GeezerCouple

On Monday, there's a total eclipse, and I think some cruise ships will be "lurking" off the coast of Mexico, where it is expected to have a high chance of clear skies. Is there a list of those ships, at least the "big ones"? I suppose there will be a bunch of smaller ones, too. Could we list the "cruise ships" that are expected to be in the area? Thanks! GC

We do NOT use charge cards for travel insurance because some of the restrictions apply to possible reasons we might make a claim. And other types of claims just aren't covered. Your insurance needs may be quite different. So just MAKE SURE that you read ALL of the Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) to make sure you understand what is, and what is *not*, covered. For example, pay attention to anything that might involve a medical claim (be it medical expenses or cancelled/interrupted trip) and whether pre-existing conditions are covered (or any claim due to pre-existing conditions). Also note the *definition* of "pre-existing conditions" in travel insurance is usually very different from what we usually think of in everyday life. This can make an exclusion more of a problem... or less of a problem... depending upon specific circumstances. ETA: You might also want to read the travel insurance section of CC: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/ and perhaps post there as well. GC

It's not TSA we are concerned with. They've never expressed any interest in the "drug" contents of my carry-on, including the time they searched it with a fine tooth comb until they determined that the suspicious item on the x-ray was my bar of Dove soap. (Now, that goes in checked luggage, or on the top of my purse for easier access.) It's the authorities as we enter foreign countries that are of more concern, and some countries are of "more concern" than others...! GC

What we do is get very small ziplock type bags, and ask the Pharmacist to print out an extra "stick-on" label for each med. We give them something like 2 weeks advance notice so there's no rush during what might be a busy time. Then we stick the label on a little bag, and put the proper pills inside. Several extra nice things about this, in addition to not needing to take a ton of each med, or a big vial full of lots of air. (Our pharmacy stopped using the smaller sized amber bottles several years ago, so almost any number of pills leaves a lot of "space". And of course, cylinder shapes don't stack neatly...) In addition to being able to keep most extra air out, these little bags, when placed flat, just stack really nicely. Is this "okay" for Rx meds? We noticed this when one of my meds was dispensed at the local hospital out-patient pharmacy just like this! So... "Aha!" We said. 😀 And we started doing it for travel. We reuse the little bags until they look too tattered, so they are always "ready to go" once we get a set together. GC

The situation you are describing (needing wheelchair for those loooong walks airside, or even city-side) is usually what the airport wheelchairs are for. And they usually come with a "pusher". I use one for that exact purpose. We always list the request when we make the air reservation. Usually someone at a ticket counter, or checking baggage, will call for the chair. Or if we drop luggage at the curb, we can ask right there, and they'll get someone to come out with a chair. But it's always been a "chair and pusher" combo. I'm not sure why you want to avoid the terms "disabled" or "needing assistance", as that is exactly what the wheelchairs are for, a the least for "assistance", right? 😉 Also, when you have a chair/pusher, they can usually expedite passage through some of the assorted checkpoints, which is very helpful. The terminology on some airline check-in (or ticketing) websites is often "wheelchair assistance". You can request it online or by phone. Don't get caught up in the wording. I'm not sure how often they (the "powers that be", at airports) just lend out the wheelchairs. That could lead to wheelchairs being left at various places scattered around the airport rather than being returned to certain locations where they are ready for the next use (with the pusher). There may also be concerns about theft if they just let "anyone" walk off with a wheelchair (?). You might also ask at the Disabled Travel section of CC: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/ There may be others there who are much more familiar with this issue. GC

[emphasis added] It's still the same answer, in terms of "wondering if [you] will still be covered if there is an emergency because the price is so low." "...If it's "is this worth the money": What *exactly* is covered, and what are the payments for those problems?..." You need to decide how likely some of those specific covered risks are, and what the cost is likely to be if that should happen... and then, could you cover those costs yourself or do you prefer to pay for insurance to help with any such costs? Some "situations" are covered by each policy, and those are written out in the policy, along with the coverage limits for the policy as a whole and also for that specific event/situation. Is the limit for a medical service capped at a low amount or a high amount (and what is "low" or "high" for you may be considered differently by someone else), and is that "enough" for *you*? Think of it in terms of looking at a car: "Is a car worth $XX,xxx?"? Which car is it? Is it new or used, good condition, etc., or...? One can't just say that some specific price is a "good price for a car" or if it's a suitable car for *you*, without knowing *which* car it is, etc. If all policies were identical (they are *not*), then making comparisons on the cost of the coverage ("high" or "low", etc.) would make more sense. However, it's more like, do you want to pay more for more coverage (higher limits, more events covered) or pay less for less coverage (which may or may not be enough for your own specific needs or preferences)? Policies can differ dramatically, so it's always important to read and understand all of the Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) of any policy you are considering. Speaking with a travel insurance broker, who deals with a variety of policies and insurers, might be useful to explore what coverage choices are available, and at what costs. GC

