Travel Insurance: Don’t cruise without it!

DH and I were supposed to fly to Florida tonight for our favorite place to spend Christmas/New Years...at sea. Unfortunately life happened, and I ended up having emergency surgery and am unable to travel. Am I of the age many associate with the importance of getting travel insurance? Nope; I’m just in my 30s. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, don’t cruise without travel insurance! I’m extremely sad that I won’t get to celebrate at sea this year, but thankfully I have the peace of knowing we will recoup our costs...and I’m still alive to cruise in the future!

Merry Christmas fellow cruisers! [emoji319]

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We always travel with it! Hope you feel better and wish you the best of the holidays just the same!

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I am so sorry about your situation but glad you are on the road to recovery and better that it happened before your trip began.

I believe that insurance is helpful no matter what one's age is and you are an example of that.

Certain issues can happen at any age and beyond that accidents can happen at home or when traveling.

Wishing you a speedy recovery and Happy Holidays.

Keith

I hope u fee better soon! Merry Christmas!!

Reader

Still don’t understand Americans attitude to travel insurance, “ oh I don’t need travel insurance, I self insure” and stuff like that. Madness. You get knocked over in St Thomas and have to be medi flight home. Cost $60,000. Oh I can just pay that.

Still don’t understand Americans attitude to travel insurance, “ oh I don’t need travel insurance, I self insure” and stuff like that. Madness. You get knocked over in St Thomas and have to be medi flight home. Cost $60,000. Oh I can just pay that.

There are two types of insurance for travel. One is for health and injury - which is what we carry as an annual policy for the reason that you state above. The other is for travel interruption - which is what the OP is referring to. We do not buy that one because we cruise soooo much that the cost for our 200+ cruises would be way more than the loss of one cruise. Of course, everybody has a different history and future, thus different choices to make regarding insurance.

We always purchase the insurance. I need that peace of mind! On our last cruise, someone had a medical emergency and the deck was cleared so a helicopter could land. We later found it was a young person with an acute appendicitis!

Merry Christmas, and I'm glad you're on the mend :). You still have a lifetime of cruises ahead of you!

There are two types of insurance for travel. One is for health and injury - which is what we carry as an annual policy for the reason that you state above. The other is for travel interruption - which is what the OP is referring to. We do not buy that one because we cruise soooo much that the cost for our 200+ cruises would be way more than the loss of one cruise. Of course, everybody has a different history and future, thus different choices to make regarding insurance.

Completely agree with Tagsalong. Lots of people conflate the two. Cancellation and delay insurance is only going to cover you for the cost of the trip. OTOH, if you have to cancel, you won't be out more than the cost of the trip. Depending on the cost of the trip, many people can afford the loss and over time will be ahead by not insuring. If the cancellation and delay insurance costs 10% of the cost of trip but you cancel less than 10% of the time, you're ahead by not insuring. Depending on your income and assets, you may well be comfortable walking away from what someone else would consider an amount they can't afford to lose. As I posted in another thread, if you're, for instance, comfortable carrying a $1,000 deductible on your car or house insurance, why would you not be comfortable not insuring a $1,000 trip.

But the medical and evacuation insurance is covering you against what could be an open-ended expense risk. But even then, you need to consider what other insurance you have. For the U.S. citizens, Medicare does not cover you out of the country but many private insurance plans do cover emergency care world-wide (and if, for instance, you're seeing the doctor on a ship, it should be for what would be considered an emergency - you're not going to see the ship's doctor for a routine follow-up for why you're seeing your regular doctor).

For me, evacuation is the big risk that is not normally covered (a helicopter evacuation from a ship is not cheap, nor is the air ambulance flight back to your home country from another continent). The remaining risks pale in comparison.

For the OP, I'm sorry what happened did happen and you had to cancel and that you had protected your trip "investment" in a way that met your comfort needs.

Completely agree with Tagsalong. Lots of people conflate the two. Cancellation and delay insurance is only going to cover you for the cost of the trip. OTOH, if you have to cancel, you won't be out more than the cost of the trip. Depending on the cost of the trip, many people can afford the loss and over time will be ahead by not insuring. If the cancellation and delay insurance costs 10% of the cost of trip but you cancel less than 10% of the time, you're ahead by not insuring. Depending on your income and assets, you may well be comfortable walking away from what someone else would consider an amount they can't afford to lose. As I posted in another thread, if you're, for instance, comfortable carrying a $1,000 deductible on your car or house insurance, why would you not be comfortable not insuring a $1,000 trip.

 

 

But the medical and evacuation insurance is covering you against what could be an open-ended expense risk. But even then, you need to consider what other insurance you have. For the U.S. citizens, Medicare does not cover you out of the country but many private insurance plans do cover emergency care world-wide (and if, for instance, you're seeing the doctor on a ship, it should be for what would be considered an emergency - you're not going to see the ship's doctor for a routine follow-up for why you're seeing your regular doctor).

 

 

For me, evacuation is the big risk that is not normally covered (a helicopter evacuation from a ship is not cheap, nor is the air ambulance flight back to your home country from another continent). The remaining risks pale in comparison.

 

For the OP, I'm sorry what happened did happen and you had to cancel and that you had protected your trip "investment" in a way that met your comfort needs.

Actually if we have paid to go on a cruise and we are unable to go for any reason the only thing we lose if we don’t buy insurance is the experience. We were going to spend the cruise money for vacation and presumably could afford to spend it anyway. Medical issues or evacuation while on vacation is another, much different, story.

