Confused on Travel Insurance cost to use

[jof]

I am confused about the Total Amount to use for buying insurance. I included my cost for the cruise, minus the taxes and fees. Do I include the cost of my 3 excursions (which I have already booked and paid for thru Carnival)? Do I also include my cost for the airline ticket? I received some quotes (and talked to a rep) from Squaremouth website but now realize that I don't think that I had the correct $ amount. I am traveling with a friend so would only be buying insurance for myself.

[cruiseco]

I am confused about the Total Amount to use for buying insurance. I included my cost for the cruise, minus the taxes and fees. Do I include the cost of my 3 excursions (which I have already booked and paid for thru Carnival)? Do I also include my cost for the airline ticket? I received some quotes (and talked to a rep) from Squaremouth website but now realize that I don't think that I had the correct $ amount. I am traveling with a friend so would only be buying insurance for myself.

 

Carnival will refund the cost of the shore excursions if you cancel so don't waste money insuring them.

 

As far as the airfare, it depends on the plan you choose and your particular needs. For example, let's say that you need the waiver of the pre-existing medical condition exclusion,. Here's what you have to do with one plan:

 

"Waiver of the Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion (Only Available To Persons Under Age 80):

The exclusion for Pre-Existing Conditions will be waived if this plan is purchased within 21 days of the date Your initial Trip deposit is paid. "

 

So they don't care how much of your trip cost you insure.

 

Here's a different plan:

 

"The Pre-Existing Conditions exclusion is waived if You (a) enroll in this policy at the time You pay the deposit required for Your Covered Trip (or within 21 days of the initial Covered Trip deposit); (b) purchase this policy for the full cost of Your Covered Trip; and © are medically able to travel at the time the premium is paid."

 

With this insurer, if you don't insure the air tickets you don't get the pre-ex waiver.

 

Some plans also base other benefits on insuring the full trip cost (in your case that means insuring the cost of the air tickets, and maybe hotels too if applicable) -- terrorism, financial default, additional trip interruption coverage, eligibility for the "cancel for any reason" coverage, etc. In your case it might be best to call that rep at squaremouth back and find out what you need to do before you buy anything.

[jof]

I didn't know that I had to buy the travel insurance within a certain time frame (this is my first cruise and it was on the documents but I missed reading that there was a time frame) but am not worried about pre existing condition or cancel for any reason. Thanks for the info on not including the prepaid excursions. I was looking at the Travel Guard Gold vs the CSA Custom. I was going to go with the CSA\Custom as I didn't know if my medical insurance covered me out of the country and it had the higher medical amount. I have since found out that I am covered (except for my deductible) so the Medical amount isn't as important anymore. CSA was cheaper but that was without including airfare. With the airfare included, it is higher. Travel Guard\Gold is the same price with or without airfare. CSA was a secondary and Travel Guard was a Primary. I will call the rep back as I still find all this confusing but if anyone has an opinion of which policy may be the best, please let me know. Thanks

[cruiseco]

I didn't know that I had to buy the travel insurance within a certain time frame (this is my first cruise and it was on the documents but I missed reading that there was a time frame) but am not worried about pre existing condition or cancel for any reason. Thanks for the info on not including the prepaid excursions. I was looking at the Travel Guard Gold vs the CSA Custom. I was going to go with the CSA\Custom as I didn't know if my medical insurance covered me out of the country and it had the higher medical amount. I have since found out that I am covered (except for my deductible) so the Medical amount isn't as important anymore. CSA was cheaper but that was without including airfare. With the airfare included, it is higher. Travel Guard\Gold is the same price with or without airfare. CSA was a secondary and Travel Guard was a Primary. I will call the rep back as I still find all this confusing but if anyone has an opinion of which policy may be the best, please let me know. Thanks

 

Before you buy the CSA Custom plan (if that's what you choose) also check the CSA Freestyle plans. They're the ones available through travel agents but not offered on CSA's own web site or on the major online comparison sites like squaremouth or unsuremytrip.

 

The plans are almost identical as far as coverages but they use different pricing methods. Sometimes the Custom plans will be cheaper and sometimes the Freestyle plans will be cheaper.

 

The biggest difference is that for those that need the pre-existing condition coverage; with the Custom plans you can only get it by stepping up to the Custom Luxe version. And like anything named Luxe, you know it's gonna cost a bunch. However, with the Freestyle plans you can get the pre-existing condition coverage with the regular version, you don't have to buy the Freestyle Luxe.

 

The Freestyle plans can be found at http://www.tripinsurancestore.com and http://www.travelinsurancecenter.com

[D4]

?... if anyone has an opinion of which policy may be the best, please let me know. Thanks

 

There is no single best policy for everyone. An excellent site is tripinsurancestore.com which explains the different coverages and differences between the companies and policies they recommend.

[klfrodo]

Make sure you completely understand your medical, even though they say you're covered.

 

I'm covered outside the States also. However, there are some differences that I'm not comfortable with, therefore, I still purchase a travel plan with medical coverage.

 

My medical covers me, but at an "out of Network" level. Meaning high deductable.

My medical covers "emergency evacuation", however ONLY to the nearest medical facility. They will not cover for me to be medevaced back home for continued care if ,let's say,,, I'm in a coma or such.

My medical will cover emergency treatment, but should I pass, they do NOT cover repatriation of my remains.

My provider WILL NOT offer a letter of guarantee of payment should a foreign medical facility require this before beginning any treatment.

 

These are a few important reasons to me that I continue to purchase supplimental travel insurance

[karinad]

I always include the cost of my airline tickets with the total cost. If you're using FF miles, I include the cost of re-deposit fees for the airline. Also include anything that is non-refundable. If the trip total is $2500., you'll be paying for $3000. The cost of the insurance is the same. Better safe then sorry. I have had to take advantage of the insurance 3 times due to totally unexpected deaths, the last being my 34 yr. old daughter 2 yrs ago. I was reimbursed everything.

[cruiseco]

If you're using FF miles, I include the cost of re-deposit fees for the airline.

 

Be sure to first check that the insurer will indeed reimburse you for the re-deposit fees. Some insurers won't. And if they won't you're wasting your money insuring them.

[jof]

Thanks everyone for the helpful information. And thanks to CruiseCo for the info on the CSA FreeStyle Policy. After I got the cost amount correct I talked with Steve at www.tripinsurancestore.com and found out that I had to check with my friend, who I am traveling with, in regards to any pre existing conditions for her also (I thought it was just if I had any pre existing conditions). Well, she has Type 2 diabetes and I ended up going with the CSA FreeStyle Policy so the Pre Existing condition would be covered (My final payment isn't due until Oct. 1) so this FreeStyle Policy worked great for me and I wasn't aware of it before. Thanks again everyone. This travel insurance stuff was more complicated than I originally envisioned it to be.