What do you mean by "legit"? If it's "is this worth the money", then.... what *exactly* is covered, and what are the payments for those problems? GC

First, I'm very sorry about your loss. ETA: And Welcome to CruiseCritic! I'm also sorry that your first experience with CruiseCritic is for such an unfortunate situation. Hopefully the future will include some nice cruises or other trips. Given what you've described, the possible problem I could see MIGHT be that you may have an obligation to mitigate the loss. Fot example. if on March 1st (totally fictitious dates!) you could have gotten a 75% refund from the cruise line, but by April 1st, it would only be 50%, then there may be a question about that extra 25% of the fare that the insurer might have been able to save, if your refund were larger. But there may be mitigating circumstances. Do look carefully at your policy AND at your cancellation dates/penalties, and try not to force the insurer to refund more because you delayed the cancellation. (I know that when we had to cancel that first insured trip, and IIRC, there was still a chance for a slight refund on the Saturday emergency. However, the doctor wasn't yet sure if we would be able to travel or not, given the sudden onset... would the condition improve or keep getting worse. And IF we could go, we definitely wanted to still go! So the doctor needed to see the patient on Monday to see if there was any improvement or the opposite. Alas, it kept getting worse, and became a very serious medical situation that we never dreamed of. So we cancelled on Monday, when the doctor said, "no go". He wrote that sequence on his insurance form. We got a full refund within about 2 weeks... and were SO sad to miss that trip! The only traveling we did for a couple of months was to and from various seemingly unending medical visits. And then, we still couldn't reschedule a real trip for a couple more months, because the travelers must be "fit to travel" the day the insurance is started. And he wasn't... yet. On the day that the doctor finally cleared him, I asked the doctor to write a short note on his letterhead (he used an Rx form, which was fine!) that "<name> is fit to travel without restrictions today, <date>". We went home, I called to schedule a new cruise and land trip, and the next call I made, almost immediately, was to start the insurance. And we had a *wonderful* trip, finally! So take a good look at *all* of the terms and conditions. We work with an insurance broker, and we've asked for their advice/suggestions a few times, and this - being our first claim - was certainly one of those times we wanted to make sure that we didn't screw something up by mistake. GC

And yes... Travel insurance involves SO many different types of policies, and so many different types and situations of the travelers, that there is no way all of the relevant information for *everyone* looking can be included. If someone wants to browse early on to get a sense of the general types of travel insurance, that's fine obviously. But I'd strongly discourage selecting a policy from just reading the online summaries. (And NOT only on this website: for ANY online travel insurance setting/website. The interactive Q&A, which can go both directins, can be invaluable help.) GC

Yes, the names/terminology can start sounding very similar and get very confusing. I just wanted to make sure you were likely to find what would be useful. And yes, Steve is terrific, a real gem. He's helped us *so* much, from when we were total travel insurance newbies to now. (Alas, we learned more than we would have liked to know, due to our several claims, especially the bigger claims. But he was always available to help, before or after the policy purchase!) And since the travel insurance policies cost the same to the traveler, regardless of whether one gets it directly from the insurer or via a broker (who gets a commission from the insurer, not the traveler), I don't see much point in *not* using the services of a good broker. And that's especially IF one ends up with a major claim, which can't be known in advance. We ALWAYS recommend CALLING and speaking with them. There is so much customizing possible, that they will often ask you questions in addition to answering your own questions. That's a big part of their value, especially early on. (Now? We ususally say something like, "We'll take the regular!" 😀 Or ask if there's anything new we should know about, or tell them anything unusual about "this" trip.) GC

