Insurance Question from Newbie

[coffeediva]

We have already paid the deposit for our first cruise sailing 2/26/09 and the final payment is due 12/21/09. I wasn't planning on getting the travel insurance, but have reconsidered after reading some of the posts.

 

I went to insuremytrip but am confused with all the choices. Would it be better to just call the TA and add their recommended coverage? What amounts of coverage do we need?

 

We are going on a 4-day cruise. And we already bought our airfare.

 

Any help advice would be great!

 

Thanks so much.

[IDcruising]

I would check with your health care coverage. I had United health Care they paid for out of the country medical treatment when my son broke his foot in 3 places on the ship and need to get a cast in St. Martin. I also bought the insurance they paid what UNC did not. Also think about if some one had to be air lifted off the ship, you would not want to 2nd mortgage your home. I bought 50,000 medical 100,00 air lifted.

[lanoitarus]

I priced this stuff out for myself two weeks ago, also my first cruise. Insuremytrip.com is a great site and has good reviews from people here. However, one thing to watch out for is that several of the policies they offer have severe restrictions on injuries caused by "extreme sports" which includes such un-extreme things as snorkeling. Many are also underwritten by AIG whcih makes me a bit nervous.

 

Definitely check with your existing insurance provider first. Dispite what the travel insurance adverts will tell you, many policies do in fact cover overseas medical expenses. What they dont usually cover is medivac expenses, which are obviously a big issue.

 

Another option to consider if you have an american express card, amex offers a travel insurance policy for $9 individual, $15 family. It will give you good coverage for medical AND medivac for any trip up to 2 weeks long. This was the option I ended up going with since it was by far the cheapest and from a company I trust and deal with regularly. You need to call the customer service number on your card and ask for it, they will connect you to the right department. It cant be signed up for online :(

[stlrboo]

I went to insuremytrip but am confused with all the choices. Would it be better to just call the TA and add their recommended coverage? What amounts of coverage do we need?

If you are not sure what coverages you need, you can call their toll-free# for more information!:)

 

I've used the above site, and opt for the best medical and med-evac coverages.. Lost baggage and trip delay/"miss the ship" is also important.. If you have any pre-existing conditions, you also need to pay for the policy within 14-21 days of making a deposit on your cruise..!:p

 

Thankfully, we haven't had to 'use' the insurance we purchase for every trip, but 'peace of mind' is worth tons of $$$! :D

 

My vote is to use insuremytrip...

[Ken076]

With the various third party policies You can generally get better/higher coverage than Carnival's Berkley, for a bit less than Carnivals' and if you're younger you can get it less expensive. With the third party policies you can cover both your cruise and your independently purchased airfare; the premium is based on the cost of the cruise/airfare and your age. Checkout CSA Freestyle for very good coverage and Patriot T.R.I.P. for decently priced coverage. CSA Freestyle Luxe offers "Cancel for Any Reason" option (but for 50% premium!). ken

[cb at sea]

If you can afford to lose the money you've spent, without undue hardship, and have sufficient health coverage, you really don't NEED the insurance. It's really a personal financial thing.

If losing that money will hurt you, then you will want to get insurance to cover any loses you may have.

Not all policies cover the same things--know what you're buying!

[Kurbanfan]

If you have a TA it might be wise to talk to them. They can go over several options for you needs.....

For the small price of insurance it is worth it IMO!

[cherylandtk]

I would not use a TA policy unless I already knew the details and was familiar with the coverage. If insuremytrip is too confusing, try tripinsurancestore.com. They pre-screen the policies and only sell a few of the many found on the first site. Same prices, but you don't have to wade through all the policies to find the best coverage.