Insurance

[esther e]

I'm curious -- do you take the cruise line's insurance or buy it on your own?   We've done both over the years, but speaking with some friends the other day had me questioning what others do and why.

[dwlmg]

18 minutes ago, esther e said:

I'm curious -- do you take the cruise line's insurance or buy it on your own?   We've done both over the years, but speaking with some friends the other day had me questioning what others do and why.

We buy the Viking insurance. It covers the pandemic and many of the other policies we have seen, including the one from our travel agent, do not. Also, with Viking providing the 'cancel for any reason' segment of the coverage with trip vouchers, the rest of the coverage is cheaper from Viking.

[TayanaLorna]

We buy the Viking for the cancel for any reason clause, the Covid coverage and the fact we live in PR.  Not all companies can sell insurance to those who live here or its more costly.

[FlyerTalker]

49 minutes ago, dwlmg said:

We buy the Viking insurance. It covers the pandemic and many of the other policies we have seen, including the one from our travel agent, do not.

 

I hope you would elaborate on the "covers the pandemic" phrase above.

 

Also, in my conversations with some very knowledgeable brokers, I have found that coverage for being denied boarding due to a positive test at the pier is included with virtually all policies.  So I think your "covers the pandemic" is overly broad.

 

Further, that CFAR inclusion is not a cheap provision.  If you don't need that, you can do much better in terms of price/coverage elsewhere.

[JeriGail]

26 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

I hope you would elaborate on the "covers the pandemic" phrase above.

From Viking's Health and Safety page:

 

Does Viking’s Travel Protection Plan cover COVID-19 costs (e.g., medical treatment, quarantine, repatriation, etc.)?

Yes, our Travel Protection Plan helps protect you from many unforeseen circumstances that may arise before or during your trip, which could include necessary medical, quarantine or repatriation expenses related to COVID-19.

 

[FlyerTalker]

So...how is it that other policies don't provide similar coverages?

 

And note that "could include" marketing phrase.

Edited August 29, 2021 by FlyerTalker

[JeriGail]

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

So...how is it that other policies don't provide similar coverages?

 

And note that "could include" marketing phrase.

I did notice that but thought it could also mean that their might be other "unforeseen circumstances" that don't include COVID.

[TinaLee]

Like you, we've done a combination of both, depending on the circumstances. For our next cruise (Alaska with Princess) we booked the cruise line insurance because we're flying in on points and the only thing we really needed to cover was the cruise itself as we're not going in early this time around. For our Viking ocean in February, we will go with private insurance because we're covering the cruise and an entire week in Rome before we board. This way we can cover it all under one policy, including our prepaid transfers from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship (since we won't get free transfers because we're deviating), the hotel room itself for 8 nights, and the cruise. I'll probably even bump it up to include any prepaid museum entry fees we will have to pay before we go. 

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, esther e said:

I'm curious -- do you take the cruise line's insurance or buy it on your own?   We've done both over the years, but speaking with some friends the other day had me questioning what others do and why.

 

Before our 2020 WC, the only time we purchased cruise line insurance was our 2015 WC. We did have some claims and they were paid quickly, without investigation, as we had a pre-existing condition waiver. When we were younger, the medical insurance coverage with cruise line insurance was more expensive and generally had poorer coverage.

 

When we took an option for the 2020 WC, it was valid for about 3 weeks, so I could research insurance options. I checked with all local brokers and also the online ones recommended on Cruise Critic and none of them would accept the risk - $20K deposit and full payment 6-months out.

 

Our only option was the Viking insurance, as out TA also mentioned they could not match the T&C of the Viking Insurance. Since the medical component was only $100K, we took out an additional medical policy, just before departure, as we don't enter the US without at leat $5-10M, in addition to what our Provincial Health pays.

 

After taking an option on one of the Hawaii cruises, I researched the Pax contract, Insurance T&C, US CDC and requirements to fly into the US. After the research, we elected to take the Viking Insurance, but again supplement it with additional medical insurance. These were our reasons:

• COVID risk mitigation - this situation is constantly evolving and we have no idea what restrictions will be in place for Dec 4th. The Viking RFG provides FCV if we cancel up to 14 days before, with vouchers valid for 2-yrs. The Viking Insurance CFAR provides an option to cancel up until the day before, if COVID requirements change just before the cruise. This mitigates our risk, but these vouchers are only valid for 12-months. This isn't an issue for us, as we can book a quick Alaska cruise.
• Pre-existing condition waiver - as we get older, this is a key issue for travel insurance. A couple of years ago, DW had an issue in California that required a short hospitalisation. It took our insurance 3-months to complete their investigation that a pre-existing condition was not responsible. The waiver provides "peace of mind", as our previous experience with pre-existing conditions waivers, is the claims are paid with less stress.
• Cost - the cruise line insurance is a percentage of cruise fare and is not based on risk factors, such as age, medical history, etc. As we age and have more medical isses, the cruise line insurance may be cheaper.
• When using a FCV to pay a portion of the cruise fare, the Viking Insurance cost is based only on what you pay in cash. For the 2023 WC, we had a significant saving on the insurance cost.

While it has worked for our situations, it may not work for everyone, especially considering that many of us come from different countries. My best suggestion is determine what you require and research all the options.