Poll: Take the Cruise Insurance or not...

[Sammy Sails]

:cool:

Do you take it? Do you use RCCL insurance or a 3rd party? or do you not buy insurance? and would your answer differ if you were driving vs. flying?

:eek: Several cruises ago, I did not take insurance. Two nights before the cruise I was hospitalized for a Blood clot in my lung. The airline gave :cool:DH some trouble. but we booked on an American Express card , so they took care of it for us. The cruise line was great Celebrity w e were Elite back then and they gave us full credit towards our next cruise. we are booked on 1/13/13 Explorer. The insurance thru the cruise is $59 pp well worth it in my humble opinion. Do what's good for you. Enjoy your cruise

[KAWS]

Never used to, but a couple of years ago I had some health issues and it made me think about it - REALLY think about it. Since then we've always bought the insurance and we use Travelex. Our TA recommends that one over "vendor" insurance and one good thing about it is it covers any existing conditions and it's very reasonably priced. Thank goodness we've never had to use it, but you can bet your bippy that the second we DON'T buy it, is the trip we would have needed it.

[Krazy4Kruisin']

We are traveling in December with my parents who are 91 and 83. Insurance is expensive for them, but G-d forbid something should happen, they don't want to be caught with the expense. There are 18 of us going (all their children, grandchildren and spouses), so if we had to cancel without insurance, my parents would lose over $25,000 since they are paying for all of us. Also, my daughter has been trying to get pregnant for a long time and should she be lucky enough to do so, she would be considered a high risk and her doctor probably wouldn't want her cruising.

We get it from 3rd party.

[Ladysilver]

Really, like where?

 

And could you afford to lay up in that foreign country for some period of time while your loved one is being treated? Seems to me, I'd want to be evacuated back to my home as soon as possible.

 

 

Exactly. The hospital we were in looked like an old black and white movie from the 40's. Even the nurses uniforms looked like they were from the 40's or 50's. I'm not kidding. I felt like we went back in time. :eek:

[Tranquil Waters]

Some of you seem very surprised that many of us don’t buy this insurance. At least one person has posted asking why we don’t. This is why I don’t buy cancellation, interruption or baggage-loss insurance.

 

Note: I’m a financial planner who handles various insurance products as part of my practice. As someone who is insurance licensed, I know how insurance works, when it’s essential and when it’s not a wise financial decision.

 

First off, I ALWAYS buy health and medical insurance and think it’s stupid not to. This is one product you should never leave the house without, so to speak. The purpose of insurance is to spread large risks among many people. That’s why you insure your life and your ability to earn an income when there are others who depend on your income. Think of a 40-year-old man whose wife is home raising three kids and her income if she had to go back to work outside the home would be minimal. Not to insure his ability to earn an income would be stupid. It’s the same for travel medical insurance. I can’t believe some people don’t buy it. Think of the consequences, folks, if you’re stuck in another country with a medical bill of hundreds of thousands of dollars, it would crush you financially. You never risk your financial security to save a small amount.

 

One of the principles of insurance is that you insure huge losses that would be financially devastating, but it’s generally unwise to insure small losses that would have little financial impact. I don’t insure my car windshield and I don’t get extended warranties on things like computers and TVs.

 

I just ran a quote on a typical trip for my wife and me. For a $5,000 expense, trip-cancellation and -interruption insurance with baggage-loss insurance would cost 6.2% of the cost of my trip. I’m ahead if I make 16 trips with no losses. We travel a lot (multiple times a year) and I’m far, far ahead as we’ve had dozens of uninsured trips (again, I always insure for health problems). I’ve saved a lot more than the cost of a trip, should I ever lose the cost of a trip. I’m excluding from this the small amounts of insurance I have through my credit card and through a group plan. If I factored that into my calculation, I’d probably be ahead after about 10 trips.

 

If my next trip is cancelled due to a health issue and I lose $5,000, I’ll grumble, but I take great satisfaction in knowing that I’m up about two or three trips now. I fully expect that one day I will lose the cost of a trip, minus the insurance I have through my credit card and group insurance.

