OK, you convinced me...

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

...for the first time ever, I bought trip insurance. When I first priced it, it seemed quite expensive, but I found a couple of sites to compare prices (thanks to Cruise Critic posters!) and found something good.

 

Usually we take a fairly cheap trip, just two people, off-peak times, but this time our cruise leaves December 26th, we're flying in December 25th...middle of winter, on a major holiday...with four people on a more expensive cruise week...so I thought it was worth the price of the insurance. :D

[comeon530]

It's one of those things that I hate to spend the money on, but when you need it, it's totally worth the price.

[janetz]

Peace of mind and it does not cost too much. ;)

[cloverseeker]

Our final payment was just last week and my husband and I were talking about trip insurance for our upcoming cruise in Oct. We didn't take it at the time we booked and thought we would just add it on later.....bad thing is my husband just got layed off today from work. :mad: Wish I wouldn't have waited now.:(

[imnance]

If you used a credit card to make your payments, check with your CC co. Some cards automatically cover you if you use them to pay for a trip.

[KFinTx]

Very advisable to get trip insurance during Christmas! I got stranded in Houston a couple of years ago & was able to book a hotel room at the airport hotel. They covered the hotel room, plus some sundries that I had to buy, thanks to the stupid exploding toothpaste rule. The airline coughed up a couple of meal vouchers on top of that. I was very happy to have insurance that night!

[tiger belle]

does this type of policy also cover medical emergencies while on the cruise? I never worry about getting trip insurance to cover the possibility that I would have to miss the cruise because of some personal emergency, since the most you could lose was the price of the cruise which you usually would have already paid...what worries me is having some sort of medical issue on board (like a stroke or heart attack) and having to pay $10,000 for a medical helicopter transport to the mainland

[ron57nie]

does this type of policy also cover medical emergencies while on the cruise? I never worry about getting trip insurance to cover the possibility that I would have to miss the cruise because of some personal emergency, since the most you could lose was the price of the cruise which you usually would have already paid...what worries me is having some sort of medical issue on board (like a stroke or heart attack) and having to pay $10,000 for a medical helicopter transport to the mainland

 

 

It usually does cover it, but you can get a policy which lasts a year and gives 50K coverage for medical and evacuation for about $100 a year. Its in affect any time you are 150 miles from home. I have mine through Global Travel Shield which is afiliated with American Express. If you travel alot this covers the big problems, i don't worry about a missed bag or if we lose the cost of the trip but an evacuation scares the poop out of me.

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

does this type of policy also cover medical emergencies while on the cruise? I never worry about getting trip insurance to cover the possibility that I would have to miss the cruise because of some personal emergency, since the most you could lose was the price of the cruise which you usually would have already paid...what worries me is having some sort of medical issue on board (like a stroke or heart attack) and having to pay $10,000 for a medical helicopter transport to the mainland

 

Yes, the policy I bought does have quite a bit of medical coverage. I am not as worried about that as I am missing the cruise from a missed connection or delay of trip or something like that...I know the trip is already paid for, but in the case of our upcoming holiday cruise...it's a lot more that we normally have to pay for vacation...so I specifically looked for that coverage...all the policies had medical though. (The ones I compared anyway.)

[GlendaleCruiser]

That's the kind of policy I buy. That potential for expense worries me more than trip cancellation. Of course, going to Europe means more expenses so more loss and also more expenses should I need hospitalization. I also travel with a friend who doesn't have medical insurance, so we have a lot of peace of mind knowing that EVERYTHING is covered for $182 over 16 days.

 

travel guard

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I hate spending the money on insurance. I booked a cruise for Ottober, but did cough up the 245.00 to cover the five of us, mainly because of somethings it would cover in the event the oil spill affects the cruise and because I have a tendency to worry. As I get more experienced with travel I find it's just easier to pay for some things rather than worry.

I have a question though - the Carnival sales person said she would send me the insurance docs but I only got a confirmation email, confirming the cruise. It shows I paid for the insurance, but I'd like to view everything it covers. Any idea where I find this?

[afcj1]

I hate spending the money on insurance. I booked a cruise for Ottober, but did cough up the 245.00 to cover the five of us, mainly because of somethings it would cover in the event the oil spill affects the cruise and because I have a tendency to worry. As I get more experienced with travel I find it's just easier to pay for some things rather than worry.

