Help Please! Never bought trip insurance before

[agmomcruiser]

For various reasons, we are thinking of purchasing trip insurance on this cruise though we never have before. I have several questions:

1) What happens if there is a hurricane that changes your planned cruise and

you don't have insurance? Are you out the whole cost of your cruise or do you get a credit to a future cruise? Do you get a full refund if you do have insurance and there is a hurricane?

2) What if you have to cancel your trip due to business/work reasons? Does trip insurance get you a full refund?

3)I understand it may be cheaper to purchase trip insurance through insuremytrip.com. Is there a reason to purchase Carnival's plan even if it's

more expensive?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Tapi]

You need to read the fine print very carefully. Different policies have different coverages, and even policies that seem similar are quite different when you read the fine print. Cancel for work reasons clauses are a fine example of how coverage can vary from one policy to another. One may cover you ONLY if you had vacation awarded and later rescinded while others may be more generous and allow you to cancel as long as you have to work on the dates of your cruise.

 

Check out the comparison tool on the insure my trip website. You can look at policies side by side and read the fine print.

[Bobblefrog]

For various reasons, we are thinking of purchasing trip insurance on this cruise though we never have before. I have several questions:

1) What happens if there is a hurricane that changes your planned cruise and

you don't have insurance? Are you out the whole cost of your cruise or do you get a credit to a future cruise? Do you get a full refund if you do have insurance and there is a hurricane?

2) What if you have to cancel your trip due to business/work reasons? Does trip insurance get you a full refund?

3)I understand it may be cheaper to purchase trip insurance through insuremytrip.com. Is there a reason to purchase Carnival's plan even if it's

more expensive?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

You have to ask those questions against the policy. This was my first cruise to buy insurance and I ended up going with insuremytrip because they had representatives there to answer my questions and almost all the policies had a 10-15 day review time after purchasing.

 

1. I've noticed, although this probably isn't 100% that if there is a hurricane your cruise will still send you "somewhere". They don't want to cancel a trip. On the policy I purchased, a nationwide one, for some things there is a 100% coverage of anything nonrefundable - and you could choose to take a cruise credit if one were offered OR take the reimbursement from the policy (you can't do both obviously!) Then I added a for-any-reason addition (I learned my lesson this past year that bizarre things can come up when a family member's mental health isn't considered a medical issue). In that case I get 70% back.

 

2. Again, that's the thing to ask the policy..consider the for-any-reason if you suspect the policy doesn't cover it.

 

3. I don't know - I just went with the insuremytrip as I felt I had more control - I feel I just didn't know enough about carnival's policy and I SUSPECT it is more expensive. I don't trust the cruiseline to do anything but charge me the highest price it can and give me the least it can (aka loyalty program - lol) with lots of loopholes.

 

Oh and a caveat - the cancel-for-any-reason has some things too to watch out for, like you have to cover every nonrefundable trip expense or you forfeit it. Not sure I understand that yet, but playing by the rules.

 

Hopefully someone who uses their insurance can chime in as mine certainly isn't a fully educated opinion :-)

Edited May 6, 2015 by Bobblefrog

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

If you think it's possible you may cancel you should get "cancel for any reason insurance" I have a credit card that offers insurance, it only covers the usual stuff like if you get sick or your flight is cancelled, etc. But it's free so I'm good with it and since you don't have to pay in full until 2-2.5 months before the cruise likely anything within your control should be resolved.

For hurricane, I agree with the last poster who said you would likely be diverted. If not and Carnival cancelled for any reason you would get a refund from Carnival.

[Lisichka]

just know that the cancel for any reason has a time limit as far as when to get insurance. It needs to be done fairly quickly after booking your cruise.

[winddawn]

For various reasons, we are thinking of purchasing trip insurance on this cruise though we never have before. I have several questions:

1) What happens if there is a hurricane that changes your planned cruise and

you don't have insurance? Are you out the whole cost of your cruise or do you get a credit to a future cruise? Do you get a full refund if you do have insurance and there is a hurricane?

2) What if you have to cancel your trip due to business/work reasons? Does trip insurance get you a full refund?

3)I understand it may be cheaper to purchase trip insurance through insuremytrip.com. Is there a reason to purchase Carnival's plan even if it's

more expensive?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

insure my trip dot com has a good "learn" section on their website. I suggest you click on that and choose a policy best suited to your individual situation. It is pretty straight forward.

[luvabargain]

I have never purchased trip insurance either, so I can't speak firsthand, but insuremytrip.com is a site that is very useful and has all kinds of companies and policies to compare.

[Vitamin_Sea]

As always, Insurance is a tricky issue and will not cover every issue that comes up

 

Best thing is ask all your questions to the insurance company.

[CaribbeanLuver]

The insurance Carnival offers is pretty decent and reasonable. Life happens, best to be prepared.

[audcc77]

Before going through the trouble & expense of purchasing insurance, make sure that the credit card with which you purchased your trip does not automatically have it. I bought trip insurance a few times before I realized that it was already covered on my Barclay Arrival Card. Just call your credit card company & ask.

[GradUT]

Thank goodness, I have never had to file a claim, but I have used InsureMyTrip.com many times to purchase trip insurance. The reasons I use this website are: 1) I can compare many different policies and 2) the staff is really good about answering questions either on the phone or via Live Chat. I shy away from policies offered by the cruise lines because I don't find them to be impartial insurers.

 

Having said all that, here are a few things to consider when purchasing trip insurance:

 

1. Include ALL non-refundable costs into the amount you want to insure. (InsureMyTrip states this when you enter the amount to be insured.) If you fail to include the full non-refundable costs (e.g. so that you cut down on the cost of your insurance), your entire claim can be denied.

 

2. Not every policy offers a "cancel for any reason" clause and those that do charge an additional premium for this benefit. Also, some of the costs may not be fully refundable (e.g. some are only refunded at 75%) under a "cancel for any reason" clause. You have to read to fine print to see what's covered.

 

3. Some policies offer a "pre-existing conditions" clause which covers you in case you have to cancel due to a medical condition you have prior to the trip. Not all policies offer this coverage and those that do require that you purchase the insurance within a set time after the FIRST payment (i.e. deposit). This time period generally varies from 10 - 15 days.

[AmberTeka]

We go online to Insuremytrip. We only get Medical insurance..extra...as we live in Florida and don't have the airline tickets and motels (usually) to worry about.

 

We have never had to make a claim, but they are highly rated and get good reviews.

 

Ships can avoid the hurricanes.it is the folks on the ground...........who can't avoid them unless they go somewhere else.Don't worry about that. If you plane flight is cancelled due to weather.........you should easily get a refund on that through insurance.

 

Good Luck. Enjoy your cruise

[karinad]

Another thing to consider when you purchase it is to include the price of you flights if you're flying or non-refundable fees. I believe most policies are in $500. increments. If the trip is costing $3200. put your total cost to $3500. You can always add on to it. You can just purchase the insurance to insure your deposit if you're getting it for pre-existing conditions within the 10-14 days after putting down money.

 

My last cruise I insured the $500. deposit and then just added onto it when I paid my final payment.

 

Keep in mind that once you purchase the insurance and it's past the look-over period they will not refund your money if you decide to cancel the trip before final payment. They usually let you move it to another date of travel.

[lovecarnivalcruises]

Another thing to consider when you purchase it is to include the price of you flights if you're flying or non-refundable fees. I believe most policies are in $500. increments. If the trip is costing $3200. put your total cost to $3500. You can always add on to it. You can just purchase the insurance to insure your deposit if you're getting it for pre-existing conditions within the 10-14 days after putting down money.

 

My last cruise I insured the $500. deposit and then just added onto it when I paid my final payment.

