Do you ever NOT get travel insurance for your cruise?

[LHT28]

not sure about the USA policies but here the yearly ones are medical ONLY

Trip cancelation/interruption is based amount per trip so that might be able to be added for additional fees

 

My credit card insurance requires you LEAVE on your trip ...must be at least a 150 miles from home or out of the Province to be covered & then you have to claim with your own Provincial coverage 1st or homeowners insurance depending on what you are claiming

 

Read & UNDERSTAND the fine print

[ohmark]

Sapphire is a great card which we have two of and therefore have $20,000 coverage since we charge the cruise for each of us on a separate card.

They also have a very good points program which is very easy to use.

A single Sapphire provides up to $10,000 per person or up to $20,000 per occurrence, or up to $40,000 per 12 month period. So, charging the cruise fares of two eligible travelers to a single Sapphire card would cover each person individually for up to $10,000, to a maximum total of $20,000. That amount of coverage for two people wouldn't change even if using separate cards.

Am I missing something? Or is there some other advantage to using two cards?

Edited November 12, 2014 by ohmark

[orchestrapal]

A single Sapphire provides $10,000 per person or up to $20,000 per occurrence, or up to $40,000 per 12 month period. So, charging the cruise fares of two eligible travelers to a single Sapphire card would cover each person individually for up to $10,000, to a maximum total of $20,000. That amount of coverage for two people wouldn't change even if using separate cards.

Am I missing something? or is there some other advantage to using two cards?

 

No you are correct however if you cruise in suites long for a long enough period, say 40 or so days of a world cruise, you will need two cards.

[ohmark]

No you are correct however if you cruise in suites long for a long enough period, say 40 or so days of a world cruise, you will need two cards.

But, even using two cards, the max amount of coverage per person wouldn't change. It would still be 10k. Are you talking about credit limits? Please explain why it would be advantageous to use two Sapphire cards for longer cruises. Thanks.

Edited November 12, 2014 by ohmark

[orchestrapal]

But, even using two cards, the max amount of coverage per person wouldn't change. It would still be 10k. Are you talking about credit limits? Please explain why it would be advantageous to use two Sapphire cards for longer cruises. Thanks.

 

Two different account numbers not just his and her cards on one account gives you $10,000 per person twice or a total of $40,000.

This would still not cover many expensive long cruises but it helps. Since we have always self insured and have never had to collect, so far, we would be that much ahead.

[potterhill]

Dee, I called my friend and she told me she uses Medipac. While she has not had a claim, she knows people who have and payment was prompt and hassle free.

 

This may not be available to you as we are in Canada. This is the company used by the Snowbird Association and other groups.

 

We do not buy insurance. We self insure and use the cc coverage. For health insurance we have a work policy that includes evacuation to Canada , as they are then off the hook for healthcare as it is provided for all.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Mo

 

 

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[jakes47]

We both have parents in their 90ies so we get medical plus trip cancellation. We used medical twice. Compensation for the costs of injuries incurred on private tours, treated by the ship doctor. Silly accidents happen, both were just cuts and scrapes, even so, the costs added up to approx $250-300 each time:eek:

 

 

It may be different in the US but - our daughter (then 23) was caught over seas when my mother died at 89years. Because my mother was over 80 our daughters comprehensive travel insurance did not cover her return for the funeral - it was in the fine print of that policy and we have since found out that all other policies we have looked at are the same - be it any parent or grand parent.

 

As annoying and costly as it was at the time - we still would not travel without insurance. If anything happened to us with out it, it would be our kids who would have to incur the initial costs.

Edited November 13, 2014 by jakes47

[azam71209]

We always get independent travel insurance. The cruise line insurance will not cover you in the event of a cruise line default. Same with buying from a travel agent if the travel agent defaults. Those $10000 policies may seem great until something really bad happens. My husband, who had never been sick in his life, had a heart attack in Russia. Figure the cost of an air ambulance to Helsinki Finland, bypass surgery, hotel stay, etc. business class tickets home for both of us. You buy insurance for the catastrophic situation not for the $1000 or even $10000 cost that you could really handle yourself.

[GeezerCouple]

We always get independent travel insurance. The cruise line insurance will not cover you in the event of a cruise line default. Same with buying from a travel agent if the travel agent defaults. Those $10000 policies may seem great until something really bad happens. My husband, who had never been sick in his life, had a heart attack in Russia. Figure the cost of an air ambulance to Helsinki Finland, bypass surgery, hotel stay, etc. business class tickets home for both of us. You buy insurance for the catastrophic situation not for the $1000 or even $10000 cost that you could really handle yourself.

