Cruise Insurance -- Please help
 

Can anyone tell me their experience of opinion of the cruise insurance offered by Princess vs. Travelguard.<BR><BR>Thanks<BR>

I can't compare the two for you as I have never purchases insurance for any of my 13 cruises.<BR><BR>This subject has gotten a lot of attention on this site in the past. You may want to search the archives.<BR><BR>My opinion is simple - if you have a situation in your life where you or your family have health issues that make the possibility of having to miss your cruise more probable, then get insurance. If you've reserved the Royal Suite on a 17-day Med cruise and are shelling out big bucks for the cruise and airfare, buy the insurance.<BR>If not - don't; its not worth it. The average cruise these days is about $1500 for two people. If you don't get the airfare thru the cruiseline (and most don't), then why shell out hundreds to protect $1500? Self-insure.<BR>For those who are blackjack players - its just like buying insurance when the dealer is showing an ace. If you have big bucks out on the table, buy it; if not, don't.<BR><BR>Peter

Wouldn'tleave home without it...Our first cruise moe than 15 years ago was cancelled at the lastminute because my husband was rushed to the hospital with two bleeding ulcers..and on our last cruise injured my wrist..although my insurance paid most of the bill the cruise insurance(do not buy from Princess or any cruise line) paid for the rest of it. If I had to be helicoptered off it would have been paid. It is such a small amount to pay. I think my husband is using Access America for our next found it much better than Travelguard.. You can search it out on this site..

I'm a travel agent and I always recommend NOT purchasing the insurance through the tour or cruise operator. If they file bankruptcy and you haven't paid by credit card, you're in serious trouble. We use Access America. They only thing I dislike about the policy is if you purchase your air seperately from the cruise line and your cruise is cancelled, like what happened with Princess recently, your air is not insured for a refund.

BjorkChop:<BR>So if I understand you correctly---if I am insured with Access America, I can get the insurance to cover the entire trip from home to home? cruise and airfare??What about pre and post days on my own?<BR> Thanks so much. I generally do take out the insurance---but I don't think I've ever used that particular one.

Nickel- I understood that if you INSURE the entire trip --including Pre-and post and your own air---that if something happens, you get re-imbursed...minus the cost of the Insurance- ( this is with the private insurance =like Travel Guard)...<BR><BR>CALL the Insurance company BEFORE you buy and ask the specific questions..<BR><BR>I NEVER buy from the cruise line for hte reason tha Bjork Chop stated-- ALSO, I hate the cruise lines refund policy in case of illness: only a voucher good for 1 year to use again..... Who knows where they will be in 1 years time....????<BR><BR>GO with Private Trip Cxl Insurance==It also protects you against an accident on the way to the airport to catch the plane for the cruise...<BR><BR>I NEVER leave home without Trip CXL Insur...And my cruises cost WAY more than $1500 for 2 people ( unless you live in FLA- Peter???)<BR>

As I said, the average cruise without airfare is around $1500 for two. If you book the owners suite, its going to be more; if you book an inside, its going to be less. Cruises are cheap this year. Saw a seven day Carnival Western yesterday for $383 for both including port charges. I've never seen it that cheap.<BR><BR>Again, in my opinion, its crazy to insure against a $1500 loss. Insure your car, your life, your jewelry - but don't insure your big screen TV, your 1985 Chevy or your teenagers ten pairs of Lucky jeans.<BR><BR>Peter

Let;s get down to some of the reasons that some people take trave/cruise insurance... First, if there is a serious accident/death (heaven forbid) it will take care of the person being transferred off ship or to the closest hospital. It does happen. If illness doesn't happen to you or your spouse there is always a close relative whose illness or demise requires the person to cancel. Now, I notice there is a &quot;terrorism&quot; clause. Not everybody buys inexpensive cruises or trips..and I know I can hardly afford to loose $1500.00 so that adding another $100 or more puts my mind at ease.

Me too---Peace of Mind is worth it.And I just include that in the cost.And if the total cost is too much, I simply dont go.

Nickel, We always insure through Access America. Having witnessed on too many occasions a passenger &amp; family taken off the vessel at a foreign port for hospital care, or the ship being diverted so a passenger can be flown to the States for life saving treatment. If either my wife or I were one of those people, we sure would appreciate having an insurer pay the extreme additional costs involved.

Wow, can't believe people are cruising for $1,500 for 2! We've got an Alaskan cruise and a Mediterranean cruise booked and both cruisesare in the $5,000 range for 2 and we're using FF miles to get there! I've taken my chances in the past but now due to the health of My Mother I'm considering getting insurance. Maybe we've been lucky in the past but at this stage, we might be pushing the envelope! For insurance needed in the $5,000 range would you still recommend Access America or is this only the best value for lower priced cruises? The most likely reason for cancelling in our case is the health of my Mom....covered? Thanks!