 

Here’s an interesting fact. Insurers generally add about 40-42% on top if the cost of the insurance as their profit. When insurance is necessary (life, disability, critical-illness insurance, etc.), then I don’t mind so much, but I prefer not to pad their wallets when the insurance is unnecessary. Cancellation, interruption and baggage-loss insurance is unnecessary. Anyone who thinks otherwise is missing some facts or places too much emphasis on that little bit of peace of mind.

 

The case has been made that $5,000 is a lot of money to some people and some can’t afford to lose that amount. I agree, but if that loss is financially devastating, maybe they shouldn’t be traveling. I’m not judging, as you have to decide for yourself.

 

We were recently in Europe and some of you will know that our luggage was lost. When I posted about it, someone criticized me with an I-told-you-so attitude. If I’d had lost-luggage insurance, it would not have saved me one dollar or made the adventure any less disruptive (it was no big deal anway).

 

Sme of you have said you don't want to be out the money so you but the insurance. It's almost guaranteed you'll to spend a lot more by doing it your way. Isn't that the bottom line?

 

Exactly what I said. The cost analysis just doesn't support anything but health/accident coverage. :)

[Cigar King]

Exactly what I said. The cost analysis just doesn't support anything but health/accident coverage. :)

 

I'm not a fan either, but, a blanket statement like this is not helpful. Everyone needs to do their own risk assessment and then make a decision.

[sjcruiser]

We use a third party which came recommended on this site. I've used them for both cruises and extended international travel. I've never had a problem with them, and they even send reminder emails on coverage, or to upgrades your coverage for the same price!!!

[time4u2go]

It was a simple statement of opinion and it wasn't directed to you or anyone in particular. If it isn't applicable to you, then fine. Now do you get it? Or should I paint you a picture like we're in nursery school? LOL

 

I give up. Go ahead and draw your picture or whatever.

[MoneyGuy]

Exactly what I said. The cost analysis just doesn't support anything but health/accident coverage. :)

 

Hugs? Unless you're a man, in which case I salute you.

[Tranquil Waters]

I'm not a fan either, but, a blanket statement like this is not helpful. Everyone needs to do their own risk assessment and then make a decision.

 

Duh! Ya think?? I think it was obvious that I referring to statistical cost analysis - not a specific instance. Most any post found on CC can be countered by some exception to the rule. I give people credit for a reasonable level of intelligence when they read these boards. For others, they have many more problems than my "unhelpful" post...:D.

[Tranquil Waters]

Hugs? Unless you're a man, in which case I salute you.

 

I usually don't hug on the first post.....;)

[MoneyGuy]

I usually don't hug on the first post.....;)

 

Well, this is No. 2. :D

[traveling1969]

We are soon to embark on our 30th cruise. We puchased cruise line insurance once (on Princess) and lo and behold, I fell ill with a throat infection at Ponta de Gada. The bill was @ $185.00 for the visit and @ $60.00 for meds. My pre-existing insurance picked up the entire cost of the visit and all but $12.00 of the meds (co-pay). The cruise line insurance

(drumroll please!) picked up the $12 co-pay. I've stated before that I like to gamble and that is what I do by NOT purchasing insurance. So far DW and I are way ahead (knock on wood!).

 

By the way, we've booked the inaugural 30 day T/A on the new Royal Princess and just about went into hock to do so. DW insisted on insurance. I guess she doesn't like to gamble as much as I do;).

 

Bon Voyage to all!

[Rancher Dave]

Do you take it? Do you use RCCL insurance or a 3rd party? or do you not buy insurance? and would your answer differ if you were driving vs. flying?

 

3rd party always, in part as an owner of an insurance agency I know the coverage I get is far superior to what I can get thru the main cruise lines I sail. I also don't pay anything for my minor child to have the safe full coverage as I take out. Thus, my cost is no more than I'd pay thru the cruise line while getting full trip coverage and better coverage.

[Desert Cruizers]

We have always gone with the cruise Insuance, however for our upcoming Australia crusie, we will go extra insurance after the husband of friends of ours landed in the Hosp in Rome during their Med Cruise. The wife needed to move him to better facilities and thanks to the insurance, once he was stable, they were flown home escorted by a nurse and he was set up in a bed on the flight. We will be checking with our Insurance Company on their plans.