We had that same concern about a child in a cabin with a balcony door. We were traveling with children with one toddler, a very active toddler who loved to climb. Balcony? OMG! Mom & Dad might not have been worried, but I would have been sick with worry (my specialty, alas!), and that would have spoiled the trip. We got them an OV cabin, with what was like a jumbo porthole (rectangular, not a tiny round PH). Turned out the toddler staked out the nice wide "windowsill" and spent much of his non-sleep cabin time perched there. 🙂 DH and I had a large suite, and we gave them a key to our suite so they could come and go as they pleased, so their small cabin was really just for sleep and naps anyway. For an older child and a balcony door for one of two interior connecting cabins, can't the door be fully locked by staff, so not even the adults could open it? If so, then I'd guess no worries about an older child trying to take a quick look on the balcony in the "children's cabin". GC

Depending upon when you prefer to dine, be it date/day of week/time, if it turns out you can't get anything that works, then take the "next best" time on the same evening. It's very likely that it's going to be a lot easier for them to juggle reservation times a bit on the same evening, than to try to add a reservation to a different "full" evening. Then stop by the reservation desk as early as possible on your cruise, of the actual restaurant (not at a busy time!) and explain, and ask if they could move you closer to preferred time, etc. GC

This reporting was pre-Covid, which could be either better now... or worse... However, on another online Forum, there was considerable discussion/complaint about this precise issue: If *anything* went wrong, it seemed that everything went wrong. No backups, etc. Just system disruption. IIRC, they didn't tend to have multiple flights between A and B, so trying to get on "the next flight" could take some time, and also depend upon whether there were even any seats available on subsequent flights, whenever they were. GC

Could you tell us exactly which policy from which insurer you are referring to, and perhaps the exact sentence (or better yet, paragraph). This may not even apply to your situation. In some cases, and this does not apply to everyone, IF one wants to waive the exclusion of pre-existing conditions [and keep in mind that the travel insurance definition of "pre-existing condition" is almost definitely VERY different from what we tend to think of in that category!], then for most (but not all) policies with this, one MUST begin the insurance coverage within 10-20 days (state specific). So... if one doesn't want to pay for a huge trip cost that won't be paid for months or even years, then just choose the minimum amount... which is that first deposit. That starts the clock for you. As you make more payments for the trip, up the insurance for the payments-to-date, not counting that refundable bit anymore. If you don't want a coverage that requires the exclusion. then this issue may not be relevant anyway. GC

We've never sent any cash/cash equivalent in advance for a private tour/excursion. We *have* paid a deposit, or occasionally the entire amount by charge card, but ONLY if there was a very clear written and reasonable cancellation policy IN WRITING in a document they sent us by email, something other than a blurb on a website. And in that case, we try to use our Amex Plat charge card. Amex seems to have the best customer protections, and we figure the Plat flavor might be even better in case of a dispute (but we've never yet had a dispute 🙂 ). We've always found our guides by Googling something like "CityName private tours" or similar. And then we send a few emails to likely prospects. And then... we find out who is the most responsive and also willing to customize. That way, we can spend more time here and less time there, depending upon our interests. As we are finalizing the itinerary, we'll usually ask something like, "Given what we've been asking about, do you have any other suggestions about what we might want to include?" We also have no problem with "cash on the day", although we still prefer charge cards in case anything goes sideways (but we've never yet had anything go sideways either 🙂 ). Yes, that "trust factor" has been at the back of our minds, especiallly the first few times we arranged private guides. As mentioned above, we'd have really hated to be left standing there with no guide showing up. It would often be almost impossible to get an "on the spot" guide who was really good, or get someone on the spot at all! When there wasn't anything special, such as on a Caribbean island where there wasn't a specific site/sight for an extended stop, a couple of times, we've spoken with a taxi driver on the spot, however. Then, we usually ask to be driven around the island, and we ask about any special suggestions, be it "views" or "history" or whatever. On one island, we asked them to stop at 2 or 3 of the nicer hotels so we could take a look for a longer return visit. Once we had a few hotel names to look at, and another time, we left it to the guide. That worked very well, both times. In fact, one of the best was when, as we were leaving the first hotel on "our" list, the guide said something about adding another hotel he thought we might especially like. It was nearby, so we said, "okay, let's take a look". Well... That guide had really "heard" what we had been discussing prior to our arrival. That was indeed the very best, at least for us! That was a guide we had read about here on CC, too, or we wouldn't have found them. We don't join groups, so cancellations due to "small numbers" doesn't come up. It's "private", just for us, which also allows customizing. We have created groups a couple of times, in advance, from our Roll Call. Twice, it was in the Caribbean, when we chartered a large catamaran. In that case, it was expensive enough that "sharing" would be nice. It was also large enough that "sharing" with a small group wouldn't be any problem. And we had already figured out the "itinerary" so everyone knew in advance. Note: There's "trust" issues all around. On the best itinerary we ever found (for a cruise excursion) in the Med, we arranged everything a guaranteed it with our charge card. Then MIL had a medical emergency, and on short notice, we had to cancel... but we had the others in our group plus the guide...! So I scrambled, notified everyone, had the charge card switched to another of the group, and... they all went without us. 😞 That was also a dynamite cruise itinerary, one we've never seen again (althoough I've kept looking!). It took a bit of extra planning and emailing in advance, but it was worth it: the guides always turned out to be excellent. GC