I have a question though - the Carnival sales person said she would send me the insurance docs but I only got a confirmation email, confirming the cruise. It shows I paid for the insurance, but I'd like to view everything it covers. Any idea where I find this?

 

It's list on their website under travel protection:

http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/cruise_control/CarnivalCVPPDescriptionofCoverage.pdf

 

Peace of mind is a wonderful thing:)

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Ken076]

I hate spending the money on insurance. I booked a cruise for Ottober, but did cough up the 245.00 to cover the five of us, mainly because of somethings it would cover in the event the oil spill affects the cruise and because I have a tendency to worry.

 

I'm not sure what kind of specific "oil spill" coverage you're hoping for? ken

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I'm not sure what kind of specific "oil spill" coverage you're hoping for? ken

I booked through Carnival and they said that if I got the insurance and something happened like having to move the boarding from Miami to Port Canaveral, or some other port, that they cover 500.00 for airfare to get to the new port. Also, if they do a change to the itinerary because of the spill you can get your money back if you don't like the changes whereas normally the most you would ever get is a future credit.

[Ken076]

I booked through Carnival and they said that if I got the insurance and something happened like having to move the boarding from Miami to Port Canaveral, or some other port, that they cover 500.00 for airfare to get to the new port. Also, if they do a change to the itinerary because of the spill you can get your money back if you don't like the changes whereas normally the most you would ever get is a future credit.

 

I have to research these claims a bit - in the meantime I'd be a bit leery of them!!! They may well be recently documented somewhere!

 

• There are no specific "oil spill" coverage statements in the Carnival Berkely Policy.
  
• 
  
• The $500 coverage is under TRIP DELAY coverage, which covers catch-up expenses for the case where a natural disaster enroute to the ship causes you miss ship departure - as opposed to an announced port change days before departure.
  
• 
  
• Change of Itinerary isn't referred to in the Carnival Policy and is contrary to Carnival's published Policy for Itinerary changes for situations beyond Carnival's control.
  

 

"If the itinerary change is for reasons beyond Carnival’s exclusive control, including but not limited to safety, security, weather, strikes, tides, hostilities, civil unrest, port closings, emergency debarkations of guests or crew, late air, sea, car or motor coach departures or arrivals, mechanical breakdowns or problems not known to Carnival, itinerary changes consistent with U.S. State Department travel warnings / advisories or other applicable US or foreign governmental advisories, guests will not be provided any compensation. Guests electing to cancel will be subject to the standard cancellation terms.

 

ITINERARY CHANGE AFTER DEPARTURE In the event an itinerary change becomes necessary while the ship is at sea or when notice prior to sailing is not feasible, Carnival and/or the Master will attempt to substitute an alternative port. Carnival and/or the Master may, in their discretion and for any purpose, deviate in any direction or for any purpose from the direct or usual course, and omit or change any or all ports of calls, arrival or departure times, with or without notice, for any reason whatsoever, all such deviations being considered as forming part of and included in the proposed voyage. Carnival shall have no liability for any refund or other damages in such circumstances."

 

 

ken

[e71465]

I always buy trip insurance. This is why... In 2007, 3 days before we were to leave on the Pride, I had emergency surgery! My trip insurance covered 100% of my out of pocket expenses!

 

In 2008, while in the Western Caribbean my Mom and I were sunning on a beautiful sunny beach when all of a sudden a huge rain storm dumped several inches of rain on us. We ran for cover at the bar (LOL) and left our backpacks on the sand under an umbrella. It rained so hard the beach had 2 to 3 inches of standing water on it. Long story short, my new nano ipod was inside my backpack sitting in water!! Trip insurance paid for a new one!

 

You never know when something will happen! I had no idea I was going to have to have appendicitis 3 days before leaving and I sure as heck didn't know the rain would flood a beach!! Buy your trip insurance, it's not that expensive and you never know when you'll need it!

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

I'm not sure what kind of specific "oil spill" coverage you're hoping for? ken

 

I don't know about Carnival's coverage specifically, since that's not the one we ended up going with, but some of the ones I looked at did include verbiage on oil spills and the Iceland volcano...guess it's the thing this year...don't know specific coverages though.