[dmwnc1959]

I wonder how many on the re-routed/delayed ships wished they had insurance now?

[Cigar King]

I wonder how many on the re-routed/delayed ships wished they had insurance now?

 

If I were on one of those ships I would have already figured the weather into my calculations, so I would still not be thinking about insurance.

 

Sent from my PH44100 using Tapatalk 2

[Cathalain]

If it were just my fiance and I going on a cruise, we probably wouldn't bother since we're both fairly young and relatively healthy. However, we often cruise with my mother, who is in her 70s and is realistic about the things that could happen between now and then (God forbid). The insurance will cover us in the event that she passes away.

 

We also have credit cards that actually do cover most travel situations, including cruises. This is why I ADORE American Express. :)

[dmwnc1959]

If I were on one of those ships I would have already figured the weather into my calculations, so I would still not be thinking about insurance.

 

Sent from my PH44100 using Tapatalk 2

 

Still there are many who never expected this, even in hurricane season. Like the folks on Carnival Legend pulling into Port Canaveral this morning instead of back into Tampa. Or those sailing today on the Carnival Valor or Allure of the Seas who may not have been watching the news or cruise lines homepage and are already on flights bound for Miami and Fort Lauderdale where there will be no ship.

[Lionesss]

We only book one BIG vacation a year.

We always take insurance.

Paid for all hardship and re-imbursed us from experiencing 'Charlie" in Disney.

Just saved our receipts, mailed in, and check back in our hands well under 3 weeks time.

Hope we never have to use it again, but, we will always purchase it.

Safe travels.

Sue and crew

[time4u2go]

If I were on one of those ships I would have already figured the weather into my calculations, so I would still not be thinking about insurance.

 

Sent from my PH44100 using Tapatalk 2

 

Agree with you there. That's why we stay away from cruising this time of the year.

[dmwnc1959]

Agree with you there. That's why we stay away from cruising this time of the year.

 

Most all of my cruises have been Fall/Winter sailings but several (5x) were to Alaska in the summer, and two during peak hurricane season. Why does that matter for an Alaska cruise? Because a hurricane hitting the Carolinas can still close Charlotte-Douglas airport (I lived in Salisbury for 17 years), or a storm system in the Midwest can cancel or delay flights from Chicago, or a volcano in Iceland can reek havoc for days on all flights coming and going from the US and Europe. There are other summer cruise destinations other than hurricane alley and insurance isn't just for summer cruises. Remember two years ago when the entire northeast shutdown and stranded tens of thousands of passengers in mid-December? ;)

 

.

[Cigar King]

Still there are many who never expected this, even in hurricane season. Like the folks on Carnival Legend pulling into Port Canaveral this morning instead of back into Tampa. Or those sailing today on the Carnival Valor or Allure of the Seas who may not have been watching the news or cruise lines homepage and are already on flights bound for Miami and Fort Lauderdale where there will be no ship.

 

Are you getting a special thrill because the vacations of many people are being impacted and they didn't get insurance? Insurance may help with the costs here, but for many the time is lost permanently.

[time4u2go]

Most all of my cruises have been Fall/Winter sailings but several (5x) were to Alaska in the summer, and two during peak hurricane season. Why does that matter for an Alaska cruise? Because a hurricane hitting the Carolinas can still close Charlotte-Douglas airport (I lived in Salisbury for 17 years), or a storm system in the Midwest can cancel or delay flights from Chicago, or a volcano in Iceland can reek havoc for days on all flights coming and going from the US and Europe. There are other summer cruise destinations other than hurricane alley and insurance isn't just for summer cruises. Remember two years ago when the entire northeast shutdown and stranded tens of thousands of passengers in mid-December? ;)

 

.

 

Fair points, for when people have to fly to their cruises. ;)

[maxxedout2]

Cruised with and without insurance.

Sleep better with insurance that covers any

medical or med-evac problems.

Now prefer that.

:cool: