Travel Insurance

[gopsu]

This will be our first cruise. Is the travel insurance really necessary? We've never had it for any other vacations that we've taken.

[arzz]

It all depends how much you are willing to risk. We have been buying travel insurance since we were booked on a cruise many years ago and the cruiseline went bankrupt before we could travel.

 

We also have elderly relatives and some pre-existing medical conditions of our own. If something were to happen after final payment and before the end of the cruise not going on the cruise or leaving the ship could be mighty expensive without travel insurance. If medical care became necessary that could not be supplied on board that can also become quite pricey -- especially if you have to leave the ship and abandon the rest of your cruise for treatment.

 

Just this past week, the day before we were to leave on a 12 day cruise, I was attacked by a previously unknown medical condition that required immediate surgery. We would have lost several thousands of dollars had we not been insured -- at least we hope we haven't lost it. We are filing paperwork as this is written.

 

Assuming the insurance that we have does what it claims to do, the cost of its purchase is only a small amount compared to what we would have lost without it.

[Sky Sweet]

Every time we take a cruise I vacillate about whether or not to buy travel insurance, but always wind up doing so. It is not for the cost of the cruise itself, because I take bigger risks every time I buy a new stock. My main concern is the possibility of a medical emergency. However, I am starting to rethink that because we are covered worldwide on our personal health insurance for medical emergencies and most travel insurance stipulates that your personal policy is your primary one.

[PanamaCanal07]

We've been on 3 cruises and needed it on 2 of them. Sometimes there are gray areas where they try and weasle out which is frustrating, but I feel we have to have it. :)

[Stevesan]

This will be our first cruise. Is the travel insurance really necessary? We've never had it for any other vacations that we've taken.

 

Trip insurance, like any other insurance, is a personal decision, dependent on the price of the trip, your age (most policy premiums increase w/age) and your own financial position (can you afford to self insure).

 

Here's a good web site to research the coverages offered and to make company comparisons:

 

http://www.insuremytrip.com/

 

Before you ask (just to save some typing:) ):

 

1) Most cruisers use either Access America or Travelguard

 

2) Insurance offered by the cruise companies may, on the surface, appear more costly, but they're not age dependent. Seniors can actually save.

[Stevesan]

This will be our first cruise. Is the travel insurance really necessary? We've never had it for any other vacations that we've taken.

 

Trip insurance, like any other insurance, is a personal decision, dependent on the price of the trip, your age (most policy premiums increase w/age) and your own financial position (can you afford to self insure).

 

Here's a good web site to research the coverages offered and to make company comparisons:

 

http://www.insuremytrip.com/

 

Before you ask (just to save some typing:) ):

 

1) Most cruisers use either Access America or Travelguard

 

2) It doesn't cost more buying thru your travel agent than buying direct. I've made a number of comparisons. Apparently the, TA's commish is not off the top.

 

3) Insurance offered by the cruise companies may, on the surface, appear more costly, but they're not age dependent. Seniors can actually save.

[msmayor]

Although our medical coverage will pay for an evacuation to the nearest facility, the problem is that they won't guarantee the payment and therefore I have to pay UPFRONT. Not sure about you, but I don't have $20,000 lying around to front a chopper.

 

In addition, my personal medical insurance may cover me in an emergency situation, but it will require lots of paperwork after I return trying to ensure things get paid for. They will NOT cover the costs I'll incur getting back home from whatever medical facility I or my family members had to go to.

 

Trip Insurance takes care of it all.

 

The policy I have only requires a phone call from the ship to coordinate the evacuation. They will guarantee payment to the medical facilities so I don't have to worry about that. They will pay to get me home. And the policy I have is PRIMARY coverage, so I don't have to first go to my own insurance and then file with the travel insurance.

 

I also have a policy that covers my children, who are not yet 16, for no additional cost. For less than $225 I have primary coverage for $500K of medical per person, no worries about paying the costs associated with lost luggage or missed connections, and no worries about pre-existing conditions so if God-forbid someone gets sick at the last minute, my $6,000 isn't down the tubes.

 

I know that the cost is non-refundable. But considering the premium represents less than 4% of my total costs, the peace of mind it brings is priceless.

[torpeedo]

We do buy trip insurance, mostly to protect against illness in a foreign country and the need for medivac.

My understanding of the medical part of coverage is that it will only apply after your own insurance pays up...In otherwords, it's secondary insurance if you have primary medical insurance that does pay for the services you need. What they may do is pay first for you to expedite matters and then go after your medical insurance to reimburse what they owed.. We always take the insurance but have never had to use it, thank heavens!!!

[lambs2]

We purchased cruise and trip insurance for the very first time for our recent Mediterranean cruise. We planned a cruise with less than two months before sailing and when all the flights worked out at a good price -we booked! Our problem was that my husband's 85 year old dad was in very poor health with an almost non-functional liver and other complications. We had recently assisted and accompanied he and my mother-in-law on a short 3-day 60th anniversary cruise (complete with wheelchair and 2 canes!) and that had gone smoothly. They both had a wonderful time!

 

The deal we got for this "dream" Mediterranean cruise a couple months later was too good for us to pass up...so we went for it! Our only hesitation was dad's bad health. He was definitely weaker than he had been..and he has been 'failing' for more than 6 years. If we had passed up any of our previous cruises or other trips due to his poor health than we would have been just home-bound for more than six years!

 

After weighing all the factors, we did lots of research on cruise insurance, mostly due to the possibility of trip interruption should he pass away suddenly on our more than two week trip. Our wonderful online TA quoted a great deal on CSA Travel Protection and we made SEVERAL long calls to the company and their managers to see if we would really be covered should he pass away. An unexpected trip back home from Europe was scary to us, and SO COSTLY we needed to be insured against this great financial hardship. Our caveat was that nothing had really changed medically from his diagnosis with liver dissease six years ago due to a Hepatitus C infection contracted from a"bad" blood transfusion 30 years ago. He had already survived 10 years longer than ANY doctor could believe..AND had also survived a quadruple by-pass, eight years ago! He was already a medical 'mystery' and we knew the doctors would say that too, if needed!

 

Anyway, that insurance was great peace of mind for us! We hardly gave the whole situation much thought, except that each night when we returned to our stateroom from our days' adventures we would both automatically check to see if the red light on the phone were blinking with any messages from the front desk. Fortunately there were none the whole fabulous trip!

 

But..two days after returning from our "trip-of-a-lifetime" we received a call that dad had been rushed to the hospital by ambulance. We got in the car for the 8 hour trip there and he only lived five more days before going home to the Lord. We all got to say our goodbyes, though as his mind wa still perfect. We were all singing hymns around his bedside when he passed from this life.

 

So..we were very fortunate to be able to have that trip AND the reassurance of the Trip Insurance. I do not regret purchasing it for one minute! (It is also a relief that your own personal medical evacuation expenses, plus lost bags and passports are covered too!)

[Jade13]

This will be our first cruise. Is the travel insurance really necessary? We've never had it for any other vacations that we've taken.

 

It depends where you are going and how much money you are willing to risk?

 

If you need an emergency medical evacuation that alone could be $50K I'm told.

 

What if someone in your family dies and you need to be there for the funeral?

 

Some (like Hal's which needs to be bought at initial deposit) cover cancellation for any reason. Someone may have a teenager that just decides she does not want to go with her family on vacation one week before departure. In that case you would get back 90% (plus any additional fees from your travel agent).

 

Also, some people do have medical that covers worldwide, but usually at a lesser amount such as 70%. Supplental insurance would cover the difference and also emergency medical evacuation is not covered under most employer plans. Also, Medicare (in the US) does not cover medical outside the US. And besides the medical, you would get back a portion of your missed vacation.