 

As sobering as this and similar reports are (and they are), the more I read these "close calls" (some obviously "closer" than others), it is also somewhat reassuring that there are indeed many episodes like this where "the system worked" - and this is referring to the medical care and outcome, not just the insurance aspect.

 

The last thing one would want to deal with is figuring out how to assure an air ambulance company that they WILL be paid, if one cannot instantly put 'whatever size' charge/hold on charge cards that might be required upfront, and then again with an overseas hospital, and then any additional transfers... These could each approach 6 figures on a "just in case" basis from the vendors' viewpoints.

[A local overseas hospital had a sign stating that they would not accept any insurance guarantees except from certain internationally known travel insurance companies.]

 

It's probably not too long ago that many (most?) of these situations would not have had such fortunate outcomes.

 

This all hit home especially when earlier this year, DH was removed from a ship by ambulance and taken to local hospital. So in addition to the extreme worry, I was already contemplating that IF he was admitted, one of the very first things I'd be doing was calling MedJetAssist, and assuming he was stable enough, get him to the major hospital near our home asap.

 

Fortunately, his condition stabilized quickly, in great part due to the ship's quick and appropriate emergency treatment, and he was released, not admitted.

(At home, our physicians have encouraged us to continue traveling, but to keep two meds - two of those administered by ship's medical staff - with us at all times, with directions to start at any *hint* of a problem, now that we knew what to watch for.)

 

GeezerCouple

[SedonaJoel]

Even the cheapest Geo Blue plan includes $250,000 emergency evacuation coverage and $50,000 of medical coverage:

 

https://geobluetravelinsurance.com/products/multi-trip/trekker-compare-plans.cfm

[GeezerCouple]

Even the cheapest Geo Blue plan includes $250,000 emergency evacuation coverage and $50,000 of medical coverage:

 

https://geobluetravelinsurance.com/products/multi-trip/trekker-compare-plans.cfm

 

Yes.

 

However, the advantage of MedJetAssist is that as long as you are at least 150 miles from home, if you are admitted as an inpatient, YOU get to decide if you want to be transferred to a "hospital of your choice".

 

One does not need to have the insurance company or the local medical team declare that they cannot provide an adequate level of care.

 

If one is stable enough for a full medevac, they'll take you where you want to go, and this would work if on a business trip within the USA, too, as long as the "150 miles from home" is met.

(If a transfer in Business class with a medical attendant would suffice, then that's what they'd do.)

 

We don't want a tiny rural hospital, for example, (or an insurance company) arguing that "yes, we can provide satisfactory care!!!"

 

For a very modest annual fee, covering just about any trip we take, WE would prefer to make that decision, and - probably - be returned to the major urban hospital we would ordinarily use, or one of the specialty hospitals nearby, etc.

 

GeezerCouple

[edgee]

We never buy travel insurance. This was on another thread recently and DH pointed out that his work insurance was more than happy to pay for transportation home because then their commitment is complete and we are on our own "free" system.

 

The premiums we would have paid over the years old would be well into tens of thousands(or not, as we likely would have stayed home) and would easily cover any costs we will encounter.

 

Insurance is a racket. We had a couple of legitimate claims on our house, had another from road widening that we sued for rather than put through our insurer and they cancelled us with almost no notice. Wish we had taken them for the one we sued on. It was HUGE.

 

Mo

 

 

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We always purchase trip insurance and out of 25 cruises have had to cancel 3 for covered family/health reasons and had one expensive medical evacuation from non cruise travel. While there was some paperwork hassle, we were paid promptly for the 3 cancelled cruises as well as the medical evacuation and thus find ourselves ahead financially by purchasing the insurance and also have enjoyed the freedom from financial worry over having to cancel a cruise or high cost of jet evacuation.

[Hawaiidan]

and they only offer MEDICAL on a yearly basis, not a comprehensive policy.

 

However, I did find out prior..I think on this same thread, that if you get a Chase Sapphire card, and you charge your entire cruise, etc. on that card, that they DO cover everything up to $10,000 per person. I called and questioned them.

 

This is a very good benefit. There is no charge.

 

I have Kaiser and its paid for by my retirement as part of a benefit... so no cost whatso ever.

Now if you have Kaiser it covers you world wide....no deductible.. for anything you would be covered in the USA with no co pay or No deductible.

 

Does it work? Well I was hospitalized on the Marina for 21 days due to a severe infection...I charged it on my credit card ( $6000) and got miles too !

Submitted the bills to Kaiser...and the paid pronto 100%..not even a question.

 

Buying my cruise fare I use UAL/Chase and that covers me for up to $25000 in cancel/luggage and all the rest....

