2015 & 2016 Deployments Regarding Travel Insurance

[happy 2 b cruising]

I would like to book onboard next month under the Future Cruise Vacation Promotion from Celebrity. We are looking for a 2016 cruise and we have been told book the same cruise for 2015 and when the 2016's are released you can transfer it and all the prior perks will ride along with it. I have never done this before but I will give it a try next month. Most insurance that covers pre-existing conditions must be purchased 21 days after booking the cruise. My concern is, this cruise is two years away and the 2016 may not be the same price or destinations as the 2015, therefore if we decide to cancel what happens to the premium you pre- paid for the Travel Insurance? This is not Celebrity Cruise Care Insurance it is another vendor. The other vendor covers more benefits when you buy a Umbrella Policy. Don't want to be stuck with a pre-paid insurance policy if I need to cancel the 2016 cruise. Would really like some advice, never had this situation before.

[FortyNinerLiz]

I would like to book onboard next month under the Future Cruise Vacation Promotion from Celebrity. We are looking for a 2016 cruise and we have been told book the same cruise for 2015 and when the 2016's are released you can transfer it and all the prior perks will ride along with it. I have never done this before but I will give it a try next month. Most insurance that covers pre-existing conditions must be purchased 21 days after booking the cruise. My concern is, this cruise is two years away and the 2016 may not be the same price or destinations as the 2015, therefore if we decide to cancel what happens to the premium you pre- paid for the Travel Insurance? This is not Celebrity Cruise Care Insurance it is another vendor. The other vendor covers more benefits when you buy a Umbrella Policy. Don't want to be stuck with a pre-paid insurance policy if I need to cancel the 2016 cruise. Would really like some advice, never had this situation before.

Call the folks at InsureMyTrip.com and they can advise you on what to do. They are very helpful.

[Jade13]

I would like to book onboard next month under the Future Cruise Vacation Promotion from Celebrity. We are looking for a 2016 cruise and we have been told book the same cruise for 2015 and when the 2016's are released you can transfer it and all the prior perks will ride along with it. I have never done this before but I will give it a try next month. Most insurance that covers pre-existing conditions must be purchased 21 days after booking the cruise. My concern is, this cruise is two years away and the 2016 may not be the same price or destinations as the 2015, therefore if we decide to cancel what happens to the premium you pre- paid for the Travel Insurance? This is not Celebrity Cruise Care Insurance it is another vendor. The other vendor covers more benefits when you buy a Umbrella Policy. Don't want to be stuck with a pre-paid insurance policy if I need to cancel the 2016 cruise. Would really like some advice, never had this situation before.

 

Try CSA freestyle. It covers preexisting conditions (offered for most States but not all) and does not have to be paid until final payment is due.

[ghstudio]

If you are concerned about pre-existing conditions, read the policy you are considering. Reason: just because you think/know you have a pre-existing condition does not mean that the policy calls it a pre-existing condition. Every policy is very specific on how they define "pre-existing" condition.

 

For example, if you have been on a blood thinner for years...and you haven't visited your doctor in the 90-180 (depends on the policy) for anything other than a routine visit with no change to your medication for blood thinning...you do NOT have a pre-existing condition for most all policies.

 

Pre-existing condition clauses are there to inspire you to pay when you book and then you find that if you cancel the trip, you don't get your insurance payment back. Now for some, it's very important....but for most, it's just a scare tactic because according to the policy you do not have a pre-existing condition.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

I work for one of the major travel insurance companies. With our company, you can purchase insurance for a particular cruise, and modify the policy to reflect new travel dates if your plans change. If you need (or think you need) coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, it must be purchased within the timeframe specified in the policy (typically 15 or 21 days) of when the first money was paid towards the trip, so if you pay a deposit, that's your first payment, even though it may not be for the trip you were originally planning on taking.

 

To qualify for the pre-ex waiver, you need to fully insure all nonrefundable prepaid trip costs. However, there's no need to insure the full cost of the cruise, just the deposit (and any other nonrefundable costs that have been paid prior to purchasing the policy). Subsequent nonrefundable prepaid trip costs, such as final payment, need to be added on to the policy within the same time frame as you had to purchase in the first place. That way, you don't have to pay a premium for a $6000 cruise when you end up changing it to a $4000 cruise.

