Insurance

[TX_Wyldcat]

I buy through tripinsurance.com because it covers everything including flights to and from port that I book and any personally booked shore excursions.  It is also cheaper (about half less) than HAL's plan even at the top tier cancel for any reason coverage.

 

I do think that you need some form of travel insurance though.  Two years ago my dad tore the ligements in his knee halfway through a Transatlantic. The HAL insurance paid for Business Class tickets for him and my mom from Portugal back to DFW because his knee had to stay extended. This was over $12,000.  

[Tampa Girl]

4 hours ago, Underwatr said:

I'm not aware of the details of HAL's policy -- isn't it a (somewhat) comprehensive policy like other lines'?

 

[Tampa Girl]

4 hours ago, Underwatr said:

I'm not aware of the details of HAL's policy -- isn't it a (somewhat) comprehensive policy like other lines'?

There are two HAL Cancellation Protection Plan.  The Standard one offers little beyond giving you 80% of your cruise fare paid to date.  The Platinum is more comprehensive but does not offer the limits that third party insurance companies offer.  Again, it is usually taken for the primary purpose of cancelling under circumstances not provided for in third party policies.  See the benefits below:

 http://www.affinitytravelcert.com/docs/nwehal01.

[Tampa Girl]

2 hours ago, TX_Wyldcat said:

I buy through tripinsurance.com because it covers everything including flights to and from port that I book and any personally booked shore excursions.  It is also cheaper (about half less) than HAL's plan even at the top tier cancel for any reason coverage.

 

I do think that you need some form of travel insurance though.  Two years ago my dad tore the ligements in his knee halfway through a Transatlantic. The HAL insurance paid for Business Class tickets for him and my mom from Portugal back to DFW because his knee had to stay extended. This was over $12,000.  

 

Can you provide the name of the company that sells a cancel-for-any reason policy at less than HAL's?  Before our Grand Asia cruise last fall, I was looking for such a plan, but they ran more than double for HAL's Standard Plan and about 25% higher than HAL's Platinum Plan.  Age might have had something to do with it, however, in which case HAL is the better choice.

[boards]

I will pay approximately $12900 for cruise, flight, hotel and transfer by July for a cruise in Oct.   If I were to cancel the cruise and I have in the insurance that will pay 80%.   Will I get a insurance payout of 80% of $12,900?

[Tampa Girl]

17 hours ago, boards said:

I will pay approximately $12900 for cruise, flight, hotel and transfer by July for a cruise in Oct.   If I were to cancel the cruise and I have in the insurance that will pay 80%.   Will I get a insurance payout of 80% of $12,900?

 

The Standard cancellation policy reads:

 

Protect your cruise vacation investment with our Cruise Protection Plan. Our Standard Cancellation Protection Plan (CPP Standard Plan) will allow you, for any reason, to provide written cancellation up to 24 hours prior to the start of your scheduled travel (sea, land and/or air) arrangements made by Holland America Line and receive a refund equal to 80% of the eligible amounts paid (90% if you purchase our CPP Platinum Plan). We are excited to now be able to offer our Cancellation Protection Plan to all of our guests, even after a cruise is booked. To add our Cancellation Protection Plan to your new or existing cruise booking, please call us at 1‐877‐932‐4259.

It would seem that if your land and air arrangements were made through HAL, the policy would pay for your unrefunded amounts.  If you made your own land and air arrangements, no.

 

[boards]

11 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

The Standard cancellation policy reads:

 

Protect your cruise vacation investment with our Cruise Protection Plan. Our Standard Cancellation Protection Plan (CPP Standard Plan) will allow you, for any reason, to provide written cancellation up to 24 hours prior to the start of your scheduled travel (sea, land and/or air) arrangements made by Holland America Line and receive a refund equal to 80% of the eligible amounts paid (90% if you purchase our CPP Platinum Plan). We are excited to now be able to offer our Cancellation Protection Plan to all of our guests, even after a cruise is booked. To add our Cancellation Protection Plan to your new or existing cruise booking, please call us at 1‐877‐932‐4259.

It would seem that if your land and air arrangements were made through HAL, the policy would pay for your unrefunded amounts.  If you made your own land and air arrangements, no.

 

Thank you, but my question is, what does Hal consider eligible amounts?  The original purchases or the reduced amount after final payment?

[Tampa Girl]

7 hours ago, boards said:

Thank you, but my question is, what does Hal consider eligible amounts?  The original purchases or the reduced amount after final payment?

 

Best you call  HAL, but I would assume that it was the actual amount that you paid, not what was the original price.  I'm not sure what you mean by the "reduced amount after final payment.  It is the total of all payments made.  If the $12,??? was the total of all payments that you made, and it included the air and land payments made through HAL, I assume that it would be 80% (or 90%) of that amount which would be refunded. 

 

You should contact the  insurance underwriter, which is provided on the HAL website for the CCP's.  They are the ones who will be paying.   

[TiogaCruiser]

11 hours ago, boards said:

Thank you, but my question is, what does Hal consider eligible amounts?  The original purchases or the reduced amount after final payment?

I’m unclear as well as what you mean “the reduced price after final payment”. It’s sounding like you got a discount applied after you paid. Do you mean the balance?

