Insurance Question

[judyf]

We just paid final payment for our POH cruise in Oct. and now looking to buy insurance.

 

I have a different situation I'm hoping someone can help with. I called the Travelsafe insurance the one I use most of the time and they didn't have an answer for me.

 

Background:

 

We are traveling with a couple, husband and wife who have never traveled before, first flight, first cruise , you get the idea.

 

We are not married but have been living together for almost 20 years. I always make sure the company covers domenstic partners.

 

I booked the cruise, hotel, rental cars and air for all of us and actually paid for it all on my NCL charge card and they paid me.

 

Our concern is if for any reason we can't go they would not be able to go. They don't want to go without us, they would not have a clue as to what to do. I have done all the planning.

 

Does anyone know of an insurance company that would cover this? Weird question I know! HELP!!!

 

Thanks for any advice you can send my way.

[CRUZIN TOM]

do a search for travel insurance. There are about 20 different companies out there. Some offer what they call a platium coverage. It covers more than the basic, losing luggage, sickness, etc.:)

[Travel Junkie Judy]

You should check with your own homeowners insurance company - and with theirs. We have found that we get the best travel insurance at much better rates with our own company. We also have our cars insured with them.

:):)Good Luck!:):)

[NAS-KARR]

Go to insuremytrip.com that'll put you in touch w/dozens of ins.co's w/their phone nbrs.

ck it out.

 

 

CIAO,

[judyf]

Thanks,

I did use insuremytrip.com when I called the one I use most of the time they didn't know. She said "maybe" , for over $6,000 maybe just didn't cut it.

 

I will have her try her home insurance, nice idea.

 

Thanks

[The Cruise Advantage]

Call Travelex. I always use them and they have been able to answer a few complex medical scenarioes when presented to them.

Don't leave home without it. You just never know.

[cruisequeen10]

First, you can't buy the insurance after you make final payment. It has to be done before final payment. It is like your house burning down, then you want to buy fire insurance.

[seattlecruiser]

We have traveled under similar circumstances before and have used Global Alert.

 

Here are a couple of relevant quotes from their website:

 

"You may buy a Global Alert Plan at any time until the day before trip departure, but if your payment is received more than 15 days after the date of your initial deposit/payment for your trip, you will not be eligible for the time sensitive benefits." (The primary benefit here is the pre-existing condition exclusion is waived if the insurance is purchased with 15 days of initial deposit.)

 

"The Global Alert Plans covers up to 6 persons traveling together with you on the same trip if they meet the plan definition of Traveling Companion.

 

“Traveling Companion” means up to six persons whose names appear with yours on the same Trip arrangement and who, during the Trip, will accompany you.

 

If your Traveling Companion, as defined, cancels his or her Trip for a reason covered by a Global Alert Plan, you are protected in two ways:

 

If you decide to take your Trip, the plan will cover any occupancy upgrade charges which you might incur; or

If you decide not to take your Trip, your cancellation penalties will be covered by the plan."

 

 

The GA policy is less restrictive than some others which define traveling companion as someone sharing the same cabin. I would advise calling them to make sure you and your friends fit the definition of traveling companions but what they have told me in the past is if the reservations are made by the same travel agent and the reservations are linked together on the cruiseline's system that would constitute traveling companions.

[nyflush]

First, you can't buy the insurance after you make final payment. It has to be done before final payment. It is like your house burning down, then you want to buy fire insurance.

 

Hi Karen,

 

Why cant you buy the insurance after final payment. I bought our insurance 2 weeks before we cruised.

[pieshops]

First, you can't buy the insurance after you make final payment. It has to be done before final payment. It is like your house burning down, then you want to buy fire insurance.

 

you absolutly can by insurance after final payment, maybe not through the cruise line alothough i am not sure about that.

 

we bough insurance 2 weeks before travelling and not a problem.

 

the only thing is the closer you get to leaving the more expensive it gets

[judyf]

First, you can't buy the insurance after you make final payment. It has to be done before final payment. It is like your house burning down, then you want to buy fire insurance.

 

yes, you can I do it all the time. Just not with the cruise line.

