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Gufy
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we have a family trip scheduled to the Southern Caribbean in September 2019. Mother, son and 2 daughters and granddaughter. Mother is elderly but is well enough to go now. We are planning on getting travel ins for her because If she, for some unseen reason, can’t make the trip. Is it necessary for all of us to get the insurance? If something happens to her and we need to stay home because of having to care for her or worse, will her insurance cover us or do we need to each have our own?

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Everyone needs their own unless it’s a minor. Different countries, different companies = different needs and wants.

 

But, it’s better for all to have it an not need it, than need it and not have it.

 

 

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The question you need to answer before you consider insurance is what exactly are you trying to insure?

 

You can get coverage that covers trip cancellation, but you have to decide if that's a good investment. For some, they feel it always is, for others, the determination is that it's never a good investment.

 

A lot of people around here blur the lines by talking about costs of health care when out of town/out of the country, and the possible costs associated with a medical transport home. Those are both very important considerations, but should be evaluated carefully. Many assume they do not have that covered through their existing insurance, where a great deal of policies will cover you for incurred costs of care.

 

As for medical transport, if you travel frequently, a blanket coverage through MedJetAssist or similar generally is a better deal than episodic insurance policies. If you travel rarely, the latter may be better.

 

Simply insuring the cost of the trip for reimbursement should you have to cancel is a personal decision. I would be more inclined to consider it if health issues or other factors increased the probability. But the blanked statement made above of "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it" is the insurance salesperson's dream! Cancellation insurance is generally considered a poor investment choice (although as I said, there are extenuating circumstances that can occasionally justify it).

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The question you need to answer before you consider insurance is what exactly are you trying to insure?

 

 

 

You can get coverage that covers trip cancellation, but you have to decide if that's a good investment. For some, they feel it always is, for others, the determination is that it's never a good investment.

 

 

 

A lot of people around here blur the lines by talking about costs of health care when out of town/out of the country, and the possible costs associated with a medical transport home. Those are both very important considerations, but should be evaluated carefully. Many assume they do not have that covered through their existing insurance, where a great deal of policies will cover you for incurred costs of care.

 

 

 

As for medical transport, if you travel frequently, a blanket coverage through MedJetAssist or similar generally is a better deal than episodic insurance policies. If you travel rarely, the latter may be better.

 

 

 

Simply insuring the cost of the trip for reimbursement should you have to cancel is a personal decision. I would be more inclined to consider it if health issues or other factors increased the probability. But the blanked statement made above of "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it" is the insurance salesperson's dream! Cancellation insurance is generally considered a poor investment choice (although as I said, there are extenuating circumstances that can occasionally justify it).

 

 

 

Of course, there are so many different types of insurance. In saying so, for example, weather patterns are a bit hectic around the world (looking at you, UK) with travel disruptions left, right and Chelsea.

 

My thing about insurance, as an insurance agent’s dream customer, stems from conversations with British Gurkha’s; my old Colour Sergeant used to carry 330 rounds of ammunition on patrol in Afghan, the Corporal 1000 rounds. Both their replies were, “because we’ve needed it before.” (The Corporal is about to retire after 24 years of faithful service to places all over the world). I asked them if they’ve had to fire every round on every patrol that they took outside the wire or in country, answer was, “only on the rare occasion would we fire rounds, and rarer still to finish all the rounds.”

 

So, travel insurance is like that. I (and my family) normally purchase the best policy that we can afford for our trip. We, Upper Management willing, will hopefully never have to use it (like car insurance), but it definitely is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it, especially stuck in the middle of Poopouttalucksville, foreign country, in the middle of the night without communications, because you (or your driver) didn’t see that pothole and flipped the car/broke a leg/crashed the rental etc.

 

We’re boarding our little trip in about 6 hours time, and the policy I have even has hijacking (albeit it’s only $100/full 8 hours, max $5000, so I need to be hijacked for 16+ days to make it work out), but we paid a total of $35.00/pax for the Platinum cover. Includes repatriation (alive or otherwise), a visit by a relative or friend ($3000), hospital stays, delayed baggage, rental excess, etc. You just need to find which insurance (and insurance agency) best suits your needs, and a look at the fine print too...

