Should I buy travel insurance or not?

[MR NW GUY]

:confused:I have not purchase insurance our last few cruises. Now I am wondering if I should purchase insurance for our next cruise. I really am mostly concerned with the time of year we are traveling.

 

Does anyone have an other insurance alternatives they can recommend?

 

Background:

Live in Seattle area.

Flying to Fort Lauderdale. (Direct Flight)

Allowing 1-extra day for delays.

14-day Cruise - departing Dec 21.

3-family members traveling - all in good health.

Purchased all airline tickets, connections and hotels seperately.

_______________________________________________________________

Insurance:

 

 

 

STANDARD CANCELLATION PROTECTION PLAN

• Cancel for any reason, up to 24 hours before departure
  
• Refund of 80% of the cancellation fees
  
• Same price for all ages
  
• $500 liability for lost, damaged, or delayed baggage
  

PLATINUM CANCELLATION PROTECTION PLAN

 

 

Our Platinum Plan offers all of the benefits of the Standard Plan, plus

• Cancel for any reason, right up to departure
  
• Refund of 90% of the cancellation fees
  
• No pre-existing condition exclusions
  
• Trip interruption and delay coverage
  
• Increased baggage protection
  
• Emergency medical coverage up to $10,000, plus up to $50,000 for emergency evacuation
  
• 24-hour emergency hotline assistance
  

*****Summary of Benefits Attached*****

 

________________________________________________________________

Total Fare

Paid in US$ Standard Plan Upgrade to Platinum Plan

Platinum for only:

 

$0 – $1,000 $79 $20 $99

$1,001 – $1,250 $99 $30 $129

$1,251 – $1,500 $119 $40 $159

$1,501 – $1,750 $139 $50 $189

$1,751 – $2,000 $159 $60 $219

$2,001 – $2,500 $189 $70 $259

$2,501 – $3,000 $229 $80 $309

$3,001 – $3,500 $269 $90 $359

$3,501 – $4,000 $309 $110 $419

$4,001 – $4,500 $349 $120 $469

 

Above $4,500, the Standard Plan cost is an additional $30 and the Platinum Plan is an additional

$60 for each $500 of fare or fraction of $500.

Cruise Travel Ins Summary.pdf

[kakalina]

I never used to buy insurance. Until the time I got badly hurt on a cruise and had to be flown home.

Now we never leave home without it. There is a place isuremytrip.com that will let you compare prices and benefits. We just go for the HAL platinum.

[doublebzz]

As an alternative, you might consider getting a credit card that includes travel insurance when purchasing travel with that card. Although most of these cards require an annual fee, its more than made up for with the included free travel insurance.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we were younger and didn't have health issues AND we had lots of choices for flights, we never bought insurance.

Being older and with very little choice of flights, too many things could happen -- so we do buy insurance.

A couple of years ago our first flight was cancelled the day we got to the airport. So they got us on a later flight -- but that meant that our connecting flight also had to be reschedule. We got to Ft Lauderdale 6 hours later than what we had booked. Glad that we had gone down a couple of days early. Flying in on the same day we would have missed the ship.

[doublebzz]

:

Allowing 1-extra day for delays.

 

This is critical. With certain exceptions (e.g. flights from New York to MIA/FLL with over 30 flights a day), folks who fly into a port on the sailing date might just as well be shooting craps.

[lorilea]

A few years back, we missed a ship at embarkation due to a delayed flight. We had purchased travel insurance so we were reimbursed for the first couple of days that we missed on the cruise. We were fortunate that we had booked flight and cruise together on the airline's travel agency so they flew us to our first port and put us up in an all inclusive for 2 days. There were many others at the airport going on various cruise lines that were on their own and had not bought insurance.

As well, my sisters brand new camera was stolen the first night on the ship. Travel insurance covered this as well.

 

We always purchase travel insurance.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We have used it 3 times and I just broke my ankle and had to cancel a B2B 26 day cruise .

[tangerinebunny]

It's been often observed here that most of us can afford to lose the cost of our cruise, but we can't afford emergency transportation off the ship and home.

