Passports/Travel Insurance???

[Becca76]

Okay, so do I really need Travel Insurance? How many of you actually get it?

 

Also, do I not need a passport for this trip? I was told if I'm leaving and arriving from the same US port I don't need one? I thought every cruise was requiring one now.

 

Please help my confusion.:confused:

 

Thanks!

[BaumD]

You don't need travel insurance assuming:

You don't get sick while on the cruise (your medical insurance from home may not cover you.)

The airline doesn't lose your luggage.

You get sick or injured before the cruise and have to cancel

You get snowed in and miss the ship and have to fly to a Carribbean island to catch the ship

A close relative dies 2 days before you are scheduled to leave

 

Insurance will pay for all of these problems. With no insurance - you are on your own.

 

Passports are not needed (yet) for cruises starting and ending at the same port. You will need a certified birth certificate though.

[TransplantedOkies]

Okay, so do I really need Travel Insurance? How many of you actually get it?

 

Also, do I not need a passport for this trip? I was told if I'm leaving and arriving from the same US port I don't need one? I thought every cruise was requiring one now.

 

Please help my confusion.:confused:

 

Thanks!

 

Insurance-well we look at it the same as having car/house insurance. It stinks to have to pay for it, but if something happens you're glad you have it.

Passports-if you plan on traveling then yes it's good to have.

[RoofingPrincess]

I've started taking travel insurance on any trip that takes me out of the US, just in case I have medical issues while gone.

And the travel insurance came in really handy on my last cruise, when my flight home afterward was delayed from Friday to Tuesday courtesy of Hurricane Ike! :) I had a friend in Houston who I was able to stay with; I submitted bills for the cab from the airport to her house and back to the insurance company, and they paid them.

[MeriG]

We have always bought it! The one time we don't, Murphy will step in and punish us for not being prepared. Then again, that too is the reason I actually pack the stuff needed to do a temporary filling onboard if needed, its sad I know.

[Arwenmark]

You don't need it IF you can afford between 25K and 100K to be transported and receive medical treatment. Or if you can afford to lose all you paid and pay full rate to get home if a family member has an accident of drops dead or something.

Missed connection and luggage coverage are minor benefits, not the reason you DO NEED IT.

[cherylandtk]

Well, one way to look at it is if you don't choose to get the insurance, you probably should not get the passport. You won't be flying anywhere to meet the ship or fly home in an emergency, anyway. Cavalier, yes, but closer to reality than any of us would like to think.

 

FWIW, passports are not required on round trip cruises out of a US port for US citizens; just certified birth certificate, and government ID for adults.

 

http://www.getyouhome.gov

[blindrid]

I look at it as a cost of the cruise. Our medical insurance only covers vacations "out-of-network" leaving me liable for potenitally a fair amount of costs. That and with the cost of any med-evac and other benefits on the cancellation side I feel it's worth it.

 

Look at your particular needs and risk of exposure and make a decision.

 

Regarding passports, we got ours just to avoid future hassles with travel. Now that we've travelled with them, it sure beats screwing around with BC's and DL's.

[Becca76]

Thanks, I'm going to do the travel insurance and get the passport. One more question though on the insurance.

 

Do you shop around or just go with who you book the trip with? I'm doing an organized singles group and they offer the insurance at 188.00 per person. Does this sound reasonable? It looks to have decent coverage.

 

Thanks!:)

[I Am Canadian, Eh]

Thanks, I'm going to do the travel insurance and get the passport. One more question though on the insurance.

 

Do you shop around or just go with who you book the trip with? I'm doing an organized singles group and they offer the insurance at 188.00 per person. Does this sound reasonable? It looks to have decent coverage.

 

Thanks!:)

 

Count me in with one of the "paranoid" people that always travels with a passport (and not just because I need one to enter the US, either). And yes, always always always always insurance. Did I mention always?

 

We'd need to know a bit more about what your insurance is offering, how much your trip costs, etc. Big differences can be pre-existing conditions, prepayment vs reimbursement of charges, etc.

 

Go to insuremytrip.com and punch in the pertinent details to your cruise, and you'll get a ballpark idea of what coverage would cost elsewhere - and you'll see if that $188 is a deal or not. I'm not saying it's the case in your trip, but some TA's can make more of a commission on the insurance than the cruise itself. It's always worth a double check

 

And always remember, the golden rule of planning and while on your trip... ENJOY!

[Arwenmark]

Thanks, I'm going to do the travel insurance and get the passport. One more question though on the insurance.

 

Do you shop around or just go with who you book the trip with? I'm doing an organized singles group and they offer the insurance at 188.00 per person. Does this sound reasonable? It looks to have decent coverage.

 

Thanks!:)

 

No it does not sound reasonable at all, Insurance is based on the cost of the trip pp and the age of the traveler, Try insuremytrip.com or one of the other similiar sites. It is generally NOT a good idea to buy the insurance from who you booked with. or any travel agent for that matter. Most travel agents are not licensed to sell insurance and there is a big case going on in Fl right now over that.