Insurance question-should we get it and where

[carlywilson]

Hi

I am sailing out in a couple of months on the MOS out of San Pedro. At the time of booking I asked if I needed to pay for cruise insurance right then they said no. I guess I was not aware that it was going to be a problem to get it later, as in after made the final payment was made, which I did 3 weeks ago.

 

I bought insurance with access america when i bought my plane tickets, which only covers the price of my plane tickets.

 

I did call rci and they are going to allow me to buy the cruise insurance even after I made the final payment. I also called access america and they said I could up the amount of coverage to cover the price of the cruise.

 

I am completely not schooled on trip insurance. If I get the coverage added to my access america policy, will it indeed cover the cruise, or do I HAVE to buy my insurance thru rci? Should we get insurance at all? I need help from the seasoned cruisers, I have only been on 1 other cruise. Thank you!

[travelntreats]

Hi

I am sailing out in a couple of months on the MOS out of San Pedro. At the time of booking I asked if I needed to pay for cruise insurance right then they said no. I guess I was not aware that it was going to be a problem to get it later, as in after made the final payment was made, which I did 3 weeks ago.

 

I bought insurance with access america when i bought my plane tickets, which only covers the price of my plane tickets.

 

I did call rci and they are going to allow me to buy the cruise insurance even after I made the final payment. I also called access america and they said I could up the amount of coverage to cover the price of the cruise.

 

I am completely not schooled on trip insurance. If I get the coverage added to my access america policy, will it indeed cover the cruise, or do I HAVE to buy my insurance thru rci? Should we get insurance at all? I need help from the seasoned cruisers, I have only been on 1 other cruise. Thank you!

Call Access America and just increase the coverage for your cruise costs...will save you $$$

[carlywilson]

Thank you for the advice, I think I will give access america a call.

[AF-1]

Ditto, call access america, they will add the cruise to your policy. I have used them three times; they always have been good and given me a good deal. Am using them next month when my wife travels to the holyland.

[willysgrandma]

In deciding if you need insurance, ask yourself this question - if anyone gets sick before the cruise and can't go, can you afford to lose everything you have paid for the cruise?

 

Question 2- if something happens on the cruise which requires a trip to an emergency room, can you afford to pay the entire bill yourself? If not, most policies help reimburse you.

 

If anything happened that required emergency evacuation, can you afford to pay that yourself?

 

Most people that had travel insurance who were affected by delayed flights for travel to/from Europe have had their insurance companies assisting them getting to/from their vacations and many will be reimbursed for additional fees depending on the type of insurance they need.

 

You already purchased insurance for your flights - which is great, but that won't cover your cruise is anything happens.

 

Most travel insurance covers much more than just if you get sick before and can't travel.

 

The only issue you may have buying insurance now is that if anyone has a pre-existing medical condition, it may not be covered. You usually have to purchase travel insurance within a certain time frame after making your initial deposit. But as of the day you purchase you are usually covered for medical issues that aren't pre-existing purchasing after final.

 

Access America can probably just add to the existing policy you have to cover your cruise. Call them.

[carlywilson]

Thank you! It will be so much easier to call access america and just add, we have so much into this vacation already, I would just kick myself if something happened and I didn't spend the few dollars for the extra insurance. Pre-existing conditions really are not too much of a concern for me, I worry more about trip delay or cancellation for something..the way mother earth has been belching and rocking with earthquakes and volcanoes, one is not too sure what is going to happen next.

[Marie51]

I always buy travel insurance through http://www.insuremytrip.com. They show you several policies and you just pick which is best for you.

[Aviator of the Seas]

I know this is not related to the OP's particular trip, but as reference for others, please note that as of April 15 the Icelandic volcano eruption is a known event and insurance companies will not cover further disruptions for policies bough after that date.

 

This is the note I got from my insurance company:

 

Volcanic Eruption in Southern Iceland

 

East Hartford, CT - April 15, 2010 - Currently Airports in the UK and the Scandinavian countries are closed due to the clouds of volcanic ash resulting from the eruptions in Iceland. At this time it is not clear when the airports will reopen because of the ongoing eruptions. The airport closings are a safety measure to prevent potentially severe or fatal damage to aircraft caused by the ash.

 

As of Thursday April 15, 2010 this volcanic eruption is no longer unforeseen. For policies purchased on or after April 15, 2010 there is no coverage.

 

Travel Insured considers this event to be adverse or inclement weather. Certain Travel Insured plans offer benefits for some effects of adverse weather. Customers are strongly encouraged to read their Certificate of Insurance or Insurance Policy for details regarding their available coverage.

[grandmato4]

Purchasing insurance for your cruise is a good idea BUT never purchase any insurance unless you know what you are purchasing. You need to read both RCI and Access America's policies to determine what would be covered and under what conditions and understand what would NOT be covered and then decide which policy would give you the best coverage for what is important to you. Ask questions of both companies if you don't understand what you are reading within the policy. Think of situations that could cause you to have to file a claim and be sure you understand what the likely result would be if you filed a claim under those conditions. I know it sounds a bit difficult but it really isn't if you approach it as a learning experience.

 

I'm not familair with RCI's insurance coverage at all so I can't give an opinion as to which would be best for you. It is true that usually 3rd party insurance (Access America in this case) would usually be less expensive and give you more coverage than insurance purchased through the cruiseline BUT much depends upon what is most important to you when purchasing your insurance so there really is not a blanket statement that can be made about what is best for every person.

 

Good Luck!:)