 

I start at insuremytrip.com too.

 

Anyone can have an accident while away from home.

[uppitycats]

Someone in this thread suggested that you get a credit card with travel insurance attached. READ that protection plan before you decide it's enough! There are often loopholes in them the size of the grand canyon , making it impossible to actually resolve a claim, should you need one.

 

While you say everyone in your traveling party is in good health...that's now. And accidents happen to perfectly healthy people. also you might want to consider anyone you're leaving at home -- are THEY in good health, and would you need to fly home to tend to them if they become ill...or die...while you're on vacation.

 

One of our recent claims was for airport closures throughout Europe when the volcano in Iceland erupted...totally unplanned, un-thought-of, unexpected, etc....but we were "stuck" for a week in Oslo (norway), with hotel bills, meals, flights that had to be rescheduled several times (they opened and closed the airports several times during that week) -- VERY costly, thankfully covered by trip insurance.

 

As you did, we buy all hotels, and other connections separately . .but they all can be included in a trip insurance policy, if you choose. We're certainly glad we did.

[mr green]

Its a tough question. Overall I have to say 'yes', since my peace of mind is worth mor than the money that I have spent over the years.

 

john

[arzz]

Can you afford to self insure if you have to cancel before you leave home but after final payment?

 

Also consider the unexpected. We always buy travel insurance because of a very elderly parent ... but the time it really saved our budget was the time that I landed in the ER and required urgent surgery the day before leaving for a cruise to Tahiti. Though my condition was not that serious in the scheme of things -- it did require immediate surgery. It happened before the cruise so all we would have lost were the many dollars spent on the cruise -- but it could have happened in the middle of the South Pacific and would have still required timely surgery which would have involved an emergency evacuation to home or someplace else (like New Zealand) which would have involved many $$$$.

 

One insures for the unexpected, not the expected -- so you really have to evaluate what you can afford and what level of risk you are willing to absorb.

 

I prefer to purchase insurance not with the cruise line -- through TA or insuremytrip.com

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Crusing Bob]

Are you sure $50,000 is the medevac or did you mean $500,000. $50,000 wouldn't cover much depending on where the emergency occurred.

[sppunk]

Yes. Use insuremytrip.com to find the policy that fits your needs.

 

You never know what can happen, and being airlifted off ship or put in a foreign hospital will put a dent in anyone's account (or crush it entirely, most likeky).

 

It also protects you from outside forces like luggage issues, flight delays, etc.

[mamaofami]

While you're looking at insurance, take a look at Medjet assist which will fly you home from any hospital in the world to the hospital of your choice. I'm not sure it covers cancellation though. You can buy a short term policy which will cover you and/or your family for just the days you will be away.

 

You're flying in December in what could be the beginning of snow season. While it might not be snowing in Seattle or Fort Lauderdale, a storm can through the system off country wide. I allow at least two extra days flying from NY to Florida during the winter.Last winter a storm shut down all NYC airports right after we left. Lucky for us we were gone before that.

[serendipity1499]

I worked for an airline & DH, Son & I traveled all over the world & never purchased travel Insurance because our own health policy covered us..

DH or I have been to Dr.'s & a Dentist in various places such as Mexico, Africa, Australia, Japan & on board ships, mostly for accidents..Once I sprained my ankle so badly in Mexico, I had to be carried down from my hotel room to the lobby & into a waiting cab to take me to the Hospital..In Tokoyo a bellhop took me to the Hospital across town for an eye infection..There was a hospital right across the street but it was closed for the weekend..LOL .When we arrived home we submitted all our bills to the Insurance Co. & they were paid..

It also depends on how much you are willing to self insure for, your ages, & your Itinerary...

However, now that we're on Medicare & older it's a different story, because Medicare does not pay out of the country..We now purchase travel insurance which includes emergency evacuation..

