CruiseCare Question

[kruzerci]

I have a CruiseCare question for the insurance experts out there.

 

We booked our upcoming Freedom cruise while we were onboard in May, so our initial payment was 7 months ago, and our final payment is not for another month or two. For some reason, CruiseCare was not added at the time of booking, like I thought it was.

 

I have been researching travel protection plans online, and most of them require the insurance to be purchased within 7-21 days of initial payment in order for pre-existing conditions to be covered.

 

Is this the case with Royal Caribbean's CruiseCare? I have contacted Royal Caribbean and they told me that it would not matter as long as it was added before the final payment date.

 

Can anybody confirm this or add your input?

 

Thank you all.

[Buccaneergirl]

I always book the cruisecare insurance at final payment. No problem.

[Familygoboston]

But does it still cover the pre existing conditions? I have this same question. I have 4 people booked on Allure, but one is my HS senior and the whole thing could need to be cancelled before final payment depending on her schedule. My husband has a heart issue that could pop up again at anytime, so I always insure within 10 days to have that covered. But the insurance on an insurance website in this instance would be 400-800 bucks :eek:(I will lose if we choose not to cruise) and of course I've only paid a refundable 300 bucks for the trip so far! Is RCIs insurance refundable too, if you cancel the cruise before final payment?

If anyone has had experience with this, let us know.

[39august]

I also would like to know. I woudn't trust a CR at RCI to know the correct answer to this. I highly doubt that pre-exsisting conditions would be covered if not purchased in the first 14 days after first cruise payment.

[kruzerci]

I also would like to know. I woudn't trust a CR at RCI to know the correct answer to this. I highly doubt that pre-exsisting conditions would be covered if not purchased in the first 14 days after first cruise payment.

 

I called the insurance company that is behind CruiseCare a few minutes ago and they told me as long as the pre-existing condition was under control 60 days before the policy was purchased, it would be covered, and you could purchase the coverage up to final payment date. Does this sound right to yall?

[NorbertsNiece]

Insurance is a vital part of any vacation, cruise or otherwise, and I'm really glad to see this question raised here as a reminder to others how important it is.

 

To get a definitive answer to your question you really should address it to the company concerned as opposed to getting advice from the board. It's too important a matter to rely on anonymous advice. I'm glad you called them. JMO.

[PantherFan]

I called the insurance company that is behind CruiseCare a few minutes ago and they told me as long as the pre-existing condition was under control 60 days before the policy was purchased, it would be covered, and you could purchase the coverage up to final payment date. Does this sound right to yall?

 

 

I would call them back and ask them to put that in writing or show you where it is spelled out in the cruise care package. Just to be safe...:)

[xxoocruiser]

Personally I never purchase the travel insurance offered by any cruise line as it's primarily only covers cancelation and does offer a "PRE-EXITING WAIVER" . Nor does the insurance offered by most cruiselines offer a medical evacution coverage . Having to be airlifted off a ship in a medical emergency can be very expensive. Also if you are on Medicare it does not cover a person when outside the USA.

[ryano]

Personally I never purchase the travel insurance offered by any cruise line as it's primarily only covers cancelation and does offer a "PRE-EXITING WAIVER" . Nor does the insurance offered by most cruiselines offer a medical evacution coverage . Having to be airlifted off a ship in a medical emergency can be very expensive. Also if you are on Medicare it does not cover a person when outside the USA.

 

Cruise Care DOES cover medical evac. up to 25 grand and it also has a "cancel for any reason" clause that will give you 75% cruise credit towards another cruise if you have to cancel "for any reason"

 

there may be better coverage out there but for 59.00 for a 7 night cruise, Im ok with using CruiseCare.........Also, my personal health insurance covers me out of country as well

[xxoocruiser]

Cruise Care DOES cover medical evac. up to 25 grand and it also has a "cancel for any reason" clause that will give you 75% cruise credit towards another cruise if you have to cancel "for any reason"

 

there may be better coverage out there but for 59.00 for a 7 night cruise, Im ok with using CruiseCare.........Also, my personal health insurance covers me out of country as well

 

For anyone that travels with a pre-existing and is on Medicare $25K in Med Evacuation Coverage hardly covers it. " Cancel for any reason" is not my concern but medical coverage is. So for $20.00 more I can purchase a policy with a true "pre-existing waiver" and $500,000.00 Med Evacuation Coverage. Everyone has different needs and priorities.

[Clarea]

One item I have not read on this thread regarding Cruise Care is when you actually pay for it. I've seen on previous threads that talked about Cruise Care that if you book a cruise, add Cruise Care, and pay only the cruise deposit, you have not yet "purchased" Cruise Care. Some posters thought that this could effect the pre-existing condition coverage.

 

Another situation where the purchase date of Cruise Care would be significant is if the cruise is cancelled before final payment due to medical reasons and the purchaser wanted a refund for non-refundable airfare. Obviously, cancelling before final payment would give a full refund in cruise deposit whatever the reason for cancellation, but if non-refundable airfare had been purchased, the Cruise Care policy would not cover airfare refund because Cruise Care had not been purchased yet.

 

In other words, in order to pay for Cruise Care before final payment (and thus have it be effective for non cruise line refunds), you must specifically request to pay Cruise Care and then pay for it over and above the cruise deposit.

[gaylemh]

I called the insurance company that is behind CruiseCare a few minutes ago and they told me as long as the pre-existing condition was under control 60 days before the policy was purchased, it would be covered, and you could purchase the coverage up to final payment date. Does this sound right to yall?

 

I was told the same thing when I called last month. Just try not to go to the doctors or get any testing done in the 60 days prior to purchasing the insurance (final payment), cause I would think they would be able to hold it against you.

 

I called because my Mom is in a nursing home. I wanted to find out if pre-existing applies to family not traveling with you. I was told that the pre-existing is only for the people actually traveling on the cruise. That I would be covered if something happened to my Mom.

[kruzerci]

I called because my Mom is in a nursing home. I wanted to find out if pre-existing applies to family not traveling with you. I was told that the pre-existing is only for the people actually traveling on the cruise. That I would be covered if something happened to my Mom.

 

Thank you so much for replying. That was exactly what I was wondering about. I was told the same thing when I called again but its always good to have a second set of ears.

[mo&fran]

Personally I never purchase the travel insurance offered by any cruise line as it's primarily only covers cancelation and does offer a "PRE-EXITING WAIVER" . Nor does the insurance offered by most cruiselines offer a medical evacution coverage . Having to be airlifted off a ship in a medical emergency can be very expensive. Also if you are on Medicare it does not cover a person when outside the USA.

I believe the only organization that is qualified to airlift you from a ship in the Caribbean is the USCG, who is prohibited from charging for this service. Your tax dollars at work.

[PH8]

I read someone on here,pre existing conditions will not be covered unless you pay for cruise care when you purchase it.....not at final payment time.

 

their phone number is 800-797-4516

[xxoocruiser]

I believe the only organization that is qualified to airlift you from a ship in the Caribbean is the USCG, who is prohibited from charging for this service. Your tax dollars at work.

 

Though the OP is taking a Carribean Cruise , you are making the assumption that people only cruise to the Caribean. There are many other places in the world that I have cruise to that the US Coast Guard does not service such as the Baltic Sea, Mediterranean, Asia, Dubai etc etc etc. Therefore One can't always depend on their tax dollars to get them off the ship in a case of medical emergency.