Jump to content

Advice for parents in mid-70s


Raeburn6111
 Share

Recommended Posts

My Mum and I enjoyed a fantastic river cruise in 2015 with Viking from Budapest to Amsterdam with some time in Paris and London afterwards. A magic 6 weeks!!!

 

Mum is looking to book a similar cruise for herself and my father but is rapidly being put off as she says that the cruises are booked too far in advance for them to get travel insurance at the time of booking.

 

They both have had a few medical scares over the past few years but still can get insurance.... however are not happy to run the risk of paying for a cruise and not be able to insure until closer to the cruising date - and in the meantime find for what ever reason they can't go and will therefore lose their money.

 

I have commented that there must be a way around this as there are many people of their age travelling.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

Thanks in advance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not sure where you live. I am Canadian. We can buy insurance for the whole year and not just by the trip. We are on the U.S. border and often travel into the neighbouring towns on the U.S. side. We should always have travel insurance as something can happen close to home in the U.S. as it can happen when you are in Europe and far away. Have your parents looked into yearly coverage?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure how much we can "name" on here, but if you do a search, there are threads talking about insurance. I seem to recall someone mentioning insurance that you put down a "deposit" and pay more as you pay more towards your trip. I don't think we have it here in Canada if you are Canadian, but possibly in the US?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have recently purchased the year round insurance for many of the same reasons. Not only does it cover us for cruises, but also for any other vacation that we take throughout the year...even if only going off for the weekend and not far from home.

 

Not sure if this helps, but I saw the following on a Cruise Critic article about the importance of having a specialized River Cruise agent.

 

Travel agents have access to better Travel Insurance policies

When you buy Travel Insurance on your own, you can only get Pre-Existing Illness coverage if you purchase the policy within a small window of making your initial payment toward the trip. Travel Agents have access to a policy that includes Pre-Existing Illness coverage if purchased right up to the final payment.

 

 

So perhaps you should be asking an agent these questions. Here is the link to the whole article: ;)

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2429094

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Purchase the travel insurance from the cruise line the same time you book the cruise

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

NO WAY!!!!! If you buy your own airfare or plan to stay extra time, it is not covered by the insurance company you have just purchased through the cruise line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Mum and I enjoyed a fantastic river cruise in 2015 with Viking from Budapest to Amsterdam with some time in Paris and London afterwards. A magic 6 weeks!!!

 

Mum is looking to book a similar cruise for herself and my father but is rapidly being put off as she says that the cruises are booked too far in advance for them to get travel insurance at the time of booking.

 

They both have had a few medical scares over the past few years but still can get insurance.... however are not happy to run the risk of paying for a cruise and not be able to insure until closer to the cruising date - and in the meantime find for what ever reason they can't go and will therefore lose their money.

 

I have commented that there must be a way around this as there are many people of their age travelling.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

It is not required that you buy insurance at the time of booking but you do lose certain coverages if you don't. It is possible to buy a minimal amount of insurance at booking and then when you make your final payment, increase the coverage. Just make sure that you have covered the cost of your cruise and other pre-paid expenses. The reasons that you should buy your insurance at the time of booking is to cover "existing conditions." However, if your parents are in good health, they can choose to wait to purchase the insurance until they have more at stake. (Just note that just because I am mentioning it does not mean that I am recommending it; it is a path that can be followed but it has it downsides).

 

Unless you can afford to kiss $10,000 to $20,000-- or even more -- away when you have to cancel at the last minute, you need some sort of travel insurance; it is the only way to secure your investment. Travel insurance is a cost of traveling, just like gas, hotels, transfers, airport parking, your bar bill. It is a necessary evil but you will never regret having bought it should disaster strike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with much of the advice given so far (and I follow the "buy early to cover the deposit then keep increasing" advice), but since OP didn't give a location and since the parents are over 70 I wasn't sure if my knowledge is applicable to their case. One thing I am sure of that hasn't been mentioned yet: whatever travel insurance they get, they should supplement it with MedJet Assist membership to give them control over when and to where they are evacuated if something really bad happens and they get admitted to a hospital on their trip. Especially when bought through AARP, MedJet is a terrific bargain insurance supplement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with much of the advice given so far (and I follow the "buy early to cover the deposit then keep increasing" advice), but since OP didn't give a location and since the parents are over 70 I wasn't sure if my knowledge is applicable to their case. One thing I am sure of that hasn't been mentioned yet: whatever travel insurance they get, they should supplement it with MedJet Assist membership to give them control over when and to where they are evacuated if something really bad happens and they get admitted to a hospital on their trip. Especially when bought through AARP, MedJet is a terrific bargain insurance supplement.

