CCL Cruise Insurance

[RobinKY]

We are super close to pulling the trigger on a CCL cruise Dec 20-27. My wife & I both have elderly parents facing health issues but as of today there is no serious risk of them going down hill in the next 30-40 days (fingers crossed).

 

The cruise we are looking at is a 7-day and on the upper end of our budget. What are your thought on cruise insurance? I assume it would cover a parent's death but what about if either was close to the end and we needed to cancel the cruise?

 

It would add $300-$400 on to the cost.

Edited November 11, 2015 by RobinKY

[E&B]

I would look at insuremytrip dot com. Gives you dozens of options you can compare and you'll be able to find better coverage for less money that Carnival. I insured five people for less than what you're talking about for two and have far better medical coverage in the policy. Just be sure you buy it within two weeks of booking the cruise. Most won't cover pre-existing conditions if you wait more that two weeks.

[Drazil65]

We always purchase it through "insure my trip" as you can plug in your information and compare many, many policies and take the one that is in your best interest. The one we purchased for our January 2nd cruise does include death or sickness of immediate family and cannot go on scheduled cruise, ours for 3 people (me, DH and DS) was only $207.

 

We were way more interested in making sure we had the primary medical (our BCBS does not cover out of country and the add on was much more thru BCBS) and the medical evacuation included to get us to a USA hospital/1st world hospital, you just never know with a slip and fall or an unforeseen illness for any of us. Those medevac helicopters are not cheap :eek:....

Edited November 11, 2015 by Drazil65

[klfrodo]

You have multiple options from using Carnival insurance that they offer to using another company.

You can find these other companies and compare at sites like

http://www.tripinsurancestore.com

 

Just so you know. Carnivals does seem to be pricey but it does include Cancel For Any Reason. Just Cancel for ANY reason up to 48 hours prior to trip departure and you receive a 75% future cruise credit. Cancel for a covered reason and you get a full refund of course. The insurance also covers job change situations. Plus some medical, trip delay, etc.

 

But shop and compare. Then BUY

I'm sure you'll live life if you have to cancel with no coverage. It would hurt to lose a couple of grand. But a medical situation could bankrupt you

Edited November 11, 2015 by klfrodo

[ATL_Miami_Cruiser]

Definitely get the insurance, from either Carnival or any of the other recommended sources. I'm in the same position as you with my mother and sometimes her health can change with the wind so I don't take any chances. It will also save you lots of $$$ if they need to be hospitalized in a foreign country or airlifted from the ship. $100pp for peace of mind is much better than a $30,000 medical/transport bill! :)

Edited November 11, 2015 by ATL_Miami_Cruiser

[RobinKY]

Thanks for the good info. So I am understanding correctly that even I book today (40 days out) I can get insurance from up to two weeks prior? So if one of parents takes a turn for the worse in the meantime, I could buy or not buy it as the date gets closer.

[E&B]

Thanks for the good info. So I am understanding correctly that even I book today (40 days out) I can get insurance from up to two weeks prior? So if one of parents takes a turn for the worse in the meantime, I could buy or not buy it as the date gets closer.

 

 

You can get insurance whenever but it probably won't cover pre-existing conditions unless you buy it within two weeks of booking the cruise. My dad is 92 and has many health issues. Almost anything that goes wrong would be considered a pre-existing condition. Don't wait. I'd recommend buying it immediately after booking.

[klfrodo]

Thanks for the good info. So I am understanding correctly that even I book today (40 days out) I can get insurance from up to two weeks prior? So if one of parents takes a turn for the worse in the meantime, I could buy or not buy it as the date gets closer.

 

I agree with E&B

Pre-exsisting medical conditions can be a slippery slope. I've never bought a cruise with only 40 days out. I'm always a year or more but still purchase insurance immediatly

[notyours75]

We've always purchased our insurance through another party like TravelEx or TravelGuard. For our Jan Freedom cruise which costs about $1300 for two of us our policy with TravelGuard was $117. This includes trip cancellation, interruption, baggage loss, etc. It also has a $50k medical and $500k evacuation benefit. It also has several flight related benefits which since we're not flying don't really care about. This was their mid-tier plan. If you purchase within 15 days of the initial trip deposit they waive pre-existing conditions. And yes you can add a cancel any reason for about $50 which we did not.

 

I usually look at the policies through the before mentioned insuremytrip website and have always ended up with TravelEx or TravelGuard. Now that being said I've never filed a claim with any of them so I can't tell you really how good they are. However Carnival's insurance was $79/pp and didn't have near the variety of coverage that these policies do.

[elainmir]

I have USAA for insurance and I can purchase travel insurance through them. I have always bought it since I read how much it cost a CC member who had a medical evac emergency! I don't have that kind of cash laying around! Plus it covers my 13 yo for free...cost me 66 bucks for the three of us! The only way I would cancel would be a medical emergency so this policy covers that and if we are sick or injured on our cruise! That's all I need!

[ready2cruzagain]

I also use insuremytrip. You have to purchase the policy within a certain number of days (I think within 10 - 14 days, the time varies by insurance co.) you book your cruise for pre-existing conditions to be covered. Also, you can purchase the insurance up to the day before your trip.

 

 

Carnival's plan leaves a lot to be desired. Yes it does state cancel for any reason up to 2 days before the cruise and get a 75% voucher for a future cruise but their medical is only$10,000 and medical evacuation is only $30,000.

Edited November 11, 2015 by ready2cruzagain

[Towel Critter]

You are wise for considering travel insurance with elderly parents in the equation. My wife and I have had to cancel two of our last three booked cruises because of our parents becoming ill, first my mother, then hers. Choose Carnival's insurance over no insurance at all, for sure, but there are better deals and better coverage out there. As an example, on our upcoming cruise, we purchased "Cancel for Any Reason" with Travel Safe for less than $200 (I think it might have been $162, but I'm not sure without looking.) We have also used Travel Guard multiple times.

 

BTW, most travel insurance companies will waive pre-existing conditions if you purchase your policy within a designated time frame of your first trip deposit. It varies. 15 days is a pretty common window though.

 

Be sure to look at the policy in detail before purchasing. Happy cruising!

[Flatbush Flyer]

We've always purchased our insurance through another party like TravelEx or TravelGuard. For our Jan Freedom cruise which costs about $1300 for two of us our policy with TravelGuard was $117. This includes trip cancellation, interruption, baggage loss, etc. It also has a $50k medical and $500k evacuation benefit. It also has several flight related benefits which since we're not flying don't really care about. This was their mid-tier plan. If you purchase within 15 days of the initial trip deposit they waive pre-existing conditions. And yes you can add a cancel any reason for about $50 which we did not.

 

I usually look at the policies through the before mentioned insuremytrip website and have always ended up with TravelEx or TravelGuard. Now that being said I've never filed a claim with any of them so I can't tell you really how good they are. However Carnival's insurance was $79/pp and didn't have near the variety of coverage that these policies do.

 

 

For lack of a better term, the "trifecta" of cruise insurance protection is

1) a comprehensive international travel/medical policy like Travelex Select (one of the very few "primary payer" coverages available (figure a premium equal to about 10% of your cruise cost),

2) your own medical insurance (assuming it includes international coverage. NOTE: Medicare does not! (Though many Medicare Supplements do).

3) travel oriented credit card (e.g., United Airlines Explorer Visa) with additional coverage for key items as long as they were purchased with that card).

 

Though you can buy Travelex direct, you can also use a broker like InsureMyTrip.com. In fact, InsureMyTrip would be a good place to do policy comparisons.

 

The last place you should get cruise insurance is from the cruise line itself. Price may look good but, "you get what you pay for" and it's not much.

[JWGrayson]

We are super close to pulling the trigger on a CCL cruise Dec 20-27. My wife & I both have elderly parents facing health issues but as of today there is no serious risk of them going down hill in the next 30-40 days (fingers crossed).

 

The cruise we are looking at is a 7-day and on the upper end of our budget. What are your thought on cruise insurance? I assume it would cover a parent's death but what about if either was close to the end and we needed to cancel the cruise?

 

It would add $300-$400 on to the cost.

 

That actually happened to us last year. We were booked on the Triumph for 33 days (B2B2B) starting Feb 2, 2015. In December they did an ultrasound on my 97 year old Mom due to complaints. It showed a 3.25" mass in her abdomen. The ultrasound tech suggested a CT scan to get better results. I took her for that and the report was that she most likely had lymphoma. The doctor didn't think we should put her through the stress of a biopsy to confirm as due to her age she would not survive treatment. It would only satisfy our curiosity. The doctor told me that she likely had only 2 months to live.

 

We called Carnival and canceled the 3 cruises. I had purchased the insurance through Carnival. They gave me the number to call and I was told how to file the claims. It took about a month and I got the money back for the cruise and airfare. Then they did another ultrasound and found that the mass had shrunk by half. The doctor said, well, she must not have lymphoma as it doesn't shrink. She seemed fine, so we rebooked the last leg of 12 days and flew to Galveston using the ticket on SW that was reimbursed. So, it does work. I submitted copies of both the ultrasound and CT scan reports and a letter from me stating that I am the point of contact for my Mom on all issues medical and financial.

 

Mom is 98 now and doing well. You can tell she is on a decline, but it is very slow. Due to her having severe dementia she is in a nursing home.

 

A benefit of booking insurance with Carnival is that you don't have to determine extra costs like airfare, hotels, etc. as they are included. With 3rd party insurance you must total up all costs you wish to insure at the time you buy the insurance and you often don't know what those costs will be.

 

Good luck with your situation! John

[cruisinfanatic]

You can get insurance whenever but it probably won't cover pre-existing conditions unless you buy it within two weeks of booking the cruise. My dad is 92 and has many health issues. Almost anything that goes wrong would be considered a pre-existing condition. Don't wait. I'd recommend buying it immediately after booking.

Unless your dad is going on the cruise he has nothing to do with coverage. You are buying insurance for you, not every relative at home that may become ill or worse forcing you to cancel.

Edited November 11, 2015 by SeaUs

[cruisinfanatic]

Thanks for the good info. So I am understanding correctly that even I book today (40 days out) I can get insurance from up to two weeks prior? So if one of parents takes a turn for the worse in the meantime, I could buy or not buy it as the date gets closer.

I recommend that you buy trip insurance from somewhere other than the cruise line's. The cruiseline insurance is very poor for the cost. It also does NOT waive pre existing conditions regardless of when you purchase it.

Unless you have the best suite on the ship, outside insurance should cost much less than your estimate

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Unless your dad is going on the cruise he has nothing to do with coverage. You are buying insurance for you, not every relative at home that may become ill or worse forcing you to cancel.

 

Not true. Many insurance plans include cancelling for serious illness or death of immediate family members.

 

It is important to not only compare prices, but also what the plans cover, and limitations on how soon you need to purchase by.

 

Also, if you are not buying airfare the same day as the cruise, you'll need to look into whether you can add it to your policy after purchasing, and how that would effect the pre existing conditions clause.

 

Don't forget, if you can cancel your hotel reservation (or if any other prepaid items can be cancelled without penalty, like shore excursions), you do not have to include it in your insurance, unless you are worried about early check out fees.

 

Also, check if your credit union our auto insurance company offers it. If you already have a policy with them, you might get a discount.

[Towel Critter]

Unless your dad is going on the cruise he has nothing to do with coverage. You are buying insurance for you, not every relative at home that may become ill or worse forcing you to cancel.

 

I have to disagree that parents and family members have "nothing to do with the coverage." True, they aren't listed on the policy, but if one of them becomes seriously ill and you have to cancel, the insurance company will want all medical records on that person, going back as far as 180 days before the purchase of the coverage, before they will even consider reimbursing you. So to me, that means they have a lot to do with it. I know this from experience X2, unfortunately.

[cruisinfanatic]

Not true. Many insurance plans include cancelling for serious illness or death of immediate family members.

 

It is important to not only compare prices' date=' but also what the plans cover, and limitations on how soon you need to purchase by.

 

Also, if you are not buying airfare the same day as the cruise, you'll need to look into whether you can add it to your policy after purchasing, and how that would effect the pre existing conditions clause.

 

Don't forget, if you can cancel your hotel reservation (or if any other prepaid items can be cancelled without penalty, like shore excursions), you do not have to include it in your insurance, unless you are worried about early check out fees.

 

Also, check if your credit union our auto insurance company offers it. If you already have a policy with them, you might get a discount.[/quote']

Of course. What one doesn't?

[cruisinfanatic]

I have to disagree that parents and family members have "nothing to do with the coverage." True, they aren't listed on the policy, but if one of them becomes seriously ill and you have to cancel, the insurance company will want all medical records on that person, going back as far as 180 days before the purchase of the coverage, before they will even consider reimbursing you. So to me, that means they have a lot to do with it. I know this from experience X2, unfortunately.

Totally untrue. You probably read here somewhere that.....?

Death of family member and you need to cancel? They ask for a death certificate, nothing else.

Edited November 12, 2015 by SeaUs

[Towel Critter]

Totally untrue. You probably read here somewhere that.....?

Death of family member and you need to cancel? They ask for a death certificate, nothing else.

 

Huh? I never mentioned anything about a death in the family. Re-read my reply, please. I have personally experienced this twice, once with a very sick mother, then again with a very sick MIL. How can you say it is "totally untrue?" What are you basing this on? I'm totally curious. I'm assuming you are basing it on something and not just pulling it our of your hat.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Towel Critter

[cruisinfanatic]

Huh? I never mentioned anything about a death in the family. Re-read my reply, please. I have personally experienced this twice, once with a very sick mother, then again with a very sick MIL. How can you say it is "totally untrue?" What are you basing this on? I'm totally curious. I'm assuming you are basing it on something and not just pulling it our of your hat.

I was referring to E&B that I believe thought that if they didn't have preexisting insurance, someone at home (dad) became sick that they wouldn't get a refund if they had to cancel.

[Towel Critter]

I was referring to E&B that I believe thought that if they didn't have preexisting insurance, someone at home (dad) became sick that they wouldn't get a refund if they had to cancel.

 

When advising someone on something as important (and complex) as insurance, please make sure you aren't giving them bad info. In fact, I would advise them to not listen to any of us on CC, including me - even though I have more experience in filing travel insurance claims than I wish I had - and to go to the site of a few travel insurance companies, pull up the policy they are interested in, and read it thoroughly, more than once, since they are written in confusing legalese.

[mousey]

Wait...so if my elderly parents...Dad just turned 90...become very ill (as in near death or deceased) the DH, DS, and I can't get our cruise expenses back from Carnival if we cant to cancel? Even though we bought Carnival's $100 insurance policy? We are driving to port so don't have travel expenses. I'm going to call my Carnival agent tomorrow. This thread has really caused me some distress. First time that's ever happened on Cruise Critic. I won't be sleeping well until I get this sorted out. We're over a month out...can I cancel the insurance for all three of us and get that money back at least if they don't in fact cover this possibility?:confused: Of course my parents have preexisting problems...they're 87 and 90!

Edited November 12, 2015 by mousey

[cruisinfanatic]

Wait...so if my elderly parents...Dad just turned 90...become very ill (as in near death or deceased) the DH, DS, and I can't get our cruise expenses back from Carnival if we cant to cancel? Even though we bought Carnival's $100 insurance policy? We are driving to port so don't have travel expenses. I'm going to call my Carnival agent tomorrow. This thread has really caused me some distress. First time that's ever happened on Cruise Critic. I won't be sleeping well until I get this sorted out. We're over a month out...can I cancel the insurance for all three of us and get that money back at least if they don't in fact cover this possibility?:confused: Of course my parents have preexisting problems...they're 87 and 90!

Like I said before. You are buying insurance for yourself. Not every relative at home. Pre existing conditions refer to you, not them. You are covered if something were to happen with them