 

Finally I started paying the insurance premium to my stock account an buying stock...( just like the Insurance companies do) The result is if in the rare case Kaiser, Chase, or Nato don't absorbed the full cost then I still have 6 figures in reserve..... which I can cash in for fun when ever I feel like it...its still MY money...

[bitob]

Yes.

 

However, the advantage of MedJetAssist is that as long as you are at least 150 miles from home, if you are admitted as an inpatient, YOU get to decide if you want to be transferred to a "hospital of your choice".

 

One does not need to have the insurance company or the local medical team declare that they cannot provide an adequate level of care.

 

If one is stable enough for a full medevac, they'll take you where you want to go, and this would work if on a business trip within the USA, too, as long as the "150 miles from home" is met.

(If a transfer in Business class with a medical attendant would suffice, then that's what they'd do.)

 

We don't want a tiny rural hospital, for example, (or an insurance company) arguing that "yes, we can provide satisfactory care!!!"

 

For a very modest annual fee, covering just about any trip we take, WE would prefer to make that decision, and - probably - be returned to the major urban hospital we would ordinarily use, or one of the specialty hospitals nearby, etc.

 

GeezerCouple

 

Totally agree. Medjet Assist is a requirement for us as long as we are travelling. We go to many exotic places where medical care could be sub par. We want to be masters of our medical decisions. WHERE you are treated can make a huge difference.

[dorisis]

Old age has made our insurance iffy. AARP discount helped on Med Jet's annual policcy.

[cbb]

Med Jet only covers for 90 days? What do you use if you are going to be cruising for longer periods--say 180 days RTW? c

[cbb]

In the words of the great Emily Litella......"never mind". I discovered the "expatriate" level of insurance of med jet

[oceanbabe]

Totally agree need medical and cancellation insurance, etc. 4 years ago we were one week away from a Bermuda cruise. My then 3 year old grandson had a stroke (AVM). He was hospitalized and not sure he would survive. Because of the insurance we had all money refunded. We are now suppose to go in 4 weeks on a cruise to the Western Carribean. I sprained my ankle and though not broken, tore my ligament/tendon/ Wearing air cast and not sure if will be able to go. So, having insurance will make it easier if have to cancel knowing we wont lose the money. Better be safe than sorry. Never know what can happen.

[kekilia]

By your credit card. Chase Saphhire recently notified me that they have increased their travel insurance to $20k per person in each calendar year. I had my TA look at the details and he assured me that this was a standard travel insurance policy, like anything that he would sell me or that the cruise line would supply through a sub contracting agency. It covers medical, cancellation and other standard travel insurance options. It is good for cruise, flight and any travel within a calendar year PROVIDED that you pay for your travel with the card. I saved thousands of dollars which my TA translated into OSC since he was going to pay for insurance as part of our deal. Take a look at what benefits you get from your credit card, better yet, let me refer you to Chase and I'll get rewards points and you'll save money on insurance.

[buggins0402]

By your credit card. Chase Saphhire recently notified me that they have increased their travel insurance to $20k per person in each calendar year. I had my TA look at the details and he assured me that this was a standard travel insurance policy, like anything that he would sell me or that the cruise line would supply through a sub contracting agency. It covers medical, cancellation and other standard travel insurance options. It is good for cruise, flight and any travel within a calendar year PROVIDED that you pay for your travel with the card. I saved thousands of dollars which my TA translated into OSC since he was going to pay for insurance as part of our deal. Take a look at what benefits you get from your credit card, better yet, let me refer you to Chase and I'll get rewards points and you'll save money on insurance.

 

What medical does it cover? $20k would be pretty light coverage unless one has regular medical insurance that covers them internationally. It would work for me, but DH has medicare and supplemental - which already has $25k for international travel. I use the Chase United card for the cancellation benefits...but we buy a GeoBlue for medical coverage ($250-$500k) and some basic med evac.

Edited November 22, 2014 by buggins0402

[Jancruz]

Haha - that's a good one.

 

We have always bought insurance...until the TA we are doing next year. We didn't buy it within 10 days of signing up for the cruise, so it won't cover "pre existing conditions." When you are older, isn't EVERYTHING a pre existing condition?

 

There are lots of companies that cover pre-existing if you dont buy insurance within 10 days

Jancruz1

Edited November 22, 2014 by Jancruz

[azam71209]

I think you have to buy the insurance as soon as you make the first NONREFUNDABLE payment. Check your policy.

