travel insurance questions

[Ians Grandma]

After my son and I having to leave our last cruise early I am less inclined to gamble on health issues on our upcoming Voyage of the Vikings 35 day cruise. Once again I will be traveling with my two adult sons. A little background, my 30 year old son is perfectly healthy ( but he is the one that was medically evacuated in Dec) while my other son suffers from MS. I am wondering if anyone has been in a position where they had to use the travel insurance while on a cruise and if so, were they happy with it? Did it cover pre-existing conditions? What company did you use? Thank you very much for any suggestions. I am going to do some research on the various companies but it's always helpful to hear first person accounts.

[3rdGenCunarder]

After my son and I having to leave our last cruise early I am less inclined to gamble on health issues on our upcoming Voyage of the Vikings 35 day cruise. Once again I will be traveling with my two adult sons. A little background, my 30 year old son is perfectly healthy ( but he is the one that was medically evacuated in Dec) while my other son suffers from MS. I am wondering if anyone has been in a position where they had to use the travel insurance while on a cruise and if so, were they happy with it? Did it cover pre-existing conditions? What company did you use? Thank you very much for any suggestions. I am going to do some research on the various companies but it's always helpful to hear first person accounts.

 

How recently did you make the booking? Pre-existing conditions are always an issue with travel insurance. We usually use Travel Guard and (knock wood) have never had to make a claim. If you buy their insurance within 15 days of making your booking, many of their plans cover pre-existing conditions at no extra charge. (The least expensive ones do not)

[JORAY]

If you buy insurance within 15 days of booking many co will offer Pre-existing conditions waved

 

If you wait, it will cost more money to get it waved. HAL & Travel Guard will wave if you buy before final payment but cost goes up.

 

This web site will help you conpare Companies

 

http://www.insuremytrip.com/

 

We use Travel Guard, but have never filed a claim

 

Ray

[igraf]

My wife and I both work and have full Aetna health insurance through our employers. I called Aetna and asked them about foreign cruises and was told worst case I pay up front and then I will be reimbursed for any medical emergency. We are definitely covered for foreign travel.

 

So we do not purchase travel insurance. If I choose not to go on an already paid for cruise at the last minute for personal reasons, well, that is my choice.

 

igraf

[momatibm]

My wife and I both work and have full Aetna health insurance through our employers. I called Aetna and asked them about foreign cruises and was told worst case I pay up front and then I will be reimbursed for any medical emergency. We are definitely covered for foreign travel.

 

So we do not purchase travel insurance. If I choose not to go on an already paid for cruise at the last minute for personal reasons, well, that is my choice.

 

igraf

 

 

I would check with AETNA to see if they cover medevac from foreign soil. Not talking about USCG picking you up(they don't charge), but the 'get me the h*ll out of this hospital and close to home' type medevac.

 

Aetna has been known to be very stingy in this area.

[George C]

Always worked for big companies that have good insurance but travel insurance also cover other things and cost of trip, so its a gamble, we do not always get it but have it for next trip

[HALrunner]

We use Travel Guard for our travel insurance. On a recent trip to Italy, my dad joined us and bought travel insurance for the first time ever (also through travel guard). His return flight was cancelled and he had to scramble to make other arrangements, including: hotel stay, rental car, alternate flight etc. Travel Guard helped him every step of the way with the alternate arrangements. When he got home, he filed a claim and within two weeks had a check in the mailbox. They have been a great company to work with.

[Jimbo59]

The most important reason for travel insurance is medical evacuation. Can you afford $50,000 or more?

 

All the other coverages are nice to have, but the medivac is essential.

[lazey1]

We always buy HAL Platinum insurance and have had to use it twice. They claims were handled promptlyand fairly. The 1st time while we were on a TransAtlantic cruise my mother died so we had to leave the ship 5 days early to take care of funeral arrangements etc. (She was not traveling with us.) HAL was wonderful taking care of us while at sea and unable to leave the ship for 3 days. They arranged for our flights homeand did many other things for us such as cancelling excursions with reimbursment to our credit card. When we notified our travel agent she told us immediately what doc's needed to be submitted to the insurance conpany. Their requirements were all reasonable, receipts for flights, copy of death certificate,proof of relationship, receipts for rental car, receipt for 1 nite in hotel. All these expenses were reimbursed along with the daily rate for missing the cruise days. ..... The second time we had to cancel a cruise because DH was hospitalized 1 week before sailing date. No forms to complete this time, travel agent notified HAL of cancel and we were reimbursed 90% to our credit card.

[tangerinebunny]

We've had to use cruise insurance twice. It pays what your primary doesn't. But they wait for the primary to pay first. We had no problems either time collecting, but we did have to wait for Blue Cross as the primary.

 

We discuss med evac here often. It's my understanding that what we're truly talking about is a way home. The flight off the ship is covered by the Coast Guard of the country offering the service. But then most of us would want a safe trip home. So we too focus on that.

 

We use insuremytrip.com too. It lets us compare policies.

 

Check out HAL, I thought it did cover pre-existing conditions and you can wait to take it out the week before final payment is due. Never hurts to research.

[Jimbo59]

 

We use insuremytrip.com too. It lets us compare policies.

 

 

Also check out squaremouth.com to compare policies.

[sail7seas]

If you buy insurance within 15 days of booking many co will offer Pre-existing conditions waved

 

If you wait, it will cost more money to get it waved. HAL & Travel Guard will wave if you buy before final payment but cost goes up.

 

This web site will help you conpare Companies

 

http://www.insuremytrip.com/

 

We use Travel Guard, but have never filed a claim

 

Ray

 

 

HAL's plans are not medical..... it is cancellation coverage.