 

The average fare on HAL seems to run about $1,500-$3,500 per person in a cabin (7-12 day), so $3,000-$7,000 would be a lot for most couples to risk.

[Jade13]

Trip Insurance takes care of it all.

 

The policy I have only requires a phone call from the ship to coordinate the evacuation. They will guarantee payment to the medical facilities so I don't have to worry about that. They will pay to get me home. And the policy I have is PRIMARY coverage, so I don't have to first go to my own insurance and then file with the travel insurance.

 

I also have a policy that covers my children, who are not yet 16, for no additional cost. For less than $225 I have primary coverage for $500K of medical per person, no worries about paying the costs associated with lost luggage or missed connections, and no worries about pre-existing conditions so if God-forbid someone gets sick at the last minute, my $6,000 isn't down the tubes.

 

I know that the cost is non-refundable. But considering the premium represents less than 4% of my total costs, the peace of mind it brings is priceless.

 

Which policy with primary coverage?

[toban]

We have purchased travel/health insurance on each of our 7 cruises and did not need to use it until our cruise in January 2007. Within days of departure a close family member passed away and we had to cancel. We received full compensation for the cost of the cruise. We booked another cruise and my husband and I, along with most of the passengers on the ship, came down with a severe respiratory illness. We were reimbursed for medical expenses totalling $1300 Canadian. Would we travel without insurance ?? No Way !!

[dakrewser]

We now book trip insurance for all of our land-based as well as cruise-based vacations. I keep seperate blanket medical evacuation coverage since I frequently travel for business as well, but the trip insurance is for any of those irritating things (canceled/delayed flights, lost/delayed baggage, etc.) as well as cancellations due to family situations. It's a choice, just like life insurance but we feel it's as necessary as automobile or homeowners insurance.

[serendipity1499]

Although our medical coverage will pay for an evacuation to the nearest facility, the problem is that they won't guarantee the payment and therefore I have to pay UPFRONT. Not sure about you, but I don't have $20,000 lying around to front a chopper.

 

In addition, my personal medical insurance may cover me in an emergency situation, but it will require lots of paperwork after I return trying to ensure things get paid for. They will NOT cover the costs I'll incur getting back home from whatever medical facility I or my family members had to go to.

 

Trip Insurance takes care of it all.

 

The policy I have only requires a phone call from the ship to coordinate the evacuation. They will guarantee payment to the medical facilities so I don't have to worry about that. They will pay to get me home. And the policy I have is PRIMARY coverage, so I don't have to first go to my own insurance and then file with the travel insurance.

 

I also have a policy that covers my children, who are not yet 16, for no additional cost. For less than $225 I have primary coverage for $500K of medical per person, no worries about paying the costs associated with lost luggage or missed connections, and no worries about pre-existing conditions so if God-forbid someone gets sick at the last minute, my $6,000 isn't down the tubes.

 

I know that the cost is non-refundable. But considering the premium represents less than 4% of my total costs, the peace of mind it brings is priceless.

 

Where can you get a $500K policy for medical for $225.00...Our travelex policy for our HAL 25 day Amazon cruise last year was over $700..The next Amazon cruise policy is $650 only because Travelex Lite permits us to insure less than the total cost of the trip...

 

Gopsu...As others have said, it also depends on where you are going, Your Ages, cost of the trip & how much you can afford to lose...Medical Evacuation can cost as much as $50,000...When I worked in the Travel Industry I never took out travel insurance.. I've had Medical emergencies & care by Dr's/Hospitals in Sidney, Tokyo, Nairobi & Mexico... My Company policy covered me in all cases, but I paid up front & was reimbursed later..However now that we are Retired & on Medicare we take the Insurance..

 

One precaution we take is to NEVER purchase the insurance through the Travel Agent or the Cruise Line..If either one goes under you are not covered..We always use Insuremytrip.com & compare all policies..

 

Consumer Reports had an interesting article in May 2007 under the Heading- CR MONEY: Travel Insurance Why you rarely need it

 

After reading this article, we believe we do need it & will continue to purchase it especially for the Medical evacuation coverage...

