trip insurance: yea or nay?

[PA Dutchman]

If airline delays, cancellations to illness, injury, lost luggage, money don't matter and any other stupid thing that can happen when traveling never happens to you , you don't need it, your one of the lucky ones. If any of those things happen you will wish you had it. Age dosen't matter, being unlucky does. We always get insurance for the time we leave the house till we get back. To each there own.

[Need2316]

Does anyone know if it's possible to find a policy that will include cancel for any reason if it's been over a month since we first booked? I meant to buy insurance and it slipped my mind. There are no preexisting med conditions, I'm just thinking if one of the kids gets sick or if something were to happen to a grandparent we would either not go or come home early. Of course all the ones I can find say you have to buy within 2 weeks of first payment. I was hoping someone might know of one though

[Jenna1983]

I've never cruised without and I'm young (27). I've had to use the ships doctors, travel expenses, get reimbursed for travel damages/losses in my suit cases etc. It's more than paid for itself.

 

I debated on not getting it for my upcoming cruise but considering my father is having a knee replacement two months prior, it was definitely necessary because of previous medical issues that arouse out of knee surgeries. Plus, I have a high deductible on medical insurance in the states (and doesn't cover me outside of the US).

[yogimax]

Let's talk in general...

 

The companies that sell insurance are doing it for one reason, to make a profit. They will take in more in premiums than they pay out in claims.

 

Now the other side. All those who buy insurance will pay more in premiums than they are reimbursed for claims.

 

So, looking at the big picture, the answer is "Nay." It is better to self-insure.

 

And yes, I know, there will always be exceptions.

 

Bottom line also depends on the risks you have. Are you healthy? Are you flying in during winter from a state that has regular snowfall and airline delays?

 

We never buy insurance and have never needed it. It has saved us thousands of dollars to put toward additional cruises. If we miss our Paradise cruise which cost a total of $600, we will still be far ahead of the game.

[nanuak]

In the last nine years (we go every year), we had never purchased insurance for any trips made out of the US. Although I could absorb the $3K for this cruise, I now am more aware of the medical, repatriation out-of-pocket costs, that I wouldn't want to bear.

 

For a minimal cost you can be covered for anything and everything; and I don't believe I will ever travel out of the US without insurance again.

[DebJ14]

I think it depends how much you paid for the cruise. It's not as important to insure a $399pp cruise than a $2000pp cruise. Depends on you health and age too and how far in advance you book.

 

I disagree with this. Yes, the pre-travel cancellation portion may not be necessary, but it can cost as much to be airlifted from a $399 cruise as a $2000 cruise. Also, medical costs incurred would be the same regardless of the cost of the cruise. And, if you have to interrupt the cruise getting home on a last minute airline ticket can be very costly. Also, most insurance pays $150% of the trip cost if you have to interrupt the trip.

 

We never travel without it. Elderly parents, children, and our own health issues have caused us to collect on the travel insurance more than once. We actually made money on the deal once when we were reimbursed 150% of the cruise cost for interrupting it when we had to return home when a child staying with Grandparents required hospitalization. We paid about 1000 each for the cruise and got reimbursed $1500 each for the interruption. That covered the insurance cost ($250.00 total) and gave us an extra $750.00 and they flew us home First Class as those were the only seats available.

 

If booking a last minute trip (within 3 days) we generally take just the during trip coverage. If booking further out we take the insurance because you never know when life is going to throw you a curve ball. If we can't afford to lose the cost of the trip we shouldn't be going. It is the medical, evacuation and additional transportation costs that can break the bank.

[Pineapple Princess]

Out of the 19 cruises we have taken we have made 3 emergency port stops or returned to port for medical evacuations, had one Coast Guard evacuation from our ship, and 3 times have been met at the pier by emergency crews. Yes we buy insurance.

