Trip Insurance Question

[Eager2Travel]

I recently booked a cruise and want to purchase insurance in the period allowing for a waiver of pre-existing conditions.  We always purchase from Steve at Trip Insurance Store but the phone just rings.  I assume they are still in business as he was just on Cruise Critic last month but are unreachable.   Does anyone have any other suggestions if I am not breaking any rules with this question .

 

We are at day 15 from purchase so I may be already too late.   Thanks for any help

 

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by Eager2Travel

[Eager2Travel]

No need to reply.  Steve just found me from my unanswered call to him.  He is amazing.  He told me to let everyone know he is alive.  He is traveling and will email me my quotes.

 

I can relax now as I know I am in good hands.  There are a few travel insurance companies that have a 21 day look back waiver for pre existing conditions.  Hopefully they are not the most expensive ones.

[wristband]

I agree with you that Steve & staff are superb but...I have had the same frustration as yours on occasion where the office phone rings and rings. 

 

I told Steve - he believes it is something to related with the phone company & lines crossing.  Not good for his business or potential and current customers.

[forgap]

I always use their chat function for questions and their website for quotes. Steve is great and will track you down.   We just bought the minimum for two trips  ($500 each) so we could be covered for preexisting, medical and evacuation.  We have Chase Sapphire Reserve which covers up to $10,000 each in case of cancellation.  This was Steve’s suggestion.  Then we can add more to cancellation if it goes over the $10,000 pp.  

[Eager2Travel]

That is an interesting strategy Forgap.  Maybe we should consider the Chase card.  Do you know if the whole trip needs to be on Chase?  Also do you mind my asking which insurance company?

[forgap]

Chase will cover the amount charged to the card.  We used IMG for medical.  $139 for the $500 of insurance  that covers a considerable amount for medical and evacuation.  We purchased it within the window for preexisting conditions.  Chase card is. $450/year with cash back for travel, global entry, etc.  
 

PS.  We love Steve Dessous.   

[Ladys Mom]

5 minutes ago, forgap said:

Chase will cover the amount charged to the card.  We used IMG for medical.  $139 for the $500 of insurance  that covers a considerable amount for medical and evacuation.  We purchased it within the window for preexisting conditions.  Chase card is. $450/year with cash back for travel, global entry, etc.  
 

PS.  We love Steve Dessous.   

I have the Chase card that only costs $95/year. I gives me the same $10K each or $20K total for trip cancellation or interruption as the $450/year.  The big difference is that my husband, who has the $450/year card (sorry I forgot the names of the two cards) gives 3 points/dollar for travel and mine only gives two.  Therefore we use his for big ticket Regent cruises and mine for everyday expenses.

[Eager2Travel]

Thanks Forgap and Lady’s Mom for the additional info.  Steve suggested IMG for us.  Our deposit is about $1,500 so that should cover necessary insurance. I will purchase tomorrow.  Deposit was June 18 so we are still within waiver time period. I will also look into  Chases’ $ 95 card.  Am done chasing points at this stage of life.

 

I appreciate the timely help.   We, too, love Steve.

[DaveFr]

5 hours ago, forgap said:

Chase will cover the amount charged to the card.  We used IMG for medical.  $139 for the $500 of insurance  that covers a considerable amount for medical and evacuation.  We purchased it within the window for preexisting conditions.  Chase card is. $450/year with cash back for travel, global entry, etc.  
 

PS.  We love Steve Dessous.   

I don’t believe Chase will only cover the amount charged to the card. The guide to benefits for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card provides:

 

“No benefit will be paid for any Eligible Travel Expense unless a portion of such Eligible Travel Expense has been charged to the Account.”

 

For trip cancellation, “Eligible Travel Expenses“ is defined in the guide as:

 

“Eligible Travel Expenses are Non–Refundable prepaid travel expenses charged by a Travel Supplier (Travel Agency, Tour Operator, Provider of Lodging, rental car agency, Rented Recreational Vehicle Provider, commercial recreational excursion provider, Cruise Line, airline, railroad, and other Common Carriers). Eligible Travel Expenses also means redeposit fees imposed by a Rewards program administrator. Eligible Travel Expenses does not include Event Tickets or prepaid fees to theme parks, museums, golf courses, or other points of interest (unless such expenses are included as part of a travel package).”

 

This language in the guide makes no sense if the travel insurance only covers the amount charged to the card. The requirement to charge a portion of the travel expenses would be redundant if the insurance only covered the amount charged to the card. The definition of “Eligible Travel Expenses” does not expressly limit them to the amount charged to the card. My guess is that Chase has a blanket travel insurance policy that covers all card holders. If so, then even a charge to the card of as little as one dollar would be sufficient to cover travel expenses up to the maximum benefit allowed.

