Big Box Online TA and insurance

[Lilystar]

Hello everyone

 

As I will be traveling to Europe for my next cruise, I decided it may be a good idea to purchase travel insurance this time around. I've booked the cruise through a well known big box online TA since they had a few good incentives. The insurance that they offer is through Travel Guard. They only have one level of what they offer for those cruises booked through the online TA.

 

Am I required to purchase through Travel Guard because my cruise was booked through the big box online TA or can I go through a different carrier and obtain quotes. Maybe this is a stupid question, I've just never booked a cruise in Europe, never booked a cruise with an online TA and never purchased insurance, so I feel a little lost!

[martincath]

Hello everyone

 

As I will be traveling to Europe for my next cruise, I decided it may be a good idea to purchase travel insurance this time around. I've booked the cruise through a well known big box online TA since they had a few good incentives. The insurance that they offer is through Travel Guard. They only have one level of what they offer for those cruises booked through the online TA.

 

Am I required to purchase through Travel Guard because my cruise was booked through the big box online TA or can I go through a different carrier and obtain quotes. Maybe this is a stupid question, I've just never booked a cruise in Europe, never booked a cruise with an online TA and never purchased insurance, so I feel a little lost!

If I've parsed your query correctly, then you need to get researching right now - while you can always take an insurance policy with any provider, with every policy I've ever had there's been a time cutoff from when you booked until you must have the insurance in place. Some have been as short as 72 hours.

 

If you booked the cruise a while ago you need to ensure that any new policy will cover your existing booking - some may allow you to claim for medical issues, delays etc. once you've actually left home, but not for a cancellation before leaving, to ensure you're not gaming the system by finding out about a problem, *then* taking out a policy...

 

Be sure to compare Annual policies as well as one-shot policies just for the specific vacation - we found it was cheaper to have an annual policy than to buy 2 separate weeks of coverage. Profit margins on 1 or 2 week vacation policies are outrageous IMO - almost as bad a deal as the extended warranty coverage on electronics... It also avoids any hurried insurance decision making when you book a holiday - keep renewing your annual policy and all your vacations are covered.

 

Your credit card company is often a useful resource - we've been using our Bank of Montreal Mastercard travel insurance add-on for several years as it offered the same coverage as our previous annual policy, plus rental car CDW, for $99 a year instead of the c. $130 we were paying for just travel delay/cancellation.

[Lilystar]

If I've parsed your query correctly, then you need to get researching right now - while you can always take an insurance policy with any provider, with every policy I've ever had there's been a time cutoff from when you booked until you must have the insurance in place. Some have been as short as 72 hours.

 

If you booked the cruise a while ago you need to ensure that any new policy will cover your existing booking - some may allow you to claim for medical issues, delays etc. once you've actually left home, but not for a cancellation before leaving, to ensure you're not gaming the system by finding out about a problem, *then* taking out a policy...

 

Be sure to compare Annual policies as well as one-shot policies just for the specific vacation - we found it was cheaper to have an annual policy than to buy 2 separate weeks of coverage. Profit margins on 1 or 2 week vacation policies are outrageous IMO - almost as bad a deal as the extended warranty coverage on electronics... It also avoids any hurried insurance decision making when you book a holiday - keep renewing your annual policy and all your vacations are covered.

 

Your credit card company is often a useful resource - we've been using our Bank of Montreal Mastercard travel insurance add-on for several years as it offered the same coverage as our previous annual policy, plus rental car CDW, for $99 a year instead of the c. $130 we were paying for just travel delay/cancellation.

 

Great advice. I booked the cruise on March 28th, so I'm still ok for the time being. I plan on getting the insurance booked by tomorrow.

[garycarla]

The most important part of insurance is to understand or determine:

 

WHAT ARE YOU INSURING?

 

What people think they are doing (emotionally) is not what they are buying.

 

What are you trying to cover.

 

Then, buy what is appropriate. In most cased, that offered via the cruise line or travel agent is not the best you can get.

[Lilystar]

The most important part of insurance is to understand or determine:

 

WHAT ARE YOU INSURING?

 

What people think they are doing (emotionally) is not what they are buying.

 

What are you trying to cover.

 

Then, buy what is appropriate. In most cased, that offered via the cruise line or travel agent is not the best you can get.

 

I did notice just now that Travel Guard quoted me a high price for what seemed to me as crappy coverage. The emergency medical evac and coverage was way below what others have recommended when going on an overseas cruise. When I priced the same out through squaremouth.com, the coverage was much better and about $50 cheaper.

 

I guess the answer is that it doesn't necessarily matter HOW I booked the cruise...I can still get my own insurance elsewhere. Right?

[Vacation Master]

It's almost always best to insure separate from the booking. I personally use insuremytrip.com ....easy tool that has a great compare policies feature.

 

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Tapatalk

[Lilystar]

I checked out both insuremytrip and also squaremouth. I just purchased what I think is a sufficient amount of insurance for about $40 less than the online TA. I feel like I'm covered now and I can quit worrying!

 

Thanks everyone.

[AF-1]

You can buy trip insurance anywhere. The above post has listed a good website

[S.S.Oceanlover]

If I've parsed your query correctly, then you need to get researching right now - while you can always take an insurance policy with any provider, with every policy I've ever had there's been a time cutoff from when you booked until you must have the insurance in place. Some have been as short as 72 hours.

 

If you booked the cruise a while ago you need to ensure that any new policy will cover your existing booking - some may allow you to claim for medical issues, delays etc. once you've actually left home, but not for a cancellation before leaving, to ensure you're not gaming the system by finding out about a problem, *then* taking out a policy...

 

Be sure to compare Annual policies as well as one-shot policies just for the specific vacation - we found it was cheaper to have an annual policy than to buy 2 separate weeks of coverage. Profit margins on 1 or 2 week vacation policies are outrageous IMO - almost as bad a deal as the extended warranty coverage on electronics... It also avoids any hurried insurance decision making when you book a holiday - keep renewing your annual policy and all your vacations are covered.

 

Your credit card company is often a useful resource - we've been using our Bank of Montreal Mastercard travel insurance add-on for several years as it offered the same coverage as our previous annual policy, plus rental car CDW, for $99 a year instead of the c. $130 we were paying for just travel delay/cancellation.

 

it seems to me there must be different rules in Canada.:confused:

 

Here we can buy insurance for our cruise right up until i get ready to walk out the door for the cruise. It won't cover pre existing illnesses but everything else is still covered 100%

 

Bill

[AweighToSea]

it seems to me there must be different rules in Canada.:confused:

 

Here we can buy insurance for our cruise right up until i get ready to walk out the door for the cruise. It won't cover pre existing illnesses but everything else is still covered 100%

 

Bill

We do have fewer choices in Canada and do have mores choices the closer insurance is purchased to initial deposit date.

 

That said we have purchased insurance including pre-existing condition just before final payment though choices are very limited and cost is of course more. We have had great personal service and advice on late purchases from TripInsuranceStore