The best plan will only pay $10,000 for medical bills. That does not go very far.

Your cruise may be covered but illness or injury that results in bills over $10,000 will not be.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

We've had to use cruise insurance twice. It pays what your primary doesn't. But they wait for the primary to pay first. We had no problems either time collecting, but we did have to wait for Blue Cross as the primary.

 

We discuss med evac here often. It's my understanding that what we're truly talking about is a way home. The flight off the ship is covered by the Coast Guard of the country offering the service. But then most of us would want a safe trip home. So we too focus on that.

 

We use insuremytrip.com too. It lets us compare policies.

 

Check out HAL, I thought it did cover pre-existing conditions and you can wait to take it out the week before final payment is due. Never hurts to research.

 

That's how I look at it. Ever since I saw a young man with his leg in a cast, stretched out across the middle seats on a 747, I want to know that if something happens to us, we'll be covered for unusual travel circumstances.

 

Another part of trip cancellation is coverage if your travel company goes out of business. (That's another thing Travel guard does if you buy within 15 days of booking) Not likely to be an issue for a HAL cruise, but if you book a tour package and that travel agency goes bust, you could be stranded. An agency in NJ defaulted last fall, and some of their customers were in Europe with no hotel reservations, despite having pre-paid.

 

Some policies also cover "extraction," meaning they'll get you out of a difficult situation in an unstable country. (I wonder if Ben Afleck would be sent to rescue us????)

[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

Read the fine print. Local news did a story last week on travel Insurance (cruise). On page 15 it was in writing. She was not covered.

 

When I cruised in 2011 my friend and I took out insurance. So got very ill two weeks beffore the cruise. She was issured a full refund.

 

I alway take out insurance and pay the extra for Pre existing health problem.

 

Mary

[Ians Grandma]

Thank you for your replies and suggestions, very appreciated.

[hvsteve1]

I recall a story on medical evacuation years ago. The patient was confined to a stretcher (broken back or some such thing) and was being returned from some far flung trip. The result was three or four rows of airline seats to which the stretcher was strapped and a seat, or course, for the required flight nurse who had to travel to the US and back again. All these seats were last minute bookings. I couldn't begin to guess the costs. Eight or ten seats at $1,500 each? $2,500? $3,000. And though most ships now have places for evacuation copters to land, a few years back, on a ship with teak decks, the passenger had to pay for the crew to sand the deck so it was safe for the copter to land, then re-varnish it afterwards. Get the insurance.

[westcoastcruiser]

We always buy travel insurance as well. Just want that added protection as one never knows. However, years back, I purchased it right after reserving our cruise but then cancelled the cruise a few weeks later -- just a change of mind. What I failed to realize (totally my ignorance) was that the insurance premium was not refundable. They did offer us the opportunity to apply the cost to a future trip in a certain time frame however we did not have travel plans that would fit the need. So, lesson learned. Yes to insurance but for us, we wait until we are much closer to the trip to purchase the insurance. Fortunately, we do not have any pre-existing conditions as that time that warrant immediate purchase of the insurance.

[Typhoon1]

Purchasing within fourteen days of initial deposit will cover pre existing conditions. Don't leave home without it.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Would NEVER leave on any type of major trip without insurance. It is a definite.

[SwissMyst]

We always have DAN (Divers Area Network) membership evacuation insurance - you don't have to be a scuba diver to get this benefit. About $40 a year membership that includes this basic, but well regarded emergency coverage. Caveat Emptor: Do your due diligence about this option and see if it works best for your needs and company reliability.

[world~citizen]

The most important reason for travel insurance is medical evacuation. Can you afford $50,000 or more?

 

All the other coverages are nice to have, but the medivac is essential.

 

$50,000 is nothing compared to what happens if you end up needing emergency surgery in the hospital they evacuate you too. Canadians hospitalized in the US have seen medical bills after horrific accidents approach half a million dollars. While other countries are not as bad it can get quite nasty.

 

It is so important to understand your medical insurance and look at limitations.

 

And it is so important to have medical insurance.

[world~citizen]

Purchasing within fourteen days of initial deposit will cover pre existing conditions. Don't leave home without it.

 

On SOME policies under CERTAIN conditions.

[igraf]

Good place to make my next point. Why are you so sure that hospitals in the USA are better? Why is it so important to be evacuated back to the USA? Perhaps I would probably be better off in a Canadian or European hospital.

 

I would probably buy insurance if I was to travel to a questionable area of the world, but the Montreal to Boston or Alaskan cruises do not warrant extra protection beyond our own insurance.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

 

$50,000 is nothing compared to what happens if you end up needing emergency surgery in the hospital they evacuate you too. Canadians hospitalized in the US have seen medical bills after horrific accidents approach half a million dollars. While other countries are not as bad it can get quite nasty.

 

It is so important to understand your medical insurance and look at limitations.

 

And it is so important to have medical insurance.

[PathfinderEss]

We left a cruise early once because of an issue with my DH several year ago. We had Travel Guard Ins. and they were, awesome. I can't say enough between them and Hal, we couldn't of had a better expierence with the care we got.

[sail7seas]

Good place to make my next point. Why are you so sure that hospitals in the USA are better? Why is it so important to be evacuated back to the USA? Perhaps I would probably be better off in a Canadian or European hospital.

 

I would probably buy insurance if I was to travel to a questionable area of the world, but the Montreal to Boston or Alaskan cruises do not warrant extra protection beyond our own insurance.

 

igraf

 

 

The 'better' could be because we might think it comforting to be treated by our own usual doctors in the hospitals with which we are familiar. To have friends and/or family nearby........

 

Better is usually relative IMO