Trip Insurance NO GOOD!

[vbmom87]

This thread had me call NCL about the travel insurance I bought for my Epic cruise in December. I was sort of misinformed. You get 100% credit for future cruise for loss of job, family death, or medical emergency. You get 75% credit for future cruise if you cancel for any reason. Missing a flight or chanigng your mind for any reason would get you at least 75% credit for another cruise.

When I bought the insurance, I thought they told me it was a refund and not credit. There is a difference. NCL also told me that you can cancel the insurance anytime up to your last payment. NCL uses Berkley Care insurance.

I booked such an expensive cruise almost a full year away so of course I needed something to protect me. I understand NCL also needs something to protect them. I am keeping my insurance at this time.

Does anyone know of a travel insurance that gives refunds and not credit? I paid $249 for each passenger for the insurance. Is this a good rate?

 

I am sure you have already learned that it is best not to buy your insurance through the cruiseline. Yes, if you bought your cancel for any reason insurance through an insurance company, you would get money back, not a credit. However, I know when I bought cancel for any reason insurance for my three year old grandson last year, I had to purchase it within a set number of days from our first trip deposit. I also had to insure the full amount of the trip. I am not sure if they all work this way.

 

I strongly recommend you go to this website:

 

http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/

 

During business hours you can chat with them and ask questions, or you can call them. I like the chat, because when we are done talking I can print out our conversation.

 

Unlike a travel agent who specializes in selling travel tours, all they do is sell travel insurance. You can look at their website, do some searches and find valuable information. Then you will know what to ask them.

 

Here is a link I found on their website that explains 'cancel for any reason' insurance. Make sure you read the part that says "important":

 

http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/cfar.shtml

 

I have literally spent several hours on chat with them over the last few trips I have taken. I have learned a lot. There website alone can keep you busy reading for some time.

 

I am purely guessing, but your rate might be lower than you will get, but that is because you are not getting cash back with NCL. With the website I posted above, you can estimate some costs there.

 

Just be very clear on the fact that most plans do require you purchase within a set number of day from your first deposit. If you contact the tripinsurancestore, they will know if there are any that allow you to purchase at a later date.

 

[url=http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/cfar.shtml][/url]

[vbmom87]

or waive the pre-existing condition clause (also for a fee).

 

I have never had to pay a fee for waiving the pre-existing condition clause. What I have had to do is purchase it within a set number of days after my first trip deposit. I always do this.

 

For cancel for any reason, I know last year when I bought it for my grandson, I had to pay an extra 50%.

[david_sobe]

I need to correct my latest post

The coverage does give you a refund for medical emergency, death of family member, car accident on way to the trip, etc

The 75% credit is the cancel for any reason.

I went online to actually read the policy and it is hard to understand but I think it is fair to allow people to cancel for any reason and get most of their money back. There are lots of good reasons to cancel a trip other than emergency. So at least you get something.

The insurance also covers loss of luggage or medical emergencies while on the cruise

[sjbdtz]

...The salesperson who tries to sell you insurance may say that, but will salespeople lie to make a sale? Ask any salesperson about that.

 

 

 

Just yesterday, I directed a prospect to my competitor, because the solution was more appropriate. So....no, not all salespeople will lie to make a sale.

 

Sorry you're wrong.

[newmexicoNita]

Just yesterday, I directed a prospect to my competitor, because the solution was more appropriate. So....no, not all salespeople will lie to make a sale.

 

Sorry you're wrong.

 

thanks for saying that, a good consultant will look after the welfare of his/her clients.

 

Nita

[vbmom87]

Allow me to add my "amen." When I owned a travel agency, no client was ever referred to a particular cruise line, trip insurance carrier, tour operator, etc. simply because we earned a higher commission on that product than we would have by selling another product.

 

Yes, there are honest salepeople out there. However, the bad ones give salespeople a bad reputation. I have had a few unfortunate experiences where I was led down the wrong path because of commissions. I am much more careful now with all of my purchases. Thanks to the internet it is easier to get reviews on products and learn of fair pricing.

[mtwingcpa]

So, if the flight was cancelled but the airport was not closed for at least 24 hours, the fact that the flight was cancelled DOES NOT qualify for a claim of refund of the air and cruise costs.

 

The travel policies I've seen also impose relatively long "delay" periods in order to result in a COVERED loss. So much so that I'd guess any tightly schedule connecting itinerary could be problematic.

 

The best "insurance" always seems to be flying in a day or two early. Not only will this assure sufficient time is built into the itinerary to potentially satisfy the delay minimums, but it also greatly reduces the risk of a problem in the first place. And to the extent that the latter fact seems to reduce the likelihood of claims, I believe that is exactly what the insurance companies have in mind. :-)

 

In any event, I hope the OP is able to get some level of "satisfaction" from the insurance company.

[pyrogy]

Why anyone would ever purchase travel insurance is beyond me. Seems like a waste of money. Insurance companies are in the business of selling one thing (security I suppose) but then they all use the exact same method of looking for any reason they can think of to deny any claim. That is their business. For the most part they are very profitable. Its all quite shameful, really.

 

Insurance is like gambling. You are making a side-bet on the likelihood of anything going wrong. You need to carefully measure all the odds that are at play, including the frequency that you travel. For instance, if I book more than one trip per year, and I purchase insurance for each one, it would likely be cheaper for me to never purchase insurance and then hope that only one in every twenty of my trips is cancelled or whatever. It would depend on the cost of the insurance and the cost of the trip, of course, but some such calculation would apply.

 

If you only travel once every few years and the trip costs many thousand dollars, then the calculation might favour getting the insurance, but you would still have to factor in the odds that the insurance company would deny your claim anyway.

 

Its complicated.

[time2cruise1]

.

 

Insurance is like gambling. You are making a side-bet on the likelihood of anything going wrong.......

 

Its complicated.

 

That it is. I have had home owners for 30 years with no benefit. I hope the house never burns to the ground but if it does I have coverage. And yes I expect a fight to get the proper payment.

Travel insurance is not really about protecting the money you spent on the cruise. That is a side benefit. Have a medical emergency and have to be airlifted from a distant port and then you will understand it's value. Many passengers health coverage is no good outside their home country. It takes no time to run up bills that exceed your lifetime spend on policies.

 

The bet is not the couple thousand you spend on the cruise but the $10,000s you could be faced with that could dramatically impact you