 

Good luck in your decision & enjoy your cruise.:) Betty

[msmayor]

Where can you get a $500K policy for medical for $225.00...Our travelex policy for our HAL 25 day Amazon cruise last year was over $700..The next Amazon cruise policy is $650 only because Travelex Lite permits us to insure less than the total cost of the trip...

 

 

My policy is, in fact, a Travelex policy but bear in mind that my trip is only a 7-day cruise (not 25) and goes to the Caribbean, not the Amazon. Length and location of the trip must certainly be two big factors to the premium charged.

[Jade13]

[quote=serendipity1499;1

One precaution we take is to NEVER purchase the insurance through the Travel Agent or the Cruise Line..If either one goes under you are not covered..We always use Insuremytrip.com & compare all policies..

 

Good luck in your decision & enjoy your cruise.:) Betty

 

 

Most cruiselines use third party. As an example Hal's goes through Berkley Care.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We always get insurance. Had to use it once when DH's mother died just a few days before our cruise.

[cruiseco]

One precaution we take is to NEVER purchase the insurance through the Travel Agent or the Cruise Line..If either one goes under you are not covered..We always use Insuremytrip.com & compare all policies..

 

It's very likely that buying a policy from a third-party source won't help you in the case of losing money because a travel agency goes out of business. Most plans that include financial default coverage have an exclusion something like this from Travelex:

 

" . . Unforeseen Bankruptcy or financial Default of a Travel Supplier (other than the travel agency or organization from whom You purchased the Travel Arrangements)"

 

This is from Travel Insured:

 

"Bankruptcy or Default of Your Travel Supplier which occurs more than 14 days following Your Effective Date. Coverage is not provided for the Bankruptcy or Default of the agency from whom You purchased Your Land/Sea Arrangements."

 

So if you go to insuremytrip to buy a policy and lose money due to a financial default of the travel agency you're still out of luck.

 

Your best defense against losing money due to a financial default of a travel agency is to avoid paying by cash or check, use a credit card ony and INSIST that the charge be made by the cruise line, not the agency.

 

The same situation applies to those who book directly with the cruise line and want to be protected in case the cruise line goes out of business. Buying almost any third-party plan will leave you without this coverage.

[msmayor]

Which policy with primary coverage?

 

Travelex Travel Plus. I did all the research through insuremytrip.com and also reviewed information on Travelex's website.

 

I contacted my own medical insurance to double-check their coverage, but still prefer to have my travel insurance as primary. Yes, they may go back to my own medical to recover costs but that's their dog to walk, not mine.

[cruiseco]

Length and location of the trip must certainly be two big factors to the premium charged.

 

With most plans, including Travelex, those really are not factors for most cruisers up to a point up to a point. For trips under 30 days in length the only factors considered are age and trip cost. After the 30 day mark they tack on a couple of bucks a day to the premium. So a $2000 7 night cruise to the Caribbean will cost you the same as a three week tour of Mongolia as long as the trip cost is the same.

 

The one major exception is CSA which now figures in a number of different factors such as how long between the policy purchase and the departure date (the earlier you buy a policy, the more you'll pay), the length of the trip, the type of trip (longer trip = more $$$), the destination (North America/Caribbean is comparitively cheap, Africa & Asia will cost you more, The middle East will cost you MUCH more), the traveler's state of residence and who knows what else. That's why for some people the CSA plan will be the cheapest around but for others it can be the most expensive.

 

One other exception is the plan marketed by STA Travel which bases premiums on one factor only -- the length of the trip. So if you're 90 years old on a $10,000 seven night cruise you can do pretty well with them.

[msmayor]

OK...I also forgot age as a factor.

 

But trip cost is also a significant factor. My total prepaid trip cost per person is $1,500 and therefore the premium is $103 each (remember...my kids are both covered for free since they're under 16 at the time I'm purchasing the insurance...over 16 and they'd cost me $90 each).