Peter- where are you from? It MUST be FLA....<BR>I just an email from Celebrity-cheapest thing on the Century is $750 PLUS port taxes pp NO AIR--this is for a GTY cabin....and this is their CHEAPEST ship ....<BR>I do NOT live in FL, so air runs me approx. $250 pp to get there-<BR><BR>So unless you are taking a 3-5 day cruise , and it is on CARNIVAL-the cruise WILL cost more than $1500...<BR><BR>and Unless you have MONEY to BURN( or are independently wealthy)- in case of an emergency, or like the game of Russian Roulette, you NEED insurance...<BR><BR>And it is NOT hundreds--it runs approx.$100 pp for insurance and goes up acording to the COST of your trip...<BR>(this is for private insurance and not the cruise ships insurance plan).<BR>The cruise ship's insurance plan ( NOT advisable) is $99 pp....<BR><BR>Where are you getting your information from??? It is NOT correct....<BR><BR>

Cruiser~<BR><BR>Yes, you can insure the entire trip, even the pre/post hotel stay. BUT, unless you've booked all components through the cruiseline, Access America (check with your insurance compancy) will NOT refund your air or hotel stay that you've booked separately from the cruiseline in order to save money. This would be only if say the cruise was cancelled by the cruiseline itself, i.e. engine trouble or the ship wasn't delivered on time.

andy - first, I'm not from Florida. What part of &quot;As I said, the average cruise WITHOUT airfare is around $1500 for two&quot; don't you understand?<BR><BR>As far as prices for cruises - there are dozens of cruises in March for $1500 or less for BOTH people. Even your example of the Century - icruise.com gave me a price of $935 for BOTH for the 3/29 sailing for a guartentee inside INCLUDING port charges.<BR><BR>You say the insurance doesn't cost hundreds but you go one to say that its $110 pp which is hundreds to me!<BR><BR>Last, but not least, don't challenge me on cruise information. Not only isn't that allowed by Fodors but if anyone doesn't know what they're talking about.....<BR><BR>Peter

nickel,<BR>I think in general, you're better off purchasing third party insurance rather than thru the cruise line. Cruise line insurance is usually more expensive and doesn't cover financial default. But I have no direct experience with Travelguard.<BR><BR>pasty,<BR>If your mother's medical condition is a pre-existing one, you will need to purchase the insurance within 7-14 days of making your initial deposit depending on the insurer. Otherwise, you're only covered for NON pre-existing conditions. Check carefully.<BR><BR>andy,<BR>I'm with Peter on this one. I'm constantly bombarded with emails from various cruise agencies advertising one week cruises in the $399-599 range including port charges, and these offers are on HAL, Princess, Celebrity, not just Carnival. Just saw a special for a 10 night HAL Rotterdam cruise departing in March for $619pp in an outside cabin a few days ago. So it's definitely possible to find a cruise that is longer than 3-5 days on something other than Carnival for $1500 or less, as a matter of fact, it's pretty easy.<BR><BR>I've only purchased insurance once out of more than a dozen cruises. That was because I had to prepay a large non-refundable amount and was concerned about the financial stability of the cruise line. The amount that I normally spend on a cruise isn't really worth insuring. And no, I don't have money to burn, I just choose to insure for the big, not little, things in life. For the number of trips I take a year, I'd be spending thousands of dollars on travel insurance.

Peter- Challenge you? Get real- Last time I heard, this was a free world...remember freedom of speech....<BR><BR>I have not gotten any of those cheapie cruise emails-<BR>SO , If you know where I can get those inexpensive cruises, by all means, post them here on the board, as I would LOVE to partake in a &quot;deal&quot;...

andy - I already posted one: Century on 3/29 for $935 via icruise.com. If you want several dozen more, simply go to any of the big .coms (cruise.com, cruisequick.com, expedia.com, crucon.com, etc, etc, etc.) and as Patty said look at Celebrity, Carnival, Princess, RCCL, HAL for March or April and you can cruise for two solid months for less than $2500 apiece!<BR><BR>And as for challenges, that part of your post that asked where I get my &quot;wrong&quot; information from, sounded a lot like a challenge to me, pal.<BR><BR>Peter

Peter- help me out then--<BR><BR>I just tried to go to icruise.com and put in Mar.22 on the Century-<BR>this was the cheapest thing that came up:<BR>Continental Decks, Category 12 Inside Stateroom. Two convertible lower beds <BR><BR>**Price Includes Port Charge** $1,510 $614 $1,035 -and this is a per person rate,unless I am reading it incorrectly...<BR><BR>I seriously would like to book but am confused as to the actual rate- as the way I read it, it's $1035 pp...<BR>Is this the case????<BR><BR>All the cheaper cruises you are talking about are way later...<BR><BR>Since you seem to know so much about the inexpensive angle, can you help enlighten me.... I am very serious about this....As I do want to book a cheap cruise-<BR>

Thanks Patty....I'm kind of confused with this pre-existing thing. My Mom is in her mid-80's living in a nursing home. Is this pre-existing that she's OLD? At this age, anything can happen unexpectedly. Anyone else concerned about the health of an elderly parent as being the main reason they may have to cancel?

