Question for Insurance Experts

[ducklite]

We are traveling to Tahiti and then cruising on the PG. The trip with have two sets of plane tickets (no rational way to get there from here interline) and several hotel nights, definitely pre/post in Tahiti as well as possibly one or two in LA. Total travel time from leaving our house to arriving back home will be under two weeks.

 

We are in our 50's, no pre-existing health issues. We both have parents who are getting up there in age, although none have life-threatening illness.

 

Our main concerns are covering cruise cancellation--either by the cruise line/charter company due to financial or acts of God or by us in the case of an emergency back home (death in family, etc.), and most important, medical and evacuation insurance.

 

I should also mention our cruise is a charter.

 

I am looking for the best quality to price ratio. I don't mind paying more for a better rated company that offers high quality service, however I don't want to pay for a lot of things that I don't need. I'm not entirely risk adverse--I don't mind a deductible--but am smart enough to know that travel insurance is a must have.

 

We have paid our deposit, final payment isn't due until fall of 2013.

 

I should also mention that plane tickets and hotels are being booked ala carte by me, we are not booking a package.

Thoughts?

[cruiseco]

We are traveling to Tahiti and then cruising on the PG. The trip with have two sets of plane tickets (no rational way to get there from here interline) and several hotel nights, definitely pre/post in Tahiti as well as possibly one or two in LA. Total travel time from leaving our house to arriving back home will be under two weeks.

 

We are in our 50's, no pre-existing health issues. We both have parents who are getting up there in age, although none have life-threatening illness.

 

Our main concerns are covering cruise cancellation--either by the cruise line/charter company due to financial or acts of God or by us in the case of an emergency back home (death in family, etc.), and most important, medical and evacuation insurance.

 

I should also mention our cruise is a charter.

 

I am looking for the best quality to price ratio. I don't mind paying more for a better rated company that offers high quality service, however I don't want to pay for a lot of things that I don't need. I'm not entirely risk adverse--I don't mind a deductible--but am smart enough to know that travel insurance is a must have.

 

We have paid our deposit, final payment isn't due until fall of 2013.

 

I should also mention that plane tickets and hotels are being booked ala carte by me, we are not booking a package.

Thoughts?

 

For your financial default concerns, you'll see lots of plans that offer financial default coverage. But since this is a charter there's always the chance that the chartering company/organization will go bankrupt. And it's typical for these charter sailings that a travel agent is not used and the booking is made directly with the chartering company.

 

If that's your case be sure to read the fine print carefully. Here's a typical example from Travelex:

 

"Financial Insolvency means complete suspension of operations due to insolvency, with or without the filing of a bankruptcy petition, whether voluntary or involuntary, by a tour operator, cruise line, airline, rental car company, hotel, condominium, railroad, motor coach company, or other supplier of travel services other than the person, organization, agency or firm from whom you directly purchased or paid for your Covered Trip"

 

So with this plan, and many others, a default by the chartering company (not necessarily the cruise line) would not be covered.

 

Regarding your preference for a "better rated company" be aware that no one rates the travel insurance companies for things like the quality of the coverages, their customer service, or claims-paying history. Those A+ or A- or A ratings you see are for the plan's underwriter, not the travel insurance company itself and only considers the underwriter's financial ability to pay any claims. In fact, some companies use multiple underwriters for their various plans. To me, any plan with an underwriter AM Best rated A- (Excellent) or higher is going to have the money to pay your claim. But there are travel insurers with underwriters rated A- which in my opinion have superior customer service to some rated A+. Don't read any more into these ratings than is actually there. They tell you absolutely nothing about how you will be treated if you have a claim.

[6rugrats]

I have purchased many travel insurance policies and never seen one with a deductible. I usually use Travelguard or Travelsafe

[cruiseco]

I have purchased many travel insurance policies and never seen one with a deductible. I usually use Travelguard or Travelsafe

 

It's most common on the most minimal plans. For example, the Travel Guard Basic plan has a $50 deductible on both the medical and the baggage coverages (at least on the version offered to CA residents).

 

But excluding the less-that-100% payouts on the Cancel For Any Reason plans I've never seen a deductible on the cancellation coverages.

[ducklite]

I have purchased many travel insurance policies and never seen one with a deductible. I usually use Travelguard or Travelsafe

 

Is there a particular policy from either of these that you'd suggest for the type of trip I describe?