 

Here is what happened when I had to cancel with HAL Platinum, 4 days prior to leaving. I called HAL. Cancelled over the phone. Received a refund (100%) for PG and shorex booked onto my card within 48 hours. Within 4 business days 90% of all I paid (deposit + balance) was credited back and showing on my card. There were no forms to fill out, nada. The plan was still in HALs ballpark so to speak. 

 

Platinum becomes a real insurance policy (granted, with low limits, but a fairly comprehensive insurance policy non the less) just prior to you starting travel. If you have a covered loss from that time forward, you file a claim with the insurance company. I don’t get why some insist Platinum is not insurance. It includes an insurance policy. 

 

As several people have said, each person has unique exposures and a different comfort with risks. I have both purchased HALs Platinum and gone with “private “ insurance. My health insurance (which includes evacuation) covers me abroad, (as does DHs). I do usually add in an evacuation policy. So the amount of the medical coverage isn’t as much a factor for us.  Private Cancel for Any Reason can be very expensive and the best return I have found is only 75%, and many companies require you to cover the entire trip. 

 

When you take take into account that you pay approximately 10-11% of the CRUISE fare for Platinum, even if you also purchase air and a pre or post cruise tour, and it returns 90% of the cruise + air+precruise tour, it may make the HAL Platinum a better option for you. Or not.

Edited March 15, 2019 by TiogaCruiser

[Tampa Girl]

44 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

 

 

Platinum becomes a real insurance policy (granted, with low limits, but a fairly comprehensive insurance policy non the less) just prior to you starting travel. If you have a covered loss from that time forward, you file a claim with the insurance company. I don’t get why some insist Platinum is not insurance. It includes an insurance policy. 

 

 

 

 

You are right that the Platinum does add some insurance benefit, albeit of lesser amounts than do most 3rd party carrier.  The Standard Plan  is, per HAL, not an insurance policy, as reflected below.  That having been said, I wonder if HAL is creeping into the insurance market.  Perhaps it is my poor recollection but does the Platinum Plan now provide more than previously provided?

 

"Please note: The CPP Standard Plan is not insurance – this is an optional purchase offered by and administered by Holland America Line. It may be added to your reservation to provide you with trip cancellation protection for up to 24 hours prior to the start of your scheduled travel. It provides no rights other than those explained above. For example, it does not protect double-triple-quad occupancy rates should one or more members of your party cancel, nor does it cover expenses for unused services due to trip interruption."

 

 

[boards]

Thank you, both of you have answered my concerns.  Sorry if I did not explain it very clearly, but I think I got my answers.

[TiogaCruiser]

2 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

 

You are right that the Platinum does add some insurance benefit, albeit of lesser amounts than do most 3rd party carrier.  The Standard Plan  is, per HAL, not an insurance policy, as reflected below.  That having been said, I wonder if HAL is creeping into the insurance market.  Perhaps it is my poor recollection but does the Platinum Plan now provide more than previously provided?

 

 

 

I don’t know what the limits were in the past, but after comparing our exposures and cost, weighing against return, and seeing little value for double covering something (like expensive medical), it works for us in some circumstances.😉   There is sufficient delay, baggage coverage, etc. for our comfort level.

 

Adding: in my specific circumstance, had I bought “private” cancel any reason insurance and cancelled when I did, my loss (cost of insurance + 25% of total paid for entire trip) would have been ~$1680 more than it was with Platinum. YMMV

Edited March 15, 2019 by TiogaCruiser

[Tampa Girl]

8 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

I don’t know what the limits were in the past, but after comparing our exposures and cost, weighing against return, and seeing little value for double covering something (like expensive medical), it works for us in some circumstances.😉   There is sufficient delay, baggage coverage, etc. for our comfort level.

 

Adding: in my specific circumstance, had I bought “private” cancel any reason insurance and cancelled when I did, my loss (cost of insurance + 25% of total paid for entire trip) would have been ~$1680 more than it was with Platinum. YMMV

 

On our recent Grand Asia, we took the Standard HAL, after factoring in the difference of an additional 10% refund at an additional cost of almost $4,000 vs. adding on a Med-Jet policy for $623.  I was afraid that the Standard's med evac limit of $50K would be insufficient to transport us back to the U.S.  However, in another circumstance, the Platinum might have been our choice.   

 

Which bring up the question:  Does anyone have any idea of the cost of med evac from various parts of the globe; i.e. Europe, South America; SE Asia, etc?  Would the $50K be sufficient from the Caribbean or Europe?

[TiogaCruiser]

There have been several people mention 6 figure amounts, but I don’t know. That would probably be a good question for the insurance board.

 

I usually buy 100k. For my Antarctica trip I had my TA bump that limit to 500k due to the remote nature of most of the trip. The southern part of South America is pretty remote also.

[dogo88]

https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/travel/medical/emergency-transportation-costs.htm

 

The above link is a bit dated (Dec 2017) but the information is very good. Evac and Medical coverage are different. HALs $50k Evc & $10k Medical might sound like a lot but it depends on where you need help. 

 

If you buy too much coverage you just spent some extra dollars. Let's face it, most cruisers never need the insurance they bought. That's a good thing. Buy the wrong or inadequate coverage and you could be financially hurt.  

 

I also made a stmt in a prior post on this thread that you won't be allowed back on the ship if you get hurt. I've been corrected by others, that they may, in fact, let you back on, as long as HAL determines they can handle your issue. Point taken, but HAL makes that decision, not you. Bottom line? Be prepared for any emergency or be prepared to pay/pray.