Purchase travel insurance 1 month out?

[Dizzneefan]

We booked our trip to Alaska last May for June of this year. We priced travel insurance but did not purchase it at the time.

 

Yesterday I was speaking with a friend who had worked for Princess but stationed in Alaska and he said he ALWAYS encouraged folks to purchase it, just in case it was needed. I priced it last might and it was much more expensive than I remember it being last year.

 

I know it comes down to a personal comfort level but have any of you purchased it this close to a trip and found the price to be higher than you may have found it before? Have any of you had to use it while in Alaska? DW said she read that even a short medical helicopter trip could cost 50k so that makes the insurance cheap by comparison .

[AzJenn]

I am leaving on Monday for my Alaska cruise and my parents and I bought our insurance late (probably about 1 month out from the date)

 

we only paid $300 for the three of us for a 10 day trip. I really priced it out online and checked reviews on the company. I think it also depends on how much you say your trip costs (that also determines the total $$ and age of cruisers)

 

Hope that helps!

 

I always buy trip insurance, I was on a little 4 day cruise (drove to the port...just a little getaway) and I came off the ship in LA via ambulance...I didn't buy insurance prior to that trip because I always thought I'm in good health, nothing can happen....LOL I learned my lesson. I would recommend buying the insurance, even if it's just for medical coverage.

[Dizzneefan]

Do you remember the site or the name of the company you used? Also did you include your flight expense or just the cruise?

Edited May 6, 2015 by Dizzneefan

[tangerinebunny]

The Insure My Trip site offers quotes on different policies/companies. We use that, but there are other similar sites.

 

I've read here on CC that medical evacuations that are done by the Coast Guard do not bill participants. It's paid for by tax dollars. I have no personal experience, so I'm just quoting.

 

Many regular US policies don't include foreign medical coverage; if you plan to go to Canada you might want to check on yours. And while on the ship, you're in a foreign country (whatever the ship's registry is....Dutch, Maltese, etc.).

 

Cruise line insurance covers the cost of cancelling a cruise plus some medical coverage. Most 'experts' suggest a regular travel policy is a safer bet.

 

You should be able to get an inexpensive basic policy. You can just get medical or cancellation or both. I'd check it out if I were you. It's medical debt that bankrupts many Americans.

[LEtue]

I always buy insurance. Usually about the time of final payment but sometimes a couple of weeks before I leave.

 

You can use the following site to compare policies and buy the plan that works for you. Enjoy Alaska!

 

http://www.insuremytrip.com

[Tee & Chilli]

Travel guard is another company. Trip insurance also covers delays, lost baggage and medical expenses.

[brainerdgal]

Insurance will be the best money you ever spend if the unexpected happens, be it medical or interruption or cancellation issues. http://www.tripinsurancestore.com is another great site that we have used several times.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[Budget Queen]

At this late time, be VERY aware of the policy, small print. Especially preexisting conditions, which many late obtained insurance policies will NOT insure. They will be based on certain timeframes with the shortest usually around 60 days. So, if you had any MD visits, med changes hospitalizations, repeats of those issues aren't going to be covered. Be certain to know every detail of what you are looking at for comparison.

[Northern Aurora]

Cruise Critic has a thread titled "Cruise/Travel Insurance" under "Cruise Discussion Topics." It has been some time since I read it, but at least several years ago it was quite helpful.

[Dizzneefan]

I'm pretty sure we will buy it. In our party of 11 are my FIL and MIL He is a very healthy 83, walks 4 miles a day, no meds----but you never know.

[rpcv77]

Without travel insurance, regardless of health or how many miles you can walk, you are gambling. If you are not insured and nothing happens, you win! However, even the healthiest among us us can trip and fall, get appendicitis or a million other things. Without insurance, the expenses can quickly skyrocket. Yes, it is cheaper to buy it in advance and you often must do this to cover prexisting medical conditions, but I can't imagine not buying it. For me, it's a gamble I'm not willing to take.

[tangerinebunny]

I'm pretty sure we will buy it. In our party of 11 are my FIL and MIL He is a very healthy 83, walks 4 miles a day, no meds----but you never know.

 

Medicare of course is in effect in Alaska, and some Medicare Advantage plans cover foreign countries. If that's true for your family members, they may be able to settle for a lower cost policy.

[zqvol]

Just remember that you are in the US and your normal health insurance will cover it just like you were in any other state. You are not going to be going far so evacuation costs would be the only real concern. All of the ports have medical facilities so a lot of the concerns that you have in isolated places just aren't true in Alaska.

[VermeulT]

I'm pretty sure we will buy it. In our party of 11 are my FIL and MIL He is a very healthy 83, walks 4 miles a day, no meds----but you never know.

 

3 days before a cruise to Panama 5 years ago, I slipped and broke my elbow. In the ER - the Orthopedic doctor asked "did you get travel insurance?" and I said "No why would I... I'm a healthy 30-something year old."

 

Then last year, my sister's house flooded the day before we left.

 

Age has nothing to do with it. Anything can happen. Anything.

[tangerinebunny]

Just remember that you are in the US and your normal health insurance will cover it just like you were in any other state. You are not going to be going far so evacuation costs would be the only real concern. All of the ports have medical facilities so a lot of the concerns that you have in isolated places just aren't true in Alaska.

 

Cruise ships aren't considered to be 'US.' They belong to the country of their registry. Some regular US policies don't cover foreign travel.

 

We needed the ship's doctor while in Port Everglades; one of our US policies didn't cover foreign travel, the other did.