 

Keep in mind that once you purchase the insurance and it's past the look-over period they will not refund your money if you decide to cancel the trip before final payment. They usually let you move it to another date of travel.

 

I have never bought travellers insurance before either but I'm thinking about booking a cruise on the Vista.I was wondering how it worked, when I book the cruise I want to get insurance but I don't know when we will book our plane tickets. Are you saying we can get insurance for the cruise and later go back and add for our travel expenses. And what if another person wants to join our group, can we add this person to our insurance or will they have to get their own.

[karinad]

I have never bought travellers insurance before either but I'm thinking about booking a cruise on the Vista.I was wondering how it worked, when I book the cruise I want to get insurance but I don't know when we will book our plane tickets. Are you saying we can get insurance for the cruise and later go back and add for our travel expenses. And what if another person wants to join our group, can we add this person to our insurance or will they have to get their own.

 

I'm not sure about adding a person later to the same policy, but I'm sure you can find this out. What I have read somewhere is that when you're putting in the ages of the people travelling list the youngest 1st, because age matters. Yes, you can definitely add to it as far as money goes. I just start with insuring the deposit and if I purchase airfare I include that, too. Even if you use air miles and there's a re-deposit fee, etc. if u have to cancel.

 

I usually use insuremytrip. My cruise for next year I booked with an online cruise agency. She told me that their travel insurance was cheaper then anywhere else and the age of the travelers didn't make the price go up. The only thing was that if you cancel that cruise booked with them before final payment you will not get the insurance money back, but the could put it towards another cruise if it's booked through them.

[lovecarnivalcruises]

Thanks for the information.

[agmomcruiser]

Such good information. Thank you to all!

[fhmoore]

Insuremytrip.com is terrific. You can call their toll free number and one of their agents will help you pick a policy.

 

My new credit card (a MC) has the basic coverage also but it is only for "Common Carriers" which means cruises, airfare...not hotel stays. Our cruise in July, I am depending on that but talked to insuremytrip.com agent who helped my buy medical and evacuation insurance which is not included in the CC coverage. it was only $46 for the two of us for our five day cruise. My biggest fear is needing medical evacuation. That can be upwards of $50-100,000 easily.

 

We've had to use travel insurance twice. My FIL died while we were on a transatlantic cruise on our second of four days at sea between England and Newfoundland. The cost to fly home from Newfoundland at the the last minute was outrageous. Within two weeks of submitting our claim we received a check that reimbursed the one-way flights from Newfoundland, the cost of our unused original flight home from Cape Liberty, $200+ for trip interruption and for the four unused remaining days of the cruise. My mother fell and broke her hip 18 hours prior to our leaving for an all-inclusive Cancun trip in 2013. Received a full refund within three weeks. I SWEAR by travel insurance.

Edited May 7, 2015 by fhmoore

[Babr]

1. Cruises ae rarely cancelled by a hurricane unless it shuts down your port of departure. If I remember correctly, some ships stayed at sea when Hurricane Sandy hit the northeast coast a few years ago, and the next cruise was impacted. In that case, the cruise line offered something - either a refund or a cruise credit.

If you are already onboard and a hurricane is imminent at one of the ports-of-call, you will be diverted out of harm's way possibly to a different port or possibly just out at sea. In either case, there will not be any compensation.

 

If you are concerned about a hurricane at home as you get ready to leave, that is an entirely different matter. Transportation has to be shut down for a specified amount of time or your home uninhabitable.

 

2. Several policies cover "cancel for work." It is not necessarily an add-on. You just have to compare companies.

 

3. Insurance policies are regulated so I don't think you wil find the exact policy for less by shopping around. It depends on what the policy covers and the limits of coverage. So to answer your question about Carnival insurance, the price alone doesn't tell the story. Is medical $10,000 or $50,000? Primary or Secondary? Is there a deductible?

 

If your are thinking of using your credit card for cancellation coverage, be aware that it does not include medical or emergency evacuation. How much you need depends on where you are going - more for anywhere overseas.

