Traveling with Kids - Insurance

[hunnypot1]

We have medical insurance that reinburses us for foreign medical expenses.

In the past, we did not purchase insurance because we rarely fly to our cruise port and it just seemed so expensive.

Last fall, a few weeks before our family cruise, all five of us got H1N1 and barely recovered in time to go (only days to spare!). Well, I don't want to take any chances on our next cruise, so we are going to buy insurance.

Our cruise is on Carnival. We are taking our three kids. If one of them gets sick just before the cruise, we want to be able to reschedule the entire cruise because we want to vacation together, not in part.

How would the Carnival coverage or Travelex Select handle such a situation? Must I purchase the Travelex "cancel for any reason" rider to enable the healthy members of our party (in two separate cabins) to cancel? Will Carnival only provide a credit for those in the sick person's cabin or will they cover all five of us?

Thanks in advance for any info or suggestions.

[sirwired]

As far as I know, any comprehensive policy from any of the major 3rd-party providers (TravelGuard, TravelEx, CSA, etc.) will allow you to cancel the entire party if any single member of the group becomes too injured or ill to travel. No Cancel for Any Reason rider required. However, you would need to obtain a statement from the doctor specifically stating you/family member are/is too ill or injured to travel. You are also usually covered if you must stay home to take care of an ill or injured family member that isn't traveling.

 

However, heed the standard advice to read the policy in full before purchasing to make sure you know what you are getting. (This is called the "Description of Coverage" in Travel Insurance lingo.) It's usually about 10 or so pages... a little long, but written in relatively clear English.

 

SirWired

[patseacruiser]

Almost all insurances allow you to cancel if one of your travel companions has to back out for a covered reason. However, some of the policies do not cover pandemics so read the fine print.

[920codyroad]

I bought insurance for our cruise through Insuremytrip.com. I chose Travelex Travel Basic and added the Cancel For Any Reason to the policy. The company behind the policy is Nationwide Insurance.

 

Well, we had to cancel our cruise and I filed a claim on 4/30 and all I've received is an acknowledgment they have received my claim. I'm still waiting!!!

 

They're quick to take your money, but slow as can be to give any of it back.

[cruiseco]

I bought insurance for our cruise through Insuremytrip.com. I chose Travelex Travel Basic and added the Cancel For Any Reason to the policy. The company behind the policy is Nationwide Insurance.

 

Well, we had to cancel our cruise and I filed a claim on 4/30 and all I've received is an acknowledgment they have received my claim. I'm still waiting!!!

 

They're quick to take your money, but slow as can be to give any of it back.

 

With Travelex you can check the status of your claim at any time online. Go to:

 

http://www.travelex-insurance.com/planholders/FileAClaim.aspx

 

Scroll down to the "Check your claim status" section.

[cruiseco]

Well, we had to cancel our cruise and I filed a claim on 4/30 and all I've received is an acknowledgment they have received my claim. I'm still waiting!!!

 

They're quick to take your money, but slow as can be to give any of it back.

 

I forgot to add that it's just your luck to have filed a claim in the middle of the Iceland volcano mess -- probably the biggest travel disruption since 9/11. They're swamped. If it was me I'd give them a call and see what I could do to have my claim moved up to the top of the stack.