OK...now that you've convinced me to get insurance...

[CruisinDavid]

We are flying in a day early to Miami (from L.A.) for our July 30th FOS cruise. Also, we will be staying in Miami about 5 days following the cruise.

 

What type of insurance do you recommend that I buy. I have a lot of faith in everyone's opinions! It seems like there's so much available, but I am basically looking to be covered in case I can't fly in or out when planned due to a hurricane (I'd rather have earthquakes, btw)! Once we're on the boat, I'm not gonna be interrupted!!

 

This is our fifth family cruise (DW, and two DS - 14 and 17), but first one outside of Mexico and Alaska...

 

Thanks, in advance, for your help!

 

David

[Merion_Mom]

http://www.insuremytrip.com

[LuAnn]

This site will give you options...but please...based on the horror stories I have heard re costs to "medi-vac" someone...please buy it! I have called my insurance company and they have confirmed that they DO NOT cover that aspect of a medical emergency at sea! I have a friend whose friend was charged over $50,000.00 to be transported from Alaska to Seattle on a cruise! LuAnn

[02bthere]

I'm a newbie-having said that I bought my insurance with my cruise and air package thru Royal Caribbean- the cost was based on the price of the cruise (not air) and was $79 for this particular cruise. It covers medical etc and getting sent home and catching the ship if you don't make it (like Delta going on strike, or a late plane, etc.) My own medical insurance does cover treatment outside the U.S. (check yours to be sure it does); but it wouldn't cover getting me back. It also covers you if you cancel the trip for a number of reasons-hospitalization, sickness of you, family member, traveling companion, and several other reasons. I didn't check other sites for costs as I wasn't aware of them at the time; but I'm comfortable with this policy; especially since I'm flying Delta shortly and may be caught in a strike - 'not a problem', per my travel agent, 'you'll be on that ship'; so I'm breathing a bit easier (but still cautious, since my air options are limited due to location). Sorry to be so long-winded.

[02bthere]

Once we're on the boat, I'm not gonna be interrupted!!

 

From some of the posts I've read, there's lots of ways to be 'interrupted' on cruises and not make the departure...unless you're never leaving the ship (lol)...injury, sickness, accidents, late excursions (not contracted thru ship), etc...again, I don't have first-hand knowledge, but anything always seems possible.:)

[Sue L]

try http://www.statravel.com

[zotzer]

I did insuremytrip.com to get prices, and covered my FOS cruise, and flights, and hotel for about $150 total (for the two of us, not each). I think it was with CSA....pretty reasonable, I think.

 

Since I bought it, I won't need it....but if I didn't, something would have come up. I'm superstitious like that! lol

Tracy

[pcur]

insuremytrip is a great place to see all the options, but check other stuff, too, to see what coverage you really need.

 

Does your medical insurance cover the ambulance and medivac out of country? My HMO does, so I don't need that coverage.

 

Is your credit card good for reimbursement in case of a problem, and does it already cover you with travel insurance of some kind? Many do.

 

We used CruiseCare (described above) and had to collect on the trip interruption clause last October. They paid the max bennies of $1,000. Check what the maximum is on all the policies you look at. Some people on our cruise could not collect.

 

CruiseCare also provides for a cruise credit of 75% toward a future cruise if the cruise is canceled or interrupted due to "non-covered" reasons.

 

Read about their details on the RCCL web site. So a search on CruiseCare.

[bankofdad]

This site will give you options...but please...based on the horror stories I have heard re costs to "medi-vac" someone...please buy it! I have called my insurance company and they have confirmed that they DO NOT cover that aspect of a medical emergency at sea! I have a friend whose friend was charged over $50,000.00 to be transported from Alaska to Seattle on a cruise! LuAnn

 

I never used to buy the insurance, but do now. SIL had a job as a personal assitant to a wealthy retiree that loved to travel. On his last cruise (Bermuda), he had a heart attack and had to be medi-vac'd and died shortly thereafter. It cost the estate in excess of $25,000.

 

Besides, the cost per person is relatively small for the protection - probobly less than my bar bill:eek: for one sea day!

[Cuizer2]

Try these sites for additional information ...

 

http://http://www.quotewright.com/?refer_id=go_con_ti&gclid=CNGToau0noQCFTxMGAod6TkEhg

 

http://http://www.travelinsured.com/cruise.html

 

http://http://www.quotetravelinsurance.com/?linkid=googlecpc&gclid=CKP37Ly0noQCFQ8cGAod5nFyfQ

 

http://http://www.csatravelprotection.com/

 

http://http://insuremytrip.com/?linkid=13521

 

http://http://www.worldtravelcenter.com/

 

http://http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/

 

http://http://www.travelguard.com/

[terryflorida]

Trip Mate in Kansas City, MO is awesome insurance! We had to cancel our Princess cruise not once but twice because my father-in-law was in the hospital both times we planned to go, once in October and then again in Jan 2006. They reimbursed the entire cost of the cruise within about 4 weeks of our submitting the paperwork without a problem at all. Their number is 1-800-888-7292 or tripmate.com Best of luck to you!

[BeckyR]

"Once we're on the boat, I'm not gonna be interrupted!!"

 

We sailed on the 3/26 AOS. Before I left, I called my parents and all was fine. Before dawn on 3/30, I received a call that my mom had passed away unexpectedly. Believe me, we were interrupted. Luckily, we do have insurance. 3/30 was a sea day, but AOS connected me directly to our airline to change our flight arrangements to fly out of St. Maarten instead of San Juan. Total cost to change the tickets for the 4 of us: Over $3000. I've read the policy and it seems that we should be reimbursed, but I'm sure it will take some time. Buy insurance. You just never know what may happen.

 

Becky

[Merion_Mom]

Becky, please allow me to offer my condolences to you and your family on the loss of your mother.

 

Carol

[imatarb]

If I can give you one tip about insurance...

 

Don't buy it until you are within the penalty period. You can always cancel the cruise for any reason until that point. No sense buying insurance when you might not need to use it until the penalty period anyway.

 

Of course, this doesn't include air arrangement that may have to be changed, but you can almost always apply those dollars toward future travel if you have to cancel a non-refundable flight.

[Happy ks]

imatarb, That works for people with no pre-existing conditions, but if you have any medical problems that may crop up to make you cancel, your ins will not cover you in those cases.

 

We buy our insurance after paying the final payment, so we don't lose the cost of the premium should we be forced to cancel. But, we have nothing pre-existing and all our parents are gone. We also never buy the ins offered by the cruiseline, we can find coverage at a much smaller cost elsewhere.

 

BeckyR, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, it's very hard to lose a parent.

[Charlee1]

I just purchased insurance, also for less than $150 for my husband and I. I had surgery for a herniated disk in my neck 5 weeks ago. My surgeon says I am ok for the vacation and snorkeling is ok but nothing to strenuous. I do still worry that something will happen. Now that I have the insurance I know it won't. Better safe than sorry.