Trip Insurance - WHEN to buy

I know a lot of trip insurance questions are asked, but I am wondering when to buy. Do you purchase as soon as you book, OR before your final payment is due? Seems like the latter would be sufficient.

I know a lot of trip insurance questions are asked, but I am wondering when to buy. Do you purchase as soon as you book, OR before your final payment is due? Seems like the latter would be sufficient.

I have pre-existing conditions so I buy the insurance within the timeframe of whichever trip insurance I choose.

I usually go through USAA which has Travel Insured (usually $20 less than if purchased through insuremytrip.com. There's is due within 30 days from the day you put deposit on cruise.

Definitely book within the "pre-existing conditions waiver" time frame if you, your traveling companions or a covered family member has a pre-existing condition that might require you to cancel your cruise. Not every insurance policy offers a "pre-existing conditions waiver", but for those that do, the time frame is generally 10 - 15 days after the first payment.

I know a lot of trip insurance questions are asked, but I am wondering when to buy. Do you purchase as soon as you book, OR before your final payment is due? Seems like the latter would be sufficient.

For starters (this is how we started a few years ago, thanks to a tip here on CC), I'd strongly urge you to contact Steve at

www.TripInsuranceStore.com

CALL them, don't just read the website policy summaries. There is a lot of fine print, which can really matter.

They'll help you by answering your questions, and also by asking some questions to get a better idea of what you might want/need.

He has a LOT of patience!

We ALWAYS get the insurance soon enough to have that essential (for us) waiver of the exclusion of pre-existing condition waiver.

(This also speeds up a medical claim, because they don't need to request old medical records and ferret through them, searching for some prior medical situation upon which to deny a claim. Prior medical history just won't matter with that waiver.)

We've had excellent service from TravelInsured, which requires starting insurance within 20 (NOT 21, which has just changed) days of making the FIRST PAYMENT/DEPOSIT, regardless of whether it is refundable or not.

They've paid two large claims without any nonsense.

The "backup policy" for us is coverage from CSA, which requires starting payment within 24 *hours* of FINAL payment, which is narrowly defined, for obvious reasons.

If you don't need that waiver (we wouldn't leave home without *that*, but we are at a "certain age" and have occasional medical issues), there are more choices for starting insurance later.

I've been so busy at work and just haven't purchased our insurance, our trip is may 27th, of course have already made final payment - can we still purchase insurance?

I've been so busy at work and just haven't purchased our insurance, our trip is may 27th, of course have already made final payment - can we still purchase insurance?

Please do contact someone like Steve at www.TripInsuranceStore.com

He handles quite a few policies from several different insurers.

It all depends upon your specific insurance needs/desires.

There will be some types of coverage that may be difficult/expensive/impossible to get more than 24 hours after final payment, but there are probably other policies that you *can* get.

(So you know for the future, if you start the insurance coverage within 10-20 days of initial deposit/payment, there would be more choices.)

But anonymous internet posters can't possibly know your specific insurance needs, or your specific situation.