 

Now, I have a good bead on an insurance agent that will cut you a great deal...[emoji6]

 

 

Nick

Brunei

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Or if she can't make it you could always just have someone else take her spot since the rest of you will still be sailing

Part of the concern is that if she becomes ill and cannot cruise, the rest of the family would want to stay home with her. If she is in her own cabin by herself, no one can just “take her spot.”

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We went on a tour in China last year and someone on the tour who had not purchased insurance was hospitalized for a month. It ended up costing $165,000 plus expenses of family members who visited.

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Some travel insurance companies do NOT cover pre-existing conditions if you do not pay for coverage within 14 days of booking (paying the initial deposit) the cruise. Others will charge you more to pay for pre-existing conditions coverage after that date has passed.

 

Please read the fine print/ask when talking to an travel insurance company. You can also ask them their definition of a pre-existing condition, but it is usually defined as a pregnancy or hospitalization that is the result of a previous diagnoses (heart problem, cancer, diabetes, etc).

 

Also, you would all get a policy together to cover everyone. All they ask for is names and birthdates. Some companies have kids covered for free or a small charge.

 

 

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Edited by TravelMommyof2
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Some of the HIGH end credit cards are supposed to cover the insurance if you use their card to pay for the cruise.

We have yearly medical travel insurance (because we cruise so much). But I'm looking into the details for the high end card. They charge $450 a year, but give you a travel voucher for $300. If they provide the same or better coverage. We will not renew the yearly insurance.

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We went on a tour in China last year and someone on the tour who had not purchased insurance was hospitalized for a month. It ended up costing $165,000 plus expenses of family members who visited.

 

First, if one is not able to afford to "self insure", then putting oneself in such a precarious position is just ignorant. I know what my health insurance covers, and if I ever through I needed to fill a gap, I would. But this is where people blur the lines. If you get sick in another country and rack up a $165,000 medical bill, that can really cause some financial hardship. That's a lot different than cancelling a trip, in which case, you're no poorer.

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The question you need to answer before you consider insurance is what exactly are you trying to insure?

 

This!! People often talk about "trip insurance" with no real concept of what it covers, when the truth is, it can be as limited or as comprehensive as you need it to be, and the cost can vary considerably based on what's covered. So what are you trying to cover..... trip cancellation or trip interruption costs? Lost or delayed baggage? Out-of-network medical coverage? Medical evacuation?

 

Whatever you're trying to cover, there are lots of details to consider before purchasing a policy....

Trip cancellation or interruption? Consider the refund policy for your airline, cruise line, hotel etc. You might not be out as much as you think you would be. Or if you travel a lot, it might make sense not to worry about this aspect of it; for us, not purchasing trip cancellation/interruption insurance for every trip (many per year) we have more than made up for the occasional time we might incur non-refundable expenses for having to cancel/change plans midway.

 

Lost or delayed baggage? Your airline may cover some portion of of purchasing what you need in the interim. Credit cards that were used to purchase the trip also may have some coverage here. And like above, if you travel often, in the rare even you have a lost bag claim, you may come out ahead by self-insuring.

 

Out-of-network medical care? Check your existing policy to see what might be covered. Research the countries you're visiting to see how medical care for visitors is covered. I've known people who were unexpectedly hospitalized in another country and their bills were largely or fully covered by that country's healthcare system. Personally, I recently returned from a domestic trip during which I was injured and needed surgery out of state, and thus, out-of-network for which I technically have no coverage. The total bill is currently around $75k. But because I was admitted through the ER, my insurance company has agreed to reimburse the costs at in-network rates. Also, as someone mentioned, most policies have pre-existing condition clauses that need to be examined.

 

 

Medical evacuation? This may or may not be covered by a standard travel medical policy. If it is, find out the details....who decides if you can come home, or go elsewhere, for further treatment or have to stay where you are? (You? The insurance company? The hospital where you are first seen?) Is there a limit to the amount that will be covered? What kind of transport is covered? For many medical policies, the choice of whether to be evacuated or not is not up to you, and you could find yourself being treated in what you might consider a sub-standard facility and have no say in the matter. MedJet Assist on the other hand, lets YOU make the decision to be evacuated AND to specify where you want to go. But you have to be admitted to a hospital first, so they won't cover evacuation directly from a ship. Lots to consider here!