 

Why insure a refundable deposit right away? Because of the timeframe that nonrefundable trip costs must be insured by to get pre-ex coverage, and that refundable deposit will become nonrefundable after final payment is due. The language refers to the date it's paid, not when it becomes nonrefundable. If you didn't insure it right away and had to cancel before final payment, you'll get the deposit back (assuming you don't roll it over to another cruise), but if you do go, that deposit would have needed to have been insured within the time frame.

 

Our company does allow a policy to be cancelled if the trip is cancelled. After 15 days, the credit would usually not be directly back to the credit card, but is in the form of a voucher that can be used within the next two years, and would be less the processing fee (less than $10). The voucher must be used in full-- if there's money left over after purchasing the next policy, the excess is forfeit. I think it's just better to keep rolling the policy over until you find a cruise (or other trip) that meets your needs.

[ghstudio]

I work for one of the major travel insurance companies.

 

I think it would be helpful if you posted your company's definition of a pre-existing condition.....and perhaps use my example...blood thinner, no change in medication for 2 years, no special visit to the doctor. Would a medical emergency due to something like internal bleeding (relatively common with blood thinners) be covered (theoretically, of course)?

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Pre-existing condition clauses are there to inspire you to pay when you book and then you find that if you cancel the trip, you don't get your insurance payment back. Now for some, it's very important....but for most, it's just a scare tactic because according to the policy you do not have a pre-existing condition.

 

It's true that many people think they have a pre-existing medical condition when they really don't. The way I describe it to customers is if they've had to see a doctor in the last (60-180, depending on the policy) days and were diagnosed or treated for something, or if they had symptoms that most people would have recognized as something they should have seen a doctor for, or had a change in a routine medication they take, they have a pre-existing condition. If someone had a heart attack seven months ago, but haven't needed any treatment in the last six months, that's not a pre-existing condition.

 

Two things to consider, though, is that family members can have pre-ex conditions, and if someone has to cancel because a family member became deathly ill, they would need the pre-ex coverage. My in-laws are in their 80's; I can't keep track of their visits to the doctor. I just assume they have pre-ex conditions. The second thing is that even if someone doesn't have a pre-ex condition to worry about when they pay their deposit, if they wait until something serious happens, now they have a pre-ex condition and it will then be too late to get coverage, or at least it will eliminate most plans. You could get a basic plan that doesn't offer coverage for pre-ex if you don't need it, and you don't have to purchase it within 21 days, but you're running a risk that someone may become sick or injured before the policy is purchased. Better to get it right away.

[Doctor G]

I would like to book onboard next month under the Future Cruise Vacation Promotion from Celebrity. We are looking for a 2016 cruise and we have been told book the same cruise for 2015 and when the 2016's are released you can transfer it and all the prior perks will ride along with it. I have never done this before but I will give it a try next month. Most insurance that covers pre-existing conditions must be purchased 21 days after booking the cruise. My concern is, this cruise is two years away and the 2016 may not be the same price or destinations as the 2015, therefore if we decide to cancel what happens to the premium you pre- paid for the Travel Insurance? This is not Celebrity Cruise Care Insurance it is another vendor. The other vendor covers more benefits when you buy a Umbrella Policy. Don't want to be stuck with a pre-paid insurance policy if I need to cancel the 2016 cruise. Would really like some advice, never had this situation before.

 

 

I just did this recently. I booked while onboard for a cruise for this June and then later changed to cruises in 2015. The insurance company told me to purchase the insurance as soon as the deposit is made. The insurance currently only covers the deposit. When I transferred my booking to the actual 2015 cruises I had the insurance policy modified to cover the new dates. When I incur any other expenses (such as airline tickets), I will then increase the value of the policy. When I make final payment I will then increase the value of the policy to cover the full cost of the trip. This was so that I will be covered for pre-existing conditions. If I should cancel the trip totally, I would lose the insurance premium I have already paid, but that is only $90 because I have only insured the deposit. All companies may not operate this way, so I'd talk to the company and explain your situation.

 

Carolyn

[happy 2 b cruising]

I work for one of the major travel insurance companies. With our company, you can purchase insurance for a particular cruise, and modify the policy to reflect new travel dates if your plans change. If you need (or think you need) coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, it must be purchased within the timeframe specified in the policy (typically 15 or 21 days) of when the first money was paid towards the trip, so if you pay a deposit, that's your first payment, even though it may not be for the trip you were originally planning on taking.

