Question about when to add Excursions to insurance

[austinhoops]

I purchased a Travel Guard policy for a Mediterranean cruise next summer. I purchased it right after we booked the cruise to ensure we have pre-existing condition coverage. Travel Guard has informed me that I only need to add non-refundable trip purchases as I make them.

 

My question is about insuring private trip excursions. They are completely refundable until 7 days before the excursion, at which point they become non-refundable. Travel Guard confirmed that we don't need to insure them now because I can still have them refunded at this point. Would your advice be to insure them just before the 7 day-prior point?

 

Would appreciate advice from anyone who has had a similar situation.

[sirwired]

Well, if you can trust yourself to remember to call them, and TravelGuard says that's fine with them, I don't see the issue.

[cherylandtk]

Assuming you are able to remember to add them at the last minute that is fine. But do remember. Also, understand that the policy brackets tend to go in $500 steps; so if you are at a total cost of $2535 pp for example, you have up until $3000 pp before your premium changes. If you are adding things piecemeal, add them in $500 chunks. You may find that the added excursion coverage can be included with a prior purchase.

[kimkencruzers]

I never heard of insuring the private excursions, is this an actually thing, or just upping the total amount of insurance you are taking out to cover all the spending?

 

For example, I am taking a trip with $5000 of non-refundable expenses. I am including my two rome in limo tour amounts as a non-refundable expense. Is this correct, or do I need to add the two tours and specifically list them? I have just done the quote process and I don't know if when you actually purchase a policy, there is a place to itemize more specifically.

[GeezerCouple]

I never heard of insuring the private excursions, is this an actually thing, or just upping the total amount of insurance you are taking out to cover all the spending?

 

For example, I am taking a trip with $5000 of non-refundable expenses. I am including my two rome in limo tour amounts as a non-refundable expense. Is this correct, or do I need to add the two tours and specifically list them? I have just done the quote process and I don't know if when you actually purchase a policy, there is a place to itemize more specifically.

 

You should double check with your insurer or insurance agent to be sure of the terms for *your* policy.

 

Generally, if the tours CAN be "cancelled for a refund", then you do not need to include them in the total for insurance. IF at a later date those (or other) fees become NON-refundable, then yes, you probably do need to add them in, and if it bumps the total to the next higher "$500" interval, then you'd pay the extra premium on that extra $500.

 

Some excursions aren't refundable at all, some might be refundable up to 48 hours before the start, and others might be refundable right up to the actual date.

 

So it depends upon what is "non-refundable", and also how the insurance is written in terms of whether you add extra non-refundable costs incrementally as they are incurred, or if you need to give a lump sum at the beginning.

 

GeezerCouple