 

 

We went on a tour in China last year and someone on the tour who had not purchased insurance was hospitalized for a month. It ended up costing $165,000 plus expenses of family members who visited.

 

Assuming the person could at some point be stabilized enough for medical transport, this sounds like a case when a MedJet policy would have been well worth it!

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This!! People often talk about "trip insurance" with no real concept of what it covers, when the truth is, it can be as limited or as comprehensive as you need it to be, and the cost can vary considerably based on what's covered. So what are you trying to cover..... trip cancellation or trip interruption costs? Lost or delayed baggage? Out-of-network medical coverage? Medical evacuation?

 

Whatever you're trying to cover, there are lots of details to consider before purchasing a policy....

Trip cancellation or interruption? Consider the refund policy for your airline, cruise line, hotel etc. You might not be out as much as you think you would be. Or if you travel a lot, it might make sense not to worry about this aspect of it; for us, not purchasing trip cancellation/interruption insurance for every trip (many per year) we have more than made up for the occasional time we might incur non-refundable expenses for having to cancel/change plans midway.

 

Lost or delayed baggage? Your airline may cover some portion of of purchasing what you need in the interim. Credit cards that were used to purchase the trip also may have some coverage here. And like above, if you travel often, in the rare even you have a lost bag claim, you may come out ahead by self-insuring.

 

Out-of-network medical care? Check your existing policy to see what might be covered. Research the countries you're visiting to see how medical care for visitors is covered. I've known people who were unexpectedly hospitalized in another country and their bills were largely or fully covered by that country's healthcare system. Personally, I recently returned from a domestic trip during which I was injured and needed surgery out of state, and thus, out-of-network for which I technically have no coverage. The total bill is currently around $75k. But because I was admitted through the ER, my insurance company has agreed to reimburse the costs at in-network rates. Also, as someone mentioned, most policies have pre-existing condition clauses that need to be examined.

 

 

Medical evacuation? This may or may not be covered by a standard travel medical policy. If it is, find out the details....who decides if you can come home, or go elsewhere, for further treatment or have to stay where you are? (You? The insurance company? The hospital where you are first seen?) Is there a limit to the amount that will be covered? What kind of transport is covered? For many medical policies, the choice of whether to be evacuated or not is not up to you, and you could find yourself being treated in what you might consider a sub-standard facility and have no say in the matter. MedJet Assist on the other hand, lets YOU make the decision to be evacuated AND to specify where you want to go. But you have to be admitted to a hospital first, so they won't cover evacuation directly from a ship. Lots to consider here!

 

Take care when you take out Travel Insurance that it covers cruises. Many need extra cover for cruises to cover perhaps being airlifted off ship or a return to port etc.

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Does anyone know if you can add Royal Caribbean's Cruise case to your booking at any time before final payment or does it have to be done within a certain time frame of the original booking? Not concerned about pre existing conditions.

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Does anyone know if you can add Royal Caribbean's Cruise case to your booking at any time before final payment or does it have to be done within a certain time frame of the original booking? Not concerned about pre existing conditions.

 

Pretty sure it can be added any time before final payment.

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Does anyone know if you can add Royal Caribbean's Cruise case to your booking at any time before final payment or does it have to be done within a certain time frame of the original booking? Not concerned about pre existing conditions.

Anytime.

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Some of the HIGH end credit cards are supposed to cover the insurance if you use their card to pay for the cruise.

We have yearly medical travel insurance (because we cruise so much). But I'm looking into the details for the high end card. They charge $450 a year, but give you a travel voucher for $300. If they provide the same or better coverage. We will not renew the yearly insurance.

 

Chase Sapphire Reserve is one such card. I can testify that it covers cruise cancellation because I missed a cruise last September (medical reasons) and received a check as soon as they had all the requested paperwork. We cruise enough that had they not covered the cancellation, the cruise insurance we didn't buy because we had the card would have covered the cost of the cruise we cancelled--but they did pay.

 

They do NOT cover medical costs that are non-emergency. It is supplemental only in regard to medical claims.

