Insurance & Big Box TA

[SDWalt]

I need some information.  I can't seem to find this in another topic.

Probably here somewhere...

If you book with Princess directly, do you have to purchase insurance during the booking or can you do so later in the Cruise Personalizer?

On that same note, if you book with a 'big box' TA can you later purchase insurance from Princess via the Personalizer once the booking transfers over to the Princess website?

 

Thanks,

Walt

[avonlady6390]

If you book directly with princess you do not need to add insurance right away.  I add their insurance which includes cancel for any reason just before I make final payment.  I'm not sure about when you book with a TA since I have not booked that way in a long time.

[Steelers36]

If you book with a TA, you can similarly defer adding Princess insurance until FP.  You cannot select/order insurance via the Personalizer.  It is offered at initial booking.  After that, per Princess, this notice appears in Personalizer:

 

The protection plan you have previously selected is shown here:

If you would like to change your level of protection, please call us at 800-774-6237 or contact your travel agent.

 

 

[franktown]

I used a Big Box TA on my last cruise.   I had the TA add Princess insurance a couple days before final payment without any problem.   

[pcur]

I would call BB first, since I found their insurance to be good coverage and a lower price in the past.

****************************************************************************************

 

I did a cost comparison between Princess Platinum coverage and BB's coverage, and BB is $60 per person more.  However, the BB coverage is more liberal.

Edited July 11, 2020 by pcur

[caribill]

16 hours ago, pcur said:

I did a cost comparison between Princess Platinum coverage and BB's coverage, and BB is $60 per person more.  However, the BB coverage is more liberal.

 

Does the BB pricing go up as you get older? Or is it like Princess Platinum which is the same for all ages?

[pcur]

11 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Does the BB pricing go up as you get older? Or is it like Princess Platinum which is the same for all ages?

Yes: more as you get older.

 

I checked our travel insurance with our Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and it was surprisingly generous.  With our current health insurance covering us anywhere in the world, I don't think we will need any additional travel insurance purchases. 

 

TRIP CANCELLATION & INTERRUPTION

If you need to cancel your trip, the Preferred  card covers you and your immediate family members (even if you're not traveling with them).

The benefit reimburses non-refundable, pre-paid costs, such as cruises, flights, hotels, and tours. The trip must not be more than 60 days, and must have been pre-booked before leaving home.

The coverage is up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip, up to a total of $40,000 in a 12-month period.

Covered circumstances include:

 

• Accidental bodily injury, loss of life, or sickness
• Severe weather
• Change in military orders
• A terrorist action or hijacking
• Organized strike affecting public transportation
• Jury duty or court subpoena that cannot be postponed
• Uninhabitable accommodations
• Imposed quarantine for health reasons
• Financial insolvency of the travel agency, tour operator, or travel supplier

 

 

Edited July 12, 2020 by pcur

[Italy52]

Coverage amount is very important to us.  We book through a BB store and take the insurance that is associated with them -- the paperwork that comes with the cruise booking references the insurance company's phone number.  The biggest concern we have is being able to pay for emergency evacuation should something happen while at sea.  Our policy is very generous with this regard.  Look at other options and compare coverages and benefit limits before you decide.  We also found the BB insurance to be cheaper.  If interested, make sure to talk with the BB insurance company representative for price quotes as they some times are cheaper than what is on the website. 

[Bgwest]

Contact Steve at www.tripinsurancestore.com

 

Steve is a master of this extremely complex subject. 

[Cruise Raider]

The coverage offered by Princess is the minimum I would consider, but, it is insurance and has covered us for anything we've ever needed.  You can price it out and add it at the time of booking, whether you book through a TA or directly with Princess.  You are not charged for it until final payment and you can remove it at that time if you've found a policy you like better.  You can also add it at final payment ... the coverage remains the same as you are not paying for it at the time of booking, as you have to do with most other insurance policies if you want to be covered for any pre-existing conditions.  

While noted above, the Princess product does have its shortcomings (emergency evacuation, medical coverage, etc), I do like the cancel for any reason feature.  % With the standard product, you will receive 75% reimbursement in FCCs and 100% in FCCs for non-covered reasons in the event of cancellation.  (Cash reimbursement is still available with either level for covered reasons.)  Oh .. and the price is right as they don't base it on age.  

 

 

[ckb104]

We used the same TA as you did.  We waited until final payment and added Princess insurance then.  

I learned to always get travel insurance since we had to use it at the last minute!  

[pcur]

And, everyone is checking what is provided with their credit card's benefits, right?  Just a reminder.

[pcur]

Duplicate

Edited July 21, 2020 by pcur

[LDVinNC]

10 hours ago, pcur said:

And, everyone is checking what is provided with their credit card's benefits, right?  Just a reminder.

 

Unfortunately, many credit cards have reduced or eliminated their travel benefits.

[pcur]

5 hours ago, LDVinNC said:

 

Unfortunately, many credit cards have reduced or eliminated their travel benefits.

 

I suggest looking into getting a Chase Sapphire card to use for travel purposes.  Double points for travel purchases, plus the travel insurance benefits.

[AlanF65]

18 minutes ago, pcur said:

 

I suggest looking into getting a Chase Sapphire card to use for travel purposes.  Double points for travel purchases, plus the travel insurance benefits.

The Sapphire reserve pays 3 points per $

 

Its a higher priced card but they give you a $300 statement credit $100 every 5 years towards TSA or Global entry, this year and next year $200 in Lyft credits, door dash credits, and a few other offer that make the insurance almost free up to 20k per person, 40k per year. Add on a major travel annual  medical and you are set.

The Sapphire card travel  benefits kick in when you are 150 miles from home.

I switched last year to cover Big Box TA card that dropped travel insurance.

Right now you can get 150% on points when you apply them to home improvement stores or groceries so a $240 grocery bill is $160 in points or 33% off the food bill.

 

 

 

[pcur]

1 hour ago, AlanF65 said:

The Sapphire reserve pays 3 points per $

 

Its a higher priced card but they give you a $300 statement credit $100 every 5 years towards TSA or Global entry, this year and next year $200 in Lyft credits, door dash credits, and a few other offer that make the insurance almost free up to 20k per person, 40k per year. Add on a major travel annual  medical and you are set.

The Sapphire card travel  benefits kick in when you are 150 miles from home.

I switched last year to cover Big Box TA card that dropped travel insurance.

Right now you can get 150% on points when you apply them to home improvement stores or groceries so a $240 grocery bill is $160 in points or 33% off the food bill.

 

 

 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has many of the same deals and promotions, but for lower amounts since the annual fee is lower, too. 150 miles from home or less, our regular medical insurance will cover us in the US.

 

The Preferred (lower annual fee) card is giving the same points redemption for home improvements and groceries, but at a 125% redemption.  I did that last month, and paid down my bill by $479. 

 

Also, we have flown countless times by transferring our Sapphire points, or just getting a statement credit, over the last 10 years.  I've transferred points to British Airways twice for flights to or from Europe.  

 

Right now new cards are giving a 60,000 bonus points for $4,000 spent in the first 3 months.  I am eligible again to get another Sapphire card next April (4 years from cancellation), and I will use it to pay for our booked cruises, which gets me a total of 68,000 points.  

 

One of the reasons that the Sapphire travel insurance benefit works for us is our medical insurance pays for all costs (after our deductibles) anywhere in the world. So, by having our at-home medical insurance, and the Chase Sapphire card, our travel insurance needs are covered.