Insurance question

[Tikibird]

Can you get just any travel insurance or does it have to be cruise specific? The only thing I am worried about is cancellation charges. We rarely get sick. Why do we need insurance other than cancellation, the islands would be safe so I'm not worried about being robbed either.

[sarze]

we got ours through our travel agent so it covered cancellation etc

it is just the standard one they sell and they just price it based on south pacific travel.

[aussiedisneyfan]

Keep in mind that insurance rarely covers cancellation due to mechanical issues if that's what you are thinking about.

[kaseyoz]

it may be worth it in case you get travel sickness and your home remedies dont work. it is fairly expensive to see the doctor. Had to take my daughter to the doctors on both our cruises for ear infection (i think from the pool)

[AuzzieCruiser]

I take out travel insurance every time I leave Australia, regardless of where I am going, or for how long. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Remember to always read the fine print!! You'll be amazed to find out what you are not covered for, so shop around. Don't let your TA push a particular insurnace product, as this is where they earn a very high commission rate.

[Tikibird]

That's my dilemma. The main reasons we would cancel is some kind of force majeure like a cyclone, other weather issue, terrorist attack, P&O going bankrupt-these things usually aren't covered. The only time I usually buy travel insurance is when we go to the States where the medical costs or potential for being in an accident are far greater. I also get CDW when I rent a car, otherwise I rarely get insurance.

[aussiedisneyfan]

Tikibird, cyclones, natural disasters are usually covered, not the rest. We found out from bitter experience that when our Alaskan cruise was cancelled (the whole point of the US trip) that we couldn't claim on insurance and not fly out. The best bit was they didn't reject our claim till the day before we were supposed to have left. A lot of very hectic packing ensued.

 

I know wonder why I bother with insurance (sort of) but I would never travel without it.

[marconi]

Take out travel insurance beleive me you just might need it and if you do take out the full cover.My son suffered m,otion sickness and had to see the doctor

after having tried bands and so on and got an injection which was paid under the insurance plan.The next day my wife had to see the doctor after knocking her toe a few days earlier which had gotten infected .All covered otherwhise it would of cost a bundle.Mondial is the one we used.

[mystte]

I covered ourselves with paying with a golg credit card and then thought maybe this wasn't enough so added the TA insurance just in case as *I have never cruised.

 

WE ran across a couple who always took insurance when they travelled but this time he just kept putting it aside. When we last spoke to them they had a doctors bill of about $180 and blood tests on ship for $700 and she was about to go to doctors again!!!!! You never know....

[Glenndale]

Personally, I have an annual, worldwide, multi trip insurance policy, which covers cruises.

I think it is important to ascertain that cruises are covered when you take out your policy, for if you had to be airlifted off the ship the costs would be astronomical.

I have been on over 20 cruises and on approx 50% there has been some sort of medical emergency which has resulted in either the ship going to an unscheduled port or, on a couple of occasions, people being taken off by helicopter.

To my mind it isn't worth the risk.

However healthy you are is immaterial, accidents can happen to anyone.

[Libby48]

I posted on another thread about having to cancel our cruise the day before we were to leave, due to my MIL being hospitalized critically ill.

 

We had travel insurance through Defence Health. It was cheap (only $84 for the 2 of us for a 7 day cruise), but the test will be if they now pay up.

[aussiedisneyfan]

Surely the would. Pretty scummy if they won't.

[karmac]

I posted on another thread about having to cancel our cruise the day before we were to leave, due to my MIL being hospitalized critically ill.

 

We had travel insurance through Defence Health. It was cheap (only $84 for the 2 of us for a 7 day cruise), but the test will be if they now pay up.

 

I'm very interested in your outcome Libby as we used Defence Health when we cruised in April & intend to use them again next time.

 

Karen

[Libby48]

We were due to sail 9/9. So it is early days yet. Still at the stage of trying to get the hospital to give a certificate (understandably not a high priority for them). Then we have to get a written report of her medical history from her own doctor (which is going to be an equally daunting task I imagine).

 

The only good thing in all this is that my MIL came out of her heart attack induced coma (amazing the doctors)with all her faculties and without any noticeable brain damage - although she is alot deafer now.

 

She's 88 and been on blood pressure tablets for many years now and she has had asthma for most of her life. But it was pneumonia that put her into hospital and then she had the heart attack while she was there.

[karmac]

Hope she's getting better every day Libby. To pull through a heart attack at that age is pretty amazing. She's obviously a fighter. Best wishes to you all.

 

Karen

[aussiedisneyfan]

That's good news about her recovery.

[Libby48]

Thanks for your well wishes.