NCL Booksafe Insurance - pre-existing conditions

[figment9999]

We're in the process of booking a new cruise with NCL. This will be our 13th with NCL; over 30 cruises overall.

We've always used their insurance

 

Since we're getting older and I have diabetes I looked at the coverage a little closer and called both NCL and AON regarding pre-existing conditions.

 

I'd expected to find that as long as you purchased the coverage at booking you'd get a waiver on the issue. I found the conversations with both reps less than clear; but with the feeling that no waiver is given and that if I had an issue it would be evaluated at the time of a claim.

 

I found that unacceptable; I'd be better getting insurance through a third party (John Hancock, AIG, etc) where a waiver is given up front as long as you purchase the policy at (near) the time of booking.

 

Anyone have thoughts / experience with this?

[mjkacmom]

I’m under the impression that 3rd party is always better then NCL.

[Travelling2Some]

NCL's costs more and gives you less coverage.  The only advantage is that, if your claim is denied, NCL will give you back 70 or 90 percent (depends on if you bought standard or premium) of your cruise fare in FCC.  That would, of course, be useless as far as medical bills go.

[Babr]

NCL BookSafe does not cover pre-existing conditions nor does it grant a waiver as third-party policies do with timely purchase.

 

As @Travelling2Some pointed out, you’d have to be willing to accept FCC if you cancel. Even if you don’t have to cancel before departure, you risk your medical or trip interruption claim being denied if it is caused by your pre-existing condition.

[marys350]

We have purchased AIG Travel Guard insurance policies with the waiver for pre-existing conditions for many years and have been happy with their services. We had to cancel a cruise once for medical reasons and our claim was processed and paid efficiently.

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

NCL's costs more and gives you less coverage.  The only advantage is that, if your claim is denied, NCL will give you back 70 or 90 percent (depends on if you bought standard or premium) of your cruise fare in FCC. 

Don't the third parties pay you back 100% in cash if you have to cancel for medical reasons and it's either a new condition or pre-existing that has a coverage waiver?  That doesn't sound like "advantage NCL."  I know you qualified that with "if your claim is denied," but most people are not concerned about that.

Edited September 5, 2023 by ChiefMateJRK

[Travelling2Some]

I agree that 3rd party insurance is always better and getting most of your cruise fare back in spite of a denied claim is only a small benefit.  The only time it would be useful is for a non-covered reason that you had to cancel.  Or say you insured the trip too late to get the waiver of pre-existing conditions.  If you then had to cancel due to your pre-existing condition, you would at least get most of your cruise fare in FCC.  You wouldn't be going on the cruise so no medical coverage would come into play. Personally, I have never bought cruise line insurance.  I always buy third party.

[ChiefMateJRK]

43 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

I agree that 3rd party insurance is always better and getting most of your cruise fare back in spite of a denied claim is only a small benefit.  The only time it would be useful is for a non-covered reason that you had to cancel.  Or say you insured the trip too late to get the waiver of pre-existing conditions.  If you then had to cancel due to your pre-existing condition, you would at least get most of your cruise fare in FCC.  You wouldn't be going on the cruise so no medical coverage would come into play. Personally, I have never bought cruise line insurance.  I always buy third party.

Same here.  I don't buy at booking, but tend to buy at final payment.  Some policies have a very favorable 60 day look back for pre-existing conditions.  I consider that very "safe" for most of the health chapters of my life.  If I was in stormy times, I would either just cancel the cruise prior to final payment or risk losing the base fare (which is usually pretty modest for this steerage sailor).

[Travelling2Some]

16 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Same here.  I don't buy at booking, but tend to buy at final payment.  Some policies have a very favorable 60 day look back for pre-existing conditions.  I consider that very "safe" for most of the health chapters of my life.  If I was in stormy times, I would either just cancel the cruise prior to final payment or risk losing the base fare (which is usually pretty modest for this steerage sailor).

I always did the same and it worked fine for years but now, not so much.  Avoiding a doctor for 60 days used to be a piece of cake but it is getting trickier as we get older!  I've decided going forward that I'm going to buy the insurance up front when I put the deposit down.  Always seemed unnecessary since I book way ahead with refundable deposits but now we need that pre-existing conditions wavier and the 60 day look back period can be a problem.