JUST FOUND THIS OUT ABOUT VIKING TRIPMATE INSURANCE

[Fieldofdreams]

During the process of reviewing TripMate insurance prior to our cruise, I called TripMate to review the coverage and found out that the insurance only covers the time you actually embark on the ship until disembarkation. This is the first time we have purchased insurance through a cruise line so we are discovering several interesting nuances with this particular policy. As we are arriving at our embarkation city several days early on our own,  it does not cover us for anything including medical treatment/evacuation during the gap period. Not certain of policy coverage if one books pre and post Viking excursions. For our future cruises we will stay with purchasing insurance through the marketplace and not through the cruise line. Hope this might help others.

[JM0115]

13 minutes ago, Fieldofdreams said:

During the process of reviewing TripMate insurance prior to our cruise, I called TripMate to review the coverage and found out that the insurance only covers the time you actually embark on the ship until disembarkation. This is the first time we have purchased insurance through a cruise line so we are discovering several interesting nuances with this particular policy. As we are arriving at our embarkation city several days early on our own,  it does not cover us for anything including medical treatment/evacuation during the gap period. Not certain of policy coverage if one books pre and post Viking excursions. For our future cruises we will stay with purchasing insurance through the marketplace and not through the cruise line. Hope this might help others.

Very true!

[SantaFe1]

1 hour ago, Fieldofdreams said:

During the process of reviewing TripMate insurance prior to our cruise, I called TripMate to review the coverage and found out that the insurance only covers the time you actually embark on the ship until disembarkation. This is the first time we have purchased insurance through a cruise line so we are discovering several interesting nuances with this particular policy. As we are arriving at our embarkation city several days early on our own,  it does not cover us for anything including medical treatment/evacuation during the gap period. Not certain of policy coverage if one books pre and post Viking excursions. For our future cruises we will stay with purchasing insurance through the marketplace and not through the cruise line. Hope this might help others.

I believe it covers the VIking pre and post extensions, because after booking a cruise, and taking Tripmate, we went back to add an extension  and that raised the insurance price.  

51 minutes ago, JM0115 said:

Edited January 24, 2023 by SantaFe1

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, Fieldofdreams said:

During the process of reviewing TripMate insurance prior to our cruise, I called TripMate to review the coverage and found out that the insurance only covers the time you actually embark on the ship until disembarkation. This is the first time we have purchased insurance through a cruise line so we are discovering several interesting nuances with this particular policy. As we are arriving at our embarkation city several days early on our own,  it does not cover us for anything including medical treatment/evacuation during the gap period. Not certain of policy coverage if one books pre and post Viking excursions. For our future cruises we will stay with purchasing insurance through the marketplace and not through the cruise line. Hope this might help others.

It also does not cover voucher amounts used.

It also cannot be transferred to another cruise, should the one you have it for be cancelled by you or Viking.  Premium lost.   Many 3rd party insurance companies cover vouchers and transfers.  I don't think we can mention names however.

It does not cover your own do it yourself pre and post days however many, for your cruise, only if you do the Viking supplied pre-/post- extensions.

I don't personally see any advantages of Tripmate over using a 3rd party for insurance, except perhaps if you are a much older age, and it generally costs a higher % of total trip cost than 3rd party insurance.

I don't know how it compares to the others as far as ease of filing claims and getting money back, as we've not ever had to file.

We always "decline" the TripMate and use an insurance broker to help us find the right insurance company/policy to fit our needs.  Ours has a forum/thread on Cruise Critic.

Edited January 25, 2023 by CCWineLover

[Insanityx4]

When Viking cancelled three cruises we were booked on during Covid, we were fully refunded the Tripmate insurance cost. However, with the fiasco with vouchers we have decided to use outside venders through our travel agent. We have an upcoming cruise using vouchers and used Trip Insured International which covers both our precruise (on our own) and the time from when we leave home until we get back home. It was about the same cost as Tripmate. 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Insanityx4

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, Fieldofdreams said:

During the process of reviewing TripMate insurance prior to our cruise, I called TripMate to review the coverage and found out that the insurance only covers the time you actually embark on the ship until disembarkation. This is the first time we have purchased insurance through a cruise line so we are discovering several interesting nuances with this particular policy. As we are arriving at our embarkation city several days early on our own,  it does not cover us for anything including medical treatment/evacuation during the gap period. Not certain of policy coverage if one books pre and post Viking excursions. For our future cruises we will stay with purchasing insurance through the marketplace and not through the cruise line. Hope this might help others.

 

The policy covers any pre-post extensions you book through Viking. This is clearly explained in the Tripmate terms and conditions with respect to the commencement and completion of the covered risk.

 

Another potential issue some have raised is if you are covered on private excursions in a port. 

[CDNPolar]

Just goes to show that you must read and understand the policy in full.  Never assume.

[CDNPolar]

Just goes to show that you must read and understand the policy in full.  Never assume.

[Fieldofdreams]

5 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The policy covers any pre-post extensions you book through Viking. This is clearly explained in the Tripmate terms and conditions with respect to the commencement and completion of the covered risk.

 

Another potential issue some have raised is if you are covered on private excursions in a port. 

Heidi - Thanks for that on private excursions, we were wondering the same

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, Fieldofdreams said:

Heidi - Thanks for that on private excursions, we were wondering the same

 

Please note that I never determined the Tripmate coverage on private excursions, as with the Tripmate medical insurance being so low, we take out an additional emergency medical policy from a local broker before we depart.

 

With our first Viking cruise, no local or online broker would cover the risk, so we had to purchase the Tripmate plan, if we wanted to insure the risk. However, we only used it for trip interruption, delay, cancellation, etc.

[JM0115]

35 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Please note that I never determined the Tripmate coverage on private excursions, as with the Tripmate medical insurance being so low, we take out an additional emergency medical policy from a local broker before we depart.

 

With our first Viking cruise, no local or online broker would cover the risk, so we had to purchase the Tripmate plan, if we wanted to insure the risk. However, we only used it for trip interruption, delay, cancellation, etc.

We always get Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation & Repatriation insurance. Pun intended it is cheap insurance!

[ffnole1]

If you cancel a Viking cruise with prepaid TripMate, we have been able to export the coverage to a newly booked Viking cruise. If the new cruise cost more, then you will be charged the premium difference to ensure adequate coverage. We just did this through our travel agent a second time with no issues.  It you cancel and don’t rebook, it is a sunk cost. If you request applying the insurance premium to another existing Viking cruise, they won’t allow it.  But if you book a new Viking cruise, there is plenty of precedent they will apply the premium paid against the new cruise insurance policy.  They will do the same thing with future cruise credits.  

[Fieldofdreams]

Thanks all, good information

[biggerbearmom]

Best piece of advice I can give is to buy trip insurance separate from Viking.
We use the tripinsurance store.com, and buy the insurance based on our total dates of travel.

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, biggerbearmom said:

Best piece of advice I can give is to buy trip insurance separate from Viking.
We use the tripinsurance store.com, and buy the insurance based on our total dates of travel.

Same thing we do.  Steve is great at TripInsurance Store!!

Great web site he has as well with tons of information.

[cwpost76]

Another good insurance source (for comparisons) is www.insuremytrip.com and is recommended by Clark Howard.