Importance of Travel Insurance

[Host Carolyn]

Very good post from Carnival cruiser on why travel insurance is so important!! Unfortunately can't have the post in both places so hope on over to Carnival boats and take a look. Horrible experience for this family that would have been compounded without travel insuranceo

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2019 by Host Carolyn

[GeezerCouple]

27 minutes ago, Host Carolyn said:

Very good post from Carnival cruiser on why travel insurance is so important!! Unfortunately can't have the post in both places so hope on over to Carnival boats and take a look. Horrible experience for this family that would have been compounded without travel insurance!

 

 

 

 

We are logged in properly, but cannot see your link...

 

However, we have had enough of our own travel insurance claims to swear by it... and ALL thanks to our early ready of CC, before our "serious [and fun!] travel" began a few years ago.

 

GC

[Host Carolyn]

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

We are logged in properly, but cannot see your link...

 

However, we have had enough of our own travel insurance claims to swear by it... and ALL thanks to our early ready of CC, before our "serious [and fun!] travel" began a few years ago.

 

GC

 

 

Thanks! Will check link when I get to my tablet. Is working on phone😕

[GeezerCouple]

30 minutes ago, Host Carolyn said:

 

 

Thanks! Will check link when I get to my tablet. Is working on phone😕

 

Thanks.

 

I just found the thread.  Yikes.  And so sorry that there was an unhappy ending.

But sometimes even the best of care just can't "do it"...

 

Either way, having suitable travel insurance is critical, ESPECIALLY FOR MEDICAL CARE.

As has been pointed out, losing the cost of even a *very* expensive cruise/trip is unfortunate, but "manageable".  But the medical cost... those can be truly catastrophic, and could indeed bankrupt some people, or at least make a significant dent in financial situation.

 

We will forever be indebted to <we do not remember the thread or the person who posted> here on CruiseCritic, some time in mid 2013, as we were planning the first of our big "pre-retirement" trips, a cruise/land trip.  We admit, we were among the oblivious who never thought about travel insurance, although we also had not yet gone to any exotic/distant locales.

 

They mentioned Steve and TripInsuranceStore.com - and several others chimed in with additional recommendations... so we called them.  We learned a LOT!

And we purchased a policy for that first trip, a celebration for a major b-day, and "start of pre-retirement" 

AND... we had to cancel it with less than 2 weeks before departure, due to a medical emergency.

Even though it was "only" the cruise (major suite) and air (business class), it was surprisingly comforting as we dealt with the medical problems and they got under some control, to be able to mumble, "Well, at least we won't have to pay for that trip all over again!"

(Travel Insured paid promptly, once things calmed down and we got organized and submitted the claim.)

 

But the thought of some 6- figure medical bill... and perhaps medevac home...!  😱

So we now get MedJetAssist, as well, so WE can decide to be medevac'd to "our" hospital of choice, even if insurers do no think it "medically necessary.

MJA is definitely one insurance we hope we do NOT ever have to use, of course.

 

GC

[CalgaryMac]

Not only is it important to have travel/health insurance it is important to be honest about preconditions. It costs more money but when you could have your coverage cancelled should any preconditions be discovered (and not reported) it is far cheaper.

[LDVinNC]

Here in the US it is not necessary to report your pre-existing conditions when purchasing insurance.  You just must buy the insurance within the prescribed time limits in order to be covered for them.

[ChinaDoll1]

Can anyone recommend a good travel insurance companies? I have just started checking into Travel Guard and Allianz. I am in the United States if that makes any difference

[LMADAMS91]

1 minute ago, ChinaDoll1 said:

Can anyone recommend a good travel insurance companies? I have just started checking into Travel Guard and Allianz. I am in the United States if that makes any difference

I've used both Travel Guard and Travel Insured and had to make claims with both. Both were excellent and comparably priced with different options depending on what you need. 

 

[klfrodo]

3 minutes ago, ChinaDoll1 said:

Can anyone recommend a good travel insurance companies? I have just started checking into Travel Guard and Allianz. I am in the United States if that makes any difference

Depends on what you are trying to protect yourself from? Travel insurance is a very personal choice and is individualized by each person. You say "Travel Guard", but Travel Guard has 3 or 4 different levels of travel insurance that they sell.

 

Here is what we can all guarantee

If you buy travel insurance and don't need it. It's okay

If you buy travel insurance and need it but your claim is not a covered reason, it sucks.

If you need it and the claim is fully covered, its the best in the world.

 

You need to be more specific on what you want.

Is your brothers sisters step children considered "family members"? for pre-existing medical condition waivers or canceling because they got sick. Do you have connecting flights? and if so does travel insurance need to cover you if the delay is 3 hours? what about 6 hours, heck, some policies require 12 hours or more. What about Cancel For Any Reason? Do you need that? What terms can you live with? Cancel up to time of sailing for 75% credit? Must cancel within 48 hours before sailing and receive only a 40% credit?

As you can see,,, travel insurance is not one size fits all.