Travel Insurance question please?

[Twix'n'Wispa]

Do you HAVE to have it to travel?

We are travelling & paying for a large group however each family will be responsible for purchasing for their own insurance.

Some have asked if it is a necessity or not?

Many thanks in advance :)

[Laurie12820]

It is not necessary, though it is recommended. I did not have any for my first two cruises and we were fine, but we got it for this third cruise as we will be in the Caribbean during hurricane season.

[Laurie12820]

P.S. - We did not get it through royal, we got it through American Express.

[HB Cruiser]

If you do a search you will find many discussions about this topic.

 

Do you have to have it, no. You never know what can happen though.

 

Our business was destroyed by fire when we were on our second cruise. We have heard of others that have gotten sick and their health insurance did not cover them while cruising. You just never know.

 

It is up to you. We ALWAYS purchase travel insurance.

 

Tim

[Nliedel]

You do not have to get it. It's optional, however...There's nothing worse than a trip inturuption or cancellation and losing thousands of dollars and not traveling. I would always buy it.

[mikedw]

I always get it and recommend it for my clients. A friend of my father, was in Rome for his 50th wedding anniversary and tripped and broke his leg severely within minutes of checking into the hotel. The insurance paid the $60,000.00 to fly him back to the US in a air ambulance. You never know what will happen.

 

Michael

[vppro]

Go with the insurance. It's a small amount to pay when you consider the downside of expenses, especially if you are traveling to foriegn countries.

[MacThespian]

Do you HAVE to have it to travel?

We are travelling & paying for a large group however each family will be responsible for purchasing for their own insurance.

Some have asked if it is a necessity or not?

Many thanks in advance :)

 

Do you have to have it? No. Should you have it? It depends.

I've only been on one cruise where we had to cancel. My father-in-law was taking both children and their families (a total of 8 of us in the party) on a cruise to Alaska. His wife had an accident the week before the cruise' date=' so we had to cancel. He had only purchased insurance for his wife and himself, so I guess he was out the cost for the rest of us. (To his credit, he later took us on a similar cruise.)

When we've cruised ourselves, we've generally [i']not[/i] purchased insurance. We're in good health, and not all that old (ok, I'm pushing 60). It's a gamble, but the amount that's being asked would put a crimp in our plans for doing things on the cruise.

Generally, if I do decide to purchase insurance, I don't purchase it from the cruise line. You can generally get a better deal on your own. Just be certain you know what it covers (some will cover the cost of the cruise but not medical evacuation, etc.). If you're interested in insurance, check out http://insuremytrip.com/.

[crazy 4 cruising]

Do you have to have it? No. Should you have it? It depends.

I've only been on one cruise where we had to cancel. My father-in-law was taking both children and their families (a total of 8 of us in the party) on a cruise to Alaska. His wife had an accident the week before the cruise, so we had to cancel. He had only purchased insurance for his wife and himself, so I guess he was out the cost for the rest of us. (To his credit, he later took us on a similar cruise.)

When we've cruised ourselves, we've generally not purchased insurance. We're in good health, and not all that old (ok, I'm pushing 60). It's a gamble, but the amount that's being asked would put a crimp in our plans for doing things on the cruise.

Generally, if I do decide to purchase insurance, I don't purchase it from the cruise line. You can generally get a better deal on your own. Just be certain you know what it covers (some will cover the cost of the cruise but not medical evacuation, etc.). If you're interested in insurance, check out http://insuremytrip.com/.

 

\wow, I had no idea there were so many possibilities. when we first started cruising again, we did not get insurance. we started tho becasue my sister needed back surgery and had to wait until we went on a cruise because we did not have the insurance. we always get it now

[willysgrandma]

We always get it for ourselves and recommend it to our clients. In fact, if clients don't take insurance, they have to sign a waiver.

 

We have elderly parents and I have health issues and we always buy the insurance in case of a problem. We also always cruise during hurricane season and make sure we buy it in case our flight won't get us out of here and in to the cruise port if we have a hurricane here that prevents us from flying.

[Don Pedro]

We join the majority who have advised you to purchase the insurance. We have rarely had to use it, but on a cruise on the Freedom of the Seas, last November, Lola got a touch of the Norwalk virus, We went to the infirmary and they gave her IV fluids, a shot for nausea, some pills, and a bill for $728.60. So it does not take a major incident to make the insurance worthwhile.

 

You might want to look at www.insuremytrip.com for a few insurance options. Most of these policies are quite age sensitive. The older you are the more they cost. For older travelers the insurance offer by Royal Caribbean is usually the best option.

 

Typically, if you require medical care while aboard ship or in a foreign country you are expected to settle the bill by cash, cash equivalent or credit card at the time of treatment. They will give you the necessary paperwork to file your insurance claim when you return home. Just because of this, when we travel, we carry a credit card with a rather high credit line.

[Micknmin]

We just booked a cruise on the Liberty for May 2008 and my husband has just been told that he has high blood pressure. I know that if you buy insurance within 14 days of booking the trip, pre-existing conditions are covered. So, since he has high blood pressure, do you all think we should buy the insurance now? We usually get insurance through insuremytrip, but we usually wait until about a month before the trip (it seems like it is cheaper at this point). Also, when they ask for how much medical coverage you want, I am never sure how much I should say. Is there a rule of thumb for this?

[deanna41]

Speaking from experiece this past Feb, we were headed for the SOS, arrived in Florida friday night, and my husband had a heart attack early a.m. on saturday and bypass surgery before we were allowed to travel home. Would never go without it now for sure, almost didn't take it that time!