 

Also, about those medical only policies, credit card, etc. Check for sure that they cover all the days of your trip not just the cruise days, pre-existing conditions, and illness of family members. I would agree that $20000 isn't much if something important happens. We got the travel insurance company to cover bills in Russia when my husband had a heart attack but the health insurance wouldn't because the bills didn't use the diagnosis and treatment codes for services that we use in the United States. In any case, always be sure to get bills translated into English. Think of things like air ambulance, business or first class one way plane tickets, hotel rooms, etc. In my view, insurance should cover the really expensive stuff. You can always find a way to pay the smaller bills. Now lets all hope we stay safe and healthy and don't need the insurance.

 

Mary

[HeatherInFlorida]

By your credit card. Chase Saphhire recently notified me that they have increased their travel insurance to $20k per person in each calendar year. I had my TA look at the details and he assured me that this was a standard travel insurance policy, like anything that he would sell me or that the cruise line would supply through a sub contracting agency. It covers medical, cancellation and other standard travel insurance options. It is good for cruise, flight and any travel within a calendar year PROVIDED that you pay for your travel with the card. I saved thousands of dollars which my TA translated into OSC since he was going to pay for insurance as part of our deal. Take a look at what benefits you get from your credit card, better yet, let me refer you to Chase and I'll get rewards points and you'll save money on insurance.

 

I recently got the Chase Sapphire Preferred CC for just this reason ... travel cancellation insurance. It will be a huge savings for us each year. But your description seems different from mine. I have the Benefits booklet in front of me and it clearly states that it covers the Primary Insured Person and Immediate Family Members automatically as long as I have paid for the travel with my card.

 

It states that each member will be reimbursed up to $10K for each covered trip. The maximum limit of insurance per occurrence is $20K and the maximum benefit per 12 month period is $40K. So if you spend more than $40K in a year you would have to get regular travel insurance for the balance of those trips.

 

While it covers cancellation and interruption for medical reasons, it is NOT medical insurance and that would need to be purchased separately. When not including cancellation, medical coverage is much cheaper so there is still a huge savings.

 

Like any cancel/interruption insurance, there are limitations and things that are not covered ... one of those is a pre-existing condition, declared or undeclared War .... and (just to add some humor) it doesn't cover if you're flying on a rocket propelled or rocket launched aircraft:):)

 

Still, best card ever in my opinion and I have my TA to thank for telling me about it!

[travellady09]

I recently got the Chase Sapphire Preferred CC for just this reason ... travel cancellation insurance. It will be a huge savings for us each year. But your description seems different from mine. I have the Benefits booklet in front of me and it clearly states that it covers the Primary Insured Person and Immediate Family Members automatically as long as I have paid for the travel with my card.

 

It states that each member will be reimbursed up to $10K for each covered trip. The maximum limit of insurance per occurrence is $20K and the maximum benefit per 12 month period is $40K. So if you spend more than $40K in a year you would have to get regular travel insurance for the balance of those trips.

 

While it covers cancellation and interruption for medical reasons, it is NOT medical insurance and that would need to be purchased separately. When not including cancellation, medical coverage is much cheaper so there is still a huge savings.

 

Like any cancel/interruption insurance, there are limitations and things that are not covered ... one of those is a pre-existing condition, declared or undeclared War .... and (just to add some humor) it doesn't cover if you're flying on a rocket propelled or rocket launched aircraft:):)

 

Still, best card ever in my opinion and I have my TA to thank for telling me about it!

 

We got the American Airlines Card and United airlines Card. They both have interruption/cancellation coverage.

 

American says you have to pay for every part of your trip with their card or they will not cover.

I did not see that stipulation in the United rules, but I would tend to believe it would be the same.

Remember to always use the same card for all the travel reservations associated with your trip.

Also if you are making flight reservations, always use Choice Air. They have a $35.00 service fee, but they waive it if you are C&A Platinum or higher. They insure your travel as well. They will help you get to the ship even if the ship has already left the port. They will transport you to the next stop.

I always find the flights I want and then call Choice Air to book. The prices are always the same or better. Some people have said Choice Air is higher, but I have never found that to be true.

Dee

[ORV]

We got the American Airlines Card and United airlines Card. They both have interruption/cancellation coverage.

 

American says you have to pay for every part of your trip with their card or they will not cover.

I did not see that stipulation in the United rules, but I would tend to believe it would be the same.

Remember to always use the same card for all the travel reservations associated with your trip.

Also if you are making flight reservations, always use Choice Air. They have a $35.00 service fee, but they waive it if you are C&A Platinum or higher. They insure your travel as well. They will help you get to the ship even if the ship has already left the port. They will transport you to the next stop.

I always find the flights I want and then call Choice Air to book. The prices are always the same or better. Some people have said Choice Air is higher, but I have never found that to be true.

Dee

 

That is well and good when you cruise Celebrity, Azamara, or RCL, not gonna help you so much on Oceania.