Keep in mind that Cancel for Any Reason refunds ONLY 50 to 75% of your money, depending on the policy. I just learned a trick from my broker, Steve, at TripInsuranceStore.com. If you make a cruise deposit well in advance of the cruise (for example, a year in advance), then purchase travel insurance within 14 days of your initial deposit so you can get the pre-existing conditions coverage. However, do NOT purchase enough insurance to cover your whole trip (for example, $40,000), but only enough to cover the deposit (for example $1,000). The cost of insurance to cover your cruise deposit should be minimal. After you make final payment (a year later), you then have 14 days to increase the amount of your insurance to cover the entire trip. (NOTE: If you make multiple payments -- not just the initial and final payment -- then you have to increase your insurance within 14 days of each payment to cover the additional payment.)
Doing it this way enables you to get the benefits of pre-existing medical conditions (which is really important as we get older) without requiring us to spend several thousand dollars on insurance a year before we depart. If you cancel the cruise for medical reasons, you get back your refundable deposit from the cruise line, PLUS the insurance company refunds whatever portion of your cruise deposit that was non-refundable.
Alan