Cruise Insurance

[amberjohn]

Sailing on the Dawn from Boston in July. Driving to the port. Cost of insurance is $80 a person (4 of us). Do most of you get the insurance or is it basically a waste of money?

 

Thanks

[DMH15]

First, may people do not even understand the insurance they are buying. There are different kinds, such as "cancel for any reason". I have purchased insurance for about half my cruises... the really expensive ones or ones when I have travelled with my elderly mom.

 

Ask yourself this: "can I afford to lose what I paid for this cruise if I was not able to take it" and also, "can I handle the cost of a medical emergency on the cruise".

 

Just my opinion here.

[rvsullivan]

That's pretty cheap! Who is it with and what does it cover? If you have a medical problem, miss the ship or need to cancel it is not wasted money. It's only wasted money if it does not cover what you need.

Most will tell you to get private insurance and not NCL's. We've done both. You need to shop for what service you need and what it covers.

[luvtheships]

Sailing on the Dawn from Boston in July. Driving to the port. Cost of insurance is $80 a person (4 of us). Do most of you get the insurance or is it basically a waste of money?

 

Thanks

 

It looks like you are probably all adults over 50?

 

 

You do not need to insure the total amount you paid just the actual cost of the cabin before tax and port so it sounds about right

 

But each adult pays their own I assume?

 

Also cruise line insurance is more expensive than the much more preferable third party Insurance

 

I buy travel guard and pay around $70

 

 

However if it is $80 per person and that is for a family of 2 parents and 2 kids...... It is way too much.....unless of course you are paying through the nose for you cabin.....as in haven or penthouse

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited May 6, 2015 by luvtheships

[SissasMomE]

Sailing on the Dawn from Boston in July. Driving to the port. Cost of insurance is $80 a person (4 of us). Do most of you get the insurance or is it basically a waste of money?

 

Thanks

 

We always buy insurance. We have very good medical insurance that does cover us while out of the country, but we still buy the travel insurance with the medical as well. It really is not a waste of money.

[emcelh]

Donna is correct. We buy it most of the time since we both have some health issues. For us, the peace of mind is worth it. You have to decide what the risk is and what you can afford to loose financially if the unexpected should happen.

[Philob]

Do most of you get the insurance or is it basically a waste of money?

 

If you had to cancel prior to your sail date or missed the boat, can you afford to lose up to the entire cost of your cruise?

 

Assuming your medical insurance does not cover you outside of the US, can you afford to pay for your medical bills incurred on board or in another country? Some medical providers will require proof of payment prior to treating you.

 

After your medical condition is stabilized can you afford to hire a medivac flight back to your back to the US or home town?

 

If you can answer yes to all of the above, then you don't need cruise insurance.

[Zevo]

I strongly believe in insurance. You never know what can happen after final payment. You could god forbid have an accident, loose your job etc. You could get hurt on the ship. It's not that expensive. It's peace of mind.

[roger001]

You hope is that insurance, any insurance will always be a waste of money. And that is true with trip insurance. But......if you have the misfortune to need it, it then becomes the very best financial investment you've made ever. So, here's hoping that for you, this cruise is totally without problems and you totally waste the money spent on the insurance. With that said, I never, never cruise without it. The company I book through now charges 8% of the cruise price for very complete coverage. And in 16 cruises with them, they have won the bet every time and I've lost every time.....or did I????

[zoiebear]

So when do you actually purchase the cruise insurance? I think I have gotten it for all but the very first one and I get it on my own, not through the cruise line... and I have always gotten it right after I book the cruise.

 

However, I was thinking why would I need it until final payment if I can cancel it with a full refund up till that time - so can you wait to buy it when your final payment is due or does it need to be bought right away when first booking?? :rolleyes:

[SissasMomE]

So when do you actually purchase the cruise insurance? I think I have gotten it for all but the very first one and I get it on my own, not through the cruise line... and I have always gotten it right after I book the cruise.

 

However, I was thinking why would I need it until final payment if I can cancel it with a full refund up till that time - so can you wait to buy it when your final payment is due or does it need to be bought right away when first booking?? :rolleyes:

 

Well, to obtain a pre-existing condition waiver, most insurance companies require you to purchase within the first 2 weeks of making your deposit. If you end up cancelling for a medical reason, insurance companies can be notorious for denying claims based on "pre-existing conditions". It's up to you .... just make sure you read the policy and know what it is you are purchasing before you pay for it.

Edited May 6, 2015 by SissasMomE

[amberjohn]

So when do you actually purchase the cruise insurance? I think I have gotten it for all but the very first one and I get it on my own, not through the cruise line... and I have always gotten it right after I book the cruise.

 

However, I was thinking why would I need it until final payment if I can cancel it with a full refund up till that time - so can you wait to buy it when your final payment is due or does it need to be bought right away when first booking?? :rolleyes:

We have 10 days from when we booked (expires on Friday)

[AlanFromFL]

Could you afford to pay out of pocket the cost of air ambulance evacuation from some less-developed port of call to your home country? Think $50k or more. Would your personal health insurance cover that, especially if they demand cash up front? That in itself is enough of a reason to purchase travel medical insurance.

[3Mickeys]

My very healthy 45 yo DH was unexpectedly hospitalized almost a year ago and had a 36 hour stay in the hospital. $20,000+ later we realize we will never ever travel without insurance. I can not imagine finding ourselves in the same situation on a ship, in Bermuda, in the Bahamas... the price is very reasonable for what is covered. And it is peace of mind. Do your research and a third party provider is a great choice.

