Do you buy travel insurance during hurricane season?

[melissa@cruisecritic]

Even though I know it's always wise to have travel insurance, I'm more likely to buy a policy when I'm traveling somewhere exotic -- or during hurricane season! What does everyone else think?

[flume]

Absolutely buy insurance! My first cruise we bought it and I got appendicitis 4 days before our scheduled cruise. Good thing we had it. We ended up having to wait a month to cruise and we were stuck in the tail end of a hurricane on the way home. Not fun! Now I know how my immigrant grandparents felt. I was never so happy to see the Statue of Liberty!

[lea]

I have been on 3 cruises since I got married four years ago and had never purchased the insurance. We had a close call with our airline tickets the second time and last time opted to fly into our port city a day early but still did not purchase the insurance. Our next cruise is the eastern carribean in October of this year. I am considering purchasing insurance this time although I never had before. I am just beginning to research the options and I find there are different types of coverage for of course differenct costs.

 

Cam anyone give me any advice or experience with these options.?

 

The main reason I am considering this time is since we are traveling during the stated hurricance season.

 

THanks!

[Sandytoes]

Buy Insurance....

 

Don't put it off.

 

Years ago, I never bought insurance...I learned the hard way. I paid in full. Had to cancel for med. reasons but didn't receive a refund since I didn't have insurance....I had to fight tooth-n-nail to get some of it back...The TA finally agreed...But, not the whole amount...From that day on, I purchase insurance....Playing it safe....

 

Last yr, I lost a stone out of my ring, the insurance co paid to have it replaced.... It's even good for the little things....;) ....:)

[ocwave]

you are a fool not to have insurance:mad: :mad: :eek: :eek:

[chicagojayhawk]

This is our first time buying travel insurance and we opted to buy it through USAA.

 

Our only other time we've traveled to the Caribbean during hurricane season was on our honeymoon back in August of 2004. We were staying at resort in the British Virgin Island and started to have a major panic when there were reports of a hurricane coming while we were snorkeling at Virgin Gorda one day.

 

We were not affected, but it was enough to scare us into getting insurance for any future trip.

 

So our August cruise, we've picked up protection especially since they're saying this is going to be a rough hurricane season. I'm not sure if we'll get it for our January cruise...we may just because Chicago winters can be unpredictable.

[Latvish]

We have been on 9 cruises and everytime we buy it. Its like $150 but what if for some reason we need to get medical attention.

 

Just a helicopter off the ship can run well over $100,000

 

If you miss the ship due to a flight delay you can make it to the next port.

 

There are too many what ifs that can come up.

 

Yes there are many insurances you can get but check with a TA or CS or even cruise critics to find the one for you

[xtx]

ahh. im in the same situation. were going on our first cruise this october eastern carb...so im relying on things like this website to help make my decisions. i dont know anything about travel insurance...i dont want to get talked into something i dont need by someone trying to sell or end up paying too much through a bad company...im also too excited to really think straight when i do start thinking about it! since its the first cruise its hard to figure out how to organize everything...we got plane tickets arriving the same day the cruise leaves. and i know its a heavy-predicted hurricane season. and i too am in chicago so i guess that mixed with miami mixed with the negative luck i usually have would suggest travel insurance....haha. again though,im brand new so any insights on what insurance exactly to get, is there minimumor go should you generally go all out...any recommended companies...etc.? any info would be fantastic :)

[Madkitty]

us brits have to get it wherever we go unfortunately - it only costs us about $40 but we would be stuffed in the US as medical is so expensive and even in europe it means we are guaranteed private care instead of standard. However talking from experience in the past I would definitely say do it as I find it invaluable for other things like lost baggage, lost money etcetc

[Nliedel]

Should you? Yes.

 

Do I always do it? No. I've chanced it and been lucky, but you can only have so much luck in life and mine is probably about out. I'm buying it now.

[dforeigner]

We always purchase travel insurance regardless of whether it is hurricane season. MEDEVAC expenses alone are a good reason for travel insurance.

[extreme]

my main concern about insurance is that if my flight was delayed i would get reimbursed for the cruise, what type of insurance,company,price should i go with?

[cruizer4662]

We paid $57.00 each for our TI. It is well worth it, IF you need it, you got it. Have been on 9 cruises and have bought it every time, never had to use it, YET!!!:D

[extreme]

We paid $57.00 each for our TI. It is well worth it, IF you need it, you got it. Have been on 9 cruises and have bought it every time, never had to use it, YET!!!:D

where did you get it?

[cruizer4662]

where did you get it?

 

A company called Travelex thru our TA.

[extreme]

aig will not cover the trip if the plane is delayed and i should miss the cruise:mad: , is there a company that would cover this????

