Booking Onboard and Travel Insurance

[cruiserdru]

:confused: I'm a little confused. I understand that I can book onboard for the $100 per person deposit for a phantom booking or for a specific future booking.

 

However, don't I still have to buy my travel insurance within 14 days of this initial deposit if I want to have pre-existing conditions waived? If that is the case, won't I have to tie up travel insurance $$ for a long time. In the case of a phantom booking, I can't buy travel insurance because it is specific to age, region, and length/price of cruise.

 

I know for many for a specific cruise that may not be a lot of $$ but since the price goes up significantly with your age, it does mean more $$ to us.

 

Do most people just not worry about the pre-existing conditions waiver and deal with insurance as soon as they solidify a booking? I know several of the policies specify xx days of no problems/illnesses if you don't have the waiver.

 

Thoughts? Strategies for dealing with this kind of thing??

[srphnx]

Strategy:

Book an open cruise, don't specify date, just secure the advantages, once you are ready to book date and insurance transfer the pre-booking number to your TA of choice and do it all at once.

[cruiserdru]

Guess I wasn't clear. My biggest question is really about the loss of the pre-existing condition waiver on the travel insurance, especially with a phantom booking. Do you just say the heck with it and pay more to get the fewest days of no problems/illnesses with the travel insurance??

[srphnx]

Batter up, Insurance fans.

 

I don't buy it but Princess Gold is supposedly a good way to go bacause of the "any reason" refund.

[Viki]

Your deposit will be dated the day that it is transferred from the open booking to the actual cruise. For example, we had an open booking deposit made in October of 2003. We just booked the Caribbean for September. The date of deposit was June 12, 2004, not October 2003. So we had 10 days from June 12 to get insurance to cover pre-existing.

 

Hope this makes sense. :o

[BJS]

Guess I wasn't clear. My biggest question is really about the loss of the pre-existing condition waiver on the travel insurance, especially with a phantom booking. Do you just say the heck with it and pay more to get the fewest days of no problems/illnesses with the travel insurance??

You do not have to take Princess insurance out when a cruise is booked or a phantom cruise is booked. The insurance can be taken out with final payment but your coverage does not start until the premium is paid.

 

Princess insurance does cover pre-existing conditions but will not pay for Trip cancellation & interruption or Medical except for emergency evacuation or repatriation of remains if: Within 60 days before insurance begins (when premium paid) (a)the condition manifests itself, worsenes or becomes acute or symptoms develope causing a person to seek a diagnosis, care or treatment (b) required taking a prescribed medication, unless condition for which the medication was taken remained controlled without any change in required medication or © required treatment or treatment was recommended by a doctor.

 

If you want the insurance to be in affect,when the phantom booking is convereted to a specific cruise, just make sure when the premiums are paid for the insurance that none of the above have occured within the previous 60 days. If you want to wait for final payment or anytime between booking and final payment just remember the 60 day rule for pre-existing conditions

[cruiserdru]

Thanks, Viki. That is the kind of info I was looking for. :D

[MNYTRPS2GO2]

When I was on the Sapphire last week I asked the same question before leaving the deposit. I was given the same information that Viki has previously posted. I will make sure prior to actually booking that this info is correct. Since the deposit is fully refundable I can always request a refund.

Last year on the Golden I actually booked another cruise using the $100 deposit. I did this at the very beginning of the cruise with instructions to transfer the booking to my online agency. The Saturday I got off the ship I went running to the nearest payphone to have Buycruises.com add my insurance. I didn't want to take any chances since I have preexisting conditions and at the time I thought I only had 7 days to do this not 14. Lucky for me I did remember to add it on. As it turned out I had to cancel that cruise less than 24 hours prior to sailing.

[cruiserdru]

Thanks again. Info that is confirmed by another member is even better.