Travel Guard Insurance, Is it worth it ?

[TheMiz]

Anyone have any stories about Travel Guard.

Pros or Cons

[cruiser620]

I'm not sure why you are asking this question in the Europe boards! I don't have any specific experience with Travel Guard, but would like to advise everyone to get travel insurance. It's not that expensive. There is a great website to use to compare the cost and features of various plans from different companies -- unfortunately I don't recall right now what the link is but you could do a Google search. I never thought much about travel insurance and never purchased it for myself until after my father died while traveling in Europe. He suffered a heart attack and was in intensive care in Amsterdam for a week before being removed from life support. I cannot begin to tell you what a horrible experience it was. I was so thankful, though, that he had purchased travel insurance. It paid tens of thousands of dollars for his hospital bills and paid to return his body to the USA (You have no idea how tremendously expensive that is, and the money (cash) had to be provided up front.) The company also provided a much needed liaison for helping to handle all the arrangements. It was such a stressful and emotional experience and I was so glad that it wasn't financially overwhelming as well. You owe it to your loved ones to always purchase insurance when you are leaving the country!

[pmc7704]

I agree. I don't usually get it for the shorter cruises, especially when no air travel is involved, but for longer ones, like the Med, it's a must. I think this is the web site you were thinking about.

 

http://insuremytrip.com/p/myquote?pid=1000&rid=1

 

And to answer your question re: Travel Guard, that's who I get my insurance with, but thankfully, haven't had to collect on it yet !

[andrea t]

WE always use travel guard but thankfully haven't had to make a claim yet. Came close this year. We're less than 2 weeks from sailing and DH (age 47) herniated a disc a couple weeks back. We've been walking a tightrope not knowing if he could make the trip or not. Its been peace of mind knowing we would not lose anything if we cancel, even though we're in 50% penalty at this point. Funny thing is, one of the reasons we take the insurance is that my parents are in their 80's and its good to know I can cancel before or mid cruise if anything happens to them! I think its foolish not to have insurance. Its an expensive lesson to learn the hard way. I also recommend insuremytrip.com because you can tailor a policy to your needs.

[Cruisingonceagain]

Ditto on everyone's comments on getting travel insurance. I have a girlfriend in her 40's who was going on a cruise with her family, and I strongly urged her to spend the extra dollars to get travel insurance. She did (although I don't know which company). Exactly a week before their cruise, she suffered a sudden illness and nearly lost her life. Thankfully, she is doing well now, but having the insurance was one less thing she had to worry about. The insurance company gave them 90 days to file all the necessary paperwork, although her husband contacted them right away. We always get travel insurance because of our elderly parents, and I always use Travel Guard through insuremytrip.com. But as andrea t pointed out in her post, one never knows - the parents may be healthy but we may not be. What is nice about Travel Guard (this may hold true for most or all of them out there) is that if your plans change, you can accordingly change your policy. For instance, we had booked a Caribbean cruise initially for completely different dates, and then decided to do the Med instead. All I did was go online, changed all the information, and they just charged me for the difference in pricing due to higher coverage.

[CruizenSuzen]

With a terminally ill relative, I got a little nervous about a month before our Med cruise and decided to go ahead and buy a small insurance policy. Well, we were delayed in Chicago and missed our connection overseas. We arrived in Barcelona a day late and our luggage arrived two days late. We haven't received the money yet, but we've filed a claim with the company to be reimbursed for our hotel and food in Chicago, and our cab fares to Barcelona airport to pick up our luggage. So far, our correspondance with the company has been nothing but professional. I think that for the small policy we bought, it was $86 dollars for the two of us.

 

The key to buying travel insurance is to only cover the costs that you wouldn't be able to recoup if the trip was canceled. For us, this was just the cost of the cruise and airfare, but if you prepaid any hotel I would include this as well. You don't need to include the total trip cost, as much of this won't be incurred until you arrive (spending money, cost of tours, hotels, transportation, etc). Really, you should only insure the portion of the trip cost that you can't afford to lose. That keeps the price of the premium low. Hope this helps.