[judyf]

My homeowners does not carry travel insurance.

 

Thanks for the two tips, I will call them. that's just what I'm looking for. I knew I could count on cc more then the lady on the phone at travelsafe. LOL

 

Thanks a million.

[lburg7]

What is the deal with the insurance that we purchase through the company? Do I need to find extra trip insurance besides that? I guess I need to read that fine print. :confused:

[judyf]

What is the deal with the insurance that we purchase through the company? Do I need to find extra trip insurance besides that? I guess I need to read that fine print. :confused:

 

 

You should be fine, just read what it covers. I choose to book my onsurance on my own for a few reasons. I like it to cover from my front door and back to my front door, as most of the time I book air on my own. When you get it through NCL it covers the cruise and I believe air if you booked it through them.

[judyf]

Call Travelex. I always use them and they have been able to answer a few complex medical scenarioes when presented to them.

Don't leave home without it. You just never know.

 

Thanks for the tip I called and Travelex and they were able to answer my question and we got the insurance coverage we need at a decent price.

 

Thanks

[garycarla]

Just know what you are and are not buying. Not everything is covered.

 

As to buying it weeks after booking, some of the cancel reasons might not be covered. Otherwise, if someone were about to cancel because of whatever reason, they would quick buy a policy and then get their money back. Remember, this is a business and their number one goal is to make money, not give it away.

 

One of the best insurance policies to deal with the problem of missing the boat due to airline or weather problems is often overlooked. And no insurance in the world can make up for the day(s) you miss of your cruise. The way to solve this is to fly in a day earlier. Tour the departure city. Relax.

 

I will never understand why so many people buy insurance which the vast majority never use, but at the same time fly cross country and leave 2 hours leeway before the ship is leaving.

 

Insurance can not fix this.

 

(PS - we usually do not buy insurance and save the money towards a future cruise)

[The Cruise Advantage]

I will never understand why so many people buy insurance which the vast majority never use, but at the same time fly cross country and leave 2 hours leeway before the ship is leaving.

 

Unfortunately, should you get sick and injured and need to be transported to a hospital and the bills begin to mount you will wish that you had some sort of travel medical insurance. How are you going to pay for these bills and what support will be in place to help you and your loved ones with you or vice versa. Don't ever think nothing will happen to you, because it can.

I understand your thoughts about buying cancellation coverage, but don't dismiss so quickly medical coverage. It's an unwise decision. Been there and done that. I used my insurance and it saved me a ton of money and aggrevation.

[garycarla]

I respect your opinion to buy medical insurance. You just might need it.

 

By comment was more directed at people that buy insurance, but still decide to cut their flights close, especially when flying cross country or to another country. It just seems silly.

[CC Help Michell]

I respect your opinion to buy medical insurance. You just might need it.

 

By comment was more directed at people that buy insurance, but still decide to cut their flights close, especially when flying cross country or to another country. It just seems silly.

 

We always fly in at least a day early; doesn't matter where we are leaving from. The medical aspect of cancellation is another factor, though. You had posted indicating that you don't understand purchasing that coverage -- specifically, you said "(PS - we usually do not buy insurance and save the money towards a future cruise)." Our very first cruise we did "naked" -- no insurance -- thinking "oh of COURSE we'll go!" And we did and all was good.

 

Two weeks after we got home I was rear-ended in my Honda Civic by a guy in a Yukon. I had broken ribs on both sides -- an experience I suggest you avoid if the cosmos gives you a choice. :) I realized that if that accident had happened two weeks BEFORE our cruise, I just flat couldn't have gone, no way, no how -- I could barely hobble 10 feet from the bed to the bathroom, so moving from a vehicle to the ship, etc. was not going to happen. Since that time, we have always purchased insurance for our cruises (and land-based vacations for that matter). We consider it a part of the cruise cost -- but we haven't ever purchased insurance through the cruiseline. It's virtually always cheaper and covers more if you shop online.

 

Just a different take on the question. :)

[mmceachn]

I always buy the insurance. I shop and read the fine print, and then select the policy with the coverages that I want.

