Travel Insurance

[Atlgator]

Question to the masses???

 

When it comes to travel insurance, do you usually purchase the insurance through Carnival, or online insurance companies, or even your own personal insurance company.

 

I am comparing different plans and coverages and the rates involved with each.

 

So far, the plan under USAA seems to be the most comprehensive for the money.

This time, my travel will include air travel, cruise, and 4 different ports of call.

 

Thanks in advance.

[caseymorgan]

I'm sure insurance makes sense for some folks (health issues, job requirements, or very tight airline schedules), but we've never bought it nor needed it. So far the money we've saved has paid for a couple extra vacations! If you're young/healthy and can fly into the port a day early, I'd skip it.

[spotte]

I'm sure insurance makes sense for some folks (health issues, job requirements, or very tight airline schedules), but we've never bought it nor needed it. So far the money we've saved has paid for a couple extra vacations! If you're young/healthy and can fly into the port a day early, I'd skip it.

 

That's what I thought, also, until my otherwise healthy, 50 year old husband developed a bilateral pulmonary embolism from our flight to get on our cruise to the Caribbean. After an emergency evacuation at sea and close to $100,000 in medical bills, we got back home a month later, but both still alive. I now purchase trip insurance on an independent website that compares many companies at once. I would not purchase insurance directly from any travel provider for many reasons. I also always purchase my insurance when I book our first part of our trip so that pre-existing conditions are covered. I would not want ANY way for them to not cover me should I need to use the insurance.

[bab]

I have also purchased from insure my trip dot com but once I found USAA (as a member it was pointed out to me) I almost always purchase through them - they seem to have the most comprehensive coverage for the cost and one of the few that offers primary insurance that doesn't cost an arm and a leg!

 

And there are many many many threads on whether to get insurance or not and it is definitely an individual choice but in my mind it is not even something BIG happening, as the previous poster, but I know some people that have broken down on the way to a cruise, or fell walking to the car and broke an ankle, or something not so drastic but still miss the cruise. Yet alone something horrible happening and needing to be evac'd back to the states! Without insurance you are usually 'out' of that money and I chose not to be.

[gh1088]

We purchased insurance for a Mediterranean cruise for $136 each (we'll be in Europe for 14 days total). Seems well worth it considering what it covers. We got ours through travelsafedotcom. I would definitely recommend it.

[Neotericisis]

I don't have many cruises under my belt, but I do have many land based vacations- regardless of the type of vacation, I always get third-party trip insurance. I go to the Foursquare website and compare trip insurance options. Whichever one has the best package for the best price wins!

[elliair]

I'm sure insurance makes sense for some folks (health issues, job requirements, or very tight airline schedules), but we've never bought it nor needed it. So far the money we've saved has paid for a couple extra vacations! If you're young/healthy and can fly into the port a day early, I'd skip it.

 

I've read plenty of horror stories on CC who had to be evacuated or needed medical attention in the infirmary. I wouldn't step out the front door without car insurance, home owners insurance, health insurance or travel insurance. Young people have accidents - like broken legs, arms, etc.

 

To the OP: We never purchase insurance through Carnival, we've been using Travelguard. Though we have never have filed a claim, it's peace of mind that we're after.

[cherbear4000]

I get insurance just to cover medical and emergency evacuation if needed. I am not concerned about missing the ship or having to cancel, although I do understand there is always a small chance of that happening.

 

I do not buy the coverage through the ship since I am not looking for that comprehensive of a policy. I usually go to insuremytrip and have gotten medical/evacuation coverage for just a few dollars a person.

[Sailor_Sally]

I use Travelguard and so far I have had four claims .Two were for last minute cancellations due to family death. One was for a lost ring & the final one was because my Mother was critically ill and I had to leave the ship . I hear a lot of people saying they do not get travel insurance and how much money they have saved . One incident will make you think twice since it is relatively inexpensive .

[Linerguy]

If you're young/healthy and can fly into the port a day early, I'd skip it.

 

Bad advice, sorry. While I'm glad that it's always worked out for you, not everyone is so lucky.