[zqvol]

The answer to your question can be found in the ongoing thread about the woman who was disembarked in Jamaica due to peritonitis. Are you able to bear those types of costs? If not then you get insurance. The cost of the cruise or getting from place to place is minor compared to medical issues.

[MrJoeBlack]

The answer to your question can be found in the ongoing thread about the woman who was disembarked in Jamaica due to peritonitis. Are you able to bear those types of costs? If not then you get insurance. The cost of the cruise or getting from place to place is minor compared to medical issues.

 

 

1000% agree[emoji106]

[Traveling Fools]

The first time I bought travel insurance was in 1981 for travel aboard a chartered type airline to Germany with a family of 5. Things came up at work that forced us to cancel the trip. Thank God we bought the insurance.

 

The 2nd time we used our travel insurance was in January 2010. We were days away from leaving home for a cruise of the Galapagos. Our oldest daughter was a victim of an attempted murder and hospitalized with life threatening gunshot wounds. If we hadn't bought travel insurance we would have lost more than $10,000.

 

Ironically, 2-years later a former colleague, and neighbor and his wife booked a cruise to the Galapagos. While on the cruise, he suffered from a ruptured bowel. While he survived this near death incident and his private insurance covered most of his medical expenses (he was in an Ecuadorian hospital for several weeks) they couldn't afford to pay for medical evacuation to the states.

[CPT Trips]

Always get it. So far it may have been barely break even. Sleep well!

[mistshar]

So when do you actually purchase the cruise insurance? I think I have gotten it for all but the very first one and I get it on my own, not through the cruise line... and I have always gotten it right after I book the cruise.

 

However, I was thinking why would I need it until final payment if I can cancel it with a full refund up till that time - so can you wait to buy it when your final payment is due or does it need to be bought right away when first booking?? :rolleyes:

 

We get our insurance through our TA and pre-existing conditions are covered even though we get it when we make final payment. This type has been available the last couple of years.

 

We have always gotten insurance except maybe the first time we cruised. We have never used it until this year. A few days before we were to leave my DH got very ill. He was in the hospital for 6 days and the drs. said he was not going on a cruise. There was no way.

 

Our TA help us get our claim started and a couple of days ago we got our refund checks in the mail from the insurance company. It was fairly easy. I am so thankful we had the insurance.

 

My husband was the last one I would have thought we would have to use it for. You just never know what will happen.

[roddy good boy]

We get our insurance through our TA and pre-existing conditions are covered even though we get it when we make final payment. This type has been available the last couple of years.

 

We have always gotten insurance except maybe the first time we cruised. We have never used it until this year. A few days before we were to leave my DH got very ill. He was in the hospital for 6 days and the drs. said he was not going on a cruise. There was no way.

 

Our TA help us get our claim started and a couple of days ago we got our refund checks in the mail from the insurance company. It was fairly easy. I am so thankful we had the insurance.

 

My husband was the last one I would have thought we would have to use it for. You just never know what will happen.

 

Do you know the name of the insurance carrier? My TA only offers the 14 day w/In deposit kind

[TrumpyNor]

We usually travel abroad 2-3 times per year, usually a couple of cruises per year, plus maybe a shorter land vacation. Many years ago I decided to purchase a travel insurance that is valid all year, I pay it once per year, and then it is valid for 12 months, for both my husband and myself. We are then always covered, and it even covers local "travel" between the home and work etc. We used to purchase travel insurance with each trip earlier, but it is much more expensive to purchase travel insurance for each trip instead of having one that is valid for 12 months, world wide.

 

It is not only the travel costs itself that I want to have protected, but as I see it travel insurance is for covering the unexpected - an accident could happen to you everywhere during a cruise (both on and off the ship). And unfortunately the reality is that accidents doesn't only happen to people who have health issues beforehand (like some people seems to believe).....

 

Insurance is just one of those things that you don't need until you need it - and if you need it and doesn't have it, you might spend the rest of your life paying for it.... Better safe than sorry!

Edited May 7, 2015 by TrumpyNor

[mistshar]

Do you know the name of the insurance carrier? My TA only offers the 14 day w/In deposit kind

 

It is Allianz.

[Sleepwalker2341]

I learned my lesson about not getting the insurance.

 

A week before my cruise in 2012, I was in the hospital undergoing 3 surgeries. No insurance, lost everything but the port charges for that cruise.

 

No more cruises without it now.

 

Sleepy

[roger001]

I learned my lesson about not getting the insurance.

 

A week before my cruise in 2012, I was in the hospital undergoing 3 surgeries. No insurance, lost everything but the port charges for that cruise.

 

No more cruises without it now.

 

Sleepy

 

 

You never know. I had triple bypass 2 days before final payment on a PC cruise last year. It could have just as easily been two days after final payment. Although no problem canceling, that does indicate the reason I always buy the insurance.

[oracer]

Always get insurance. Last 3 cruises for my daughter, we have had a bruised tailbone, cut finger and someone stepped on her toe which she had to get the nail drained. Each time, we walked out of the infirmary with a $0 bill. Each would have been 4x the cost of the insurance we paid.

 

Yes, my daughter maybe a little accident prone, but you never know.

 

I had an allergic reaction to escargot about 8 years ago, spent the night pumped with Benadryl and other iv's and again a $0 bill, would have been over $1000.