Travel Insurance

[Embracedbylife]

Looking for suggestions on travel insurance options for an upcoming trip. We have bought acess america before but the truth is we've never had to worry about a claim. What companies do you think provide the best customer service and claim service if heaven forbid we really needed it? Do they cover all the portions of your trip including flights, hotels, etc?

[Coral]

I like Access America and Travelex. You can insure hotel and air with it if you want.

 

Be very careful if you have pre-existing conditions on when you buy the policy. Also, if you do not have any pre-existing conditions - you may develop one before the trip and then that condition may not be covered.

 

Also - check with the agency where you buy your cruise. For example - my agent sells Access America and it covers pre-existing conditions when bought at final payment. Other AA policies require you to buy the insurance within 14 days of putting a deposit down on the trip.

[highheel girl]

We always go with Princess ins.

[stretchcruz]

We always check with insuremytrip dot com....they compare many different companies and you can pick the coverage that is important to you (ie pre existing condition coverage). I've had to use a claim only once, and it was paid very promptly, I believe the company was accessamerica but won't swear to it. On the insuremytrip website you can compare a lot of companies. We've always found Princess insurance to cost more and cover less..but that depends on your age I think.

[Embracedbylife]

thanks everyone! will check out those sites!

[geocruiser]

Hi,

 

Just a note. Princess insurance does not insure your air fare even if you book Princess air.

 

Maria

[stretchcruz]

Wow! I didn't know that, but I don't usually book cruise line air. That's the good thing about a private policy I guess (besides the cost).

[Pam in CA]

There's really no such thing as the "right" insurance. They're all a bit different and no matter which one you go with, they are a gamble because of what they do or don't cover.

 

Things to look at are:

 

-- cancel for any reason (often not available if you don't book the insurance within two weeks of the initial booking)

-- whether age is a factor in calculating insurance costs

-- whether the insurance will cover you for illness onboard the ship, if you own personal insurance won't

-- coverage if you lose your job or have to cancel due to you or someone traveling with you gets sick or can't go

-- evacuation or transportation costs (aside from your initial air), etc.

 

We had reason to be thankful for our Princess insurance in January when my BIL got (as it turned out) fatally ill while onboard the Coral Princess. They are paying for the onboard medical expenses ($8,000) not covered by personal insurance and paid for our hotel costs for the month we spent in FL while my BIL was in the ICU there. Independent insurance coverage is very limited when it comes to family members accompanying the sick or injured.

 

For us, it turned out that without paying a phenomenal amount on insurance, the Princess insurance was the best for our circumstances. For others, it might not be but that's where the gamble comes in.

[candydane]

Princess insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions. You can use the cancel any reason provision, but that's either 75% or 100% credit for a future cruise, not your money back like you'd get from a separate insurance company.

 

Other policies will cover airfare (booked with Princess or not) and also non-refundable hotel reservations made with Priceline/Hotmail or an internet "special" rate.

 

Princess medical / evacuation coverage is usually less than policies you can buy for less money on TripInsuranceStore (which is what I usually use) or InsureMyTrip.

 

Princess insurance is based on your cruise cost and does not factor in age. So it can be cheaper for older cruisers and a better value as long as pre-existing coverage is not needed.

[Coral]

Princess insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions. You can use the cancel any reason provision, but that's either 75% or 100% credit for a future cruise, not your money back like you'd get from a separate insurance company.

 

 

They do cover it but it is a look back period from the day you pay for the insurance (not add the insurance to your booking). It is pretty complicating and some are hurt by this clause as they don't buy it right away and may develop pre-existing conditions before final payment.

 

I think if you have a pre-existing condition, you are far better to get 3rd party insurance.

[Coral]

Wow! I didn't know that, but I don't usually book cruise line air. That's the good thing about a private policy I guess (besides the cost).

 

This is new with their new air program. Cruise air used to be covered by it.