That would vary with each ship (unless there are identical ships, which do occur sometimes), and also with the size of the ship. A 6,000 passenger ship probably has many more truly connecting cabins than a ship holding a fraction of that. That's why looking at the deck plans is what you need to do. GC

Yes, my point was that you want the connecting doors to be INSIDE both of the cabins. Our one unfortunate experience was with two immediately adjacent rooms (not a cruise, so thankfully it was just a couple of nights) but the the only way to get from one to the other was to go out of one, into the hallway, walk maybe 2-3 feet, and walk back into the other room. The fact that the two rooms shared a *wall* was obviously of absolutely no use (we don't travel with chain saws or such! 😲 ). Sorry for any misunderstanding. I don't think I used the terminology of "interior cabin", just "interior connecting" or similar. This has never come up before, and I've written about this many times, here and elsewhere. I'll be more clear in the future! Enjoy your cruise! GC

I don't understand your question. Needless to say, it depends upon what types of cabins or suites are on that particular ship. Whatever cabins or suites that are available (not already booked by others) should be available to you, same as for others. ?? GC

Note: The "sleeping arrangement" here is ONLY for the reservations, as minors can't be "alone". The ship doesn't do "bed checks" 😉 so once you are on board, set up the sleeping as you wish, and given the ages of the children, yes, get two INTERIOR CONNECTING cabins so you can keep the door between them open. Don't make the mistake (ahem!) of ending up with two *adjacent* cabins... with no "interior connecting doors". Double check the cabins by looking at the deck plans and make *sure* the two that you have are designated as "connecting". Enjoy! GC

I hsve never heard of a company called "Travel Insured Store", and when I just Googled that, and a few variations, nothing with that name showed up. (I could have missed something, obviously.) However, "Travel Insured" [without the "store" as part of the official name] *IS* definitiely a travel insurance company. We have used them many times, and also filed several claims (all of which were paid very promptly). And "Trip Insurance Store" (or www.TripInsuranceStore,com ) also *IS* defnitely a company, a travel insurance broker, selling policies from quite a few vetted travel insurers, one of which is "Travel Insured". We have also used "Trip Insurance Store" for *all* of our travel insurance policy purchases, and also for some help with a coupld of claims. GC

We agree with most of what @Torquer wrote above. (The rest is mostly due to lack of knowledge, *not* disagreement.) We went on our first HAL cruise just before Covid (Nov/Dec, 2019). DH saw an itinerary and wanted to go, and "If HE wants to go, then... WE ARE GOING!!" 😀 There were a very few Neptune Suites available, so we grabbed one. We enjoy the PH Suites on Oceania's Riviera: Very comfortable space (although their new ships have apparenty done away with the walk-in closet; such a nice place to quickly stash things for a sudden cleanup, right!? 😉 ). We [meaning me] did *not* do our regular "due diligence studying" so we weren't sure quite what to expect. WE HAD A *WONDERFUL* TRIP! One of our best, although part of that was the itinerary. We were planning to enjoy it no matter what, but enjoyment was so easy! That included the MDR food, which was a special surprise. It may not have been the same as Oceania (or their specialty restaurants), but there wasn't a single dinner where we had any complaint... and we'll complain if we think it's appropriate, especially privately to each other. Didn't happen! Our Neptune Suite cost approximately the same as Oceania's PH Suite for a similar length cruise. Space seemed similar, albeit different layout, of course. But HAL won hands down with a MUCH nicer and larger bathroom. SO much nicer! We did miss the wonderful Butler service that we've somehow become a bit too much accustomed to (how'd that happen!?) on a couple of other lines. But that did not detract from our cruise, in part... because of... LINCOLN CENTER! I wrote earlier about how I'd arrive early with a book so we could get up front and personal, which makes a big difference to us with live performances, and especially chamber music. The venue was **MOBBED** every afternoon. People spilling out the back, standing... Why HAL thinks LC won't be missed "too much"?? We left our cruise feeling like we had found a new home (the ship was not too big). And then... and then... LC went poof. If there is a completely dynamite itinerary, maybe... But otherwise, we won't be back. Such a shame! 😡 GC

