Do you recommend RCI Insurance or other Travel Insurance

[Cuizer2]

I would like to know if the majority of cruisers purchase cruise insurance and if so, do you use Royal Caribbean CruiseCare Insurance or travel insurance from some other company?

 

I would recommend that you purchase insurance from a company that is independent from the cruise line.

[megr1125]

Fortunately my health insurance does cover me all over the world. Guess its good insurance. And maybe the fact I did not pay thousands of dollars for my cruise plays a role. Im not saying people should not get it. Just that how many times has someone actually used it. IMHO I think it is just like getting an extended warranty,of course the sellers want you to buy it so they can make money on selling it. How many times out of the thousands and thousands of people each year that cruise actually need to be med flighted off the ship? I would love to know that number because it could just change my mind.

 

you're lucky to have good insurance...

 

not sure how many get air lifted off....and the US Coast Guard doesn't charge...but they don't always come get people.....

 

everyone has a different comfort level with money to lose...i understand your point (and i hate extended warranties too!;)) but i won't leave home without trip insurance especially with an elderly mom.

 

(and she's used it 3 times...last november when she broke her foot, THIS november when she fell getting into the van to GO to the cruise and ended up in the ER-that got paid VERY quickly and it was RCCLs cruise care, and then when we finally did cruise a week and a half later, when the fried mushrooms made her sick.....)

 

I figure i spent around 600 bucks for the 3 policies, give or take, and that in turn saved me about $5000 bucks.

[Soxfan04]

i can understand why people get the insurance. After reading all the posts and looking at the insurance policies at different sites, got me thinking when I do do a longer cruise I too will look at the insurance. On another note that sucks for your mom for getting hurt and hope she ended up okay.

[dirtgirl]

Always Travel Select because I can cover cruise and air fare.

 

This is an interesting question that we have recently pondered.

We have always taken the cruise insurance that is offered through the cruiselines. However, when we fly to a cruise we book our own air. That would not be included in the coverage and we have seen more travel difficulties recently.

We don't have a next cruise planned just yet but will try to do some homework on other inclusive options for the future.

 

RCI's insurance does cover independently booked air.;)

 

Is it really worth buying the insurance? I mean if your health insurance covers you medically, then all you are really insuring is if for some reason you can not make the trip they reinburse all or part of the cruise itself?

 

I would never travel without insurance. You just never know. Crap happens. I know someone who thought they were having a heart attack. They had to leave the ship in Juneau, take a 4 mile ambulance ride to the hospital ($650 for that alone, thankyouverymuch), and spent the night in the hospital.

 

Thankfully, he wasn't having a heart attack. The total bill was about $25,000. They were covered for every penny, including his wife's stay at a hotel while he was in the hospital, and were reimbursed for the number of missed days of the cruise, and the one way flight home from Juneau. The insurance also paid upfront, so the people did not have to pay first and be reimbursed later. How many of you have $25,000 lying around that you can pay at the drop of a hat?

 

Cancellation insurance also covers interruption. That comes into play from the minute you leave your front door for your trip. It covers you if you miss your flight due to weather or police incidents, motor vehicle accidents, etc. Where I live, there are 2 bridges that connect us with downtown. They are forever getting shut down because of people threatening to commit suicide. Many people have missed their flights due to this. If you have insurance, they will get you to the next port if they can't get you to the ship on time. One way flights home from Timbucktoo can also run you a hefty sum.

 

Medical evacuation from a ship can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

 

Cruise line insurance covers very little medically - only $10,000, which will get you some Kleenex. So, you would really need to have additional medical on top of that. Medical is the most important cost, but cancellation/interruption will cover you for many unforseen circumstances.

[TX.Mameow&Papeow]

Our health insurance does cover us when out of the USA. We have always purchased the cruiseline insurance on our 13 cruises and have had 2 claims. They were handeled very quickly and efficiently. One was for hotel and airfare because the ship was delayed coming back into port. All additional expenses were reimbursed. The second one was when our 5 year old grandaughter back home suddenly relapsed with brain cancer and we were on the Mariner of the Seas, we got off at the first port , Cabo San Lucas and took an emergency flight home. We had someone back home book the flight for us although RCCL offered to do it. We were reimbursed for 5 days of our cruise and our airfare home. There was no deadline to file the claim so we were able to go with our grandaughter to St Jude to have another surgery and filed the claim later since it really wasn't a priority at that time. Although I have really never compared the policies I very satisfied with the one offered by RCCL.:rolleyes:

[broberts]

i can understand why people get the insurance. After reading all the posts and looking at the insurance policies at different sites, got me thinking when I do do a longer cruise I too will look at the insurance. On another note that sucks for your mom for getting hurt and hope she ended up okay.

