Your opinions please

[cruiserguy11]

We've sometimes taken out insurance, and sometimes not, for our numerous cruises. A couple of cruises ago a table mate said he'd had a heart attack on a cruise and the total cost of his evac BACK to the U.S. was covered. He said that saved their life savings, which I believe.

 

So now I get insurance each cruise but after reading this section I wonder if I'm just buying insurance and hoping it will cover my wife and I.

 

Here's are some facts for our upcoming cruise, and I'd appreciate all your collective expertise on what we need.

 

We will be driving in our own fully insured car from Spokane to L.A. and back.

The Mexican Riviera Carnival cruise will be 9 days and cost just under $1800.

I'm 65 and my wife is 64.

We have no pre-existing conditions at this time. My wife does take prescription drugs for high cholesterol. I take over the counter for reflux.

I like the idea of evac insurance and paid flights back to the U.S. if necessary.

 

I've looked at CSA online and they say $145.xx. for both of us with some of the included insurance not really needed. (Such as baggage delay.)

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

[cruiseco]

I like the idea of evac insurance and paid flights back to the U.S. if necessary.

 

Does this mean you don't want/need trip cancellation or interruption insurance?

 

Since you're already looking at CSA here's what the Freestyle plan covers up to $250,000:

 

"Covered Expenses:

1. expenses incurred by you for Physician-ordered emergency

medical evacuation, including medically appropriate

transportation and necessary medical care en route, to

the nearest suitable Hospital, when you are critically ill or

injured and no suitable local care is available, subject to

the Program Medical Advisor’s prior approval;

 

2. expenses incurred for non-emergency medical evacuation,

including medically appropriate transportation and medical

care en route, to a Hospital or to your place of residence

in the United States of America or Canada, when deemed

medically necessary by the attending physician, subject to

the Program Medical Advisor’s prior approval;"

 

So the cost of getting you off the ship plus the cost of getting you home once treated and stabilized enough to fly up to the policy limit.

 

In your age bracket all the coverages minus the trip cancellation/interruption will cost you about $35 p/p. Other companies will charge about the same if you look around some.

[cruiseco]

 

As I said, I've looked online at the CSA site and they quote $145.xx. After reading what you wrote, I went back and can't see where they offer any other plans than Custom and Custom Luxe which includes more than I need. And I like that you've suggested I can basically order a la carte. Possible?

 

Thanks

 

Those figures quotes are for the Freestyle plan (bot the Custom plan) which can be found at either http://www.travelinsurancecenter.com or http://www.tripinsurancestore.com

 

You can't really get any of the CSA plans truly " a la carte" but you can, if you choose, leave off the trip cancellation and trip interruption coverages. This will leave the medical, emergancy evac, 24-hour assistance, and some coverages you apparently don't need such as travel delay and baggage delay. When using the online quote form just use $0.00 as the insured trip cost.

[klfrodo]

What days are you using as your "Travel dates"? The day you step out of your door to begin the drive to the day you return home? Or just the dates of the cruise?

[cruiserguy11]

Thanks. I did reply to your original answer, and you were able to quote most of that reply, but it now doesn't show up on the page. How weird.

 

I went back to the CSA site and entered $0.00 as you suggested, and once it came back with a quote, it shows the $0.00 has been changed to $2000. And quoted $65.xx. Apparently all webpages I go to change stuff. :)

 

I then went to the first one you suggested ... put in $0 and they range from a low of $83 to a high of $385. Mind you the $385 one seems to be the Cadillac.

 

Finally your second suggestion...and an hours worth of reading and TRYING to comprehend.....and it comes up with $133 for the cheaper of the freestyle plans.

 

What I'll have to do is simply phone the companies and hopefully some human will be able to speak "old guy" and help with what I want.

 

Thanks for your help Mr. Cruiseco.

[cruiserguy11]

What days are you using as your "Travel dates"? The day you step out of your door to begin the drive to the day you return home? Or just the dates of the cruise?

 

Just the cruise dates ... Sept 23 to Oct 2/11.

