Cruise insurance?
 

Can anyone give me information about cruise insurance - to get it or not- We are going on a cruise in Feb and I have not selected to get it...does anyone have any information about it? thanks

The most important issue with any travel insurance is -- "If I can't go at the last minute, how much money can I afford to lose, and how likely is that?" For example, a cruise is entirely prepaid 45 days before you go, and cancellation penalties are quite explicit (look in the brochure). If you cancel 10 days before you go, the entire amount is likely GONE - no refund. Now, if you're 30 years old and healthy, the likelihood of cancelling because you get deathly ill is pretty low, so you might do just fine without extra insurance. If you're 60 with known health problems, then insurance might be a better idea. If you're any age, but independently wealthy, losing $2500 or more might not be a big deal. <BR> <BR>If you do get insurance, there are 2 kinds - independent and sold by the cruiseline. The cruiseline kind is cheaper, but fairly restrictive for reasons to cancel. For example, if you get sick, you're probably OK, but if the lady who is supposed to babysit your kids goes into the hospital the day before you leave, you're probably out of luck. Pre-existing conditions are almost always excluded from cruiseline (or tour company) policies. Independent policies are more expensive, but cover more contingencies. Most will cover pre-existing conditions as long as you pay the premium within 7 days of booking the trip. They generally also cover medical evacuation if you get seriously sick or injured on your trip and need to get home. Some are better deals than others. <BR> <BR>The BEST article I have ever seen on travel insurance policies is in the Consumer Reports Travel Letter (not the regular Consumer Reports magazine). They review many independent policies every year. The most recent review is in the Sept 1998 issue (Volume 14, Number 9). I think your would find it very informational. <BR>

NEVER NEVER TRAVEL WITHOUT COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE, EVEN CANCELLATION & INTERRUPTION INSURANCE WILL GET YOU OUT OF HORRIBLE EMERGENCIES DURING A CRUISE. We took our healthy parents to Alaska for their 50th anniversary. Against all arguments I bought cancellation insurance. The day before their anniversary my father suffered a heart attack and had to have surgery. The entire ordeal lasted one month, the insurance covered everything for all four of us. Total expenses including evacuation flight by private jet. $70,000 U.S. That' does not include the cost of medical which is free in Canada for Canadians. No one complains about the little cost of insurance now.(about 250.p.p.)My elderly parents would be wiped out now if I had listened to them.

Amen to the recommendation to read the Consumer Reports Travel Letter article. I read it, did some investigation, booked my insurance with one of the recommended companies, and saved 50% over the insurance offered by the cruise company. I took insurance with CSA, the one company that bases premiums on age. Since we fall in the lower age bracket, it meant a great savings for us. Check it out.

My husband and I are both healthy. Last November we missed a much anticipated cruise on the Grand Princess as my husband became acutely ill with stomach flu 8 hrs. before we were to fly to Ft. Lauderdale. I was so grateful that we had travel insurance. We bought from an independent insurance company recommended by the auto club. We have purchased insurance for every cruise we've taken.

We get the insurance on trips that are costly. If you are in Europe it is a must. The peace of mind is well worth it.

<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>Dot - although your cruise is history now, I agree with everyone who recommended independent cruise insurance. We were booked on a 10 day HAL Caribbean cruise and a few days before sailing I fell, breaking my arm in several places, also torn rotator cuff. We could have cancelled with no penalty and having this option eased our mind when the accident occurred. However, the orthopedic specialist put my arm in a sling and advised me to take the cruise, since I couldn't do much else for 10 days and longer! We did sail, it was a different experience, but we learned that buying independent cruise insurance is just a part of the cost of the cruise. We wouldn't sail without having that protection. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

For anyone who is considering a cruise - insurance is a MUST! I'm 27 and completely healthy but bought the insurance on the recommendation of my travel agent. One week before the cruise I got extremely sick and we had to cancel the cruise. You never know what can happen and should protect yourself! We were booked on Celebrity and they were very helpful. I had to fill out a form and have my Dr. sign it and they refunded my money within a month. If I hadn't bought the insurance I would have lost several thousand dollars! There was also a blizzard on the day we were supposed to leave (Jan 2 - in Chicago). If we didn't have to cancel then our flight would have been cancelled anyway - in that case the insurance would have covered $500 pp to reschedule the flight to the first port. When I talked to the insurance agent she told me how many people were calling and were extremely upset to find out that because they didn't purchase the insurance there was nothing that could be done. BUY THE INSURANCE!!!

As most have stated, buy the insurance. My husband and I booked a cruise July 1995 for January of 1996 with Princess. I bought the insurance. My elderly mother-in-law became ill in November so we cancelled the cruise. She passed away in February, but because of the hardship illness and doctors statements, the insurance reimbursed us all but our insurance premium. We decided to book another cruise so in July 1998 we booked for February 1999 on Princess Grand. I again bought the insurance. After paying our final payent in December, my husband went for a physical and his blood pressure was 200/110....needless to say with no idea how long he'd have to work with getting correct medicine we cancelled. Again, we were reimbursed. So, guess what. I booked a 12/12/99 cruise on Princess Grand last week and bought the insurance again. For the $250+ premium, the piece of mind is well worth it. And in the last case, we actually received vouchers toward another cruise in place of the premium...so we had not out of pocket losses and we're using them on this next cruise. <BR> <BR>Wish us luck -- and happy cruising. <BR>

As most have stated, buy the insurance. My husband and I booked a cruise July 1995 for January of 1996 with Princess. I bought the insurance. My elderly mother-in-law became ill in November so we cancelled the cruise. She passed away in February, but because of the hardship illness and doctors statements, the insurance reimbursed us all but our insurance premium. We decided to book another cruise so in July 1998 we booked for February 1999 on Princess Grand. I again bought the insurance. After paying our final payent in December, my husband went for a physical and his blood pressure was 200/110....needless to say with no idea how long he'd have to work with getting correct medicine we cancelled. Again, we were reimbursed. So, guess what. I booked a 12/12/99 cruise on Princess Grand last week and bought the insurance again. For the $250+ premium, the piece of mind is well worth it. And in the last case, we actually received vouchers toward another cruise in place of the premium...so we had not out of pocket losses and we're using them on this next cruise. <BR> <BR>Wish us luck -- and happy cruising. <BR>

Okay, the general feeling is BUY the insurance, but are there any recommendations for which company has the most reasonable, most comprehensive coverage. We are sailing early 2002 on a 7-day Caribbean cruise with RCCL and think insurance is a wise idea, but are being quoted $104 pp which seems high to us. Am I wrong? Advice, please?

<BR>Dear Dot, <BR>I am travel agent and can tell you that independent insurance companies are less money than cruise line insurance unless you are elderly. <BR> <BR>You will have to do some studying or confer with your travel agent to explain the coverages. <BR> <BR>Best bet would be Access America which excludes pre-existing conditions. CSA or Berkley Care. <BR> <BR>Paul

My husband, stepdaughter and myself where suppose to go on the Monarch this May. I wanted to buy the insurance, husband didn't want to waste the money.. . Well, he now can not go on the cruise do to work obligations, my stepdaughter and myself are still going. If I had the insurance I would have post poned the trip until a later date, but we don't have the insurance! So we at least are getting everything back for my husbands fair - $100, so it's not that bad, except for the fact I'll miss him a ton : ( <BR>Jennifer

Sorry Dot, but the insurance would not have paid you anything if you could not cruise because of work. I never buy it. Specialty insurance like this is always calculated in the insurance companies favor. They make a small fortune on it and it costs them very little in "allowable" claims. Having worked in this industry I can tell you that there are so many loopholes in these plans that it is rare for them to pay anything. Their main selling point is "what if you had a major illness in a foreign area and needed to be airlifted, etc." <BR>Read past stories on this post and you'll see how little they will pay as an "allowable claim". And by the way NEVER listen to what a travel agent tells you about this insurance...they too make a great profit on selling this stuff. <BR>

For those of you "well seasoned" travellers who do not purchase insurance it is very ignorant. I have saved many clients thousands of dollars in the event they had to cancel and every every single penny was paid back to them. <BR> <BR>Some people learn the hard way

I will never travel without insurance and anyone who would suggest not getting it needs to reconsider. In the past two years we have recovered $10,000 from a trip we could not take because of a death in the family. This year we could not travel because my husband found he has cancer shortly before we were supposed to go to Egypt -another goodly amount recovered. Two years ago we were robbed in Turkey and all expenses resulting from this were paid by insurance (new passports, extra lodging, etc). A few years ago we were unable to leave an island by boat because of an approaching cyclone to connect with our flight home and had to be helicoptered off - our insurance paid for that. You just never know what might happen and I am so thankful insurance is available and I can travel with peace of mind.