Recommendations for independent travel insurance

[travelgenie]

Have booked a Viking cruise in October, despite all the controversary about how the floods were handled....cruised with them about 5 years ago and we were very satisfied. We did not at that time purchase travel insurance, but this time, there are some factors, elderly parents, a pre- existing health concern etc., that is leading me to make the decision (only have a few days left to do so) to get it. I have looked online and compared other companies to the pricey insurance that Viking offers. I am looking for referrals or can you share your experience to help me decide? From what I am reading the "cancel for any reason" seems vague and I believe if I understood the rep from Viking correctly, their cancel for any reason policy, just gives you a credit for a future cruise. Also, concerning the floods, does having travel insurance help or make any difference? Thanks!

[remydiva]

Have booked a Viking cruise in October, despite all the controversary about how the floods were handled....cruised with them about 5 years ago and we were very satisfied. We did not at that time purchase travel insurance, but this time, there are some factors, elderly parents, a pre- existing health concern etc., that is leading me to make the decision (only have a few days left to do so) to get it. I have looked online and compared other companies to the pricey insurance that Viking offers. I am looking for referrals or can you share your experience to help me decide? From what I am reading the "cancel for any reason" seems vague and I believe if I understood the rep from Viking correctly, their cancel for any reason policy, just gives you a credit for a future cruise. Also, concerning the floods, does having travel insurance help or make any difference? Thanks!

 

Travel Guard seems to be popular...maybe google them and phone. Can get thru AAA I believe.

[rjscott]

We've used Travel Guard and Travelex . You can compare companies and types of policies for the level of coverage you feel you need on insure my trip dot com

[rahrah50]

Check out insuremytripdotcom and compare which plan is best for you. Travelguard is my favorite and twice I have had medical claims which were paid promptly as well as a cruise that had to be canceled due to illness.

[Coral]

I have used Travelex, TravelGuard and Allianz (formerly Access America). Most times I have used Allianz and have had to file claims 3 different times without problems.

[id est]

check out tripinsurance.com. It is the least expensive option I've found.

[Andromeda93]

The poster who cited insuremytrip.com did you a favor. We've also used squaremouth.com. They both offer a way for you to filter potential insurance providers by the type of coverage you need, the quality rating of the underlying insurance carrier, etc. These comparison shopping sites are invaluable.

 

We've purchased from both Travelex and TravelGuard and thankfully never needed either. I always felt it was money well spent for the peace of mind as well as the health insurance my Anthem Blue Cross coverage does NOT provide for international travel. Be sure you know what medical insurance you have - or don't - for the countries to which you are traveling. We found that none of our regular health insurance was in effect overseas.

 

In terms of cancellation, you can read the exact policy language offered by each insurer before you buy the coverage. Use the comparison sites to narrow down the carriers you are considering, and then use the carrier's website to get the exactly policy language (or call them). The comparison sites also offer user reviews of their experience with different carriers/policies, which you might find helpful.

 

Be aware that 'cancel for any reason' coverage is often only available if you buy the insurance within a few weeks of your first payment on a trip. You may no longer have this option. In terms of cancellation coverage for natural disaster, political unrest, etc, the policy language for each carrier will be clear about this (or at least as clear as contract language ever is).

 

Whatever you do, DON'T buy Viking's insurance! It will be the most expensive option, and offer you the least. Any reputable carrier will provide better coverage at the same or lower price than Viking.

[jc foster]

In July 2009 my wife, daughter, and I were enroute to a Baltic cruise sailing from Copenhagen. We were flying from DFW with a plane change in Newark. About 15 minutes out of Newark a freak hail storm closed the airport. We were diverted to Washington Dules where we sat on the ground for 6 hours. When we finally made it back to Newark the airport was a madhouse. No hotels were available and we literally slept on the floor. Hundreds of flights had been cancelled and we had missed our connection. We had booked three nights precruise hotel in Copenhagen but no flights were available for five nights. We missed our hotel and cruise and were sent back to DFW. I had purchased a Travelguard Gold policy and they were great. These people did everything possible to assist us and did finally get us a flight back home. I received a check for most of my loss in about three weeks. We are now loyal travelguard customers.

[Keith1010]

I would go to insurmytrip.com

 

You can easily find a nice variety of policies and also do a comparison to figure out which works best for you.

 

Keith

[Got2Cruise]

Another item you need to read the small print about us "pre-existing" condition. Some policies cover. Some don't. It depends on your health issues if you need special coverage

 

 

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