[vacationhappy]

If for some unforeseen reason you miss the ship in any of the ports, you will be happy that you have insuranace. On our trip last year, several people missed the ship in a number of ports - it seem to happen most in Livorno and Naples. Naples in particlar due to traffic.

[janisutx]

I prefer Travel Ex trip insurance. Compare it to Travel Guard on insuremytip.com. They have a higher amount of coverage for baggage insurance and other benefits for the same money. I changed my travel dates last time with no problem. However I have never filed a claim. Enjoy your cruise.

[TheMiz]

If for some unforeseen reason you miss the ship in any of the ports, you will be happy that you have insuranace. On our trip last year, several people missed the ship in a number of ports - it seem to happen most in Livorno and Naples. Naples in particlar due to traffic.

 

 

And TravelGuard pays for missing the ship?

[TheMiz]

I prefer Travel Ex trip insurance. Compare it to Travel Guard on insuremytip.com. They have a higher amount of coverage for baggage insurance and other benefits for the same money. I changed my travel dates last time with no problem. However I have never filed a claim. Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

Why would I want to insure my TIPS ?

[cruzincurt]

I too have always used Travel ex due to elderly parents and emergency medical evacuation. I don't think the insurance pays for a person missing the ship in a port.

 

Also, some insurance is primary, some secondary. Travel ex is primary.

 

Is insurance worth it? Yes, if you ever need it, no, if you don't. What is peace of mind worth? And I recommend a third party insurance, not the cruise line's or the TA's, I want someone else to represent me. I noticed that my TA offered insurance but buying direct from the same insurance company, for the same price, got $50,000 evac instead of $25,000.

[TheMiz]

Looks like I maybe hurting as I am flying Delta and I can't find any company that will insure them. Most have a long list of WHAT IS NOT COVERED and there are many airlines on that list.

 

Still wondering about the missed ports!

[Roz]

To me the most important aspect of travel insurance is medical insurance and med evac. You can get just as sick and injured on a short cruise as a long one.

 

I constantly see people post on these boards that they don't get travel insurance because they're young, they're healthy, they don't have to fly to the port, they're taking an inexpensive cruise, etc., etc., etc.

 

Well, y'all must be independently wealthy (I'm among the working poor :D ), because I couldn't take the hit of getting seriously ill or injured and then having to be evacuated off the ship ($25,000 - $50,000).

 

On one of my cruises, a 30ish man fell and sustained a compound fracture. Bone was sticking out in 2 places :eek:. The helicopter took he and his wife to St. Thomas, since it was more than the doctor onboard could handle. He needed an orthopedist to operate and set the leg.

 

I'll get off my soapbox, because everyone's going to do what they're going to do, and if you think insurance is a waste of money, so be it.

 

Roz

[TheMiz]

I'm not sure why you are asking this question in the Europe boards! I don't have any specific experience with Travel Guard, but would like to advise everyone to get travel insurance. It's not that expensive.

 

I asked in the Europe boards because that is where my cruise is, plus the rates are different.

[rkacruiser]

I have used Travel Guard. Last winter, I had to cancel three back to back cruises due to illness and was within the 50% cancellation penalty time period. Travel Guard sent me a check for their part of my refund within 6 days after receiving the paperwork I needed to send them! I was most pleased!

[jerseygirl3]

With a terminally ill relative, I got a little nervous about a month before our Med cruise and decided to go ahead and buy a small insurance policy. Well, we were delayed in Chicago and missed our connection overseas. We arrived in Barcelona a day late and our luggage arrived two days late. We haven't received the money yet, but we've filed a claim with the company to be reimbursed for our hotel and food in Chicago, and our cab fares to Barcelona airport to pick up our luggage. So far, our correspondance with the company has been nothing but professional. I think that for the small policy we bought, it was $86 dollars for the two of us.

 

The key to buying travel insurance is to only cover the costs that you wouldn't be able to recoup if the trip was canceled. For us, this was just the cost of the cruise and airfare, but if you prepaid any hotel I would include this as well. You don't need to include the total trip cost, as much of this won't be incurred until you arrive (spending money, cost of tours, hotels, transportation, etc). Really, you should only insure the portion of the trip cost that you can't afford to lose. That keeps the price of the premium low. Hope this helps.