 

Dave

[mrlevin]

Dave, thanks for posting the Chase info; I had been trying to track it down.  In your review, will Chase pay for cancellation if we are left at the pier with a positive COVID test (or denied entry into Canada for polar bear trip)?  We have three trips coming up all less than or around $20K which will be paid (predominantly) on our Chase card.  

[forgap]

Here is the link to benefits.  On closer look, they do have some medical and evacuation benefits.    My hunch is you would have to comb through the language to discern the exclusions.   Finally, if you have pre-existing conditions, it looks like no benefits apply.  
 

https://www.chase.com/card-benefits/sapphirereserve/travel

[mrlevin]

33 minutes ago, forgap said:

Here is the link to benefits.  On closer look, they do have some medical and evacuation benefits.    My hunch is you would have to comb through the language to discern the exclusions.   Finally, if you have pre-existing conditions, it looks like no benefits apply.  
 

https://www.chase.com/card-benefits/sapphirereserve/travel

Thanks!  Only thing I am looking for coverage for is a false or real positive COVID test result for me or traveling party and that wouldn't be "pre-existing" so this coverage looks pretty good.

[forgap]

This is the benefit guide from 2/15/20.  It is a more thorough  explanation of benefits and exclusions.  it also details the hoops you have to jump through to make a claim.  
 

[doowopbob]

We had to cancel a cruise and a trip to Vegas a couple of years ago after my wife suffered a stroke (she is fine now).  I paid for both with my Chase Reserve card.  Had to summit forms from my doctor and trip providers and it took awhile but they paid us in full.  What they paid us covered the cost of the card for about 15 years or so and is also a lot cheaper than the trip insurance we use to get.

[Eager2Travel]

Thank you one and all for the additional info.  It is greatly appreciated.

 

Forgap, for some reason the Chase info does not show up in your post.   I will try sending you a message.

 

Ann

[DaveFr]

1 hour ago, Eager2Travel said:

Thank you one and all for the additional info.  It is greatly appreciated.

 

Forgap, for some reason the Chase info does not show up in your post.   I will try sending you a message.

 

Ann

Ann, here’s a link to the Sapphire Reserve guide to benefits (Guide to Benefits). 
 

Dave

[Eager2Travel]

Thanks Dave.  I will look it up.

[wristband]

We have both the Chase Sapphire Reserve (higher annual fee) and the Sapphire Preferred ($95 annual fee).  Both offer the $10,000 insurance coverage and you don't need to charge the full amount of the cruise on either card for the coverage.  There are other perks worth considering.

 

As I noted, we are very pleased with Steve.  He also suggested the same strategy with the card's coverage combined with a policy we purchased for a big 2023 Regent cruise.

 

Sapphire Preferred is running a great short term promotion: 100,000 bonus points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months.  Easy to do if you have upcoming final payments this summer.

[ronrick1943]

Then cards are good, but just be sure you have insurance.  Everyone thinks way, but we’ve had to us it twice and really glad we had it (each time we where a lot younger) you just never known when you’ll need it.  Every time I get on a ship I always ask myself why did I buy it-then remember the times we used it.  We don’t ever travel without insurance.

[mrlevin]

6 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

Then cards are good, but just be sure you have insurance.  Everyone thinks way, but we’ve had to us it twice and really glad we had it (each time we where a lot younger) you just never known when you’ll need it.  Every time I get on a ship I always ask myself why did I buy it-then remember the times we used it.  We don’t ever travel without insurance.

To each their own.

[ronrick1943]

43 minutes ago, mrlevin said:

To each their own.

I agree, to us it was $80,000+ for both trips we had to cancel, 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We've only done one cruise without cancellation insurance, and that was because we couldn't get any at the time (the major U.S. carriers had just stopped covering Canadians, and we couldn't find a substitute.)   Of course, if I could go back in time I could cancel all those policies and use the money to finance another cruise, ha ha--we've never used it, not once.

 

I have been assured of coverage by a carrier here in Canada for our next cruise, when the time comes.  But these things get much harder the older you get--any of my Amex cards in the past cease providing coverage if you're over a certain age (65 I believe), so you might want to look out for that type of limitation.

[Eager2Travel]

We have purchased insurance for the amount of the deposit which gives us everything but the full cancellation price should be decide to not buy the full cancellation policy upon final payment.  We will review the credit card possibilities at that time.  We will then decide wether to rely on a credit card or buy full insurance.  This way we have the pre existing condition waiver coverage.

 

We have had occasion to use the cancellation portion in the past.  My husband is more of a risk taker than I am and suggested self insuring.😧

[mrlevin]

I know Regent provided insurance does not cover provider insolvency, however, since Regent insurance is cost based and not age based, has anyone determined the age whereat it is better to buy insurance through Regent?

 

thanks,

 

marc