I just bought trip insurance!

[VitaminSea53]

So I just found out  that the Chase sapphire Reserve card covers trip cancellation, interruption and medical & evacuation.  Maybe I should switch over to that from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

[RichYak]

50 minutes ago, VitaminSea53 said:

So I just found out  that the Chase sapphire Reserve card covers trip cancellation, interruption and medical & evacuation.  Maybe I should switch over to that from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

Make sure you compare the differences in these benefits between the 2 cards. I believe the coverage is very similar between them. Off the top of my head, there may be a larger evac benefit with the Reserve, but I could be wrong.

[VitaminSea53]

Right. The Preferred has coverage for doctor/ hospital  for ACCIDENTS  ie broken leg

The Reserve also covers MEDICAL ie heart attack and EVACUATION which the Preferred does not. The coverage are pretty small but I do have Medical-Gap coverage as well. 

 

There are are some other benefits to the Reserve which I like : Airport lounges, Pre-Check at security, etc. 

 

Time to do more research. 

[sdnich]

18 hours ago, VitaminSea53 said:

Right. The Preferred has coverage for doctor/ hospital  for ACCIDENTS  ie broken leg

The Reserve also covers MEDICAL ie heart attack and EVACUATION which the Preferred does not. The coverage are pretty small but I do have Medical-Gap coverage as well. 

 

There are are some other benefits to the Reserve which I like : Airport lounges, Pre-Check at security, etc. 

 

Time to do more research. 

 I got the chat Chase Sapphire reserve card this year and I’ve been putting all of my trips on it for the extra trip insurance coverage . It really does have great extras as in they give you $300 back on the first trip related expense you make so it takes that $450 card down to $150 and have used the airport lounges on many trips already . We think the extra trip insurance it also gives you makes it a great value . With that said we have a cruise coming up in six weeks and I’m still trying to decide if I should get extra medical  Insurance  through insure my trip.com extra medical plan cost only $77 . We are both 54 so just last night we went back-and-forth about getting it . it gives us an extra $50,000 medical emergency .

[RichYak]

14 minutes ago, sdnich said:

 I got the chat Chase Sapphire reserve card this year and I’ve been putting all of my trips on it for the extra trip insurance coverage . It really does have great extras as in they give you $300 back on the first trip related expense you make so it takes that $450 card down to $150 and have used the airport lounges on many trips already . We think the extra trip insurance it also gives you makes it a great value . With that said we have a cruise coming up in six weeks and I’m still trying to decide if I should get extra medical  Insurance  through insure my trip.com extra medical plan cost only $77 . We are both 54 so just last night we went back-and-forth about getting it . it gives us an extra $50,000 medical emergency .

We are very nearly the same person insofar as I could have written this exact post with very few details changed. Upthread, I mentioned that I made use of the trip cancellation benefit of the Sapphire Reserve card, so the value to me is clear. I do plan on spending the ~$70 to purchase a medical plan for my upcoming cruise.

[sdnich]

18 minutes ago, RichYak said:

We are very nearly the same person insofar as I could have written this exact post with very few details changed. Upthread, I mentioned that I made use of the trip cancellation benefit of the Sapphire Reserve card, so the value to me is clear. I do plan on spending the ~$70 to purchase a medical plan for my upcoming cruise.

 I’m glad you posted this I think I’m gonna go on the side of it’s better to be over insured than underinsured . The last time I  booked a trip without some sort of cancellation and  medical ins. was in 2015 .Five  days before our trip I had to have surgery and everything was nonrefundable !I made it on the trip( I thought it was better to heal on a deck in Spain than at home!! but it was  a difficult trip ) but I would’ve canceled everything if I would have had trip cancellation insurance !At  The time I was just turning 50 and thought we’re healthy why would we need extra insurance!  great lesson !!  Always get insurance .

[happy cruzer]

Some private insurance covers out of county costs.  So for some people their credit card coverage and their private insurance is enough.  Was for us for years.  Now many policies have changed including high deductibles so GeoBlue works well.  And there are two forms of GeoBlue - one that works with a Primary private insurer and another that works with Medicare.

 

You have to look at the details and know what you want to insure - there are always limits and items not covered.  Just getting insurance may  not cover what you want covered.

Edited September 11, 2019 by happy cruzer

[ipeeinthepool]

20 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

Was for us for years.  Now many policies have changed including high deductibles so GeoBlue works well.  And there are two forms of GeoBlue - one that works with a Primary private insurer and another that works with Medicare.

