Do I buy the trip cancellation insurance?
Jun 13th, 2003, 10:15 AM
#1
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Do I buy the trip cancellation insurance?
We are taking a Disney Cruise in a few weeks and have not purchased the trip cancellation insurance yet. Do most people buy the it? We are healthy and in our forties without any expected reasons to cancel. Is it worth the price of over 5% of the cost of the trip?
Jun 13th, 2003, 12:14 PM
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diane,
Put 'insurance' in the text search box above and you will find several recent threads with debates on the pros and cons of travel insurance and the difference between insurance offered through the cruise line and insurance offered through a third party insurer.
Put 'insurance' in the text search box above and you will find several recent threads with debates on the pros and cons of travel insurance and the difference between insurance offered through the cruise line and insurance offered through a third party insurer.
Jun 13th, 2003, 02:24 PM
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I doubt anyone will insure you this close to cruise time. Personally, I never buy it and have not needed it once on over 15 cruises. With the money I saved I could easily pay for a couple of cruises, but it does depend on your individual case and risk tolerance.
Jun 13th, 2003, 03:24 PM
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You can probably receive coverage - just won't cover pre-existing conditions (which doesn't sound like the case). You can look at www.insuremytrip.com and compare policies.
I had to cancel once because my mom had heart surgery (unexpected). Good thing I had insurance.
Personally, I would never travel without it.
I had to cancel once because my mom had heart surgery (unexpected). Good thing I had insurance.
Personally, I would never travel without it.
Jun 15th, 2003, 06:21 PM
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One night last March, I spent all night up with terrible abdominal pain. In the morning I went to the doctor, and had to have my gall bladder taken out that same day. What if that had happened on a cruise? I am very healthy, in my early 50s, with no history of gall bladder trouble.
Jun 16th, 2003, 05:36 AM
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What slays me about these people who wouldn't leave home without it - the last time you booked a land vacation like a trip to disneyworld or a golfing week in North Carolina or a Rose Bowl trip, did you purchase travel insurance? The answer is usually no. All of the same risks apply, but somehow, people perpetuate the concept that taking a cruise is different and they sleep much better knowing that all will be paid for should disaster strike. You know, you might get too sick to use those concert tickets this weekend. Maybe you should consider insurance - it would only be about $7 apiece. Pretty cheap for peace of mind.
Save your money, bank it like Hold does and I do and you'll have plenty of money to stand the loss yourself. You can insure yourself right into the poorhouse.
Peter
Save your money, bank it like Hold does and I do and you'll have plenty of money to stand the loss yourself. You can insure yourself right into the poorhouse.
Peter
Jun 16th, 2003, 02:55 PM
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Generally, we buy trip insurance whenever we have to prepay for a trip, whether it be a cruise or a land vacation. If we are in the US, however, our regular health insurance covers us fully, and we are never far from good medical care. If one of us is in the hospital, the other one can remain in our hotel, which stays where we left it and doesn't go sailing away. The same is not true on a cruise.
Jun 16th, 2003, 04:59 PM
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I have never bought it and "knock on wood" have never needed it. If I had to cancel a cruise at the last minute and lost 100% of my cruise fare, I'd still be money ahead by a lot! My American Express covers lots of things like lost luggage if something unforseen like this ever happened.
Jun 17th, 2003, 06:00 AM
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For every story like abrams', there are 10,000 non-events. Most of the horror stories are about med-vac rescues from the ship and how most insurance plans don't cover them. I've been on 12 cruises and have seen one med-vac take place. So thats one person out of approximately 25,000 that required it.
Peter
Peter
Jun 17th, 2003, 06:59 AM
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If you can afford to lose the money you paid for the cruise then your answer is you don't need the insurance. If you can afford to pay for medical bills and not worry about being reimbursed, then you don't need the insurance. This is what I tell all my clients. Just remember, no one plans on getting sick or a family member dying. About 1% of my clients have to cancel. Those that have purchased it and wound up needing to use it, always purchase it thereafter.
Jun 17th, 2003, 11:24 AM
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Those who need medical coverage but not trip cancellation may want to consider an annual policy which covers emergency medical expenses while traveling. I believe American Express offers a plan that costs $129 a year per couple for up to $100,000 coverage. Covers both medical and dental expenses while you are x number of miles away from home.
Jun 17th, 2003, 01:23 PM
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It is a personal decision. One needs to consider one's age; general health, as someone said; whether or not one can afford being medevaced out; what one's health insurance covers. One has to pick the right policy to fill in the gaps. We're going on a cruise soon and didn't purchase it, as I could see no likely problems. Plus we're going to Alaska and will never be far from US or Canadian health care. I did get it when we went on a cruise when our children were younger and more prone to sudden illness. And my Mom, who is 79 always gets it when touring Europe. She knows people who have had to use it.
Have a good trip!
Have a good trip!
Jun 18th, 2003, 12:04 PM
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Insurance is just gambling, and--like gambling--the house always gets the best of it. Peter is right--buy insurance for every cruise and you're almost certain to come out behind financially.
Three weeks away and/or for a short cruise I wouldn't bother. However, if you're a worrier, it's just a peace-of-mind issue. If you'll feel better knowing you have the insurance, it's not that much money.
I would recommend buying through an independent site like travelguard.com rather than through the agent--they do mark it up a ton.
Happy cruising!
Three weeks away and/or for a short cruise I wouldn't bother. However, if you're a worrier, it's just a peace-of-mind issue. If you'll feel better knowing you have the insurance, it's not that much money.
I would recommend buying through an independent site like travelguard.com rather than through the agent--they do mark it up a ton.
Happy cruising!
Jun 18th, 2003, 01:55 PM
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9 times out of 10, my clients don't use the insurance. But the few that have, have really benifited. Actually none of my examples are of cruises, but same kind of thing applies.
I had a client who was perfectly healthy. His first flight of the day went without a hitch, but while waiting for his connection, he suffered a heart attack right there in the airport. The insurance first off, paid his medical expences, it paid for his wife to stay at a local hotel and meals, up to $3000. When he was healthy enough to fly, they were flown home, and reimbused for thier missed trip to Mexico.
On another occation, I had clients in Cuba (Canadian) and my client got a blood clot and couldn't fly for a week. Again, medical expensed paid, wife in hotel for a week, and change fee paid to get home.
My last example is before the trip. A family of 4 booked on an expensive trip, and she is diagnosed with cancer after purchase. Full refund.
Lots of stuff can happen. Life is a gamble, and if you don't mind being out of money for a nonrefundable trip, or forking out for medical bills and hotel bills then don't take it. But if you are like most people, who have saved a long time for a trip, and is basically a lot of the money you have, then whats another $100?
I had a client who was perfectly healthy. His first flight of the day went without a hitch, but while waiting for his connection, he suffered a heart attack right there in the airport. The insurance first off, paid his medical expences, it paid for his wife to stay at a local hotel and meals, up to $3000. When he was healthy enough to fly, they were flown home, and reimbused for thier missed trip to Mexico.
On another occation, I had clients in Cuba (Canadian) and my client got a blood clot and couldn't fly for a week. Again, medical expensed paid, wife in hotel for a week, and change fee paid to get home.
My last example is before the trip. A family of 4 booked on an expensive trip, and she is diagnosed with cancer after purchase. Full refund.
Lots of stuff can happen. Life is a gamble, and if you don't mind being out of money for a nonrefundable trip, or forking out for medical bills and hotel bills then don't take it. But if you are like most people, who have saved a long time for a trip, and is basically a lot of the money you have, then whats another $100?