[lovetocruise43]

I have always gotten trip interruption insurance and medical coverage for all our cruises. You have to get it within 7 to 14 days after your first downpayment if you want it to cover preexisting conditions. I bought it because my husband has a number of health problems but I used it the first time when I fell on the ice and broke multiple bones in my leg the week before a family 11 day cruise for 3 people. It also paid another time when our daughter hurt her back and developed a severe respiratory infection needing daily inhalation treatments. As some one else mentioned, it costs 100s of thousands to air lift someone out of some places. Also, I believe that Medicare does not pay for care outside of the USA.

[DMRick]

As some one else mentioned, it costs 100s of thousands to air lift someone out of some places. Also, I believe that Medicare does not pay for care outside of the USA.

 

100's of thousands? Then no insurance I've looked at would be close to paying that.

[SillySoul]

I have been on 3 cruises since I got married four years ago and had never purchased the insurance. We had a close call with our airline tickets the second time and last time opted to fly into our port city a day early but still did not purchase the insurance. Our next cruise is the eastern carribean in October of this year. I am considering purchasing insurance this time although I never had before. I am just beginning to research the options and I find there are different types of coverage for of course differenct costs.

 

Cam anyone give me any advice or experience with these options.?

 

The main reason I am considering this time is since we are traveling during the stated hurricance season.

 

THanks!

I buy travel insurance whether im flying or cruising, no matter what the season is. You never know what life brings you. We had plans to go to Vegas and took the trip insurance in case of lost luggage ,or as I said you never know what life brings you. My father unexpectantly died five days before our trip. Good thing I had the insurance, I only lost forty dollars and got all my money back. Im not calling you anything and please don't think so, but personally I think it is stupid not to get it.

[Bobster]

Even though I know it's always wise to have travel insurance, I'm more likely to buy a policy when I'm traveling somewhere exotic -- or during hurricane season! What does everyone else think?

 

We always buy it. At our age(s) it's pretty expensive but if you ever need to use it, it will be well worth the cost. We have had only one case where we needed it (for a relatively minor medical problem) and the ship's bill was almost $1000 which was paid in full. We have also seen someone airlifted off a ship in the Pacific and a number of people evacuated by ambulance in various ports. I think for the coverage it's a bargin. Hurricane season is usually no a problem unless the departure port is affected. We have been in the Caribbean during a hurricane and these ships are perfectly capable of outrunning them.

[tonitoot]

We buy it directly from Carnival. I wouldn't be without it. I even buy it now to cover my flights.

[Flip2cruise]

http://www.insuremytrip.com is a great site to get price quotes from the major travel insurance companies. I normally go with TravelSafe. Some even have a "cancel for any reason" option.

[trarecar]

I bought it for: in this order (1) the medical purposes, just in case something bad happens (2) in case I have to cancel because something bad happens at home, which with my luck, it has twice now for vacations and (3) because it's hurricane season.

 

Hurricane season was actually the least of the reasons I wanted it. I wouldn't cruise without it. It's too much money to just throw away.

[yst347]

I will buy medical insurance or an extension to my regular policy when available, to cover me when I travel. I'll buy an inexpensive policy to cover medical evacuation if it isn't covered otherwise. But I won't buy a policy to cover cruise fare and air fare. It is just cheaper to self-insure. It is true that things do happen. If it makes someone else more comfortable to have insurance thats great. For me, I'm not at all averse to taking on the risk myself.

[iamtrustworthy]

Even though I know it's always wise to have travel insurance, I'm more likely to buy a policy when I'm traveling somewhere exotic -- or during hurricane season! What does everyone else think?

 

Hi Melissa,

 

When someone's considering travel insurance specifically for its bad weather coverage, it's a good idea to find out what the company's rules are for both trip cancellation / interruption & travel delay.

 

In the case of a trip cancellation / interruption, some plans require a 24 hour cessation of common carrier services while others don't specify the 24 our cessation of common carrier services.

 

On the other hand, a travel delay can result from bad weather causing your flight to be delayed, which in turn, forces you to miss your cruise's departure. These delays typically require a 5 - 12 hour delay.

 

The surprise can come when you have a travel delay yet there's no 24 hour cessation of common carrier services. Travel Delay coverage typically provides benefits to help you defray the cost of additional accommodations and traveling expenses that you might incur if your trip's departure is delayed for a covered reason.

 

However, if the policy requires the 24 hour cessation of common carrier services to have a trip interruption but this doesn't take place, then there may not be any money to pay the cost of getting caught up.

 

For more information on this, go to www.google.com and search for " travel insurance bad weather ". You'll find some good information.

 

I hope this helps.