 

Where do you see GeoBlue plans different plans for Medicare?  GeoBlue considers Medicare a Primary plan similar to other plans

[AdGuyMG]

On 9/10/2019 at 2:34 PM, VitaminSea53 said:

So I just found out  that the Chase sapphire Reserve card covers trip cancellation, interruption and medical & evacuation.  Maybe I should switch over to that from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

I don't believe the Sapphire Reserve card cancellation benefit for a medical reason covers pre-existing conditions.

 

I don't believe any credit card cancellation coverage for a medical reason covers pre-existing conditions.

 

This could be an important consideration for some people.

 

 

[CruiseDad-NYC]

I didn't think it was necessary at first, but am a believer and get it every time now.  We have had to file 3 claims, each of which were paid:

 

- our flight from NY to FLL were cancelled because of a bad snowstorm.  Was able to find tickets leaving from a different NY airport that cost $1200 more so we didn't miss our cruise.  The insurance covered the tickets.

 

- our flight from San Juan back to New York was cancelled because of a blizzard in New York and we had to spend 2 nights/3 days in San Juan post-cruise before we could get a flight home (we didn't mind this at all!).  The insurance covered our hotel and other expenses in San Juan (about $1200). 

 

- we thought my son had a ruptured ear drum (caused by 2 weeks of swimming on a B2B).  The trip insurance covered the visit to the ship's doctor, medicine, and a visit to the doctor upon our return.  About $250.

[happy cruzer]

2 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Where do you see GeoBlue plans different plans for Medicare?  GeoBlue considers Medicare a Primary plan similar to other plans

GeoBlue Choice defines Primary Plan as

A Primary Plan is a Group Health Benefit Plan, an individual health benefit plan, or certain governmental health plan (including Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage plans) designed to be the first payor of claims for a Covered Person prior to the responsibility of this Plan. Medicaid, state run Medicaid programs, and Veterans Administration health benefit plans are not considered a primary plan under this Certificate of Coverage.

 

GeoBlue Essential does not require a Primary Plan.

 

So interpret that however is safest.  I am not an expert :).

[happy cruzer]

1 hour ago, AdGuyMG said:

I don't believe the Sapphire Reserve card cancellation benefit for a medical reason covers pre-existing conditions.

 

I don't believe any credit card cancellation coverage for a medical reason covers pre-existing conditions.

 

This could be an important consideration for some people.

 

 

Some cards have a lookback period.  Ours is 60 days for pre-existing.  Check the terms and definitions closely.

[ipeeinthepool]

16 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

GeoBlue Choice defines Primary Plan as

A Primary Plan is a Group Health Benefit Plan, an individual health benefit plan, or certain governmental health plan (including Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage plans) designed to be the first payor of claims for a Covered Person prior to the responsibility of this Plan. Medicaid, state run Medicaid programs, and Veterans Administration health benefit plans are not considered a primary plan under this Certificate of Coverage.

 

GeoBlue Essential does not require a Primary Plan.

 

So interpret that however is safest.  I am not an expert :).

 

From my perspective I don't think the Essential plan is the safest because it has a 180 day look back period on pre-existing conditions.  I would rather have a policy that covers pre-existing conditions.  I would select the Choice plan that covers pre-existing conditions.  From GeoBlue's perspective the purpose of the primary coverage is that you have your pre-existing conditions being treated and you are not taking the trip for the purpose of getting medical treatment.  I think most of us that can afford cruises likely have a primary medical plan.  

[wallysdtr]

On 9/6/2019 at 1:51 PM, tgg said:

Many years ago, someone on the Oceania Cruise Critic board recommended the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa card.  It includes amazing travel insurance. Google it and take a look at the list of benefits.  We've had to cancel trips and they have come through each time. 

We got the Chase Sapphire card because of a recommendation on the Celebrity Board a few years ago.  Prior to that we purchased travel insurance with Celebrity.  There was an issue with the airline cancelling our flight due to bad weather.  The Celebrity insurance didn't cover the airfare because we didn't book with them.    Learned our lesson on that one.  

I do love the Sapphire card as the travel insurance is free if you book the travel with that card. 

[VitaminSea53]

I have the Case Sapphire Preferred card but just learned of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card with it’s increased benefits (including some medical and evacuation coverage). It has a higher yearly fee but reimburses you for $300 of travel expenses, $100 for Global entry (TSA PreCheck) and gives a Priority Pass for access to airport lunges worldwide along with increased airline points. It is something to consider. 

