Do you buy travel insurance?

[Orange Floater]

What is your experience? Do you buy through a cruiseline? Or do you buy it independently (any recs in this case)? Do you buy it at all? We just booked our first Alaskan cruise and we are not sure if we need travel insurance.

[Watson's aunt]

YES Last year i bought insurance 2 weeks before the cruise my friend got sick and was not able to travel. got a full refund

 

Mary

[Ashland]

I always buy Ins..but it depends on some factors as to where/what I buy ...US based cruises I just purchase it from the cruiseline and at times depending I will also add it to my air if carrier offers it..Europe based cruises I purchase from one of the majors so it covers flight, hotels, cruise..because my investment in those trips is usually much greater..

[quiltsnh]

I buy it sometimes... trip to Alaska being one of them.... ususally buy independently... as cruise line will only cover what you purchase from them.

[Great Sky Girl]

Definitely! We buy from our insurance company. Much cheaper and costs less. We only buy for expensive trips, such as Alaska, that you have to pay for in advance.

[CT08spec.B]

i have purchased travel insurance in the past when my wife and I went on out honeymoon to Aruba and for our cruise in July. You never know what will or can happen and for $80 for the both of us for our Alaska trip its a no brainer.

 

 

spend $80 just in case when your trip cost 3k+ def worth it IMO

[rayliang]

I bought it for my Alaska trip, but it was because its so expensive, and also because my wife was pregnant at the time.

[DougH]

I always buy it and from an independent company. I purchase mainly for the medical exacuation portion, not that I can afford to lose even the trip cost. A number of years ago my mom fell and broke her hip in Ft Lauderdale just before sailing. Between hospital, doctor and a medical evacuaion flight back to the West Coast costs were over $150K. Without insurance that would have been a nightmare.

[PennyAgain]

You can compare coverage on www.insuremytrip.com

 

Your cruise line is not always the best value or money or will offer the sort of coverage you need.

 

On a recent cruise we were able to add on to the cruise insurance the cost of our airfare.

 

We carry an annual travel medical policy through my employer which will NOT be renewed the next time around because we will both be over 65. Don't even get me started on that subject.

[KAYEF]

As with most insurance, you only appreciate what a deal it is if you have to use it.;)

Cruise Lines give you no refund if you cancel after.............(depends).

We thought my husband had a bad cold. He went to the DR. and it was Lung Cancer. Of course he had surgery and we were unable to go.

Not only did we get a full refund of what we'd paid but our friends did as well, since we were traveling together.:D

That's a question I always ask........if others in the party can cancel as well.

I get online and compare, then CALL and ask things I need to know if it's not clear.

[KAYEF]

We carry an annual travel medical policy through my employer which will NOT be renewed the next time around because we will both be over 65. Don't even get me started on that subject.

 

 

Why is it, once you turn 65 your co-pays go way up as well as all the other costs/fees?

I wanted to stay on the insurance at work and couldn't...........we HAVE to have Medicare.

I agree though.

Sorry,

you said not to get you started!

[KeithJenner]

I have an annual travel insurance policy, and I wouldn't consider travelling abroad without it.

 

Just over a year ago, my father (who was also on the same policy) had a heart attack whilst on holiday in New Zealand, as far away from here in the UK as you can get.

 

Within a day of that happening, I was on a plane to New Zealand. The insurance paid for the flights each way, my hotel whilst I was there, and all the other costs. If he hadn't had that insurance then it would have been a major cost to us, and it was great that someone else was sorting the flights etc leaving me to deal with other things.

 

It isn't just insurance for yourself in case of illness etc, but it can also cover expenses for your family in case something happens to you. For example, did you know that the cost to transport a body by air is considerably more than the cost of a first class airfare? If you have specific wishes for what happens to you then can your family afford that cost?

 

I know that we are talking about Alaska here, and most readers are probably from America, but I really urge everyone to think long and hard before travelling without insurance.

[Eppiela]

For us, our first cruise (and to Alaska) is very expensive for our budget. With my parents being very ill last year, who knows what this summer will bring? So we have purchased insurance, from an independent company that is well-known.

 

Now this week I've been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be undergoing chemo this summer. Who would ever have guessed? We may still be able to go on the cruise (our doctors say yes), but it is a great relief to know that if we cancel, we have insurance.

[csingle]

We have taken 10 cruises without insurance. A friend of mine (age 60) had a stroke so last year we took insurance out for an 11 day Caribean cruise. Well guess what? I fell and broke my humerus bone 3 weeks before the December cruise and had to cancel. We got all of our money back. We used that money to go on the Oosterdam to Alaska in 3 weeks. You never know what life brings even if you are healthy. We'll never go without insurance again.

[huskerdan25]

What is your experience? Do you buy through a cruiseline? Or do you buy it independently (any recs in this case)? Do you buy it at all? We just booked our first Alaskan cruise and we are not sure if we need travel insurance.

 

YES!! I'll tell you why in just a minute but with the online TA we have used for the last 6 years, we get our insurance paid by the TA as part of the perks of booking with her. If we did not get this perk, we would still purchase cruise insurance.

 

Now, why do I highly recommend that you purchase it? I have a friend at work who was set to leave last Friday for a cruise (another cruiseline than Princess). Exactly a week before his cruise, he had internal bleeding and ended up in the hospital for 3-4 days and his doctor told him that he should not cruise until his condition became stable. They recovered the cost of their cruise because of the insurance. He was glad that he had the insurance and they always purchase it.

 

The one time you don't and something unexpected happens, you will be sorry you didn't spend the money to protect your investment. I know few people who can afford to let several thousands of dollars just go away by not being able to go on a cruise they paid for. The cost of the insurance in comparison is small and well worth your peace of mind.

 

Don't chance it! Get the cruise insurance either through the cruise line or private, BUT GET IT!

