Another cruiser asking for help from the experts

[P&C2011]

Like many other posters, I have never bought travel insurance before and therefore need help wading through all of the policy options. I suppose I never thought the cost of the trip warranted any sort of cancellation insurance, and it never dawned on me to think about the medical coverage. However, in September my husband and I are taking a Mediterranean cruise so we are talking about a longer time away as well as a more expensive trip.

 

In case it helps with advice: cruise fare is $4100 for the two of us, ~$1200 airfare per person, and we will spend ~$350 on 2 nights at a hotel pre/post cruise (We plan to arrive in Barcelona on Thursday AM for a Friday embarkation and disembark on Wednesday AM for a Thursday AM flight home). We put down the deposit back in May 2011, so we are way past the Cancel for Any Time window. We have yet to purchase the flights or book the hotel rooms. I am 31 years old and my husband is 38 years old and we have no pre-existing conditions.

 

I went to insuremytrip and there are just so many options. Each company seems to have a basic/custom/preferred option as well as a deluxe/luxe/preferred plus option. The quoted prices range from ~$220-$550.

 

I would appreciate any advice as to what coverage items I should be focusing on as well as preferred companies.

 

Thank you in advance for your help!

[P&C2011]

No thoughts here? Without any guidance, my tendency is always to go with a mid-level product if I don't know any better.

[dread_pirate]

I'm no expert, but the question I'd ask is what are you most concerned about? That's what you insure for.

 

My thought processes were like this:

We are both in good health, although older than you. No pre-existing conditions. But anything can happen in 6 months.

 

My main concerns were:

1) Personal medical issues forcing us to cancel the vacation. Flu, accident, whatever. (We don't have elderly parents anymore, unfortunately, but if you do, you may want to consider the possibility that you would need to cancel if something happened to them.)

3) Missed connections that force us to miss embarkation - who pays for hotels, etc. and gets us to the ship?

4) Lost/delayed baggage

5) Trip interruption issues - what are the possible reasons that our trip might be interrupted and are they covered?

6) Sudden medical emergency, probably through accident, while on the trip - evacuation costs.

 

 

I wasn't very concerned about the medical insurance piece, other than evacuation or medflights, as we have excellent coverage. I also wasn't worried about the cruise line going out of business.

 

I looked at the coverage amounts and decided how much risk I was willing to take. Given the small likelihood of some of the risks, was I willing to take a lower insured amount and chance that I could pay the rest in the unlikely event that something happened?

 

Your risk tolerance is something only you know; mine may be higher or lower than yours. It's the same as when you insure your car - do you need collision or only liability? High deductible or lower? High coverage for liability or lower ones? Etc. Just figure out what you're worried about and get the coverage for that. Anything else is gravy.

[PrincessE]

Like many other posters, I have never bought travel insurance before and therefore need help wading through all of the policy options. I suppose I never thought the cost of the trip warranted any sort of cancellation insurance, and it never dawned on me to think about the medical coverage. However, in September my husband and I are taking a Mediterranean cruise so we are talking about a longer time away as well as a more expensive trip.

 

In case it helps with advice: cruise fare is $4100 for the two of us, ~$1200 airfare per person, and we will spend ~$350 on 2 nights at a hotel pre/post cruise (We plan to arrive in Barcelona on Thursday AM for a Friday embarkation and disembark on Wednesday AM for a Thursday AM flight home). We put down the deposit back in May 2011, so we are way past the Cancel for Any Time window. We have yet to purchase the flights or book the hotel rooms. I am 31 years old and my husband is 38 years old and we have no pre-existing conditions.

 

I went to insuremytrip and there are just so many options. Each company seems to have a basic/custom/preferred option as well as a deluxe/luxe/preferred plus option. The quoted prices range from ~$220-$550.

 

I would appreciate any advice as to what coverage items I should be focusing on as well as preferred companies.

 

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

I have been in your shoes and felt completely overwhelmed by all the insurance choices.

 

I HIGHLY and I mean HIGHLY recommend Steve and his group at Trip Insurance Store.

 

We have used his company twice (most recently for our upcoming vacation). I felt like a real nerd asking so many questions, but Steve and his staff were so kind, so down to earth and wonderful - I felt really cared for and I felt they directed me to the best product for my husband and me.

 

I actually found Steve's name and company on another Cruise Critic board and he came highly recommended then. Definitely give him a call.

 

Steve Dasseos

www.TripInsuranceStore.com

1-888-407-3854 (toll free US & Canada)

507-214-3854 (local)

Mon - Fri: 8:45 am - 7:00 pm ET

Saturday & Sunday: Live phones closed

[P&C2011]

Thank you so much for your response. You definitely gave me things to think about in terms of what is important. This is a whole new part of trip planning that I have never thought about.

 

I'm no expert, but the question I'd ask is what are you most concerned about? That's what you insure for.

 

My thought processes were like this:

We are both in good health, although older than you. No pre-existing conditions. But anything can happen in 6 months.

 

My main concerns were:

1) Personal medical issues forcing us to cancel the vacation. Flu, accident, whatever. (We don't have elderly parents anymore, unfortunately, but if you do, you may want to consider the possibility that you would need to cancel if something happened to them.)

