Insurance Questions

[sprinkles]

So, I was very lucky not getting insurance for 25years of cruising (just a couple times when cruising solo).

 

Then husband was injured two days before a cruise (not only lost money but got charged by travel agency for NOT taking the cruise) have bought insurance since, but never had to use it.

 

Would love to understand everything better.  What is this cancel for any reason Princess insurance being talked about on the Diamond Princess thread?  I know elite gets a discount right?  What about other insurance companies?  When I have booked insurance in the last it was mostly out of concern for air lifts etc.  Has anyone figured out what companies offer what?  Are we allowed to have a thread discussing this all in one place?  Especially the pandemic exclusions now?  Thanks

 

Tammy

 

[sprinkles]

Sorry to be talking so much about Princess.  I actually posted this on the Princess Forum.  It had 30 views in 30 minutes, and moved here (I never realized this section existed).  I posted on the Princess Forum as there has been a lot of discussion on multiple threads about insurance while discussing the DIamond Princess mess.

 

Ok so moved here, is everyone talking about insurance over here?  Any answers for me? Thanks.

 

Tammy

 

[klfrodo]

Let’s see if I can help in some small way.

First of all, I recommend you check out the FAQ section of the Trip Insurance Store at https://tripinsurancestore.com/travel-insurance-frequently-asked-questions/

The FAQ section can answer some questions on all sorts of benefits or definitions that pertain to most if not all travel insurance products sold in the US.

 

Now, to your specific questions regarding the travel protection policies that Princess sells.

They have a regular policy and they have a Platinum Policy.

The Cancel For Any Reason for both policies allow you to cancel anytime before scheduled departure. The difference is that the regular policy reimburses at 75% future cruise credit whereas the Platinum policy reimburses at 100% future cruise credit. Elite status will get you the Platinum policy for the cost of the regular policy. Otherwise the Platinum is an up sell.

 

The pandemic question.

As I understand it, insurance companies have taken the same stance with worldwide pandemic as they do with hurricanes and storms. There is a hard cutoff date. Once a hurricane or storm is named, you can no longer purchase insurance to cover claims against that storm.

Insurance companies took the stance that once WHO made an announcement of a world wide health concern, any policies sold after that date would no longer cover claims for damages caused by that health concern.

This is constant insofar as one must be healthy and able to travel on the day a policy is bought.

You can’t buy homeowners insurance once your house is on fire. You can’t buy travel insurance while laid up in the ER. You can’t buy travel insurance while hurricane Zulu is heading to port of departure

[Babr]

If I may add-

 

The CFAR provision of the Princess insurance is included at no extra cost; however, it provides a cruise credit -not cash - that must be used within a specified time, and it is not insurable for cancellation so if you can’t use it before expiration or you must cancel, you lose it.

 

Third-party insurance companies offer CFAR that provide cash reimbursement - usually 75% , but it  requires an additional premium along with other limitations.

 

In either case CFAR, allows you to cancel for reasons other than those defined in the policy as covered reasons. Medical emergency or accident - covered.  Dear old dog gets sick at the last minute and you can’t bear to leave him - not covered; hence, CFAR. 

In the case of the pandemic, I think people were hoping to use it since they could not cancel without it just because they did not want to go under the current circumstances.

 

If by airlift, you mean evacuation from the ship, you are worried about the wrong thing. Such operations are rare, and when they do happen, they are carried out by Coast Guard/military. When you think about it, they are the only ones with the necessary equipment, training, and recency of experience to do it safely. In any case, you would not be charged for it.  You are more likely to be put off the ship at the nearest port. That is where your evacuation coverage comes in. It provides your transportation to a better hospital if the local one is not able to handle your situation or transportation home usually by commercial aircraft when you are able to travel.

 

That is the weakness of most policies sold by cruise lines. Their coverage for medical and evacuation is usually minimal.

[sprinkles]

Thanks to both of you, still trying to decipher it all.  I guess I want it all.  Babr, I hate to say it, but I have seen way too many air lifts off of ships , to not care anymore.  US, ok maybe free, but in all other countries?
 

Thanks

 

[Babr]

I can’t say definitively that no country in the world would charge you for an evacuation at sea, but I think not. It is probably considered part of their service and ongoing training, just as it is in the USA.

 

In my years of cruising, I’ve witnesses only two helicopter evacuations. One was off the coast of California on the return from Mexico. A young lady experienced an attack of appendicitis. She was airlifted by a helicopter from the USS Ronald Reagan which happened to be nearby and was taken back to that ship for an emergency appendectomy by the Navy doctors. The Captain of our ship related the story, I suppose, because it was  so unusual. I don’t know how the story ended, but I’m guessing her travel insurance took over once she was transferred to shore either to a hospital or home if she was able to travel. In any case, she had quite an experience and a story to tell!

 

I’m not saying you should not buy travel insurance. I’m just saying that rescue at sea is not your biggest worry. High medical bills and possibly expensive medical transportation to another facility is the reason to be insured.

Edited February 17, 2020 by Babr

[klfrodo]

1 hour ago, sprinkles said:

Thanks to both of you, still trying to decipher it all.  I guess I want it all.  Babr, I hate to say it, but I have seen way too many air lifts off of ships , to not care anymore.  US, ok maybe free, but in all other countries?
 

Thanks

 

Pretty much, Yes.

If Chief was here, kpchang75, it's pretty much a maritime convention agreement type thing. Besides, it's so specialized and training is so expensive that Navies are about the only ones who can do it.

The money is when you have to be medevac'd from a remote location back home. Most policies will require that a representative of the insurance company be involved in the decision to private medivac since they're the ones paying. Medjet Assist is one company that you can buy an annual medivac policy from who will medivac you from anywhere in the world back home at your request. Some requirements are that you be more than 150 miles from home and that you are an In-patient at a Hospital. An urgent care clinic does not count. There has been some sort of change also with the Corona virus thing.