There are some situations where it is not applicable. I currently have fairly comprehensive travel medical insurance through my work. For that reason, as long as the deposit is reasonable (my upcoming Avalon trip required only $250 Canadian) I don't bother insuring that for cancellation, because the cost of the insurance (which is not refunded) would be more than I stand to lose. When I make final payment (or make enough guaranteed payments to make it worth my while) I take out cancellation/trip interruption coverage, which doesn't have a pre-existing conditions exclusion, and top it up whenever I add any more non-refundable charges. It means that until I buy the insurance, I can cancel my trip for any reason without undue loss.

 

(When I booked my Myanmar trip in January of 2017 for November 2018, I had a choice between Avalon and Pandaw. Avalon, as mentioned only wanted $250 down. Pandaw, in addition to charging in US dollars which is risky for me, wanted 25% non-refundable deposit. That would have required me to insure it right away, and would be less flexible for me.)

 

Obviously this approach doesn't work for everyone, but as long as I'm still working it works for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Canceling at the last minute is NOT the worst case scenario. IMO worse is significant medical problems during the trip. I have good worldwide health insurance plus substantial medical evacuation insurance and homeowners insurance that would cover much of lost or stolen items. I do not consider trip insurance a necessary evil, have never bought specific travel insurance and am way ahead of the game. Whether I cancel at the last minute or go on the trip the money is gone; just as I can afford the trip I can afford the identical amount of money if I cancel. Over the last 15 years I have traveled over 30 months or approximately 1000 days and not once would I have made a trip insurance claim. By not buying trip insurance and banking the money not spent I can now cancel at least 10 trips at the last minute and still be ahead. Until my health gets considerably worse and thereby changes the risk/reward ratio I’ll continue to self insure the actual trip. YMMV

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check into your credit card. Some of them are now offering significant travel insurance if you use them to pay for the trip.

Unless things are very different than they are in Canada, the limits on credit card travel insurance are very small. Even for me alone, the limits won't cover much of the prepaid expenses on a river cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check into your credit card. Some of them are now offering significant travel insurance if you use them to pay for the trip.

 

 

 

We have such a card and compared benefits in detail with several travel policies, finding the CC to equal the insurance policies in all but medical & evacuation coverage. So we buy that coverage separately at a much better price than buying a comprehensive travel policy.

 

Last year we had to cancel a fairly expensive tour of Germany about 2 months out because our adult son needed major surgery. The tour operator refunded part of the cost and the CC company refunded the rest, after we submitted the necessary (and reasonable) documentation. We were very happy with the process and outcome.

 

ETA this CC carries a hefty annual fee but provides significant benefits for those who travel a lot.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NO WAY!!!!! If you buy your own airfare or plan to stay extra time, it is not covered by the insurance company you have just purchased through the cruise line.

 

 

 

The extra time doesn’t cost much, it’s usually cancelable. Airline tickets depend on the airline. Many allow you to rebook with a fee.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One other point: if you buy third-party travel insurance at the time of booking, just to cover the deposit – this locks in "pre-existing" coverage – but if you cancel the cruise, you can decide to eat the deposit and roll over the insurance to your next trip, so you don't lose the premium.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One other point: if you buy third-party travel insurance at the time of booking, just to cover the deposit – this locks in "pre-existing" coverage – but if you cancel the cruise, you can decide to eat the deposit and roll over the insurance to your next trip, so you don't lose the premium.

 

What if I don't have a next trip booked? Will they let me roll the premium?

 

Let me see if I get this. I paid a deposit of $1000 plus another $131 for insurance for my next trip, balance due in September, at which time I will raise the amount of coverage to cover the entire trip. If I cancel today, I get all but $200 of my deposit back. Now I have two choices. 1) I can eat the $200 and roll the $131 of premium into my next trip; I'll be out $200. Or, 2) I can make a claim against the insurance and get back the $200; I'll be out $131. I'll choose option 2; it is the smaller loss. The only time I would take option 1 is if I spent more for the insurance than the amount of the cancellation penalty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What if I don't have a next trip booked? Will they let me roll the premium?

