Tell me if this makes sense - lots of questions.

[Cruzin-K]

I booked a Europe cruise today. The cruise fare is well over $8,000. We can't book airfare for several more months. I had Princess add insurance which is $686. This won't cover airfare.

 

I went to squaremouth and insuremytrip and :eek: it's so hard to figure out the differences in plans, and how they compare to the Princess plan.

 

Could I stick with Princess for the cruise and just get separate insurance for airfare later on, when I actually book flights? Doing it that way really doesn't seem much different in total insurance cost than insuring the entire trip with CSA, Travelex, etc. and I wouldn't be committed to paying for that much insurance 515 days in advance :rolleyes:

 

I did find a few plans, in the $1,000 range (for the entire trip/air/cruise) that do cover you for pre-existing conditions as long as you get the insurance when you make the final payment. I don't see much advantage in getting insurance this far out, in that case :confused::confused:

 

I guess I hate to shell out $800 to $1,000 in insurance costs for the entire trip this far out, when I wouldn't have to pay Princess insurance until the date of final payment, and I can cancel the cruise with no penalty anytime until then. Adding insurance with another company just for airfare would run about $300 or so.

 

The wild card in all this is my Dad, who will not be traveling with us. If he gets sick, my Mom would probably cancel and I'd find someone else to go with me, or just go alone, meaning only her airfare would need to be refunded. Neither my Mom nor I have any health conditions that would be "pre-existing" at this point in time that would prevent us from traveling. My Dad does though, heart trouble, high blood pressure, cancer, you-name-it.

 

 

aaaaarrrrghhh!!!! I'm so confused :confused::o

[cherylandtk]

Karen,

Insurance can be very confusing, so do not fret. In your situation, my choice would be to purchase separate insurance which covers the cruise and air. But if you like the Princess insurance (which does have the cancel for any reason clause) then yes, you just purchase extra insurance for the air, if you want that.

 

Things to consider:

1. Pre-existing conditions can apply to non-travelling family members i.e Dad) if that person is your reason for cancelling. So check the policy wording carefully, but you probably want to get your 'air policy' in the next 10 days to be safe. Yes, even if you have not purchased the air yet. Estimate high, lower your coverage later if you get an air sale.

 

2. You and your Mom can purchase separate policies which makes sense if you expect different costs and cancellation needs.

 

3. You probably can find better and cheaper coverage than the Princess policy.

 

4. Understand that trip insurance is for specific named reasons only, unless you have 'any reason' coverage.

 

I also like to use tripinsurancestore.com They have good explanations on their website, helpful people on the phone, and limit the policies they sell to the top ones. Plus, Steve the owner reads these boards and posts regularly.