 

Two points to make about this statement. No. 1 being that no insurance will cover for cancellation related to a patient who has already been deemed terminally ill. Secondly, this would not be covered anyway because it was a pre-existing condition. Pre-existing conditions (those diagnosed prior to purchasing insurance) are not covered unless purchased within 7-21 days of making your initial trip deposit (one policy is more liberal, but you still must purchase no later than 24 hours prior to final payment).

[CruizenSuzen]

Two points to make about this statement. No. 1 being that no insurance will cover for cancellation related to a patient who has already been deemed terminally ill. Secondly, this would not be covered anyway because it was a pre-existing condition. Pre-existing conditions (those diagnosed prior to purchasing insurance) are not covered unless purchased within 7-21 days of making your initial trip deposit (one policy is more liberal, but you still must purchase no later than 24 hours prior to final payment).

 

Actually, my policy covered trip cancellation for the death of an immediate family member. I thank god that I didn't have to use it for this reason. Although quite rudely, jerseygirl brings up a good point. Make sure to read the policy to ensure you know what your coverage is.

[jerseygirl3]

Actually, my policy covered trip cancellation for the death of an immediate family member. I thank god that I didn't have to use it for this reason. Although quite rudely, jerseygirl brings up a good point. Make sure to read the policy to ensure you know what your coverage is.

 

Yes, that's true. Most of them do. However, there is a disclaimer that if the person whose illness/death is the cause of the trip cancellation (even if it's a family member and that family member isn't actually traveling with you), the policy doesn't cover if that person was deemed terminally ill prior to purchasing the insurance, which was the case with your situation. You took out the insurance AFTER the diagnosis. Thank goodness nothing happened that caused you to cancel. That's why people really need to read the fine print in those policies. We always get the insurance, but I always go over the policy with a fine tooth comb. If there is a way they can get out of paying you, they will find it.

[jerseygirl3]

Geez, I just noticed your reference to my statement being made "quite rudely." I didn't intend it to be, and I'm not quite sure why you took it that way. What did I say that you interpreted as being rude?

[RichardK]

Some people are just more sensitive than other I guess??

[jerseygirl3]

Here is an excerpt from the policy I was referring to. Most all of the travel policies have the same exclusion for pre-existing conditions:

 

"relating to a diagnosed Sickness from which no recovery is expected and for which only palliative treatment is provided and which carries a prognosis of death within 12 months of the policy Effective Date;"

 

Like I said, policies can be very confusing. I researched the pre-existing waiver clause on just about every single policy on insuremytrip.com because of my husband's illness we have to be sure we are covered.

[Trainer]

I won't go into all the details, but a Hurricane last year forced us to change airports on a trip from Florida to Switzerland. Instead of going from Miami directly to Zurich, we went through JFK in New York. About $500 in extra airline fares for two of us. Filed a claim with Travelguard upon our return. I had the airline change emails which noted we changed because of weather. Travelguard paid our claim in full, promptly and with no hassle. I always buy their insurance rather than the travel agent/cruiseline policy. I'm going on a river cruise next week and bought Travelguard as soon as I confirmed the trip!

[36kruzes]

I like Travel Guard -- been rated one of the best by L.A. Times and various travel magazines. They have a comprehensive plan for cruises and are always easy to reach -- A knowledgeable rep always answers the phone and I've never been disappointed. They keep my records straight, too. Love 'em!

 

 

I have used Travel Guard. Last winter, I had to cancel three back to back cruises due to illness and was within the 50% cancellation penalty time period. Travel Guard sent me a check for their part of my refund within 6 days after receiving the paperwork I needed to send them! I was most pleased!

[CaribbeanBound]

Travel Guard is consider one of the major carriers. However, you still need to make sure it (or any other insurance you buy) meets your needs.

 

Here are 16 VERY important things to consider when buying cruise insurance...

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