I only carry an anuual evacuation insurance policy which is where the costs are exorbitant if you're in need of a helicopter evacuation. The actual cost of the cruise is minor in comparision and i self insure or will "eat" the cost if i cancel during the penalty phase or miss the ship. I have about 80 cruises under my belt. Let's say each cruise would have cost $500 to insure that's forty grand !!!!!!!!!!!! I've saved forty grand so I'll continue to self insure as long as I keep up my evacuation insurance which is an annual policy for 2 people at approx. $400 annually.

Actually if we have paid to go on a cruise and we are unable to go for any reason the only thing we lose if we don’t buy insurance is the experience. We were going to spend the cruise money for vacation and presumably could afford to spend it anyway.

Another good way of looking at it.

Merry Christmas!

So glad that you were able to have "your emergency" at home with your own doctors as opposed to on the cruise (if one has to have an emergency surgery, at home is best).

I hope you have a relaxing Christmas and recover quickly. May you have many Christmas's at sea in the future!

It is one of the best investments you can make.

Give up

DH and I were supposed to fly to Florida tonight for our favorite place to spend Christmas/New Years...at sea. Unfortunately life happened, and I ended up having emergency surgery and am unable to travel. Am I of the age many associate with the importance of getting travel insurance? Nope; I’m just in my 30s. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, don’t cruise without travel insurance! I’m extremely sad that I won’t get to celebrate at sea this year, but thankfully I have the peace of knowing we will recoup our costs...and I’m still alive to cruise in the future!

 

Merry Christmas fellow cruisers! [emoji319]

 

 

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Sound advice. Hope your recuperation is quick and you are back on the open seas in no time.....:):):)

Merry Christmas.....

Bob

If you Cruise without the traveler's insurance someday you will learn the lesson of why you have to use it.

There are many risks : loss of luggage, plane delays, illnesses, accident on a shorex, etc. etc.

DH and I were supposed to fly to Florida tonight for our favorite place to spend Christmas/New Years...at sea. Unfortunately life happened, and I ended up having emergency surgery and am unable to travel. Am I of the age many associate with the importance of getting travel insurance? Nope; I’m just in my 30s. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, don’t cruise without travel insurance! I’m extremely sad that I won’t get to celebrate at sea this year, but thankfully I have the peace of knowing we will recoup our costs...and I’m still alive to cruise in the future!

 

Merry Christmas fellow cruisers! [emoji319]

 

 

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There's thread after thread at CC from people who have stories similar to yours. Some get perturbed and flat out say "spare telling me I should of had travel insurance, but....." Well, there's no buts, except for you lost your butt and now you're whining to us as if we had the answer on how you can get your money back. I've seen it myself on every cruise we have taken that stuff happens, whether it be noro, broken arm, ankle, and even death. On deck 7 I slide on water and went down. Only thing that got hurt was my ego, but, it could have been worse. Insurance is pricey, so is thousands of dollars in medical/hospital bills and a flight home. Who needs that worry on a vacation? I hope you get better and book another cruise ASAP.

There's thread after thread at CC from people who have stories similar to yours. Some get perturbed and flat out say "spare telling me I should of had travel insurance, but....." Well, there's no buts, except for you lost your butt and now you're whining to us as if we had the answer on how you can get your money back..

The OP bought insurance. They are covered. They are glad they have insurance.

The OP bought insurance. They are covered. They are glad they have insurance.

Yes, I know the OP had insurance. I was trying to say that people come here and tell their horror story and how they didn't have trip insurance. "Travel Insurance: Don’t cruise without it!"

Cruisequeen, hope you are on the mend and looking forward to other cruises in your future.

We had to cancel a September river cruise somewhat last minute due to health, it was certainly nice to get my $10,000 back from insurance with minimal effort filling. Every time I read, see or hear about anyone being evacuated from a cruise I hope they have insurance!

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Also for those who did not purchase insurance and have an emergency prior to your cruise, check the credit card you used to pay for the cruise. My SIL had to have emergency surgery 3 days before her cruise and did not purchase travel insurance. She checked with her CC co and found out her cruise was covered and reimbursed her in full:)

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

To cruisequeen4ever, I hope you feel better real soon and will start planning your next cruise!

Glad all worked out for you OP and you are on the mend! We have unlimited medical insurance through our employers but do buy cancellation insurance. Even though we can afford to cruise, a multi thousand dollar loss is not something I am willing to chance! Something as simple as the flu can cause you to miss your cruise. My husband also ended up having emergency surgery two weeks ago with a two week hospital stay. Our next cruise isn't until February but if they had found something more sinister then they did during his surgery and we had to cancel at least we would get the funds back and not donate it to the cruise line.

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Travel Insurance and Travel Agents- lots of strong opinions on both sides of both issues. Definitely no one size fits all for either, of course

we're travel insurance, no travel agents

you?

and noone's opinion is going to change anyone elses':cool:

Thank you so much for the PSA!!!!

We just cancelled our upcoming cruise, as DH is now home recuperating from surgery for a detached retina.

We are very hopeful that his sight makes a great reovery!

There are a couple of other recent threads on here as well.

I wish everybody a Merry Christmas!

And would also advise everyone who will be booking a cruise or who is still in the window to book travel insurance to do so.

There are some good Insurance carriers who offer door-to-door insurance that covers all travel from the day you leave home until you return back home. One company offers specialized 'Cruise' policies. I don't think they have to be purchased until final payment date.