 

If my trip cost was $3,501-4,000 per person (which doesn't seem so unrealistic for a 25-day trip to the Amazon) my insurance premium jumps to $298 per person. Almost three times the cost, then three times the premium.

[serendipity1499]

Most cruiselines use third party. As an example Hal's goes through Berkley Care.

 

That's true, but I would bet that if look very closely at Berkley Cares Policy it states something like: "You will not be covered if you purchase the Insurance through a Third party Travel Provider which goes bankrupt or out of business" Most policy's have this provision in them..That's one reason why we always purchase our Insurance directly through the Insurance Company..

 

We looked at various policy's on Insuremytrip.com for comparison's.. Then I e-mailed Travelex directly with my question about purchasing a policy for a lesser amount than the entire trip cost...(We decided how much we were willing to lose) The Insurance Co..Rep. called me back with the answer..That's when I asked if it was possible to purchase our Insurance directly through Travelex & they said Yes..Which I did..

 

Betty

[serendipity1499]

OK...I also forgot age as a factor.

 

But trip cost is also a significant factor. My total prepaid trip cost per person is $1,500 and therefore the premium is $103 each (remember...my kids are both covered for free since they're under 16 at the time I'm purchasing the insurance...over 16 and they'd cost me $90 each).

 

If my trip cost was $3,501-4,000 per person (which doesn't seem so unrealistic for a 25-day trip to the Amazon) my insurance premium jumps to $298 per person. Almost three times the cost, then three times the premium.

 

Thanks msmayer for your reply..Now I understand.. I thought you had purchased a policy which covered you for all travel in one year.. Did not understand that you were purchasing a one trip policy for you all...

 

I wish we could find a yearly policy which would cover us for all travel in each year & not have to worry about each trip..I hate putting so much $$$ out for insurance each time, but guess it's a necessary evil.;) Between our 3 Home policies (Homeowners, Wind (State), Flood (Federal), & travel Insurance we could have self insured ourselves, if we had banked those premiums 15 years ago..But who knew that the insurance rates would increase so much! LOL

 

Thanks again..Betty

[serendipity1499]

It's very likely that buying a policy from a third-party source won't help you in the case of losing money because a travel agency goes out of business. Most plans that include financial default coverage have an exclusion something like this from Travelex:

 

" . . Unforeseen Bankruptcy or financial Default of a Travel Supplier (other than the travel agency or organization from whom You purchased the Travel Arrangements)"

 

This is from Travel Insured:

 

"Bankruptcy or Default of Your Travel Supplier which occurs more than 14 days following Your Effective Date. Coverage is not provided for the Bankruptcy or Default of the agency from whom You purchased Your Land/Sea Arrangements."

 

So if you go to Insuremytrip to buy a policy and lose money due to a financial default of the travel agency you're still out of luck.

 

Your best defense against losing money due to a financial default of a travel agency is to avoid paying by cash or check, use a credit card ony and INSIST that the charge be made by the cruise line, not the agency.

 

The same situation applies to those who book directly with the cruise line and want to be protected in case the cruise line goes out of business. Buying almost any third-party plan will leave you without this coverage.

 

Believe you actually should have been quoting Jade's answer to me..I don't believe that Berkley Care will cover her trip if HAL goes out of business (which probably will not happen..

 

Or if you are saying even though I purchase insurance directly with the Insurance Company & HAL or my TA goes out of business I will not be covered...I believe you are mis-interpreting this clause..If HAL or my TA goes out of business & I purchased our policy directly from the Insurance Company, then the Travelex Policy will cover me..However if I purchased the insurance through HAL then HAL goes out of business we would not be covered..The same thing would happen if we purchase the insurance through an Agent & they go out of business..We always pay by credit card..

 

Betty

 

P.S..Just for the fun of it I'm going to e-mail Travelex & see if they will reply..

[serendipity1499]

OOPS duplicate post..Sorry