I would discuss any concerns with Steve, at TIS. Ask him about what you are worried about (medical costs? documenting losses? or?). My guess is that with good insurance companies, IF you have a loss that IS covered (not something excluded, in the fine print or main print) AND you have documentation, there's not going to be a serious problem with claims. We've had some large claims and NEVER had a problem. (Okay, I've mentioned somewhere about the <$10 for taxi tips when I didn't have any receipt. Maybe I could have argued? For <$10, it just wasn't worth fretting about!) ALL other claims were paid in approximately 2 weeks after we submitted the forms. (That is, a few times, we didn't submit the forms right away, because we were dealing with "what happened". That delay is obviously "on us"! And once, as described, we had trouble getting appropriate wording from a foreign physician, so I didn't submit the claim until we had a letter that properly described the situation. That's not any problem with the insurer.) Most of the complaints here (obviously not all) are because either the basis for the claim wasn't covered (READ *all* of the Terms & Conditions, and this is where Steve, or any broker, would be able to discuss your concerns about what is/isn't covered) or there was a problem with the documentation, What I tend to see with the latter issue is that travelers object to letting the insurer look at medical records. Sometimes they invoke HIPAA. HIPAA does NOT apply here (it's for health provider types) plus the insurance application included a statement about providing records if needed. (Those could also be proof of purchase of something claimed, such as an excursion.) The insurer has a right to do their best to check that there's no fraud, after all. Paying claims without full receipts/documentation? That's asking for fraud from at least some people! 😡 About your last concern, pre-existing conditions... obviously you haven't been either discussing this with the broker/agent or you haven't been reading all the terms and conditions. Some policies do NOT exclude pre-existing conditions, full stop. And for many others, "pre-existing condition" for travel insurance can be VERY different from what we typically consider it to be in "regular life". Having high blood pressure or taking meds for that (or similar ailments) is NOT automatically an "excluded condition". GC

Thank you. That would be very nice. (We had a meeting that could not be rescheduled, unfortunately,) GC

It's quite similar south of the border 🙂 as described by @CDNPolar Our medical records are typically "ours" (to view, unless there is some reason to consider harm to the patient from viewing in some circumstances). And at least in the past, in our experience, we would have to pay for printed copies of medical records *unless* they were to be sent to another physician. With travel insurance, I would have expected the insurer also to include the costs of the medical docs if they were covering the claim. And we also have online portals; I hadn't thought of that! (Duh!) When MIL was hospitalized days before our planned departure, we just had the doctors fill out the insurance forms, which were rather short. (She was nearing 100, and was admitted for heart trouble. No one was questioning anything! And she made it until about a month before her 100th!!) Even when DH had a last minute medical emergency, all that was required was that same one page form. Now, our coverage does NOT exclude pre-existing conditions, so that probably makes many of the claims easier. Now, the overseas/foreign hospital for me was different. We requested copies of my medical records, and I was handed a thick stack of papers, in a foreign language. We copied those and sent the batch to the insurer! So no "insurance forms" were ever filled out. We've never felt the claims process to be burdensome. The insurers have a right to try to prevent/detect fraud. GC

For starters, send a copy of your hospital discharge records, which will also include the length of your stay, your diagnosis, etc. Or get a fresh copy of your records. Given that you knew you'd be missing the cruise and wanting to file a claim, it would have made sense to get a note as you were discharged. The insurer will want documentation that confirms it was a necessary hospital stay and with something that precluded travel (e.g., not elective cosmetic surgery or such). Depending upon the insurance terms, they may need to review your previous medical records IF they need to rule out whether the hospital stay was due to an excluded pre-existing condition. Glad you are better! GC