 

I met a lady on the Majesty last week whose husband had suffered an aneurism while cruisng a few years ago.

 

The gentleman was airlifted from a Hospital in Bermuda to Boston for emergency surgery, and the trip insurance paid for his emergency medical care, medivac flight and his wife's airfare back to Boston.

His grown children who were with them were covered by thier policies and were able to fly back to Boston also. Everone was refunded the remainder of thier cruise fare.

 

I'm happy to say that the lady's husband recovered, and was cruising with his family again last week.

 

If you shop around, a decent policy will cost less than a shore excursion.

I dropped more in the casino than I paid for my cruise insurance

 

Of course, It is nice that people are free to choose whether to spend their money to transfer the risk, or use the money for something else and retain the risk.

 

I have been fortunate, and never had to use the travel insurance, but it's the only thing I have ever purchased that I do not want to use

[judyf]

We always fly in at least a day early; doesn't matter where we are leaving from. The medical aspect of cancellation is another factor, though. You had posted indicating that you don't understand purchasing that coverage -- specifically, you said "(PS - we usually do not buy insurance and save the money towards a future cruise)." Our very first cruise we did "naked" -- no insurance -- thinking "oh of COURSE we'll go!" And we did and all was good.

 

Two weeks after we got home I was rear-ended in my Honda Civic by a guy in a Yukon. I had broken ribs on both sides -- an experience I suggest you avoid if the cosmos gives you a choice. :) I realized that if that accident had happened two weeks BEFORE our cruise, I just flat couldn't have gone, no way, no how -- I could barely hobble 10 feet from the bed to the bathroom, so moving from a vehicle to the ship, etc. was not going to happen. Since that time, we have always purchased insurance for our cruises (and land-based vacations for that matter). We consider it a part of the cruise cost -- but we haven't ever purchased insurance through the cruiseline. It's virtually always cheaper and covers more if you shop online.

 

Just a different take on the question. :)

 

Just one more take, you never know if an unexpected death of a relative will happen just before you cruise or during it for that fact. It has happened.

 

I didn't get insurance my first few cruises and then a relative passed away just after I returned one year and after that I always get the insurance.

 

I also fly in a day or 2 ahead. Living in the northeast you never know about weather and flight or even driving.

[kdg51]

We are ready to book back 2 back cruises and need to know if the insurance can be taken on the entire amount of the trip or if they will base it on each cruise inividually? :confused: Seems to me it should be cheaper if they are insured together. Need suggestions since I need to buy the insurance within 14 days to cover pre existing conditions. Sale on our cruise ends Friday so I need to settle on something quickly! :eek: Help!

[smeyer418]

We are ready to book back 2 back cruises and need to know if the insurance can be taken on the entire amount of the trip or if they will base it on each cruise inividually? :confused: Seems to me it should be cheaper if they are insured together. Need suggestions since I need to buy the insurance within 14 days to cover pre existing conditions. Sale on our cruise ends Friday so I need to settle on something quickly! :eek: Help!

 

NCL will charge as if 2 individual cruises. go to http://www.insuremytrip.com and I think you can ask the question and compare both amounts and coverages. remember as you age the cruise lines insurance becomes comparatively cheaper(as it isn't age rated) as the individual insurance is...

[kdg51]

OK, can anyone tell me about the "cancel for any reason" with an additional charge that lets you cancel for any reason with a 75% refund? If we were to cancel our vacation it would have to be because one of us or our family are not well or if for some reason it is not safe to travel. It appears that any of those are covered (in full?) as well as any medical problems that might occur during the trip or loss of luggage, etc. Any suggestions about which companies people have purchased and needed to use? So far we've never needed to use the insurance and that's OK..esp if it means we had a great vacation! :D What if we are renting a vehicle to get to the port and again to return home. Would I add that to the cost of the trip?

 

Thanks for the info. My TA says that I need to pay the $178 for each cruise and I also need to book online for the better price...usually it's the other way around, it's cheaper to book with him over the phone. I have 2 days to figure out how to use my certificate I purchased on the Pearl as my downpayment on one of the cruises and to make sure I get the insurance. :eek: