Travel Insurance

[KiscoB]

We are on the Sept 26th cruise from Athens to Rome.  This will be our first cruise as we gphave always been independent travelers in Europe etc.  On all of our trips we have never taken travel insurance.  Could use some help deciding if we want/need to take it for this cruise.

Thank you for any help.

[SWFLAOK]

We pay for insurance on every cruise since we're old enough to have something happen to one of us that could cause us to cancel (we're both mid 60's). If you can afford to forfeit the cruise cost if you are unable to take the cruise under one of the circumstances covered by the insurance, then you should be fine without insurance. If it's the cruise line that needs to cancel for some reason, then they should make amends whether or not you have travel insurance.

[ronrick1943]

A lot depends on you, your age, health and ho0w much risk you want to take.  We have always taken insurance out once I turned 65.  Every time the cruise is over and we're home I say why, except for the 2 times we had to cancel the cruise.  Once one of landed in the hospital the day before the ship sailed.  Each time we needed it I was happy we purchased the insurance, now we consider the cost as part of the cruise.  Now we don't worry if something happens during the cruise because we're covered.

If for some reason you don't buy it, don't except the cruise line to let you rebook another cruise at a later date--it's not going to happen.  Just my opinion.

[RJ2002]

There is a forum here on CC for discussions on travel insurance, here => https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

 

Because of the potential of losing your entire cruise cost in the event of a last minute cancellation, many people do in fact obtain travel insurance.  It's an individual decision.  Over on the Cruise Travel Insurance forum, often you'll receive advice to check out one of the travel insurance brokers (insuremytrip.com, tripinsurancestore.com, squaremouth.com, etc.) for options.  It's a good place to start.

[1985rz1]

To me, losing the cost of a cruise is only one component.  If you can absorb that loss and are fine with absorbing it, then cancellation/interruption insurance may not be a high priority.  This part gets quite expensive as you, shall we say, "mature."

 

But evacuation/repatriation insurance is a high priority for us.  Depending on where you are when you have to be evacuated or your your remains have to be repatriated, it could cost $100,000 to $250,000.  Such insurance normally comes with medical insurance which you may or may not need depending on you own insurance, but in any event, this component by itself is relatively inexpensive.

Edited June 27, 2019 by 1985rz1

[Brownie54]

We began buying trip insurance for the WC2017, and have continued ever since. We do not buy the insurance through Regent. We have used Steve Dasseos at tripinsurancestore.com. He is very helpful and knowledgeable, and yes, we have needed to file claims. These were dealt with quickly (twice) and sort-of quickly (once), but in all 3 cases, we received checks in the amounts we had asked for.

[Carol From California]

We have always purchased trip insurance, but in the last few years we have not purchased it because we got a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card which includes travel insurance. Pre-existing conditions are not covered but you get $10,000 per person coverage so long as you put some portion of the cruise on the credit card. 

[RJ2002]

2 minutes ago, Carol From California said:

We have always purchased trip insurance, but in the last few years we have not purchased it because we got a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card which includes travel insurance. Pre-existing conditions are not covered but you get $10,000 per person coverage so long as you put some portion of the cruise on the credit card. 

 

Yes, we've got a Chase SR card as well.  There're great! 

 

However, we all are going to have keep watch for potential downgrades in the benefits.  I just read the other day that apparently Citi is reducing some travel coverage which comes with their cards.

[FlyerTalker]

5 minutes ago, RJ2002 said:

However, we all are going to have keep watch for potential downgrades in the benefits.  I just read the other day that apparently Citi is reducing some travel coverage which comes with their cards.

 

Link to a thread on this change from Citi.

 

 

The blog post has some thoughts on insurance provided by Chase.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

1 hour ago, Carol From California said:

We have always purchased trip insurance, but in the last few years we have not purchased it because we got a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card which includes travel insurance. Pre-existing conditions are not covered but you get $10,000 per person coverage so long as you put some portion of the cruise on the credit card. 

 

I did not realize that Sapphire Card does not cover you if they are pre existing conditions causing the cancellation.  Is that correct?

sheila

[machotspur]

19 hours ago, KiscoB said:

We are on the Sept 26th cruise from Athens to Rome.  This will be our first cruise as we gphave always been independent travelers in Europe etc.  On all of our trips we have never taken travel insurance.  Could use some help deciding if we want/need to take it for this cruise.

Thank you for any help.

 

Hey - Mrs Machotspur and I are with you on this cruise on the Voyager ! May see you around !

 

I am thinking you are from the US, however for any readers who are not, the US prominence of the Regent board means that some of the posts regarding travel insurance are potentially unintentionally misleading. A very different structure of the insurance market in the UK & Australia for example.     

[Carol From California]

17 minutes ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

 

I did not realize that Sapphire Card does not cover you if they are pre existing conditions causing the cancellation.  Is that correct?

sheila

They do not cover pre-existing health issues.  

 

And yes, the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card is in the U.S. and would not apply to other countries.  

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Just now, Carol From California said:

They do not cover pre-existing health issues.  

 

And yes, the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card is in the U.S. and would not apply to other countries.  

Thanks Carol. 

[KiscoB]

Thank you everyone for information regarding travel insurance.

We hope to meet you and Mrs. Machotspur on the cruise!  You are correct we live in the US.  Laguna Niguel, California.  You live in a beautiful spot...The Cotswolds!

[SkystheLimit]

If you are on Medicare in the U.S. health coverage does not extend beyond the states.  Some supplemental policies include a relatively small amount of international health coverage.  Each is different.  We purchase our trip insurance thru mytripinsurancestore.com and Steve.  His company brokers several different companies.  Very helpful and knowledgeable.  We also purchase a Medjet annual policy for emergency medical evacuations for any place more than 150 miles from our home.  My husband is 75 and I am 63.  When we were younger we did not purchase travel insurance but quite frankly I'm not sure we were aware of it.

 

[cruisinsince75]

We are both 66 and up until we were 60, never traveled with insurance.  We had a scare twice when traveling without insurance.  In 2006 my wife was rushed to a hospital in France.  The other time, a storm in Dallas damaged most of AA’s planes the day we were to fly and flights were canceled.  We got a flight out the day of the cruise and arrived at the terminal in FLL just minutes before the cut off.  

 

On our last cruise on Seabourn TA Cruise I came down with severe Bronchitis and the ships doctor bill came to $759.  I hadn’t made my deductible with UHC, but my travel insurance covered it all.