Princess Travel Insurance

[soundwaves]

Has anyone had any experience with their Travel Care? Especially their "Voluntary Cancellation for Any Reason". (70% or 90% credit towards another cruise.) Is it a good value as far as insurance goes? Thanks for your help!:)

[cruiseco]

Has anyone had any experience with their Travel Care? Especially their "Voluntary Cancellation for Any Reason". (70% or 90% credit towards another cruise.) Is it a good value as far as insurance goes? Thanks for your help!:)

 

Whether or not it's a good value depends on a number of factors:

 

#1 depending on your age and trip cost it may very well be possible to find third party insurance at a lower rate. But those in the higher age brackets will usually find the Princess plan to be cost-effective.

 

#2 If the Princess plan works out to more than the other available options then you have to figure out yoiur odds of cancelling for a "non-covered" reason to justify the additional cost of being able to cancel for any reason and getting the future cruise credit.

 

If a third party plan is less expensive and covers all of the things that might force you to cancel then that might be the way to go. But if there's something not covered by the third party plans that may cause you to cancel (work scheduling conflict, etc) then the Princess plan might be your best bet even if it costs you more.

 

There are now third party plans that allow you to cancel for any reason. They run 150% to 200% of the regular plans and have some restrictions and deductibles.

[Strawberry]

YES! We used the voluntary cancellation clause on our Princess Insurance. We were scheduled to fly into London for our cruise on the same day that the subways were bombed there. We decided we didn't want to go because in the best of times the airport in London can be a zoo and we knew there would be all kinds of travel delays and interruptions. Also, our hotel was right in the area where the bombing occurred and we didn't want to be in the middle of a crime investigation area with missing people's pictures posted everywhere (memories of 9/11). We are retired and we travel all the time anyway so figured we didn't need the hassle and would just go another time. We cancelled the trip three hours before we were scheduled to go to the airport. We filed our claim with the Travel Care insurance company -- no questions, no problems -- got 90% of our money back in a very short time.

I know that many companies now cover cancellation when a terrorist attack occurs in your destination city, however, Princess Travel Care will cover your cancellation for ANY reason at all.

Another time we were separated from our luggage for our entire 7-day cruise and had to purchase clothes. Also, we had a travel delay another time and they reimbursed for meals, hotels, etc. Both times we filed our claims -- no questions, no problems and got our money back quickly.

We always purchase travel insurance and whenever we cruise with Princess we always buy their insurance.

[Lynda90]

Excellent insurance. I had to cancel a cruise last year and I'm sure glad I had the insurance. I wouldn't be without it.

[GottoCruise]

Lyman had a mild heart attack on the Diamond Princess and we were off-loaded in Auckland on April 22.

 

I'm collecting all our receipts - everything is out of pocket so far - Keep tuned for the outcome when we file for refund!!!

We have Princess Travel Gold.

 

Be sure to have plenty of credit and/or cash with you when you travel....you must pay everything 'up front' - The bill for 3 nights in the ship's informary was approx. $4,500 !!!! - it was charged with the final ships' bill before we disembarked!!!

 

I can't seem to get any answer (telephoned to company handling the 'Overseas' liason in New Hampshire) as to what will be the actual re-imbursement for my hotel, food, transportation etc. while Lyman was in hospital - They were quick, however, to call me and be sure and have CC forms with my consent faxed to them for me to be responsible to pay everything 'up front' .

His medical is covered I was told - but now, because he will have to stay in Auckland in the hotel with me for 2 weeks before he is stable enough to travel home - we have additional expenses for hotel, food & transportation. I am being told just 'to save all receipts' .

 

It would be most helpful to get a 'straight' answer as to what the Gold insurance will cover.......

 

I am also anxious about how they will fly us home -

We flew to Sydney on a Business Class ticket - we were to disembark the Diamond in SFO - so have no ticket home. The doctor has written a recommendation (and faxed) his suggestion that we both be flown home Business Class - hopefully there won't be any problem with this -

We do not want to fly home 'cattle class' - it is too long and stressful.

I cannot get a 'straight answer' to this !!!

 

Lyman has had an Angiogram and (1) 'Stent' implanted. He has been discharged from the hospital today. The most immportant thing is that he is feeling fine now and that he recovers his strength quickly.

 

 

I will be glad to share our experience as to 'how good Princess Insurance is' once we get home and file the claim......This is our first experience with claiming Princess insurance in over 30 cruises with Princess.

 

Renee

[Lynda90]

Renee, so very sorry to hear about Lyman. My prayers and thoughts are with you both and hope he has a speedy recovery. Please keep us posted and hopefully the insurance stuff won't be too stressful for you. You certainly don't need that on top of everything else.

[NorcalGuy]

I am so sorry to learn that you had to end your vacation so early.

 

I have been keeping up with all of you on that voyage and I was very distressed to read your post. I'm glad you are safe now and wish you both God speed home!

 

 

BTW: A friend had a much less serious medical problem on my last cruise and it made me think how fortunate we were to be on a ship rather than a on remote land tour somewhere. He was taken care of very well by the ship's medical staff. I feel the medical safety net is one of the many advantages of a cruise vacation.

 

I'll be interested in your report on the Princess Insurance. I have sometimes used it. I hope it all works out in the end.

[Coral]

Renee - I am so sorry to hear this. Glad he is recovering well!

 

To the OP, if you have any pre-existing conditions, I would read that clause very carefully. When I travel with my parent who has pre-existing conditions - we always buy a 3rd party insurance (Access America). Though, the cancel for any reason and get future credit is definitely a plus on Princess's plan.

[whiterose]

We always get the Princess Insurance and because we're Elite it is automatically at the Gold level. We cancelled twice after final payment - once because the cruise was due to sail two weeks after 9/11 and we did not want to be away from our family at that scary time. We got the 90% credit and used it for our next cruise. The second time we cancelled after final payment because the cruise price had dropped like a rock. We used the 90% credit to immediately rebook on the same cruise but at the much reduced new price. Because we cancelled and rebooked we had to accept a different cabin and we had to go on the waitlist for First Sitting in the dining room but we saved a lot of money.

 

By the way, the Credit can only be used to pay for the cruise cost and not to cover port charges or taxes. So if your credit is worth $1000 you have to use it for a cruise that costs $1000 or more without port charges or taxes.

[spongerob]

Renee, I'm so glad to hear that Lyman is okay. Please let him know that Margarett and I wish him a speedy recovery and safe journey home.