[cruise.freak]

I used to not buy it however two cruises ago 1 week before the cruise I tripped and dislocated my knee. (by the way I am only 44) so age really does not matter. Anyway I was put in a immoblizer where I could not bend my knee for three weeks and was on crutches. We did not have insurance for this cruise to cancel/change it so we went. Although we went and had a good time I would have prefer to change the cruise date and it was a really hard cruise and limited alot we could do. Every since than we have bought insurance, you really never know what could happen.

[AQW]

My first cruise I didn't know any better & did not buy insurance. Since then, I've bought insurance for every cruise and wouldn't cruise without it. Initially I didn't care much about cancellation reimbursement, I just wanted the med-evac coverage. Now that my husband has been diagnosed with NF2, we never know when a new tumor will rear its ugly head & he'll need another surgery... cancellation policies are a must, whether he is scheduled to travel with us or not.

[tiger belle]

Many folks only factor in the cost of the cruise when considering whether to buy insurance or not. Of course that means something, but the big issue is becoming sick or disabled in a foriegn country or needing medi-vac from the ship. I too passed on insurance for many years until a friend went with a group and one guy suffered a heart attack and needed to be medi-vac home. It cost 40k and fortunatly for them they had the insurance. You could always check with your personal health insurance and see what they cover. Summing it up, I can afford the insurance. I can't afford the kkk's it may take to get home if something bad happens.

 

I am thinking just like you after reading your posts and all of the others in this thread...thanks for all the feedback

 

now that I know I want to get the insurance, I need to decide who to purchase it from...a lot of y'all have recommended against purchasing directly from Carnival...does that mostly have to do with the cost or the coverage? since my main concern is some type of medical emergency occurring, is the Carnival insurance adequate for this?

[tiger belle]

Out of the 19 cruises we have taken we have made 3 emergency port stops or returned to port for medical evacuations, had one Coast Guard evacuation from our ship, and 3 times have been met at the pier by emergency crews. Yes we buy insurance.

 

that is scary stuff, Pineapple Princess...may I ask if you purchase your travel insurance from the cruise line, a TA or some other source? since you have actually had to make a claim, I am especially interested in your insurer and your experience with filing a claim..thanks

[T. Advisor King]

I think it is important to distinguish between cancellation/interruption insurance and medical insurance. They are two very different things. But the insurance industry likes to roll them together to make you think you are "insuring your trip", whatever that means.

 

I always buy an annual family foreign travel medical policy. We live very close to the US - Canada border and are in and out of the country all the time. It also covers us for more significant foreign travel. The last thing we want to do is be in another country and have to pay our own medical costs. I think it is very foolish to travel without medical insurance, because a significant medical problem in a foreign country could wipe out just about anyone.

 

Cancellation/interruption insurance is another matter. I think it is funny when someone says, "if I got sick and couldn't go on my trip, I'd be 'out of pocket' $10k for the cost of the trip." Well, guess what? You'd be no more out of pocket than if you'd gone on the trip. The only difference would be that you wouldn't have enjoyed the trip. But it wouldn't cost you any more.

 

Buying trip cancellation is like gambling in Vegas. The house always wins. Insurance companies are able to sell trip cancellation insurance because they make a profit. That means that, over time, the cost of buying the insurance will always be more than what you get from it, even if you have to cancel occasionally.

 

I've also noticed that the deductibles and conditions of cancellation policies often mean that it may be cheaper just to re-book your travel than to use the insurance. In addition, the most important expentiture for most people, vacation time off work, is uninsurable. Even if you could re-book your trip, you've already used up your vacation time.

 

All that said, I have at least one credit card that includes automatic trip cancellation / interruption insurance, for any trip items that were purchased with the card. I always make sure I use that card when booking travel.

[thefish]

Travel insurance is a crapshoot. When I was younger it was something I would not have considered. The trips I took were far less expensive and my health bordered on immortality. I would say, around my late forties I started considering it and by my fifties it was a given. I may have insurance from my health plan and AAA and other venues but to cover all the expenses of a cancelled trip supplemental insurance would be required.