[Ginnyfyr]

On 9/6/2019 at 11:42 AM, FlamingJune1967 said:

Yesterday I booked our 10th cruise and today I purchased trip insurance for the first time ever!  I feel so adult right now! 🙂 
I hope I never have to use it, but I just feel like this is a huge "cruising" milestone.  I know insurance is widely recommended on the boards, but I've never met anyone in real life that actually buys it, and I am wondering if this is something that most cruisers do, or just the ones on cruise critic?
 

We buy an annual policy that provides medical, interruption, cancellation, and baggage loss/delay, so we are covered for trips up to 10 days out of country, whether that's on a cruise or if we decide to cross the border for a day of shopping (we can also add on additional days of coverage if needed). We had to cancel a cruise last September when I injured my knee and then developed a blood clot (doctor said I couldn't fly, and traveling against medical advice voids your medical coverage if you end up needing it) so we were thankful to have the policy. We were fully reimbursed for the cost of flights and cruise (we had already made final payment) and it was a surprisingly easy process...but one I hope we never have to repeat! 

[zook50]

This is an excellent topic, but most posters are American.  Insurance options and recommendations for Canadians are often very different than those for Americans.  We have medical insurance and limited other insurance (int., canc., and baggage), but are looking at more.  We are healthy but getting older and more worried about aging relatives and, of course, our own aging!  What specific companies/options are best for those living in Canada?  Thanks for all information from those Canadians who have done this before us.

[Ginnyfyr]

41 minutes ago, zook50 said:

This is an excellent topic, but most posters are American.  Insurance options and recommendations for Canadians are often very different than those for Americans.  We have medical insurance and limited other insurance (int., canc., and baggage), but are looking at more.  We are healthy but getting older and more worried about aging relatives and, of course, our own aging!  What specific companies/options are best for those living in Canada?  Thanks for all information from those Canadians who have done this before us.

We used to buy Manulife's annual policy but switched to Blue Cross this year as Manulife only provided a maximum of $7000 per year in cancellation coverage with a max of $3500 per trip. That was sufficient when we cruised 1-2 times per year in a balcony cabin, but since we've become addicted to the (sky) suite life, that's no longer enough to fully cover us if we had to cancel more than one trip per year (God forbid!) The policy we bought from Blue Cross provides up to $5000 cancellation coverage per trip for an unlimited number of trips per year which is more than enough for us without having to pay an extra fee specifically to top up cancellation coverage. Check to see what your credit cards provide as well - RBC Infinite Avion and Amex Platinum are both supposed to have good comprehensive coverage (but still no where near $5K per trip in cancellation). And keep in mind that even when traveling within Canada,  your provincial coverage only covers you in province, so if you're from ON and visit BC to cruise to Alaska (for example) and something happens, you could still be on the hook for a costly amount! 

Edited September 15, 2019 by Ginnyfyr
Just got off a cruise...forgot how to spell

[zook50]

Thanks for your recommendations!  We, too, have Blue Cross (I'm a semi-retired teacher, so we have a decent plan through that), and we also use an Avion card for most purchases, so have some coverage through that.    You're so right, though - we have to look into buying  extra,  as the above don't cover enough in a "worst case scenario" situation.  We cruise once or twice a year and go on all-inclusive land holidays as well.  We are also at the point where we are planning on spending extended amounts of time in hot locations (renting a condo/apartment, etc. for weeks/months in the Caribbean).  As we move into full retirement in a few years, we'll probably spend even more time away and need even more coverage.  We've been pretty carefree travellers for decades, so this is new to us.

[rattanchair]

Just a note to all of us. All the trip insurance, medivac, pre-existing conditions, etc.. is only good if we are within range of a good hospital. Those that travel in remote areas of the world and the Caribbean, in particular, should be aware that many hospitals are out of reach and ship facilities are inadequate to cope with serious medical emergencies. The most recent event occurred aboard the Carnival Sunshine while DOCKED in Grand Turk. A gentlemen had a heart attack on board, the 10 bed hospital could not handle the emergency, it did not have an airport adequate for medvac and the island was too far for a helicopter transport. The gentleman died on the 21 hour cruise to San Juan. This scenario was pointed out in the Utube video of the instance, to be a similar situation that exists in every private island used and being constructed by the cruise lines. Caveat emptor, though rare be aware.

 P.S. It was reported the gentleman had medvac insurance

Edited September 15, 2019 by rattanchair
P.S.

