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How many of you cruise without purchasing insurance?


ErickW
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Just as the title states. I'm contemplating not adding the insurance for our 5 day coming up in March. We went at the same time last year and although I did purchase it then, I'm just not sure I want to spend the extra couple hundred dollars on it. We are a family of five with kids ages 10,7, and 5. If that matters anyways. So please give me your input, and let me know what you have or haven't done in the past. Especially frequent cruisers.

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NEVER!!

 

All you need is one medical evacuation to the tune of $15,000.00 or more like I had last year from Grand Turk to make you wish you had purchased it. We have always purchased travel insurance and will continue to do so. We had excellent service and treatment from Allianz. They made a bad situation so much more tolerable.

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We used to travel without but I haven't within the past five years or so. I am young, no health problems, but for the little bit it costs it is worth it to have my investment protected. How many times on here do you see people crying for exceptions because something came up and they want Carnival to help them and bend or throw out the rules completely? I say too bad for them. If they didn't think their money was worth protecting why should anyone else? Accidents can happen at any time both here, on the ship, and on shore. Many health insurance companies will not cover you overseas. I am not willing to put my financial well being at risk should something happen.

 

I never get Carnival insurance as it has terrible medical coverage. Go to InsureMyTrip or call them and they can find a good, affordable policy for your family. Nationwide Choice Cruise is my preferred plan.

 

If you are OK with losing your cruise fare, airfare, and whatever nonrefundable expenses associated with your vacation should something occur before the trip then don't get insurance. And if your medical insurance will cover you 100% overseas, then don't get insurance. If you wouldn't want to be out your money, get insurance. Sure odds are in your favor you won't use it, but I don't care to play roulette with my vacation or retirement funds. Especially since coverage is cheap.

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I didn't start buying travel insurance until I turned 50, however with 3 little ones traveling, I would buy it with zero hesitation! Check into insure my trip and compare the rates. As I book any trip now, I just budget the cost of the insurance. It's worth it for peace of mind.

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I did 8 cruises without travel insurance and never had a problem. I recently started buying travel insurance due to my cabin mate health issues. I was on a cruise a few months ago where my cabin mate needed to go the ship medical center. Soo glad i had travel insurance and i was reimbursed the costs for that visit.

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As stated I haven't ruled it out, I need to check out some outside sources, being as I feel Carnival charging almost $300 is somewhat expensive in my eyes. I think age plays a factor too, understanding anything can happen at any time, would you be more prone to travel without it while younger?

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I never purchased insurance until I had my son. Now, I will never cruise without it.

Like someone else said, if an accident happens, you could be looking at a lot of money for an emeregency evac.

Someone posted a few years ago about their son'' appendix bursting and while he was on the table awaiting surgery in a hospital the man was trying to get half the money for the surgery wired to him. They wouldn' start treating him until they had some cash up front. And it was a lot. Over $10,000.

 

So, it is not always just a risk for future debt but, a risk that you may not be able to be treated.

 

I do a pretty basic plan through my insurance company that gives us evac and medical coverage. I am not concerned with trip cancellation or luggage and all those extras. It runs $75 or $85 for a 5 day cruise for 2 adults with under 18 free.

 

Worth checking out.

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As stated I haven't ruled it out, I need to check out some outside sources, being as I feel Carnival charging almost $300 is somewhat expensive in my eyes. I think age plays a factor too, understanding anything can happen at any time, would you be more prone to travel without it while younger?

Only if younger and stupid. I am far from old and have no health issues. However, kids can get sick preventing you from going or even getting ill or injured on the trip. Almost had to cancel due to my son about 4 years ago because he had an ear infection and wasn't sure if he would be able to fly. LOTS of things can happen. Again, if you are OK with risking it and losing out on your nonrefundable costs and your insurance covers you 100% out of the country, then don't get it. If you can answer no to one of those, then the answer is yes get it it. But NOT Carnival's.

