Heland

I booked a cruise for next spring and am in the process of purchasing travel insurance. If something should happen and I need to cancel the cruise before my final payment is due, what happens with the travel insurance I bought? Just wondering, does anyone know if I can get a refund on the travel insurance. BTW, insurance will be purchased separately not through the cruise line.

LissaJ

I think it depends on the insurance provider. The one we sell will allow a refund in depending on the situation. I have to call and get an approval, but they usally will.

lizette

Check and see if you can purchase the travel insurance closer to your departure rather than buying it right now. You might be allowed to buy it 60 days prior to departure???

abram

I believe that you need to purchase travel insurance no more than 14 days after booking a cruise in order to avoid the pre-existing condition clause.

andy

IF You have any pre=existing conditions, you MUST purchase trip cxl insurance within 7 days of DEPOSIT...

If you have NO pre-existing conditions, you can purchase trip cxl insurance withe you FINAL PAYMENT...

Trip Cxl insurance is NON-REFUNDABLE...
ie. that is why it is called insurance... If you have to cancel for medical or death etc..you get a REFUND LESS the price of the trip cxl insurance.....

rdalyville

I can't answer your question but I was wondering if insurance is really necessary. Do most travelers buy it?I am going on a cruise in Sept. to Bermuda and am wondering whether to buy or not.

Patty

There have been several discussions on the necessity of travel insurance. If you do a search on the cruise board under 'insurance', you should find lots of previous threads. The replies vary widely with some posters who never travel without it and some who never purchase insurance.

The 2 primary reasons for purchasing travel insurance are a.)emergency medical cancellation and b.)emergency medical expenses while you are traveling. Whether or not you need this coverage depends on your personal situation. I've only purchased insurance for one cruise out of 13. I feel that the average cost of my cruises aren't expensive enough to warrant insurance. I always purchase air separately or use FF miles, so I'm only out the change/redeposit fee for my air. And my personal medical policy covers me abroad.

If you decide to purchase insurance, make sure to purchase it within X number of days (usually 7-14 depending on the carrier) of making your initial deposit as mentioned above to cover pre-existing conditions. And always read the coverage inclusions carefully. There are so many stories of people who thought they were covered for some event/reason, only to find out they weren't when they needed it. Insurance from the cruise line itself will not cover their own financial default, only third party insurance covers this. And not all third party insurance covers every cruise line, airline, etc. for financial default so again, check carefully. I believe Access America's site lists the companies that it WILL cover. Paying with a credit card generally affords you protection in the event of a bankruptcy as well.

Hope this helps.

Patty

P.S. - One type of coverage that doesn't get mentioned often is an annual travel policy which is designed to cover your emergency medical expenses while traveling but not your trip cancellation costs. Annual premiums generally run between $100-300 per person depending on the amount of coverage. Good for those who travel more frequently and need medical expense coverage (which has the potential of being much greater that your trip cost) but can do without cancellation coverage.