 

Let me see if I get this. I paid a deposit of $1000 plus another $131 for insurance for my next trip, balance due in September, at which time I will raise the amount of coverage to cover the entire trip. If I cancel today, I get all but $200 of my deposit back. Now I have two choices. 1) I can eat the $200 and roll the $131 of premium into my next trip; I'll be out $200. Or, 2) I can make a claim against the insurance and get back the $200; I'll be out $131. I'll choose option 2; it is the smaller loss. The only time I would take option 1 is if I spent more for the insurance than the amount of the cancellation penalty.

 

The $69 is the cost of insuring that a pre-existing illness won't develop between the time of your deposit and final payment. If you end up taking the trip, you don't even lose that. That's how all insurance works [do you regret that you didn't die during the first year of a term life insurance policy? The insurance company won and you lost that year -- but most people keep paying the premium because some year your heir will collect]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aren't there river cruise lines that don't require to book and pay as far ahead as Viking? Would that be better for planning?

 

 

 

If you are picky about your itinerary and cabin you might need to put in a deposit very early. That starts the clock for pre-existing conditions. It isn’t so much the timing of the final payment.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The $69 is the cost of insuring that a pre-existing illness won't develop between the time of your deposit and final payment. If you end up taking the trip, you don't even lose that. That's how all insurance works [do you regret that you didn't die during the first year of a term life insurance policy? The insurance company won and you lost that year -- but most people keep paying the premium because some year your heir will collect]

 

I am not arguing the value of insurance as a hedge against risk when we cannot afford to self-insure (which is what we are doing when we insure a vacation). Just because I can afford a cruise does not mean that I can afford to lose that same money if I have to cancel, or even worse, if something catastrophic happens during the trip. Hence, trip insurance of one sort or another. I am also not arguing the value of life insurance or any regret that might be attached to its purchase.

 

What I am saying is simply that if I have a choice of recovering $200 or $131, regardless of what each of those $$ are labeled, I will always opt to recover the greater amount, period, unless there is some added benefit that I don't know about that makes that premium roll over worth more than its face value. In other words, rolling the premium is not always the optimal or rational plan of action.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have used travel insurance through USAA partner for the last several years. We have had to use it twice. Once when American cancelled our flight from Dublin and would not route us out till next day. They covered hotel and dog sitting, as we had to fight later with American to get our due compensation. Then last December, last day of river cruise and then one week in Germany, one of our traveling companions became very ill, went to ER by ambulance in Passau and was admitted for a week. They German hospital system was great and inexpensive compared to U S. Travel ins paid for missed hotels and tours, as well as hotel we had to stay in Passau and transportation. All of us are in our 60s, but you never know.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Canceling at the last minute is NOT the worst case scenario. IMO worse is significant medical problems during the trip. I have good worldwide health insurance plus substantial medical evacuation insurance and homeowners insurance that would cover much of lost or stolen items. I do not consider trip insurance a necessary evil, have never bought specific travel insurance and am way ahead of the game. Whether I cancel at the last minute or go on the trip the money is gone; just as I can afford the trip I can afford the identical amount of money if I cancel. Over the last 15 years I have traveled over 30 months or approximately 1000 days and not once would I have made a trip insurance claim. By not buying trip insurance and banking the money not spent I can now cancel at least 10 trips at the last minute and still be ahead. Until my health gets considerably worse and thereby changes the risk/reward ratio I’ll continue to self insure the actual trip. YMMV

 

I feel the same. I tend to "self insure" with the money that I saved by not purchasing health insurance. With that being said, I recently made an exception when we cruised around the southern part of South America. In Europe, we do not feel as though we need it since it is not a third world country. When I did have an accident and went to the hospital, there was no charge as it was one of the free hospital due to the socialized health care of that country. Left with stitches in my head and two bags of meds with no charge. Of course, this is risky but you can always supplement with medical evacuation insurance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This discussion led me to go back through all my cruise files and compute the insurance costs. Since 2011 we have insured 18 trips (mostly cruises) for a total premium cost of $10,841. And through 2016 we only had one small claim of $127 (for a visit to the ship's doctor). BUT in 2017 we had to cancel a trip at the very last minute and on that one we got back $11,805 -- more than covering all the premiums we had paid on all the trips. In addition we had medical and travel coverage for all those trips. Those trips were in our 60s in excellent health. Now that we are embarking on our 70s, you betcha we will continue to buy travel insurance (and keep MedJet) for every trip we take – because the likelihood of collecting gets greater with every year we get older.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...