Cruise Insurance Not Such A Bad Idea After All

[Bequia]

SoFla Sun Sentinel 3/17/07:

A late-winter storm in the Northeast forced airlines to cancel scores of flights to and from South Florida on Friday and into this morning, frustrating thousands of travelers who envisioned spending the weekend somewhere other than where they are.

This weekend is expected to be very busy as passengers from cancelled flights attempt to depart. It also promises to be a frustrating weekend for those who need to get to Fort Lauderdale or Miami for ocean travel. According to maritime schedules, 13 cruises are planned to depart from Port Everglades and eight from the Port of Miami on Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to the Northeast snow and sleet, severe thunderstorms in South Florida caused 13 flights to be diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International from Miami International Airport.

Cruise line officials said passengers who don't arrive in time for the sailings could be out of luck unless they purchased travel insurance. In general, refunds are not issued for those who miss their ships' departures.

 

[isujim]

So true, so true..............

 

A couple from our church in February was going on a RC cruise and we had an ice storm in OKC..........flight was cancelled out of OKC on the day of the cruise (we told them to go in one day early..) they missed their cruise, had no insurance and RC said too bad............

 

I agree

 

Get the insurance.:)

[daiB]

We only have 300 mile to travel which I realise is not far in USA terms, but we always travel the day before and get our holiday of to an early start and more importantly a relaxed start.

 

 

 

:):)Happy cruising:):)

[mousetravel]

I agree with arriving a day before (if possible). We arrive a day early in order to relax from driving (9 hours with 3 children).

[sept10dsm]

I agree with arriving a day before (if possible). We arrive a day early in order to relax from driving (9 hours with 3 children).

Yes, but in the case this past weekend, the storm was on Fri, the day before so not much help. In the winter especially, either cruise from NY, if in the northeast or buy the insurance.

[jerseygirl3]

We have a rule of thumb; any cruise booked between November and April, we arrive two days early (we're from the Northeast). May through October, we go one day early.

[Tanker4]

We live in Florida so weather isn't a problem for us making a cruise but we always purchase insurance. Why? My wife's mother is in a nursing home and not in good health. Also, we have 3 kids and 6 grandkids so anything can happen. Insurance is just that. Insurance against the unexpected....

 

Tanker4

[jerseygirl3]

We live in Florida so weather isn't a problem for us making a cruise but we always purchase insurance. Why? My wife's mother is in a nursing home and not in good health. Also, we have 3 kids and 6 grandkids so anything can happen. Insurance is just that. Insurance against the unexpected....

 

Tanker4

 

Absolutely! That's our other "rule of thumb." We never go on a cruise without purchasing travel insurance. You just never know. You may think you are in good health, as did my husband. No risk factors, the picture of health, and two years ago, at the young age of 45, had a major brainstem stroke 3 weeks before we were due to sail. They still don't know why it happened to someone so young. It was not a bleed, it was an infarct. So you just never know...

[cruisinbuddy]

Whenever booking a cruise, the second thing I buy is the insurance. The 1st of course is the cruise it's self.

[winnyd]

Like Cruisin Buddy .We take out Ins at time of booking .Because it waives the pre existing condition clause.Have got insurance later through my own ins Co But the mass of forms we have to fill in makes it not worth the savings if any.I always pay double to what the wife pays because of an extra tick some where in that mountain of paper work never again .Just buy it at time of booking & you dont have to sign or any thing . Never used it which is just fine by my. Read in todays paper where somebody died on a Flt from India They moved her into First class they say it happens about 20 times a year.Hope they had ins!

[gizmo]

Yes, but in the case this past weekend, the storm was on Fri, the day before so not much help. In the winter especially, either cruise from NY, if in the northeast or buy the insurance.

How true. So many times I read, book 1 day ahead to play it safe. This doesn't always help.

I had a friend that booked a cruise in late March early April. Her flight was the day ahead. They got a freak ice storm. All flights were cancelled. It was a horrible mess. The ONLY flight they could get her on the day of the cruise would have been cutting it very close to making the ship. She decided to go ahead and cancel. Her insurance covered everything. Good thing she did, the flight they wanted to put her on arrived very late and she would have missed the ship.

[Peregrina651]

Everyone has an insurance story. Here's mine:

 

We are the sandwich generation so we get travel insurance if we are going on long/expensive/overseas trips.