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Part of the concern is that if she becomes ill and cannot cruise, the rest of the family would want to stay home with her. If she is in her own cabin by herself, no one can just “take her spot.”

 

Gerif, this is our real concern. She is sharing a room with us, but if she gets too ill, we wouldn’t want to leave her and there are 5 of us. I am gathering that we should all have the ins in this scenario.

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This!! People often talk about "trip insurance" with no real concept of what it covers, when the truth is, it can be as limited or as comprehensive as you need it to be, and the cost can vary considerably based on what's covered. So what are you trying to cover..... trip cancellation or trip interruption costs? Lost or delayed baggage? Out-of-network medical coverage? Medical evacuation?

 

Whatever you're trying to cover, there are lots of details to consider before purchasing a policy....

Trip cancellation or interruption? Consider the refund policy for your airline, cruise line, hotel etc. You might not be out as much as you think you would be. Or if you travel a lot, it might make sense not to worry about this aspect of it; for us, not purchasing trip cancellation/interruption insurance for every trip (many per year) we have more than made up for the occasional time we might incur non-refundable expenses for having to cancel/change plans midway.

 

Lost or delayed baggage? Your airline may cover some portion of of purchasing what you need in the interim. Credit cards that were used to purchase the trip also may have some coverage here. And like above, if you travel often, in the rare even you have a lost bag claim, you may come out ahead by self-insuring.

 

Out-of-network medical care? Check your existing policy to see what might be covered. Research the countries you're visiting to see how medical care for visitors is covered. I've known people who were unexpectedly hospitalized in another country and their bills were largely or fully covered by that country's healthcare system. Personally, I recently returned from a domestic trip during which I was injured and needed surgery out of state, and thus, out-of-network for which I technically have no coverage. The total bill is currently around $75k. But because I was admitted through the ER, my insurance company has agreed to reimburse the costs at in-network rates. Also, as someone mentioned, most policies have pre-existing condition clauses that need to be examined.

 

 

Medical evacuation? This may or may not be covered by a standard travel medical policy. If it is, find out the details....who decides if you can come home, or go elsewhere, for further treatment or have to stay where you are? (You? The insurance company? The hospital where you are first seen?) Is there a limit to the amount that will be covered? What kind of transport is covered? For many medical policies, the choice of whether to be evacuated or not is not up to you, and you could find yourself being treated in what you might consider a sub-standard facility and have no say in the matter. MedJet Assist on the other hand, lets YOU make the decision to be evacuated AND to specify where you want to go. But you have to be admitted to a hospital first, so they won't cover evacuation directly from a ship. Lots to consider here!

 

Take care when you take out Travel Insurance that it covers cruises. Many need extra cover for cruises to cover perhaps being airlifted off ship or a return to port etc.

 

I don't believe the cruise lines charge for a return to port and the US armed forces do not charge for an airlift off the ship

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What is Royal Caribbean's Cruise case? It sounds like a travel insurance.

It is strictly cruise insurance. It covers your cruise only (I believe). It is a good policy for some, I have used it many times. It has a 75% cancel for any reason clause which can be a huge benefit at times. You don't need to purchase it until final payment. However 3rd party policies can be better and cheaper.

We did back to back out of Amsterdam last year on HAL then RCCL. It was very pricey to get policies through the cruiselines so I got a 3rd party policy and factored all costs, 5 days in Amsterdam, both cruises, 6 days in Paris, and plane flights. It was a total cost value of the trip and much cheaper than only insuring the 2 cruises. And I double checked, every cost of the vacation was covered. So it pays to shop around and make sure that you are covered for the most likely event that would cause a cancellation.

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Gerif, this is our real concern. She is sharing a room with us, but if she gets too ill, we wouldn’t want to leave her and there are 5 of us. I am gathering that we should all have the ins in this scenario.

 

I say get it for everyone but that's just me. Back in 2015, my mother who wasn't traveling with us came down with triple pneumonia (never heard of anyone getting triple pneumonia before) just before our cruise. The doctors gave us the 'she's not gonna' make it' speech so we cancelled the cruise. Royal provided all the necessary documentation and the insurance worked out great. To the doctor's surprise, Mom bounced back only to pass last year from cancer. We will always buy insurance.

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