[Twix'n'Wispa]

Speaking from experiece this past Feb, we were headed for the SOS, arrived in Florida friday night, and my husband had a heart attack early a.m. on saturday and bypass surgery before we were allowed to travel home. Would never go without it now for sure, almost didn't take it that time!

 

Jeeez, sorry to hear that Deanna.

 

Thanks all for your comments, advice & Links, I will pass them on! ;)

[deanna41]

Thanks, he is doing great now but had not been sick prior to our trip except for high blood pressure the last couple of years and it was well controlled. We were in Ireland last year in April, it was wonderfull, want of course to go back two weeks was not enough time.

[Twix'n'Wispa]

Good for him, my Dad had a quad bypass 13 years ago & is still going strong at 74 :D

 

We've been over in Ireland from the UK for 2.5 years & still have so much to see! :)

 

Take care :)

[just4kixx]

If YOU are paying for the large group, and someonewithin the group (for a covered reason) has to cancel after the final payment is made (within the penalty period), it is YOU who will be out the money. Just food for thought. ;)

 

A~

[JerseyGem]

DD and her roommate just returned from a week in Punta Cana. DD had trip insurance (we cruise a lot, so we knew about insuremytrip.com!). Roomie didn't want to spend the additional $70 for trip insurance- as a healthy 23 year old she thought it was silly to throw away that money on something so un-necessary.

 

3 days into the trip- roomie's appendix ruptures- to make a long story short- they had four days of He__ . Roomie's now home and fine- but had major surgery in a small, ill-equipped hospital- and it cost her close to $15000! (And the hospital wanted a hefty deposit before they'd operate!) Her Dad flew down the next day- but his fare was really high- last minute fare! They had to stay in the hotel until their regularly scheduled flight home- 4 days later. And no one could translate medical Spanish into English. The US Embassy did help a little with advice and some translating- but the girls were on their own for most of the negotiating, etc.

 

So get Trip Insurance- even if your regular medical plan will cover some costs in an emergency- your trip insurance company will help you with translating (via toll free phone calls), taxis to & from hospital for your party, ambulance service to the airport, room & board if you can't leave when scheduled, etc. There are so many expenses that we just don't realize until we're actually in a crisis situation.

[Apoggi]

We usually buy the insurance and only had to use it one time. It was not a medical problem but a weather problem We were stuck in Florida the year we had the big blizzard on President's weekend. Well, the weekend turn into a week and a half. We couldn't get flights out until the end of the week. We were supposed to fly out on a Monday to come home and we didn't get home until the following Saturday. Insurance paid for everything, hotel, food, drinks - all except the extra $$ we had to pay at the airport to park our car. It is worth it.

 

Ann

[iamtrustworthy]

Do you HAVE to have it to travel?

We are travelling & paying for a large group however each family will be responsible for purchasing for their own insurance.

Some have asked if it is a necessity or not?

Many thanks in advance :)

 

Hi Twix'n'Wispa,

 

Travel insurance is a good idea, but in your case it'll be complicated (though not impossible) to get because you are paying for everyone's trip.

 

The reason it's complicated is because travel insurance can reimburse the traveler for money they'd lose if they cancel or interrupt their trip for a covered reason.

 

Unfortunately, most plans don't work well (or at all) if the traveler has no direct financial loss because someone else paid for their trip.

 

For example, Mom & Dad pay for the cruise for their children & their families. A week before the trip Dad gets hit by a cement truck & has to cancel his cruise. Mom & Dad have no trouble proving what they paid for their share, but how do the children prove what they paid when they paid nothing?

 

Before you say, "what a silly scenario", I'll tell you that not all policies will reimburse the children because they themselves had no out-of-pocket expense for the trip.

 

In addition, it's likely with a large group, the "traveling companion" wording will prevent everyone from having a successful claim.

 

This is why you need to get the right advice before you end up in a claim.

 

I hope this helps.

[katiel53]

I guess I don't understand how someone would question if the trip insurance is necessary. I know you are paying for the cruise, but if the travelers can't pay the insurance, maybe what you are doing for them might not be what you think it is. For example, if they can't pay $79 or whatever a person, how can they pay for drinks, tips etc? Or are you paying for that too? None of my business, but my dad has graciously paid for a few cruises for us and we have no problem paying the insurance.

 

The insurance company asks the price of the cruise. I tell them what the cost is, it doesn't say did your parents etc pay for it. To tell you the truth, that never would have crossed my mind. We pay for insurance based on cost of the cruise etc. If something happened and we had to cancel, I would certainly give my dad back the money. To not get the insurance to me is selfish as the cruisers wouldn't be out the money, you would.

 

I am not trying to be rude, and I hope that you don't take it to be, but it would certainly upset me to lose all that money because someone/couple whatever refused to pay the insurance because it "wasn't necessary." Just try to remember, cruising is not all inclusive nor is it for everyone.

 

Katie

[Twix'n'Wispa]

No offence taken :)

 

Thanks again for all your comments!

[Micknmin]

Thanks, he is doing great now but had not been sick prior to our trip except for high blood pressure the last couple of years and it was well controlled.

 

Wow! I guess we'd better buy it now while we are still within our 14 day window. I know RCCL's insurance has that pre-existing condition clause, but for some reason I don't remember seeing it when I bought through insuremytrip. Does anyone know if they have that also?

[cayenneblue]

I'd like to know that as well. If someone knows about the pre-existing condition cause (and insure-my-trip). It's been past the 14 day window for me!!

[just4kixx]

I'd like to know that as well. If someone knows about the pre-existing condition cause (and insure-my-trip). It's been past the 14 day window for me!!

 

Each policy has it stated as a seprate line item on Insuremytrip. It's right there when you get a quote and "compare policies"

 

HTH

A~