BTW I did not vote because it's really a personal decision, & I would not want to be blamed for giving the wrong advice..But I would go on Insuremytrip.com & compare policies before you decide to purchase HAL's insurance..We use the Travelex policy normally..

cheers...:)Betty

[Kamloops50]

I would never travel without Travel/Medical Insurance. Unless you can afford to pay for losses from your own pocket (self Insured ) I would get basic medical , travel and Trip interruption insurance . Since my TA is away on medical leave I have been buying our insurance thru the cruise line. Not the cheapest but I plan to buy a separate medical package for our cruises.

[Typhoon1]

If you can afford to lose the cost of your trip, don't buy it.

 

Personally, we don't leave home without it.

[sppunk]

If you can afford to lose the cost of your trip, don't buy it.

 

Personally, we don't leave home without it.

 

This is a bit misleading: we can afford the trip loss, but not the $400,000 bill from being medivac'd to a hospital in a foreign land.

[Himself]

It is better to be safe than sorry.

[ScottishMaid]

While you're looking at insurance, take a look at Medjet assist which will fly you home from any hospital in the world to the hospital of your choice. I'm not sure it covers cancellation though. You can buy a short term policy which will cover you and/or your family for just the days you will be away.

 

I paid for Medjet assist for a year but when it came time to renew, I called and they told me it doesn't cover evacuation (helicopter) from the ship to a hospital on shore.

[wander]

When younger we never got travel insurance. Then for one trip about the length of yours I decided to get insurance. Not for me, no I was in great shape, but rather because my elderly parents were having significant health problems. For my travel companion it was exactly the same story. So, we decided to get insurance "in case" one of our four parents needed us.

 

Well, FOUR days before we were to leave my 40 something yr. old cabin mate had an abdominal pain when, unrelated to the pain, she was found to have both ovarian and uterine cancer. She had surgery on the day we were to sail. Insurance saved us a lot of money on that trip! By the way, 25 plus years later she is still doing fine.

 

Since then my husband and I have benefited from Insurance on several cruises due to medical issues, but we are now much older.

 

As we have been fortunate to cruise a lot, we have probably spent more on insurance than we have saved because of it. However, one need for an air evacuation would make up for the insurance costs forever!!!! But, I don't want to need one of those.

[solocanadian]

We have used it 3 times and I just broke my ankle and had to cancel a B2B 26 day cruise .

So sorry to read about your ankle - been there - done that. Wishing you a speedy recovery. I would never consider flying/cruising without insurance.

[serendipity1499]

This is a bit misleading: we can afford the trip loss, but not the $400,000 bill from being medivac'd to a hospital in a foreign land.

 

Where in heavens did you get that figure..It cost one of our CC posters on our Amazon Cruise $50,000 to have her Mom Medivac'd from Manaus, back to a Hospital in her home town several years ago ..Agree it could cost much more now, but I believe $400,000 is way out of proportion...I don't know of any policy that would even cover that amount..

Betty

[whogo]

Where in heavens did you get that figure..It cost one of our CC posters on our Amazon Cruise $50,000 to have her Mom Medivac'd from Manaus, back to a Hospital in her home town several years ago ..Agree it could cost much more now, but I believe $400,000 is way out of proportion...I don't know of any policy that would even cover that amount..

 

Betty

 

My current travel policy insures us for $1,000,000 emergency transport.

 

I did not vote in the poll. We did not buy travel insurance when our health insurance covered international travel. We figured we could eat cancellation costs and had to do that once for a sick close relative. Now we buy for medical and evacuation coverage.

[Cornishpastyman1]

We were on holiday in the States in 1999 when one of our party (an apparently fit 51 year old) suddenly fell unconscious. She was air-ambulanced to a hospital in Naples, Fl and kept on a ventilator for 20 days while a series of specialists sought tried to determine the illness and suitable treatment. In the end nothing could be done and the machines were switched off.

 

The hospital costs, flights and (16 days) accommodation for the family to come over from England, and the repatriation of the body came to over £200,000

 

Fortunately she was on a joint policy with her husband which insured her up to £10m of medical expenses but it shows the dangers of ever travelling without insurance.