcwingwalker]

What are your experiences Good/Bad with travel insurance? Is it worth it?

It's worth it when you need it!

 

Every year I buy flood insurance at a cost of a little more than a dollar per day. I buy it not because I am required to, but because the state/area I live in does have yearly floods. Woe to me if the pumps stop working or the drains on my street become blocked. One little inch of water in my home would not be covered by my homeowner's policy. Lots of $$$ for repairs and replacements. I do it for peace of mind.

 

Roll the dice if you wish, but can you financially bear the cost of a medical evacuation? It happens more often than you might realize. Let say someone in your party has appendicitis. The medical staff onboard will consider this an emergency and call in the choppers.

[Hlitner]

My main reason for buying travel insurance is for the medical coverage, including medical evacuation. It's never worth it until you need it. :D

 

Roz

 

You raise a great point. But folks should keep in mind that a good Travel Med policy is far more cheaper then buying trip insurance. So-called Trip insurance (and the policies sold by cruise lines) and focused on trip cancellation reimbursement...which is expensive to insure. But Travel Med is a different story. For example, DW and I have an annual Travel Med policy that provides up to $250,000 in Med coverage and $500,000 in Trip Evacuation coverage. This policy covers all trips we take within the policy year (up to 70 days per trip) and only costs $349 (full cost for both of us). But our policy does not reimburse trip cancellation costs.

 

Hank

[Seaworthy01]

Talked me into it. Thank you.

[slidergirl]

It is beacuse of a friend that we buy travel insurance.

She tripped in Florence and broke her leg into many pieces.

 

Her insurance paid for emergency flight home (for her and her partner) and all her med expenses related to the break. She was in a wheelchair for months. Took her over a year to fully recover.

 

Sounds almost like me! Shattered my left fibula and dislocated the tibia at the ankle, in the vineyards outside of Montalcino. My insurance paid for the evacuation by the EMTs (I was on a trail), temporary reduction of the fracture and dislocation (prepped for later surgery), 4 nights in the hospital in Siena (they would not approve flying until then), changing my flights, and the week of vacation I would not get. They offered to pay to have a nurse accompany me home, but I declined. When all the bills from the hospital came in, they were just over 10,000EU!!! I just sent them all the paperwork and they took care of it. I had my surgery at home (plate and 13 screws), spent 3 months basically in a wheelchair (I was not allowed to put ANY weight on the leg), and another surgery 4 months later to remove some of the stabilizing screws at the ankle.

I was in rehab for a year to get back to where I can do almost everything again.

 

I always buy the insurance for both trip issues and medical issues. I just consider it part of the cost of my vacation. It's not just the money, but the assistance I'll get if I need it. Especially helpful when you are a solo traveler!

[Langley Cruisers]

OP, I know you've already replied back, but we actually just had to make a claim after years of purchasing insurance and not needing it (thank God). You never know when something will happen... something unexpected that will turn your life upside down... we had to make a claim a few months ago in cancelling our Baltic cruise when I found out I had cancer. As it turns out, we did get every penny back and that was a sigh of relief, but again, you just never know when something unexpected will come up and that is the entire reasoning behind any kind of insurance, right? :)

 

May you always be happy and healthy and never have to make a claim.

[Lionesss]

We will only travel with insurance.

We used it and it re-imbursed us for all listed expenses plus more when we were involved on a Disney vacation when Hurricaine Charlie arrived. It included hardship, Had I known about this hardship I would have pushed it a little further:D (but, I was honest).

It has gotten quite pricey over the years, but we still purchase it.

Sea Ya

[ducklite]

Just like car insurance, you will only think it is worth it when you need it--and then it will be worth it's weight in gold.

[ducklite]

Sounds almost like me! Shattered my left fibula and dislocated the tibia at the ankle, in the vineyards outside of Montalcino. My insurance paid for the evacuation by the EMTs (I was on a trail), temporary reduction of the fracture and dislocation (prepped for later surgery), 4 nights in the hospital in Siena (they would not approve flying until then), changing my flights, and the week of vacation I would not get. They offered to pay to have a nurse accompany me home, but I declined. When all the bills from the hospital came in, they were just over 10,000EU!!! I just sent them all the paperwork and they took care of it. I had my surgery at home (plate and 13 screws), spent 3 months basically in a wheelchair (I was not allowed to put ANY weight on the leg), and another surgery 4 months later to remove some of the stabilizing screws at the ankle.

I was in rehab for a year to get back to where I can do almost everything again.

 

I always buy the insurance for both trip issues and medical issues. I just consider it part of the cost of my vacation. It's not just the money, but the assistance I'll get if I need it. Especially helpful when you are a solo traveler!

 

Wow--how terrible! I hope you made a full recovery!

[donaldsc]

Just my opinion but medical and evacuation - would not travel without it. All other insurance - a waste of money. However, I should say that I have never had a problem of the "all other insurance" category.

 

DON

[ducklite]

Just my opinion but medical and evacuation - would not travel without it. All other insurance - a waste of money. However, I should say that I have never had a problem of the "all other insurance" category.

 

DON

 

I think it really depends on the trip you have booked. Last year we booked two weeks in the Med on a luxury ship, with nights pre and post at expensive hotels and first class airfare. It was an expensive trip--far more expense than I was willing to risk not having coverage for.

 

This year we drove cross country in my car, and our total non-cancellable costs were under $1000. That wasn't worth buying travel insurance for, and our regular health, homeowners, and auto covered all other perils.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Definitely

We have had to cancel cruises last minute a couple of times.

If you have an emergency and need to cancel, you don't want to lose all the money you invested in the cruise.

[Warm Breezes]

What are your experiences Good/Bad with travel insurance? Is it worth it?

 

Didn't have it for our first 3 cruises and found ourselves having some close calls. Started purchasing it for our 4th cruise and ended up using it on our 6th planned cruise when DGM passed away the day before we were to sail. For us it has been worth it. Do not get it through the ship....go through InsureMyTrip .com and compare for the option best for you.