 

To qualify for the pre-ex waiver, you need to fully insure all nonrefundable prepaid trip costs. However, there's no need to insure the full cost of the cruise, just the deposit (and any other nonrefundable costs that have been paid prior to purchasing the policy). Subsequent nonrefundable prepaid trip costs, such as final payment, need to be added on to the policy within the same time frame as you had to purchase in the first place. That way, you don't have to pay a premium for a $6000 cruise when you end up changing it to a $4000 cruise.

 

Why insure a refundable deposit right away? Because of the timeframe that nonrefundable trip costs must be insured by to get pre-ex coverage, and that refundable deposit will become nonrefundable after final payment is due. The language refers to the date it's paid, not when it becomes nonrefundable. If you didn't insure it right away and had to cancel before final payment, you'll get the deposit back (assuming you don't roll it over to another cruise), but if you do go, that deposit would have needed to have been insured within the time frame.

 

Our company does allow a policy to be cancelled if the trip is cancelled. After 15 days, the credit would usually not be directly back to the credit card, but is in the form of a voucher that can be used within the next two years, and would be less the processing fee (less than $10). The voucher must be used in full-- if there's money left over after purchasing the next policy, the excess is forfeit. I think it's just better to keep rolling the policy over until you find a cruise (or other trip) that meets your needs.

 

Wow, thank -you for educating me on travel Insurance. I had two friends recently that needed Emergency Evacuations from Europe due to major broken bones from falls. Luckily they both had Optional Coverage for this kind of situation. I also add a Umbrella to cover Evacuations & Repatriation when traveling out of the county. Being I am booking so far out I guess this could also be added around final payment too?

[PartyAllDaTyme]

I think it would be helpful if you posted your company's definition of a pre-existing condition.....and perhaps use my example...blood thinner, no change in medication for 2 years, no special visit to the doctor. Would a medical emergency due to something like internal bleeding (relatively common with blood thinners) be covered (theoretically, of course)?

 

 

PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITION EXCLUSION:

The

Companion, Business Partner or Family Member which

within the 180 day period immediately preceding and

including the Insured’s coverage effective date: (a) first

manifested itself, worsened, became acute or had symptoms

which would have prompted a reasonable person to seek

diagnosis, care or treatment; (b) for which care or treatment

was given or recommended by a Physician; © required

taking prescription drugs or medicines, unless the condition

for which the drugs or medicines are taken remains

controlled without any change in the required prescription

drugs or medicines.

If you take a prescription medicine, it would be considered a pre-existing condition unless, of course, the drug was doing its job and controlling the condition for which it was prescribed, which is in fact usually the case. In other words, if it's working and has for the past 180 days, no pre-ex condition. If, as the result of a checkup, your physician determined that it was no longer controlling the condition and increased the dosage, you now have a pre-existing condition.

 

If no changes in the prescription, no pre-ex condition, and the standard language in the policy pertaining to sickness or injury apply for cancellation, interruption, delay, or medical expense-- in other words, you're covered, whether you have a pre-ex waiver or not.

 

The internal bleeding may be related to the blood thinner, but there was no reason to expect that a problem would necessarily happen. Maybe more likely than with someone that does not have to take the medication, but if you've been stable for the past 180 days, the company is willing to assume that additional risk.

Company will not pay for any loss or expense incurred as the

result of an Injury, Sickness or other condition (excluding any

condition from which death ensues) of an Insured, Traveling

[PartyAllDaTyme]

I also add a Umbrella to cover Evacuations & Repatriation when traveling out of the county. Being I am booking so far out I guess this could also be added around final payment too?

 

It may depend on the policy or company, but you should be able to add the umbrella coverage later.

[ghstudio]

Wow, thank -you for educating me on travel Insurance. I had two friends recently that needed Emergency Evacuations from Europe due to major broken bones from falls. Luckily they both had Optional Coverage for this kind of situation. I also add a Umbrella to cover Evacuations & Repatriation when traveling out of the county. Being I am booking so far out I guess this could also be added around final payment too?