Andy:<BR>You have chosen my favorite ship!<BR>The website is $428. per person guaranteed inside ( port charges,etc. included as stated ).<BR> Great deal. Recheck the site yourself--maybe you misread the columns.<BR> Happy cruising!!

Pre-existing conditions are generally speaking, just that.Insurance companies usually look at a &quot;preexisting condition&quot; as one that is at the same time &quot;chronic&quot;.Doesnt have to be necessarily a condition causing pain,immobility,etc.Example: an aunt of mine wanted to take a cruise.Two years before, she had experienced a bout of siatica.While extremely painful it was brief.She purchased insurance for the cruise and her siatica was considered a pre-existing condition.If she were bothered and wanted to cancel and recoup her expenditures,she was covered.Pre-existing conditions can cover a plethora of abnormalities.There simply has to be some kind of documentation to legitimatize it with the insurance company.

patsy,<BR>Insurers usually define pre-existing as a condition for which an individual has received treatment within the past x number of days. Chronic conditions which are under control thru medication, etc. are not normally considered the same as a pre-existing condition. It's best to check with the insurer directly to get their exact definition. Of course if you purchase within the waiver time limit, then you don't have to worry about it.

I see where Fodors is up to their almighty editing again. What rule did I break by telling Andy to call his TA to book his cruise and put his computer up for sale?<BR><BR>Andy - did you go back to icruise.com and check out the prices? Have you booked your cruise yet?<BR><BR>Peter

HI Peter- <BR>No, I did not book the cruise yet--<BR><BR>I was looking for an outside cabin--and the elcheapo prices were for inside cabins...<BR><BR>Still on the lookout for a cheap OUTSIDE cabin....<BR><BR>And yes- Fodors edited and sometimes I DO want to take a hammer to the computer myself---but sell it, NO way!<BR>LOL

Andi--<BR>I just now looked again at your March 22 sailing on Century. The most expensive cabin left (icruise.com) is only $800. But you can get a cheaper OUTSIDE cabin for $707. I think that sounds pretty reasonable.<BR> Like I said, it is one of my favorites, and I keep a close eye on it.<BR>Happy cruising!!

Andy - another of many examples is the Carnival Paradise (non-smoking ship) out of Tampa to the Western - the 3/30 sailing Cat 6A window is $449 pp. (incl port charges).<BR><BR>Peter

Cruiser- Thanks loads!<BR><BR>Peter-I HATE Carnival-and the dates are not in my vacation schedule- but thanks..

Andy, what cruise lines are acceptable and what general dates are you looking for? I'll be more than happy to help you out.<BR><BR>Peter

Peter-<BR>I need the week of MAR.22--7 day cruise-<BR>Eastern Caribbean out of Ft.Laud.(preferably)=--Love Celebrity and Princess--do not want Carnival--<BR><BR>Want outside cabin-but at elceapo rate...<BR><BR>Thanks loads!

Here you go, Andy:<BR><BR>The Century on 3/22 you can have a guarantee outside Cat 8 or better for $568 incl port charges. Or the Millie on 3/23 same cabin for $614. These are icruise.com prices which can probably be beaten by emailing Ray at [email protected] or going to Kimscruises.com and asking for a quote on either of these sailings.<BR><BR>Beats your $750 excluding port for the Century and guess what? - gets you a cruise for less than $1500 - getting back to my original point - why pay insurance on a $1500 investment?<BR><BR>Peter

Hey Andy - did you book your Century cruise yet?<BR><BR>Peter

Gosh, he seemed in such a hurry to get the right information. Maybe he got tied up. Although, reading his post on all the other Fodors boards, he been active the last few days. Did you all know that he's been, like, around the world a few times - travels extensively. Has been on about every cruise line to everywhere. You don't suppose he was just egging me on? Naw, he seemed like a real, genuine guy looking for a cheap cruise. After all, he was interested in an outside cabin and not the Royal Suite!<BR><BR>Where are you Andy?<BR><BR>Peter

Peter- <BR>Why in the world are you bugging me on every post on all of Fodors...<BR><BR>Yes, I was very serious in the questions I asked you...<BR><BR>An emergency came up- concerning a private matter- and we cannot book right now..Do I need to answer all these questions.?..it is really amazing that you have all the time in the world to continually harass me on all the boards with a &quot; Andy, have you booked your cruise yet?&quot;...<BR><BR>I was not egging you on and yes , I have travelled extensively- for the last 28 years to be exact....So , in 28 years, one does get to try a lot of different cruises and lots of different land trips....<BR><BR>I was serious in requesting the &quot;elcheapo&quot; info from you , as I have NEVER booked as cruise on-line before and had no idea where to look for the best cruises and the best agent on line....The question is and was legit..WHY do you insist on this repartee??? IS it because Paul has left the board and you need someone else to harass?<BR>

Yes. And because, like Paul, you're such an easy target.<BR><BR>Peter