3) Missed connections that force us to miss embarkation - who pays for hotels, etc. and gets us to the ship?

4) Lost/delayed baggage

5) Trip interruption issues - what are the possible reasons that our trip might be interrupted and are they covered?

6) Sudden medical emergency, probably through accident, while on the trip - evacuation costs.

 

 

I wasn't very concerned about the medical insurance piece, other than evacuation or medflights, as we have excellent coverage. I also wasn't worried about the cruise line going out of business.

 

I looked at the coverage amounts and decided how much risk I was willing to take. Given the small likelihood of some of the risks, was I willing to take a lower insured amount and chance that I could pay the rest in the unlikely event that something happened?

 

Your risk tolerance is something only you know; mine may be higher or lower than yours. It's the same as when you insure your car - do you need collision or only liability? High deductible or lower? High coverage for liability or lower ones? Etc. Just figure out what you're worried about and get the coverage for that. Anything else is gravy.

 

 

Thank you very much for this referral! I checked out their website and even called to get help narrowing down the choices. I like that they only give you a few choices (and ones that are recommended by them) so you don't feel so overwhelmed. I also like that they can help you with claims, as I am sure overwhelmed would be an understatement if I had to file a claim.

 

I have been in your shoes and felt completely overwhelmed by all the insurance choices.

 

I HIGHLY and I mean HIGHLY recommend Steve and his group at Trip Insurance Store.

 

We have used his company twice (most recently for our upcoming vacation). I felt like a real nerd asking so many questions, but Steve and his staff were so kind, so down to earth and wonderful - I felt really cared for and I felt they directed me to the best product for my husband and me.

 

I actually found Steve's name and company on another Cruise Critic board and he came highly recommended then. Definitely give him a call.

 

Steve Dasseos

www.TripInsuranceStore.com

1-888-407-3854 (toll free US & Canada)

507-214-3854 (local)

Mon - Fri: 8:45 am - 7:00 pm ET

Saturday & Sunday: Live phones closed

[mellerswa]

Like many other posters, I have never bought travel insurance before and therefore need help wading through all of the policy options. I suppose I never thought the cost of the trip warranted any sort of cancellation insurance, and it never dawned on me to think about the medical coverage. However, in September my husband and I are taking a Mediterranean cruise so we are talking about a longer time away as well as a more expensive trip.

 

In case it helps with advice: cruise fare is $4100 for the two of us, ~$1200 airfare per person, and we will spend ~$350 on 2 nights at a hotel pre/post cruise (We plan to arrive in Barcelona on Thursday AM for a Friday embarkation and disembark on Wednesday AM for a Thursday AM flight home). We put down the deposit back in May 2011, so we are way past the Cancel for Any Time window. We have yet to purchase the flights or book the hotel rooms. I am 31 years old and my husband is 38 years old and we have no pre-existing conditions.

 

I went to insuremytrip and there are just so many options. Each company seems to have a basic/custom/preferred option as well as a deluxe/luxe/preferred plus option. The quoted prices range from ~$220-$550.

 

I would appreciate any advice as to what coverage items I should be focusing on as well as preferred companies.

 

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

For me, the most critical question I ask is, "Does it cover pre-existing conditions?" Someone you know and love could get sick, and their pre-existing conditions count, or, if you yourself, or a traveling companion, have asthma, or eczema, or some other pre-existing condition which regularly flares up, you could be on the hook for a large sum of money for a medical emergency in another country or on the ship.

 

Often, depending upon when you booked your cruise, this takes care of the whole decision. Many companies will cover pre-existing conditions if you buy the insurance within 14 days of your initial booking (take note--if you have reshopped a cruise credit, and didn't buy insurance at that time, you've passed the time threshold--you must insure the cruise within 15 days of the first payment, and that includes future cruise credits, even if you don't intend to take that particular cruise. Remember, you can go back later and change amounts and dates, if necessary, but you will need to make the changes within 14 days of those changes occurring.)

 

Some will still cover pre-existing conditons at 21 days, but fewer. Fewer still will cover at 30 days. If you're really in trouble, and need that pre-existing conditions coverage, try CSA--they will cover pre-existing conditions so long as you buy their insurance within 24 hours of the final payment, but they will definitely charge you for the privilege.

 

Second question, "Does it cover what I need?" Do you need a Collision Damage Waiver for a rental car? If yes, make sure it's included. If no, it's not an issue.

 

Third question: Did I insure everything? You need to make sure you insure all non-cancellable items if you want pre-existing conditions coverage, and you definitely want to insure all days of your trip.

 

Fourth question: Are you a serviceperson/traveling with a serviceperson/a vet yourself/traveling with a vet? If so, use http://www.usaa.com/ , as long as you're within 30 days of your initial payment. For vets, it usually offers the best prices, and for active duty, or reserve, servicepeople, it insures you against deployment. Most other policies don't.

 

Beyond that, it's just a matter of figuring out what's best for you. I'd recommend using http://www.tripinsurancestore.com , http://www.insuremytrip.com , or http://www.squaremouth.com/ , and calling them with specific questions. They are all quite reliable.