[bEwAbG]

2 hours ago, rattanchair said:

Just a note to all of us. All the trip insurance, medivac, pre-existing conditions, etc.. is only good if we are within range of a good hospital. Those that travel in remote areas of the world and the Caribbean, in particular, should be aware that many hospitals are out of reach and ship facilities are inadequate to cope with serious medical emergencies. The most recent event occurred aboard the Carnival Sunshine while DOCKED in Grand Turk. A gentlemen had a heart attack on board, the 10 bed hospital could not handle the emergency, it did not have an airport adequate for medvac and the island was too far for a helicopter transport. The gentleman died on the 21 hour cruise to San Juan. This scenario was pointed out in the Utube video of the instance, to be a similar situation that exists in every private island used and being constructed by the cruise lines. Caveat emptor, though rare be aware.

 P.S. It was reported the gentleman had medvac insurance

 

The main airport in Turks & Caicos is in Providenciales, and it handles several commercial flights per day.  Although international flights now use Providenciales, the airport on Grand Turk is capable of handling the same aircraft (it did in the past), so the "did not have an airport adequate for medevac" is simply not true. 

 

The story you're attempting to relay has only the family's side of it in the press because they filed a lawsuit, so it's not exactly a neutral re-telling of events.  Bottom line is that every situation is unique and there are a host of factors that could have prevented medevac for this person you're talking about.

 

[rattanchair]

6 hours ago, bEwAbG said:

Bottom line is that every situation is unique and there are a host of factors that could have prevented medevac for this person you're talking about.

 

Dear bE, Please edify us to the host of factors that could prevent medevac that we should be aware of.  Thank you.

[SempreMare]

On 9/10/2019 at 1:34 PM, VitaminSea53 said:

So I just found out  that the Chase sapphire Reserve card covers trip cancellation, interruption and medical & evacuation.  Maybe I should switch over to that from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

 

I did that and don't regret it.

 

It's better financially for me, even with the increased fee.

 

edited to add: 

My opinion about the Sapphire Reserve card has nothing to do with it's use for travel related insurance **except** (huge exception:)

It offers primary rental car insurance

 

However, for the rest of the travel insurance coverage Chase touts, I consider it worthless after reading the horror stories posted in the Insurance forum here on Cruise Critic from people who actually tried to make claims.   Lots of "lost paperwork" hassles.

 

My positive opinion about the Sapphire Reserve card results from 4 things: 

- its 1:1 mileage transfer to partners benefits, especially Southwest. 

- the $300 travel credit making the annual fee $195

- the cash back % for travel & restaurants

- primary rental car insurance, which more cards are taking away these days (one big one / competitor to Sapphire Reserve card just removed it...) 

Edited September 16, 2019 by SempreMare

[sippican]

13 hours ago, rattanchair said:

Just a note to all of us. All the trip insurance, medivac, pre-existing conditions, etc.. is only good if we are within range of a good hospital. Those that travel in remote areas of the world and the Caribbean, in particular, should be aware that many hospitals are out of reach and ship facilities are inadequate to cope with serious medical emergencies. The most recent event occurred aboard the Carnival Sunshine while DOCKED in Grand Turk. A gentlemen had a heart attack on board, the 10 bed hospital could not handle the emergency, it did not have an airport adequate for medvac and the island was too far for a helicopter transport. The gentleman died on the 21 hour cruise to San Juan. This scenario was pointed out in the Utube video of the instance, to be a similar situation that exists in every private island used and being constructed by the cruise lines. Caveat emptor, though rare be aware.

 P.S. It was reported the gentleman had medvac insurance

 

 Something seems amiss in this story.  Too far out for a helicopter???  It does not make sense that he could not have been transported to a facility that could handle the emergency, especially if you say the ship was docked. Even out to sea - the ships have a helipad for just such reasons.

But of course, if it was on YouTube it must be true!!!

[omc329]

Thank you to whomever it was that mentioned citi was no longer providing insurance. I had no idea!!!! 😮 

 

I need to pay more attention to things. OUCH!

 

Having done some quick searches, I was relieved to discover that anything paid before the 22nd will still be covered, so I have some calling to do today to pay off some cruises earlier than planned. THpttt. 

 

Now I have to do some serious calculating for the future. I lose the 3% kickback on my cruises if I stop using the card, but insurance is a killer. I'll be checking out the chase sapphire preferred and running the calculator. I have time thanks to this thread to figure it all out, but a call to pay off balances while we are still insured is in order. 

 

Good Grief!!! Imagine if I'd found out the hard way!!!