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As stated I haven't ruled it out, I need to check out some outside sources, being as I feel Carnival charging almost $300 is somewhat expensive in my eyes. I think age plays a factor too, understanding anything can happen at any time, would you be more prone to travel without it while younger?

use a third party insurance company, they are cheaper then the cruise line.a good website to check insurance pricing is http://insuremytrip.com . I was able to purchase insurance from that site for about half the cost carnival wanted

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I my first 30 cruises or so, I only purchased insurance for an Alaskan and a Mediterranean cruise. Many of my early cruises were solo and inexpensive. Now that I am older and have a few health issues, I decided to get an annual policy since I'm traveling land and sea about 1/2 the year now.

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We always buy travel insurance. It saved us on Last cruise when we were diverted due to Hurricane and needed to get back home for work. We usually get it tru our Travel agent and he shops best deal for me and wife. It took about 3 months to get reimbursed for our airline tickets. We also had it when airlines lost our luggage before a cruise and did not have any clothes except for what we had in our Carry On.

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Just as the title states. I'm contemplating not adding the insurance for our 5 day coming up in March. We went at the same time last year and although I did purchase it then, I'm just not sure I want to spend the extra couple hundred dollars on it. We are a family of five with kids ages 10,7, and 5. If that matters anyways. So please give me your input, and let me know what you have or haven't done in the past. Especially frequent cruisers.

 

Me. I have never bought insurance. And never will. But then my medical insurance covers me abroad and covers stuff like emergency evacuations (yes I called and verified before we took our first cruise). And if a cruise (or our health) is that precarious, probably best to find some other vacation.

 

As for missing cruises, cancellations, etc. We pay for our cruise with discretionary income. If we lose it, we are not hurt at all financially as the money is gone either way. We just don't get a vacation. Life goes on. At the very least, you have bought a story!

 

And given the premium for the coverage, it is just not a good deal. Think about it this way...you might pay $1000 for a years worth of insurance on a $200,000 house. And many would scream that is too much. But for a family of four you will pay say $300 to cover a $5000 cruise vacation for 7 days. That is outrageously expensive by comparison.

 

But I understand everyone has different monetary values and risk tolerance. If buying insurance gives you peace of mind and helps you enjoy your vacation...go for it. Me, I never thought about insurance while on a cruise....just thought about having fun.

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Good info here from all parties. Firemanbobswife, I am curious though, you stated you never did until 5 years ago. What changed that? Why didn't you until that point?

Because I was of the mindset that it was only for "old people" and with a family of 4 I thought the price was too high. This was before I really dug in looking for policies besides Carnival which I thought had bad coverage and it didn't seem worth it to me.

 

My "awakening" if you will, came when we were in St Marten at Maho Beach. All the boys were out bobbing around in the water and my friend and I were on the beach. They kept yelling for us to come in but we didn't want to get our hair wet. Finally we were getting hot and decided we would just go in a little bit. Bob told us to come out further as we were in the wave break zone but we were afraid of getting all wet so stayed put. About 2 min later a giant wave came up and over us. All I could see was water and I was tumbling through the surf. I felt my feet sticking up in the air and thought for sure I was done for. After what seemed like an eternity I could breathe but only for a second before I was once again underwater but being pushed up on the beach. The wave had sent me head over feet and I ended up facing the beach as opposed to the ocean as I originally started out. I couldn't open my eyes hardly as the salt water was burning them. Like a blind, drowned rat I clawed my way up and out of the water. My bikini top was down, but it didn't matter. I had sand sticking to every cm of my body so I wasn't exposed (although there are topless sunbathers there so I wouldn't totally have been out of place :D). I flipped over on my back to hear roaring laughter from several yards out. When I sat up after wiping the sand and salt out of my eyes I heard "We told you so!" Needless to say my hair was wet :rolleyes:. I still haven't heard the end of that one! LOL!

 

Long story short, as I saw my life flash before my eyes, I realized anything can happen anywhere and if I had needed medical treatment, we would be screwed. Hope y'all had a good laugh! True story.

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