 

It's not only about recovering the cost of a canceled cruise. Travel insurance policies can cover a wide range of things some of which are useful even on shorter cruises. Lost baggage, trip interruption and LDW to name a few.

[dirtgirl]

It's not only about recovering the cost of a canceled cruise. Travel insurance policies can cover a wide range of things some of which are useful even on shorter cruises. Lost baggage, trip interruption and LDW to name a few.

 

 

You are so right. Insurance can cover such things as medical, cancellation, interruption, baggage loss and delay, and flight and travel accident. It is not just about one item. You need a package, with out of country medical and medical evacuation being paramount.

 

Many people in the States do not have medical insurance that will cover them sufficiently, if at all, out of the country. I don't believe Medicare does, but correct me if I'm wrong (I'm Canadian). The ones that have great out of country medical are very lucky indeed. Not everyone is that lucky. So please do check with your insurance company to see what they will cover and how much.

[Cruiser 1998]

When we missed the ship in 2005 in Miami, we were very surprised at the amount we received back from Travel Guard, even though RCCL put us up in the hotel until they flew us to San Juan three days later. While we were at the hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, we rented a car for two days to do some extra touring instead of just sitting at the hotel, and that covered, too! It ended up to be part of the trip interruption.

There was a couple on the plane from Phila. to Ft. Laud who did not book their flight with RCCL and they were flown right away to San Juan, but they had to pay for their own hotel while there until the ship got there ... I think I would have liked to have gone that way, myself!

That was our 1st longer cruise so I decided to get insurance, but since all of a sudden we got a little older, I've been getting it ever since.

We also have the Royal Caribbean : Bank of America credit card and if you use the credit card to book your trip, there is also insurance with that, but I get the other, too (plus, you get double points to use for OBC!!)

Having travel insurance is just another way to make your cruise more enjoyable and it's not a big expense - comparably speaking.

 

Enjoy yourself & find your peace!

 

Sue

[vacationers]

Medical portion is the most important one. The cruise care will cover medical expenses to include if the have to helicopter you out of the cruise ship for an emergency they cannot handle. Otherwise make sure you have a credit card with a huge credit line to cover exprenses. Medicare and most insurances do not cover medical expenses outside the US. For example in Bahamas you need to pay upfront and might be stuch with the bill. Not to metion trip interuptions, cancellation, and luggage.

 

For the price, take the cruise care.

[Lionesss]

We have always booked our vacations from a national chain motor club.

We have always taken their recommended travel insurance, which by the way is not theirs, but an independent contractor.

We unfortunately had to use this insurance policy once, and that was when we were in Disney when Hurricaine Charlie hit.

Although it was the last day of our land vacation. The parks closed at 11am. that dreaded Friday the 13th. We battenend down the hatches at the Wilderness lodge, and when all activites were cancelled not only did we lose our dinner credits, park hopper day, and missed flight home because the airport closed that Saturday we were to leave.

We contacted the company that Monday we got home and the forms were in our mailbox that Wednesday.

They compensated us for EVERYTHING from missed dinner, park hopper day, and even a dispensation to obtain another flight out of Tampa. They did not compensate us for the rental car they said we "selected on our own" to drive to Tampa.

In essence they would have re-imburse us to stay at the Wilderness Lodge till Orlando International Airport re-opened. (Had we known that than, we would have had an extended vacation).

The check arrived approximately 2 weeks after we mailed in our form.

This re-imbursement covered more than the policy originally cost.

Very simple.

Let's just say nothing was denied, except the rental car.

That is why we always take rental insurance, on land and cruise vacations.

Safe travels

[broberts]

. . .

Many people in the States do not have medical insurance that will cover them sufficiently, if at all, out of the country. I don't believe Medicare does, but correct me if I'm wrong (I'm Canadian). The ones that have great out of country medical are very lucky indeed. Not everyone is that lucky. So please do check with your insurance company to see what they will cover and how much.

 

Most Canadians should also purchase out of country health insurance. The OHIP web site specifically advises that Ontario travelers buy health insurance as the OHIP coverage is extremely limited.

[dirtgirl]

Most Canadians should also purchase out of country health insurance. The OHIP web site specifically advises that Ontario travelers buy health insurance as the OHIP coverage is extremely limited.

 

 

Exactly, and I always do.;) Even with extended health benefits, I would rather be safe than sorry.

 

Even if you are traveling across Canada, you should get Travel Within Canada insurance. Not all provinces cover things equally.