[cruiseco]

I used the link at http://www.tripinsurancestore.com and it came up with $74 ($34 + $34 + $6 admin fee) using $0 trip cost, ages 65 and 65 and your 9/23 to 10/2 dates

 

Here's the link directly to the quote form

 

http://www.csatravelpro.com/?aff=82984013

[cruiserguy11]

I used the link at www.tripinsurancestore.com and it came up with $74 ($34 + $34 + $6 admin fee) using $0 trip cost, ages 65 and 65 and your 9/23 to 10/2 dates

 

Here's the link directly to the quote form

 

http://www.csatravelpro.com/?aff=82984013

 

Ahhh, I see. Dunno why mine came out so much higher. And I also thought it was per person.

 

Even though yours shows more than I want/need it seems reasonable since as you said earlier, a la carte isn't possible.

[cruiseco]

Ahhh, I see. Dunno why mine came out so much higher. And I also thought it was per person.

 

Even though yours shows more than I want/need it seems reasonable since as you said earlier, a la carte isn't possible.

 

Also, I forgot to mention one thing about the pricing that might make the Custom plan a less-expensive choice in your case if you don't need the trip cancellation coverage.

 

With the Custom plan the closer to your departure date that you buy the policy the less expensive it gets. If you're buying a policy with no trip cancellation coverage you can wait until the day prior to your departure from home and still buy your policy and it might even be a few dollars less that the quote you're getting now. You can check it by going back to the CSA site (the one with the Custom plans) and put in phony trip dates showing you're departing tomorrow and see if it's worth waiting or not.

[Guest maddycat]

I'm 65 and my wife is 64.

We have no pre-existing conditions at this time. My wife does take prescription drugs for high cholesterol. I take over the counter for reflux.

 

You do have pre-existing conditions. Your wife is under a doctor's care for high cholesterol. Are you self-medicating or is your doctor telling you to take over the counter medication for your reflux condition? If either of you have a medical emergency pertaining to either condition and you do not buy insurance with the pre-existing medical condition wavier you will not be covered.

[CRUISE4JANE]

Does this mean you don't want/need trip cancellation or interruption insurance?

 

Since you're already looking at CSA here's what the Freestyle plan covers up to $250,000:

 

"Covered Expenses:

1. expenses incurred by you for Physician-ordered emergency

medical evacuation, including medically appropriate

transportation and necessary medical care en route, to

the nearest suitable Hospital, when you are critically ill or

injured and no suitable local care is available, subject to

the Program Medical Advisor’s prior approval;

 

2. expenses incurred for non-emergency medical evacuation,

including medically appropriate transportation and medical

care en route, to a Hospital or to your place of residence

in the United States of America or Canada, when deemed

medically necessary by the attending physician, subject to

the Program Medical Advisor’s prior approval;"

 

So the cost of getting you off the ship plus the cost of getting you home once treated and stabilized enough to fly up to the policy limit.

 

In your age bracket all the coverages minus the trip cancellation/interruption will cost you about $35 p/p. Other companies will charge about the same if you look around some.

 

I bought insurance through Carnival for $119pp for my DH and I (total $238) which includes trip cancellation/interruption and baggage. If I were to just pay for medical at $35pp ($70 total for 2), there would be a difference of saving $168. Would you want to have to cancel and wind up paying for a cruise that you will never go on or would you rather be protected and at least go on a cruise at a later date. I would rather spend the additonal $168, then be out $2500. Peace of mind is important to me. I have seen a child, not an elderly person, evacuated. So this rule applies to ALL, not just the older crowd.

[CRUISE4JANE]

You do have pre-existing conditions. Your wife is under a doctor's care for high cholesterol. Are you self-medicating or is your doctor telling you to take over the counter medication for your reflux condition? If either of you have a medical emergency pertaining to either condition and you do not buy insurance with the pre-existing medical condition wavier you will not be covered.

 

I think they consider it a pre-existing condition if you are diagnosed 2-3 months prior to getting the insurance, even if your medication was changed so I am told. If you were diagnosed with a condition beyond that time period, you would be safe. I think it would be best to get the insurance as soon as possible. This way if anything would happen in the next few months, you would be covered.