 

My wife fell UP the stairs on the ELATION (I know, I know: how does THAT happen?) and, because the cruise was so cheap, I didn't buy insurance. Guess what? She tore her rotator cuff and the MRI cost me $1,000. The insurance would have cost me $34 per person.....

 

That being said, the decision has to be yours, and yours alone. It's easy for other people to say, "skip it," or "go for it." I'm waiting for the day when someone says, "skip it," and the person does, and they loose a bunch of money...I can just see the problems that could cause.

[trvldog]

I always take cruise insurance. I have taken it both from the cruise line and outside companies just depended on costs and what was covered. We book so far in advance that we never know what could happen in 9 months or more out. Better safe than sorry ;)

[Atlgator]

Since we are flying to San Juan for the Southern Caribbean cruise and being so far away from home at the various ports, I have decided to definitely get the travel insurance, but now while reading all the reviews, so many companies and so many opinions. LOL

[nlktx49]

Today, 9/4/13, is the second anniversary of the Bastrop Wilderness Fire. Two people died, 34,000 acres burned, 1700 homes destroyed. Our home was spared, but our garage, my art studio, our tractor, our trailer and all other outside things burned up. We had insurance, which paid replacement cost for all. The reason I bring this up is my astonishment after the fire to learn how many people did NOT have insurance on their home! It was a considerable number. Now, we have a mortgage on our home, so we are required to have insurance - but would have anyway. How all these other people didn't have insurance is a mystery to me, maybe they all owned their homes outright. We were out of our house for 18 days, had to buy clothes, etc., that the insurance covered. Many of the people without insurance still don't have a place to live or are in a FEMA trailer. Or were able to find a charity that would help them.

 

My long-winded point in all this is that you should always have insurance. Maybe nothing will ever happen, but all it takes is once. Seeing stories on here about evacuations from the ship, repatriation, expenses, just affirms my choice to be covered. My husband is 65, I'm 64 - not decrepit but of an age a heart attack or stroke or something could happen. The cost of insurance is so small compared to all it will cover. Don't buy your insurance through Carnival, coverage is minimal. Go to squaremouth dot com and compare quotes from lots of companies and get much more coverage for less! Peace of mind.

[Happy2cruise]

In life you never know what is around the corner.......perfectly healthy, no medical issues. Two weeks after making final payment for a cruise, got up one day from the sofa and could not get left leg to move. Long story short, had a brain bleed that took out my entire left side. Thankfully recovered most of my mobility (good enough to cruise;)) and insurance reimbursed full cruise fare and air fare. Needless to say, we always purchase the insurance.

[Guest maddycat]

We always buy travel insurance. Lately, we have been buying Travel Safe Insurance. We buy it within 21 days of booking our cruise so that pre-existing medical conditions are covered.

 

We have been using The Trip Insuranc Store. Their website is very informative and easy to understand. If we have a question we call and speak to one of their agents. They are very knowledgeable and helpful.

 

***Trip Insurance Store***

[donaldsc]

As a general rule, anything that you buy directly from the cruise company will be more expensive and inferior to buying it almost any place else.

 

DON

[RJ2002]

Since we are flying to San Juan for the Southern Caribbean cruise and being so far away from home at the various ports, I have decided to definitely get the travel insurance, but now while reading all the reviews, so many companies and so many opinions. LOL

 

Smart decision on getting insurance, and can certainly understand the confusion. The websites that allow you to compare the policies side by side are helpful.

[PeterJB]

I'm sure insurance makes sense for some folks (health issues, job requirements, or very tight airline schedules), but we've never bought it nor needed it. So far the money we've saved has paid for a couple extra vacations! If you're young/healthy and can fly into the port a day early, I'd skip it.

 

We always take out travel insurance whenever we do major trips like cruises or overseas holidays. We had a cruise earlier in the year and were called home early because my wife's mother took ill suddenly and passed away before we could arrive home. We took out insurance with Allianz Global Assist and they refused to pay our claim because they "dont recognise anyone over the age of 85 years". This is a disgrace and we have just been advised from Anti Discrimination Queensland Agency that it is discrimination on the basis of age.

Avoid Allianz Global Assistance travel insurance at all costs, as we have found since our experience, there are others who have lost many more dollars due to refused claims by Allianz