 

Be a little cautious about evacuation & repatriation...that's another area to read the policy before you need it. Most all policies will cover evacuation from the point of injury/illness to the nearest hospital/medical facility that can handle the emergency. It's the next step getting home (or to a facility near home) that is an issue in some/many policies. The key is who has to agree to what before the insurance company pays for a flight home (or to the facility).

 

Most policies require that the doctor in the foreign medical facility agree that they can not adequately treat you and/or recommend that you transport home medically. The insurance company (generally not a doctor, per reports) has to also agree that the flight home is necessary. Until those two reach an agreement, you are stuck in that foreign hospital. Warning: you may not like the way they want to treat your problem, but if the foreign hospital says they can treat it...you are going to be treated in that hospital. That's a big big worry for some (including me). I want to go where they really know what they are doing and using the latest techniques and treatments.

 

Enter Medjet Assist...and before I go on, I have no affiliation with them...I am just a traveller who relies on them...as does National Geographic who insures all of their remote people with Medjet..and so on). Here's the big difference.

 

With medjet, you request to be transported home or to some medical facility of your choice. The doctor in the remote hospital has to agree that you are stable enough to travel (with a physician at your side, if necessary) and that you need further treatment. That's it.... You notice, no statement of "we can handle it"...and no insurance company agreeing that transport is medically necessary to handle your problem. If you want to go to the Mayo clinic for further treatment, you tell medjet....they establish that you are stable enough to fly and they set up the transport. (there are checks in there to assure you aren't cheating, of course).

 

I recommend medjet assist to anyone travelling overseas, especially to countries or areas where medical help is perhaps not up to your standards. Buy it in addition to your travel insurance...all it does is handle transportation, it doesn't cover all the other travel insurance things. BTW...don't get the other medjet offerings which actually don't include medjet assist (hard as it is to believe)....just get medjet assist (and buy it through AARP for a discount).

 

Even if you don't get the medjet, do yourself a favor and closely read the terms on flying you home from a hospital somewhere abroad.

 

Travel insurance is a business---travel insurance companies are quite careful to limit their exposure and maximize profit.

 

While I'm at it...another area to read carefully is what's covered if your ship breaks down during the voyage. Most policies DON'T cover it, including the policy that celebrity itself sells. If your ship breaks down and you have to pay more for hotels and changing airfares, you will be on your own..no insurance coverage other than perhaps, if you are lucky, trip delay insurance which is usually limited to $500 or so per person.

 

BTW...some of this is from first hand experience...I now read insurance policies very carefully.

[jules57]

Does the requirement to notify so quickly only apply to USA citizens? I cannot see anything on UK sites.

[ghstudio]

partyalldatime (love the name)...thanks for posting. I think that's a great summary which clarifies much of the mystery around pre-existing conditions...I hope many folks read it...it should probably be a sticky someplace.

[happy 2 b cruising]

Be a little cautious about evacuation & repatriation...that's another area to read the policy before you need it. Most all policies will cover evacuation from the point of injury/illness to the nearest hospital/medical facility that can handle the emergency. It's the next step getting home (or to a facility near home) that is an issue in some/many policies. The key is who has to agree to what before the insurance company pays for a flight home (or to the facility).

 

Most policies require that the doctor in the foreign medical facility agree that they can not adequately treat you and/or recommend that you transport home medically. The insurance company (generally not a doctor, per reports) has to also agree that the flight home is necessary. Until those two reach an agreement, you are stuck in that foreign hospital. Warning: you may not like the way they want to treat your problem, but if the foreign hospital says they can treat it...you are going to be treated in that hospital. That's a big big worry for some (including me). I want to go where they really know what they are doing and using the latest techniques and treatments.

 

Enter Medjet Assist...and before I go on, I have no affiliation with them...I am just a traveller who relies on them...as does National Geographic who insures all of their remote people with Medjet..and so on). Here's the big difference.

 

With medjet, you request to be transported home or to some medical facility of your choice. The doctor in the remote hospital has to agree that you are stable enough to travel (with a physician at your side, if necessary) and that you need further treatment. That's it.... You notice, no statement of "we can handle it"...and no insurance company agreeing that transport is medically necessary to handle your problem. If you want to go to the Mayo clinic for further treatment, you tell medjet....they establish that you are stable enough to fly and they set up the transport. (there are checks in there to assure you aren't cheating, of course).