 

Sorry. There just isn't a simple answer. Decide what things are of greatest concern for you and seek the advice of a professional such as insuremytrip.

[JOJO351969]

I ALWAYS get the travel insurance. One year my dad (80) fought me on it and well shortly after the cruise he was telling me he will listen to me for now on. My dad, sister and I were going on a cruise together to celebrate that he was done with some medical issues. We got on the ship and it was raining like crazy kinda like hurricane weather. We went up to eat lunch while we waited for our room to be ready then headed to our room. While walking across the pool deck my dad fell and well he broke his hip and we were off the ship before we ever got into our room. They tried to find our luggage but our luggage went on the cruise without us and was probably sitting on our balcony the whole time. Anyway. We NEVER saw a bill for anything. Hospital including surgery, rehab facility(which after a week by his side I had to go back home to Ohio and that killed me leaving him down there). We were reimbursed for the clothes we bought, food and lodging. While he was in the hospital his GOOD watch was stolen off his wrist and all I had to do once I got home was send the insurance company the receipt for it which he listened to me and kept that also. Lol

When he was healthy enough to fly the insurance company sent a personal nurse and a limo to the rehab facility and took him to the airport and the nurse and my dad flew first class from Florida to Ohio. He was so excited. Lol I got soon many calls from him. The limo, personal nurse and first class ha he was a happy camper. That insurance coverage was through travel guard. I will never travel without travel insurance!!!!

[GolfMom321]

Another thing to consider when you purchase it is to include the price of you flights if you're flying or non-refundable fees. I believe most policies are in $500. increments. If the trip is costing $3200. put your total cost to $3500. You can always add on to it. You can just purchase the insurance to insure your deposit if you're getting it for pre-existing conditions within the 10-14 days after putting down money.

 

My last cruise I insured the $500. deposit and then just added onto it when I paid my final payment.

 

Keep in mind that once you purchase the insurance and it's past the look-over period they will not refund your money if you decide to cancel the trip before final payment. They usually let you move it to another date of travel.

 

OK, am I understanding this correctly? I can get the insurance when I book, just to cover the deposit. That locks in the PEC coverage. Then, as I add expenses (flights, hotels, final full payment of cruise, etc.), I just increase the amount of coverage? So I start out insuring, say, $500, which costs me next to nothing, but gives me the PEC coverage. Then if I decide to cancel early on, all I lose is that small premium I've paid?

 

That sounds too good to be true! Why has no one ever told me this before??????

 

You may have just made my day!

[JOJO351969]

I have always purchased the insurance to cover everything being cruise,flight,hotel. So I don't know if you can break it all down. I just like doing it all at once. For 70.00 I can insure everything so for the extra $20.00 that's what I would do

[karinad]

OK, am I understanding this correctly? I can get the insurance when I book, just to cover the deposit. That locks in the PEC coverage. Then, as I add expenses (flights, hotels, final full payment of cruise, etc.), I just increase the amount of coverage? So I start out insuring, say, $500, which costs me next to nothing, but gives me the PEC coverage. Then if I decide to cancel early on, all I lose is that small premium I've paid?

 

That sounds too good to be true! Why has no one ever told me this before??????

 

You may have just made my day!

 

It's true. Talk to one of the companies. Sometimes it doesn't make a big difference with the whole price of the cruise depending on the total cost. I get enough to add air, hotel or any non-refundable things.

[GolfMom321]

I have always purchased the insurance to cover everything being cruise,flight,hotel. So I don't know if you can break it all down. I just like doing it all at once. For 70.00 I can insure everything so for the extra $20.00 that's what I would do

 

Wow, where are you getting insurance for $70? I think my lowest is about $150, and I have a couple that are over $500 (but those are for longer cruises with international air and land segments).

[JOJO351969]

You can buy the insurance from Carnival for a 7 night cruise for 110.00. I'm trying to think of the insurance company. One is travel guard