 

Happy sailings!

[rayliang]

as for buying the insurance from the cruiseline vs. independent, It will depend on the terms and costs for the insurance.

 

For example, I bought my cruise & plane tickets all from Princess, so it made sense for me to also buy the trip insurance from Princess. In the end, I got a lot more coverage for about the same price.

[Tenn4ever]

Yes. We had travel insurance four years ago for our first cruise. My father passed away unexpectedly the week of the cruise. We were reimbursed for our cruise amount and airfare. We were able to cancel without penaltly some excursions(not made through the cruise line) and hotel rooms. However, we did lose the cost of one hotel which was a non-refundable Internet rate and we had one shuttle transfer which was non-refundable that wasn't covered. It actually could have still been used for up to a year but we didn't know anyone to give it to.

[fvarner]

We always buy insurance because of pre-existing conditions being at the age we are now 66&73. Our conditions are in control but just feel better with ins. Some years ago we all set to go on a nice trip but two days before my Dad passed so we could not go, we got our money back due to ins. We have basically used the same ins co and if you want to e-mail me I can tell you which one. gvarner@fastmail.fm

[billyelliot]

I wouldn't even consider travelling without insurance! We have annual insurance, that way we can go anytime without worry. We've only needed it once when our case was lost. ( thank goodness)

[Shmoo here]

We didn't buy insurance for our first cruise. Mostly because we had never cruised before and were stupid.

 

Since then, we've bought insurance for all our cruises. For the MR cruises we just purchased through the cruiseline. For all others we purchased independently.

 

We've never had to use it, but I feel it's worth the peace of mind.

 

:)

[vbmom87]

yes, we purchase travel insurance, lately through the trip insurance store. I recommend that people spend at least an hour reading the various links on this site to learn about travel insurance. Then you will know what questions to ask:

 

http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/

 

You pay the same amount as you would direct through the insurance company. I like having someone to help me sort through different policies and to look at my needs and advise me accordingly. They have a great website with volumes to read. The biggest mistake some people make is not to learn about travel insurance. It doesn't cover everything people assume it covers. It is your job to educate yourself before buying. Every plan is different. Even from year to year the same plan can change coverage. Do your homework.

 

Someone mentioned traveling companions also getting their money back. Some plans cover this, others do not. Our friends bought travel insurance through their tour company and didn't ask questions. They missed the first two days of their land tour because of a flight delay. (the tour company booked their flights). SInce they bought travel insurance they thought they would be reimbursed for the lost days. No such luck. The plan they bought, unknown to them, strictly covered medical. Again....educate yourself. The plans will cover you for what the fine prints says they will cover you for. They will not necessarily cover you for all you think they will. READ THE FINE PRINT before buying.

 

Pre-existing coverage is not often understood. If you or an immediate family member has a pre-existing medical condition you really want to look into this option.

 

We purchase mainly for the medical coverage. If we were far from home, and needed medical transport home, that could costs tens of thousands of dollars. We just consider trip insurance as part of our traveling costs.

 

Now that my DH is 65 we have to make sure to have good insurance. Medicare does not cover you out of the country. Medigap plans cover you for a maximum lifetime of $50,000. It is possible that would not be enough for one emergency.

[on z road]

I am planning a Scandinavian cruise & looking for a trip insurance company that covers everything, flight, transfers, pre-cruise hotel & excursions, and the cruise. Do you have a company or contact information that you use?

[Treven]

I've never purchased insurance. Then three weeks prior to an Alaska cruise last September I fell & broke my lower leg in three places and tore three ligaments in my ankle. I had to cancel and lost the entire cruise amount. I live fairly close to the embarkation port so I didn't have transportation cost.

 

I'm leaving for Alaska the first of June (I sure hope) and I have insurance now - plus I have MedJet Assist.

[sail7seas]

We only purchase travel medical and evacuation/repatriation coverage. We never insure the price of the cruise and have not for our last 60+ cruises. We chose long ago to stop paying the high premiums it was costing us because we were booking high priced cabins and chose to self-insure. We were at risk of loss for about our first 5-6 cruises and then were just about at the break even point for premiums we did not pay. We are very fortunate we have never had to cancel a cruise within the penalty period so have never lost anything.... yet.

 

We would hate to lose the price of a cruise but at this point, we are so far ahead in all those preimums we did not pay that even if we now had to cancel after final payment, we'd still be tens of thousands of dollars ahead.

 

Self-insuring in this way only works for people who fully recognize they well could lose the full amount of their trip and are okay with that risk.

 

We would never risk cruising without medical/evacuation coverage. That is where the big money can be at risk.

[vbmom87]

We only purchase travel medical and evacuation/repatriation coverage. We never insure the price of the cruise and have not for our last 60+ cruises. We chose long ago to stop paying the high premiums it was costing us because we were booking high priced cabins and chose to self-insure. We were at risk of loss for about our first 5-6 cruises and then were just about at the break even point for premiums we did not pay. We are very fortunate we have never had to cancel a cruise within the penalty period so have never lost anything.... yet.

 

We would hate to lose the price of a cruise but at this point, we are so far ahead in all those preimums we did not pay that even if we now had to cancel after final payment, we'd still be tens of thousands of dollars ahead.

 

Self-insuring in this way only works for people who fully recognize they well could lose the full amount of their trip and are okay with that risk.

 

We would never risk cruising without medical/evacuation coverage. That is where the big money can be at risk.

 

For those who travel a lot like you do, it is a good plan. I can see where self-insuring your vacations would work for you.

 

For us, we don't travel much, and when we do, the amount we are at risk to lose would be significant to us. If we ever get brave to self insure the vacation, we would definitely buy the medical/evacuation insurance as you do. It is not that expensive for what it covers and for the peace of mind it offers.