 

I recommend medjet assist to anyone travelling overseas, especially to countries or areas where medical help is perhaps not up to your standards. Buy it in addition to your travel insurance...all it does is handle transportation, it doesn't cover all the other travel insurance things. BTW...don't get the other medjet offerings which actually don't include medjet assist (hard as it is to believe)....just get medjet assist (and buy it through AARP for a discount).

 

Even if you don't get the medjet, do yourself a favor and closely read the terms on flying you home from a hospital somewhere abroad.

 

Travel insurance is a business---travel insurance companies are quite careful to limit their exposure and maximize profit.

 

While I'm at it...another area to read carefully is what's covered if your ship breaks down during the voyage. Most policies DON'T cover it, including the policy that celebrity itself sells. If your ship breaks down and you have to pay more for hotels and changing airfares, you will be on your own..no insurance coverage other than perhaps, if you are lucky, trip delay insurance which is usually limited to $500 or so per person.

 

BTW...some of this is from first hand experience...I now read insurance policies very carefully.

 

Is this policy good for a year or per trip? I would appreciate approximate cost, thank - you.

[ghstudio]

you can buy it either way...check out their web pages which explain the program far better than I did. Then buy through AARP (if you are a member) at a discount.

[iSailor]

I work for one of the major travel insurance companies. With our company, you can purchase insurance for a particular cruise, and modify the policy to reflect new travel dates if your plans change. If you need (or think you need) coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, it must be purchased within the timeframe specified in the policy (typically 15 or 21 days) of when the first money was paid towards the trip, so if you pay a deposit, that's your first payment, even though it may not be for the trip you were originally planning on taking.

 

To qualify for the pre-ex waiver, you need to fully insure all nonrefundable prepaid trip costs. However, there's no need to insure the full cost of the cruise, just the deposit (and any other nonrefundable costs that have been paid prior to purchasing the policy). Subsequent nonrefundable prepaid trip costs, such as final payment, need to be added on to the policy within the same time frame as you had to purchase in the first place. That way, you don't have to pay a premium for a $6000 cruise when you end up changing it to a $4000 cruise.

 

Why insure a refundable deposit right away? Because of the timeframe that nonrefundable trip costs must be insured by to get pre-ex coverage, and that refundable deposit will become nonrefundable after final payment is due. The language refers to the date it's paid, not when it becomes nonrefundable. If you didn't insure it right away and had to cancel before final payment, you'll get the deposit back (assuming you don't roll it over to another cruise), but if you do go, that deposit would have needed to have been insured within the time frame.

 

Our company does allow a policy to be cancelled if the trip is cancelled. After 15 days, the credit would usually not be directly back to the credit card, but is in the form of a voucher that can be used within the next two years, and would be less the processing fee (less than $10). The voucher must be used in full-- if there's money left over after purchasing the next policy, the excess is forfeit. I think it's just better to keep rolling the policy over until you find a cruise (or other trip) that meets your needs.

 

Your Refundable and Nonrefundable got my head Spinning.:confused::confused::confused:

[happy 2 b cruising]

you can buy it either way...check out their web pages which explain the program far better than I did. Then buy through AARP (if you are a member) at a discount.

 

So thankful for all the shared information we are able to get through CC, I agree you must read the fine print, many thanks.

[Lastdance]

Unfortunately, the real test comes in when you have to use it. So far, we have only left a backpack on a train and were reimbursed $1,100. My DH lost his glasses, but they did not cover that on our plan from TG. However, we managed to go on with our trip and do just fine...and my DH learned not to help so many people get off the train with their bicycles and worry more about himself!:)

Edited April 1, 2014 by Lastdance

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Be a little cautious about evacuation & repatriation...that's another area to read the policy before you need it. Most all policies will cover evacuation from the point of injury/illness to the nearest hospital/medical facility that can handle the emergency. It's the next step getting home (or to a facility near home) that is an issue in some/many policies. The key is who has to agree to what before the insurance company pays for a flight home (or to the facility).