 

Last trip, the insurance paid for itself when my husband lost his Blackberry on board the ship. It slipped from the back-pack as he was going down the stairs; his fault. It wasn't a minute before he realized it was gone but by the time he had retraced his steps, it had been scarfed up. Besides nagging the front desk three times a day for the entire cruise, we made sure to file a loss report with the ship before we disembarked. When we got home, we filed a claim with the travel insurance company. It was under the deductible amount on our homeowners, so we did not have to file a claim with them. It cost more to replace the Blackberry than it did to buy for the insurance but they paid the full price of the replacement.

 

Buy the insurance!!

[AZPam]

We just returned Saturday from the Diamond Princess. While on board my 19 year old daughter came down with a bacterial infection running 103 fever etc. She had to go to the medical offices twice to the tune of $383. That's not as much as the cost of a lost cruise, but to a 19 year old who had to pay for her own trip, it was a small fortune. She sure was glad I made her get the insurance too!

[Macwoman]

Last year we cruised and I bought it after the time table for pre-existing conditions. Well, my asthma acted up and I was just miserable. We went and had an "okay" time, but wish I had bought the insurance sooner. This time I am making sure I am in that time table for the waiver. Also our middle daughter has diabetes.so you just never know. We also fly in a day early if able to avoid any weather or plane mishaps. It just cost too much money to loose if anything should happen.

[Cam6959]

I am in agreement you need insurance! I had my luggage lost for three days the fourth day I received it. Because of weather delays I came in one airport my luggage made it to another airport then sat there until RCCL picked it up. Purchasing $11.00 deoderant etc would have put a big crimp in the plans. Thank goodness for trip insurance and money received back! As far as flying in a day ahead we also learned that lesson. This coming January we are flying into Newark 2 days ahead in case of weather conditions! :)

[cruiseco]

Last year we cruised and I bought it after the time table for pre-existing conditions. Well, my asthma acted up and I was just miserable. We went and had an "okay" time, but wish I had bought the insurance sooner. \

 

Did you call the insurer to find out about your options? The reason is because almost all plans have something similar to this (from MH Ross):

 

"A Pre-existing Condition does not include any condition which is solely

controlled through the taking of prescription medication and which has

remained stable or controlled without any adjustment or change in the

required prescription throughout the 60 day period immediately prior

to Your Effective (purchase) Date."

 

So if your asthma was "stable" as defined by the plan any subsequent flare-up serious enough that your doctor recommends against travel should be covered as a new problem, not a pre-existing one.

[winnyd]

CruiseCo. I don't see it that way the example you used (A person has a recorded Asthma cond & is on medication)Then if they can't travel because of a sudden flare up , should still be able to claim ins.They have a record of Asthma,s.which is a preexisting cond so no claim would be paid.I always get ins with that Pre existing cond waivered.

[fozzy]

I sell insurance where I work. We use Travel Guard who has a specific contract with our company that states preexisting as anything that has changed treatment or begun treatment in the last 60 days. So if you have, say, diabetes and it's been under control in the last 60 days it's not considered preexisting at the time of purchasing insurance. But if you wait and something happens to change your treatment and you haven't put on the insurance it becomes prexisting.

[cruiseco]

CruiseCo. I don't see it that way the example you used (A person has a recorded Asthma cond & is on medication)Then if they can't travel because of a sudden flare up , should still be able to claim ins.They have a record of Asthma,s.which is a preexisting cond so no claim would be paid.I always get ins with that Pre existing cond waivered.

 

The dwefinition of a pre-existing condition is not "they have a record of asthma." That's YOUR definition of a pre-existing condition, and in the insurance world, your definition doesn't mean anything. When it comes to paying a claim, all that matters is the plan's definition of a pre-existing condition.

 

So, in the example previously quoted, the plan's definition specifically excludes any condition controlled with prescription meds with no changes in the condition or treatment during the 60 day period prior to the policy being purchased. If the OP's asthma meets that definition it's NOT a pre-existing condition.

 

The wording of every plan sold in the US has to be reviewed and approved by the insurance department of each individual state. So, when an insurer wants to exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions the insurance regulators make them spell out exactly what will and what won't be considered pre-existing. And if the definition is too onerous they can prevent the plan from being sold at all.

 

If you didn't buy your policy in time to get the plan's waiver of the pre-existing condition exclusions and have to cancel because of what you think is a pre-existing condition don't give up without carefully comparing the plan's definition and your situation. In many cases it really might be a valid claim. Insurers make a ton of money every year by clients not filing claims because they mis-understand the terms of the policy. Make them work for their money.