Wasted money on travel insurance.

[Lakecpa]

Yep. Just returned from my cruise and didn't use the insurance. Glad I wasted that money.

[late seating]

We have been on nine cruises and have never purchased insurance even though our TA strongly urges us to. And, even if we had, there has not been an occasion that we could have made a claim. As we look at it, by not not spending the money on insurance, we have saved enough for a free cruise. We hope this bragging does not jinx us because, surely there are cruisers that were glad they had the insurance.

[StephenJohnson]

My wife & I have been on sixteen togetether, and bought insurance only for the first one. If you do the math, you have to miss about one in ten cruises (if, like us, you do your air & pre-cruise independently) for the insurance to be worth it.

[toni1266]

I don't buy travel insurance for myself and my kids because I know god forbid something happen it wouldn't break us. On the other hand I always buy travel insurance for my mom and dad because they are older and pretty much live on a fixed income and I wouldn't want them to have something happen to them where they might need to be evacuated from the ship and then have the extra burden of that expense.

[zrmolly]

Glad you did not need to use your insurance. Was it expensive? Ours for 3 is 143.00. To us even if it were more, it is worth every penny if you need it. :o Insurance is cheap enough to have.

[cruisintwinsmom]

Wish I could be a confident as you all. We always get it just for piece of mind. Last year, an hour before heading to the airport, we received a call from my sister-in-law with the bad new that my DH's brother has passed away (he was young and it was unexpected). We weren't headed for a cruise, so we didn't have to worry about the insurance. Since then we get the insurance for cruising. Mind you we are not the insurance/extended warranty type people.

 

Happy Sailing.

[sueclark]

When I was younger and did more budget vacations I didn't insure them either. Now most of our cruises are $10,000 or more and we're a bit older, so we insure them (and ourselves).

[eileen & jay]

Travel insurance gives us "peace of mind."

[Blazerboy]

...if everyone who purchased the insurance needed the insurance, what do you think the premiums would be? :eek:

 

I admit to being an easy mark, but the peace of mind is worth it, both for any med. emergncies, and if my job makes me give up the vacation (which they have done before), I'm not quite as bitter.

[TWELVEOHONE]

Travel insurance is like automoble insurance you hope you never need it but when you do your dam glad you had it.

 

On my first 15 or 20 cruises I did not take insurance but as I got older and my parents got up their in age I started to take insurance although I never used it.

 

My biggest concern is getting sick or having major health problems outside the U.S. Medical evacuation can run some biggggg bucks. The insurance gives me peace of mind that if I need medical evacuation I am covered.

[StephenJohnson]

A very good rule of thumb is this: insure only for unacceptable losses.

You decide what's acceptable. Verbum sap.

[jasonlc3221]

You think that it's wasted money now, but let's say you bought an expensive suite. You spent $10,000 on the room for a Europe vacation. Then your girlfriend or wife gets utterly ill with the flu or they get in a car accident 2 days before the sailing. There is NO WAY you're going to go without them.

 

What happens if you didn't buy that insurance? I don't care how filthy rich any of you are, you're still going to be unhappy about $10,000. That's a down payment to a Mercedes. Trust me, I've seen this happen to others. The cruise lines do not budge on giving you your money back. I can't really blame them either, that's lost revenue (because they refunded your money) and an empty room that could've been filled by somebody else.

 

So trust me, insurance is NOT wasted money. You may not have used it this time, but it's a good idea to get in the habit of buying it now. You never know when something is going to happen.

 

In case you're wondering about the person I witnessed experience the tragedy of "no insurance", I'll tell you: He was a friend of a friend. The day of the cruise, his main water-line busted in his basement. He had a very nice basement, with a custom-built home theater (thousands of dollars). There was no way he could leave his house and let the basement flood. Of course he tried to get his money back, but was not successful. He did however receive a percentage off his next cruise. It didn't seem like much, but at least the cruise line gave him something. I know some won't give anything.

 

So this is just one of many thousands of things that can go wrong and cause you to miss your cruise. Keep it in mind.

[sasset]

We never used to buy insurance. But now, with elderly parents you never know when their emergency can become yours, so we buy now in case we have to cancel for them.

 

We also started buying Medjet Assistance when our daughter spent her junior year in France (last year).It provides medical evacuation from anywhere in the world as long as you are more than 150 miles from home.

 

Regards

[Cruise Junky]

This is always one I'm torn on. I've never booked insurance before. For medical, I'm covered through work, no matter where I am. For my air, I usually travel personally on points (again, thanks to work), so it's just $50 to redeposit my points. So it's the cruise fair only. I think for our Med. Cruise I'll buy it, it's just too much to risk.

[ceallaigh]

I wouldn't buy the insurance if it was just a matter of insuring the price of the cruise. However, if you should be injured or sick, the price of medical care and air lift is likely to be more than 10 times the price of the cruise.

 

I'll spend the money gladly. :)

[Pammie]

Hubbie & I always purchase the Travel Insurance. I would rather have it and not need. I am glad we did purchase the insurance. We were suppose to cruise this past May to Bermunda - I wound up in the hospital due to Blood Clots. Good thing we had the insurance. We were refunded the cost of our cruise.

 

Pammie & Hubbie

[Lakecpa]

My post was an attempt at humor. The $90 spent for the 2 of us was well worth the peace of mind.

[Longboysfan]

We have bought it a few times on the 23 trips we have taken.

The one time we needed it on a princess trip and had to try and push off the trip we got killed by princess. Hence - no more princess cruises.

They have been the least accomidating line I have delt with.

 

We also take it now that the parents are up there and in frail health.

 

Our friends did not have it when we went with them the last time - and they needed it.

 

Everyone has a story on this - good - mostly bad.

 

You just have to pick and choose you spots in case you know you may have to fly out early. Or

 

You have a death wish to perform stunts you never do at home but while in foreign countries on Vacation.

[teedee]

I admit to being an easy mark, but the peace of mind is worth it, both for any med. emergncies, and if my job makes me give up the vacation (which they have done before), I'm not quite as bitter.

I ALWAYS buy the insurance for this exact reason. I had to use it once - was in a taxi accident in Mexico - and got re-imbursed for every cent I spent. I always will get the insurance in the future as well, you just never know what could happen.

Terri

[celem]

I buy travel insurance for the health insurance reasons. Most health insurance, including mine, is not valid outside the USA. If you get very ill in a foreign country you'll be glad that you have health insurance. Most travel insurance include airlift as well.

[Druke I]

We always buy it. We have heard some very sad stories from those who didn't and then needed it.

 

I feel the money is well spent, for I have peace of mind.

[Randyk47]

We've never gotten insurance but we're also getting older and things happen. I've having trouble with the $200+ amount for insurance for our next cruise but have a few months to think about it before I absolutely have to make a decision. Weighing peace of mind with the fact we've never needed it before and the feeling I'll probably get after the next cruise comes off without a hitch that I wasted the money. Oh well.....:confused:

[catmand]

So it seems we are all responding to a thread that was a joke? It's ok though, isn't it?

 

We have insured the two and will continue to do so. We can afford to pay for the cruise, no problem. We can not afford to pay for the cruise and not take it

 

I would bet people have higer bar bills then the cost of the insurance.

[pilewski]

we always take insurance. you never know what is going to happen, especially with little kids. there is no way i'd want to travel with a sick child (even a cold).

[Johanna7]

Usually, people who need it most, take it. Therefore, those who buy it are at higher risk than the population as a whole.

 

We buy it and our Aussie/NZ trip in January is $1,202.00 Canadian $ for the 2 of us. This does seem high but it protects the trip itself and doctors and emergency situations. Also baggage insurance.

 

In 24 cruises we have never used our insurance (and I must admit, we have not always bought it either) but now that we are no longer that young, there is of course a greater risk.

 

This is my point. People know when they need it and if only those who need it bought it, the cost is tremendous. I do understand that here in Canada it is very high but I also suspect that the TA's must make a very large percentage on it. This can probably allow them to sell the actual cruise a bit cheaper or send 'perks' like wine and such to you on the cruise.

 

I have read what some of you in the US pay for your premiums and it would seem much lower than ours, keeping in mind of course our much lower $.