Sushianyone

Good Afternoon everyone, I am doing a little research for a cruise in December - my first. What are your thoughts on the cruise insurance? Yes, no or maybe? Also, is there a huge difference in getting a cabin with a balcony over an oceanview cabin - no balcony? Thanks for your advice. DD

jcasale

There is definitely a difference, imho, between a balcony and ocean view. A balcony gives you the ability to open the sliding door at night and listen to the waves against the ship as it moves through the water and to get some fresh air. It also gives you a great place to sit and drink your morning coffe (or tea in my case) or to watch the sun go down in private. Personally, I will never cruise without a balcony if I can avoid it. As for the insurance, I guess that's a maybe. We never book a trip now without getting travel insurance (and we are tending to go through an independent company like Travel Guard). Of course that's because we almost had to cancel a cruise at the last minute because my husband had to have surgery and we did have to cancel a trip to Hawaii because he had to have radiation. We actually didn't have insurance for the Hawaii one because I hadn't yet learned about the independent companies. Fortunatley we were able to get all of our deposits back and were refunded our miles and money for the airfares, but it took alot of work on my part to get it all accomplished. That said, if you are reasonably healthy and don't mind making lots of phone calls if something bad happens, maybe you could forgo the insurance. In my mind, it's peace of mind and I will always get it.

Enjoy your cruise!

Sushianyone

Thanks for your input. I am in charge of arranging the cruise for myself and my in-laws - and I want to cover every angle. Have to keep the in-laws happy!

PMB

We definitely insure with an independent company, not the cruise line. We use www.insuremytrip to compare all the policies available and find the one that would be right for this trip. They make it very easy to compare and contrast all the different rates. You have to be very careful about pre-existing conditions. It is worth the peace of mind.
I agree with jcasale - I can't do without the balcony!

ronnharris

I would definately get the insurance.As far as the balcony situation We just aren't that enamored of it. I know, everyone seems to like it but it just doesn't impress us that much. We are all different huh?

maryann

Balcony or not depends on the time of the year - way too hot unless the ship is moving - summer in Carib. Great - winter in Carib.

Way too cold Alaska/New England - early spring & fall , Great in the summer.

Insurance depends on if you can afford to pay all medical expenses (incl. airflift), if needed. and in case of last minte cxl, losing the cost of the trip, and if luggage lost, no reimbursement. That just about covers it.

Have fun.

mdmomof7

Maryann,

I am also a first time cruiser. Are you saying that going to the Caribbean in August would be way too hot to enjoy the balcony? I had thought there was only a 10 degree difference in the daytime avg. temps between winter and summer Caribbean cruising. Nighttime temps have a much greater temp difference, MUCH cooler in the winter.

We are looking at paying more - about $400 total for the balcony versus the inside or $200 more for the balcony versus the Ocean View on the Caribbean Princess 8/20 sailing. We are also considering paying about $200 more than the balcony for a mini suite so we can have a couch and bath tub and just more space in the cabin. This is for our 20th anniversary so we want it to be nice. I had also read that the Caribbean Princess had a shortage of deck chairs because it has so many cabins (more than the other grands) and that is why I wanted to get the balcony.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

traveller333

Yes, get a balcony IMO, it's well worth the extra $.

I've been on probably 25 cruises and I've never bought insurance once. KNOCK ON WOOD, I've never needed it. What I do have is medical coverage that covers us anywhere in the world and also have evacuation insurance in the event of airlift through Air Ambulance for about $300 per year. If something happened and we had an emergency during the cruise we're covered but would lose any unused portion of my cruise. The way I look at it is in the event of an emergency and I had to leave the ship, being reimbursed the unused portion would be the least of my concerns. We're also very healthy. If you have health issues, I may consider insuring but so far I'm thousands and thousands of dollars ahead.

katybird

I buy insurance for peace of mind.I purchase insurance that covers pre-existing conditions. For a few hundred dollars, I consider insurance well worth it.I have elderly parents with health issues and if something happened to one of them I would need to cancel.

maryann

If you have been in Florida, S. Texas or anywhere in the tropics, you have an idea as to the temps.. August is hot ! don't believe that the diff. is only 10 degrees like it might be at home (wherever). The balcony will be suffocatingly hot in the afternoon IF you are in the sun, the ship is not moving and you have privacy walls on either side. The rest of the time the balcony will be pleasant as possible in 90 + weather and maybe 78 at nite.

I've lived in Fl all my life and the summer is the reason most people only come in the winter !

If the heat doesn't bother you - great ! come and have fun.

allanc

Balcony-depends on time of year, very much on the ship, and the location on the ship (not all balconies are created equal). Some balconies are very small and some also have limited visibility because they are cut into the hull. Just started buying insurance lately. We found private insurance to be much cheaper than cruise ship insurance...in fact our TA steered us clear of it because of the high cost.

Canam

I always buy insurance in the hope that it won't be necessary.Last year we had booked and fully paid for our trip of a lifetime when my DH became ill and passed away. I received 75% of his fare which was a sizeable amount from the cruise line as it was the percentage for the number of days before departure. The insurance kicked in for the rest which was a few thousand dollars. I went on the trip with the friends we were supposed to go with and upon my return the insurance company asked for my single supplement invoice and they paid for it.
An aquaintance's husband became ill on their cruise and had to leave. It was very costly without insurance. She also had to pay $1000. for leaving the cruise before its end.
For my next cruise, I will buy insurance again.

Leona

I agree. Just about any other form of travel is cancelable, i.e., hotel, car, airline. For a few dollars, you buy peace of mind.