 

Insurance companies, unlike the old Blue Cross and Blue Shield in the sixties, are not non-profit organization. Like Vegas they spend a lot of attention determining the odds of an event happening. They are in the business of making money to pay for the private jets of their corporate officers and to return at least an illusion of profitability to the shareholders while seemingly adhering to a myriad of variant governmental regulations.

 

To put it in simpler terms, they are the slot machine and you are the dude feeding it dollars.

 

Because the rates are pretty well regulated it behooves them to entice those most likely not to actually use it to purchase it. This is called by those embracing the great institution of Capitalism, marketing.

 

I have probably purchased additional travel insurance a half dozen times due to health considerations. It has probably added to the cost of these ventures less than the expense of a singular experience-enhancing event adds on. This is probably due to those more youthful and healthy willing to cover my bet.

 

The one time that I actually needed the additional coverage paid off big time. It was insurance recommended by my local travel agent (not through a cruise line). It covered a potential loss of many thousands of dollars due to a health issue that came up immediately prior to a much-anticipated European River Cruise.

 

You do not have the statistics that the insurance companies use to base their rates, yet you know your own specific circumstance. Can you afford to loose the cost of the trip if you can not make it? What are the chances of not making it? What are the chances of health issues during it?

 

If you do purchase it try to do it from a trusted source. Know what it covers. Pre-existing medical conditions? Trip cancellation costs?

[jessemon]

To all those that say here for one lame excuse or another that the "OP" doesn't need it....

The old saying about insurance is...

 

It is better to have it and not need it than,

To need it and not have it...;)

 

All it takes is to fall down a stairwell on a ship and break your back, heart attack, stroke, being shot in a port or a bus accident, slipping on the Lido deck (saw this happen and the lady broke her neck) or any other thing like this....

Most insurance from the US will not cover out of US problems like airlifts or even insure you out of country....

 

I for one get it for the $50 or $60....;)

[RoofingPrincess]

I buy travel insurance every time I leave the country.

Not to cover the cost of the trip, but for the medical and evacuation coverages.

It costs about the price of a shore excursion. I just ran my upcoming cruise through insuremytrip - an 8 day cruise plus one day before and three days after - and the costs were as low as $75 (I'm in my early 50s).

 

I (thankfully) have not had to avail myself of the medical benefits, but did get stuck in Houston during Hurricane Ike, and my policy promptly paid my extra costs.

[hubofhockey]

I am thinking just like you after reading your posts and all of the others in this thread...thanks for all the feedback

 

now that I know I want to get the insurance, I need to decide who to purchase it from...a lot of y'all have recommended against purchasing directly from Carnival...does that mostly have to do with the cost or the coverage? since my main concern is some type of medical emergency occurring, is the Carnival insurance adequate for this?

 

There are a few major companies that do business online and have offices with real agents that you can speak to on the phone. While some suggest using insuremytrip.com, I only use it as a guide just to make sure my price is in a range that I am looking for. Insuremytrip is like an Expedia for the travel insurance business. You give it criteria and it comes back with prices from various companies. But they are all using the same actuaurial tables and pricing is very close. So I am not going to worry about a few dollars here or there. I will use TravelGuard because I have had good luck speaking with agents on the phone and because I have no heard bad things about them fighting claims.

 

You mentioned why you are buying it. You certainly can limit your insurance to just medical. But it is so cheap that it makes sense to include insurance for lost or delayed luggage, trip interruption, and other things like loss of job, work related things, deaths or illness of family members.

[nbsjcruiser]

I think it depends how much you paid for the cruise. It's not as important to insure a $399pp cruise than a $2000pp cruise. Depends on you health and age too and how far in advance you book.

 

You really need an education. Your age has nothing to do with it. I'm a very healthy and active 40 something guy and on a cruise last year I was hit by a wave and ended up in the hospital in Nassau. Long story short, after $1500 I was able to get back to the ship. Had I needed surgery, the costs would have been in the order of 20 + thousand dollars, not to mention making new arrangements to get home.