 

Most policies require that the doctor in the foreign medical facility agree that they can not adequately treat you and/or recommend that you transport home medically. The insurance company (generally not a doctor, per reports) has to also agree that the flight home is necessary. Until those two reach an agreement, you are stuck in that foreign hospital. Warning: you may not like the way they want to treat your problem, but if the foreign hospital says they can treat it...you are going to be treated in that hospital. That's a big big worry for some (including me). I want to go where they really know what they are doing and using the latest techniques and treatments.

 

Enter Medjet Assist...and before I go on, I have no affiliation with them...I am just a traveller who relies on them...as does National Geographic who insures all of their remote people with Medjet..and so on). Here's the big difference.

 

With medjet, you request to be transported home or to some medical facility of your choice. The doctor in the remote hospital has to agree that you are stable enough to travel (with a physician at your side, if necessary) and that you need further treatment. That's it.... You notice, no statement of "we can handle it"...and no insurance company agreeing that transport is medically necessary to handle your problem. If you want to go to the Mayo clinic for further treatment, you tell medjet....they establish that you are stable enough to fly and they set up the transport. (there are checks in there to assure you aren't cheating, of course).

 

I recommend medjet assist to anyone travelling overseas, especially to countries or areas where medical help is perhaps not up to your standards. Buy it in addition to your travel insurance...all it does is handle transportation, it doesn't cover all the other travel insurance things. BTW...don't get the other medjet offerings which actually don't include medjet assist (hard as it is to believe)....just get medjet assist (and buy it through AARP for a discount).

 

Even if you don't get the medjet, do yourself a favor and closely read the terms on flying you home from a hospital somewhere abroad.

 

Travel insurance is a business---travel insurance companies are quite careful to limit their exposure and maximize profit.

 

While I'm at it...another area to read carefully is what's covered if your ship breaks down during the voyage. Most policies DON'T cover it, including the policy that celebrity itself sells. If your ship breaks down and you have to pay more for hotels and changing airfares, you will be on your own..no insurance coverage other than perhaps, if you are lucky, trip delay insurance which is usually limited to $500 or so per person.

 

BTW...some of this is from first hand experience...I now read insurance policies very carefully.

 

I strongly recommend upgrades that are available on the better policies for "Hospital of Choice"-- it doesn't usually add that much to the premium. If medical evacuation is necessary, you might be airlifted to the closest hospital that can get you stabilized, but once you're able to continue, you can come all the way home, or to the Mayo Clinic, or wherever you want to go.

 

Emergency medical evacuation is only if warranted-- if the doctor on the scene says it's necessary. However, our medical department (correct, no doctors, but the staff has a minimum of six months training before they're allowed to take calls) has been known to overrule the doctor if it's apparent that the health care is not adequate.

 

As far as mechanical breakdown, it's not generally covered under trip cancellation/interruption unless it were to cause a loss of at least half the trip length. In other words, if a ship couldn't leave port for 4 days of a 7 day cruise, the interruption benefit would apply-- you could leave the cruise, come home early, and be reimbursed for the portion you lost out on of the cruise as well as additional transportation expenses. The thing is that a delay like that which would wipe out half the cruise would be extremely uncommon. It's more intended for someone taking a short trip, say 4 days, and mechanical problems with an airline causes a 48 hour delay. Not all policies have this as a covered reason.

 

If you're late getting to the disembarkation port due to common carrier delay (and that includes cruise lines), it would give benefits for trip delay (typically $100 - $200 per person per day up to maximums of $500 - $1000) or missed connections ($0, $250, $500 or $1000 per person, depending on the plan). Trip delay can be used for meals and lodging, missed connections for alternate transportation and/or reimbursement of a prepaid trip cost.

 

The comment about travel insurance being a business is correct, of course. I can tell you our company has an operating philosophy of paying on claims if at all possible to encourage repeat business, which helps maximize the ol' profits. Some claims just can't be paid-- the woman who said she had to cancel because her horoscope said she shouldn't travel was disappointed. But they do look for reasons to pay claims, often ones that the claimaint hasn't thought of. I'd love to mention the name of the company, but I feel it falls under the same heading as travel agents shilling for business. In deference to the Cruise Critic policy, I'll withhold the name.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Your Refundable and Nonrefundable got my head Spinning.:confused::confused::confused:

 

Yeah, it's not exactly intuitive, is it? It took me a while to wrap my head around it.

[Dandylyon]

Great information! Thanks for posting.