 

Look, if it was just about the cruise then I could see many people, even myself, gambling that I'll never miss a cruise or be without luggage. But when the risk you are taking could potentially bankrupt you, its insane to gamble on that.

[nbsjcruiser]

We do not buy trip insurance.

 

In over 25 years of vacations & cruising I have never needed it. So at this point, if I have to miss a trip because of an emergency, I figure that I am still coming out ahead considering the thousands of dollars I did not spend on trip insurance.

 

If I was taking a $10,000+ trip, I would probably do it. But not for cruises that we usually spend under $2,000 on.

 

What if you were to have a medical emergency at sea or at a strange port away from the US?

[Martini Mom]

I only buy trip insurance for long cruises, out of state. For my short little local cruises, I go without.

[Pineapple Princess]

that is scary stuff, Pineapple Princess...may I ask if you purchase your travel insurance from the cruise line, a TA or some other source? since you have actually had to make a claim, I am especially interested in your insurer and your experience with filing a claim..thanks

I use Travelex and have been very happy with their service. They sell serveral different policies. I buy Travel Select because it covers pre-existing conditions. Their Travel Basic policy has no pre-existing coverage. I never purchase Travel Lite or Travel Plus because they only cover those who are traveling. They cost less, but if something should happen to a family member you would have no coverage. You can compare the policies side by side on their website. "Insure my Trip" is another good website for comparing policies from several different companies.

 

Note: Bad choice of words. Those emergency stops were not for Me or My Husband, but for other guest on the ships. Although, I have filed several claims and they were paid correctly and timely.

[tiger belle]

thanks PPrincess and others...I am more convinced than ever that I need trip insurance...not really for the cancellation issue (since I would only be out the cost of the cruise which is something I could handle financially) but for the possibility of a medical emergency or injury while in another country during the cruise...as I approach the big 5-0, I no longer feel as "invincible" health-wise for sure

 

PPrincess suggested Travelex...has anyone else ever purchased a policy through this source? Any experience with this or another agent? I don't have a TA; I use State Farm for all of my other insurance coverages...does an agent such as State Farm offer travel insurance? somehow I am thinking they don't but I guess I could call my agent on Tuesday after the holiday weekend

 

thanks to tall for the feedback, and I would appreciate any additional feedback...I think I will definitely check out that insure-my-trip dot com website to get a price comparison

[richkinkade]

He was airlifted by the U.S. Coast Guard, without his parents, to Guantanimo Bay (Cuba) to have emergency surgery. Two days later we docked back in Miami and THAT is when his parents were to fly to him so they could be with him. We were told that if the parents didn't have trip insurance, the Coast Guard bill would be in upwards of $20,000 ...

 

 

 

What you were told isn't true. The US Coast Guard doesn't charge for helping people. That's a major part of what they do.

 

Fear of being billed by the Coast Guard is NOT a reason to buy trip insurance.

[Cruzin2paradise09]

What you were told isn't true. The US Coast Guard doesn't charge for helping people. That's a major part of what they do.

 

Fear of being billed by the Coast Guard is NOT a reason to buy trip insurance.

 

Well then I stand corrected. Regardless of whether or nor the Coast Guard charges or not, common sense tells me that medical care and transportation back home could be pricey. I personally buy insurance as a CYA for myself and my family. I cannot predict the future.

 

 

 

Sent from my Android

[smc0320]

so we have never purchased cruise insurance....but this Sept will be our 1st during hurricaine season...I always worry about weather and everything except health problems.

 

I have read the policy on Carnival's website....but I am just not 100% clear as to what is covered if there is a hurricaine in Miami around the dates of our cruise. what if we are in Miami but the ship is not in port because of it...what is covered then? is my airfare covered?

[SASA13]

I always purchase the insurance from another company ( not the ship). It is rather inexpensive, and worth the peace of mind. We have never had to use it, but it is nice to know that it is there.