Please tell me about travel insurance

[Betterbrown]

Fodorspeter,

You are not saying that just because your health insurance plan is self-insured it will pay for med. vac. outside the continental U.S., are you? Our plan used to be self-insured and it most certainly would not have paid for med. vac. outside the continental U.S.

Betterbrown

[pollux]

I buy insurance from Asses America in the last couple of years.

This spring I flew from Ca to Miami, 13 days on a trans atlantic, flew to Amsterdam, visited several places for a other 2 weeks and then back to La. Insurance cost. $ 165. What a deal for more than a month of peace.

Don,t leave home without insurance.

[Babs66]

We always purchase travel insurance, for any vacation, US or abroad. But only because my DH is a firefighter and he is at risk 1 out of 3 days, so for us it only makes sense. We never think of what if we get hurt on vacation but always what if we have to cancel. I believe for this trip we are using TravelGuard, we always use the travel agents suggestions because they know the company, if we need to make a claim then they help out.

 

To those wondering the difference between RCI insurance and others, I believe RCI only gives a cruise credit, other companies will refund your money

[JerseyGirl23]

We purchase travel insurance, mainly because on a cruise ship, heaven forbid you need to be airlifted from the ship to a hospital you're covered; also, we travel during the holidays and winter. Those two instances alone would require travel insurance. Just to be safe, we are planning a 2 day pre-cruise holiday in Miami. I want to make SURE I'm there when the ship leaves!

[awm]

I have read this entire Thread but no one has mentioned that RCI will only reimburse you 75% of your cruise if you purchase Travel Insurance from them.

Do some of the other companies mentioned in this Thread offer a better reimbursement?

[cruiseco]

I have read this entire Thread but no one has mentioned that RCI will only reimburse you 75% of your cruise if you purchase Travel Insurance from them.

Do some of the other companies mentioned in this Thread offer a better reimbursement?

 

The 75% is what they'll reimburse you if you cancel for a NON-covered reason. If you cancel for a covered reason, perhaps you break your leg the day before you sail, the policy will cover you for 100% of the cruise penalty.

 

That 75% is actually in the form of a credit toward a future cruise. And in many respects it's a better deal than what many other plans will do for you. For example, if you have to cancel for a work-related situation you're out everything with almost all third-party plans. With the RCI plan you don't get that money back but you do get the future cruise credit which is better than nothing.

 

By the way, the 75% applies to the penalty amount (not the full fare amount)so in many cases you get some money back anyway. For example, say your cruise costs $1000 and you cancel when the penalty is 50%.

 

If it's for a covered reason $500 is automatically refunded (not subject to penalty) and the remaining $500 is reimbursed through a claim against the insurance.

 

If it's for a non-covered reason you still get back the $500 not subject to penalty. Then 25% of the penalized $500 is lost forever ($125) and the remaining $375 is held as a credit.

[awm]

The 75% is what they'll reimburse you if you cancel for a NON-covered reason. If you cancel for a covered reason, perhaps you break your leg the day before you sail, the policy will cover you for 100% of the cruise penalty.

 

That 75% is actually in the form of a credit toward a future cruise. And in many respects it's a better deal than what many other plans will do for you. For example, if you have to cancel for a work-related situation you're out everything with almost all third-party plans. With the RCI plan you don't get that money back but you do get the future cruise credit which is better than nothing.

 

By the way, the 75% applies to the penalty amount (not the full fare amount)so in many cases you get some money back anyway. For example, say your cruise costs $1000 and you cancel when the penalty is 50%.

 

If it's for a covered reason $500 is automatically refunded (not subject to penalty) and the remaining $500 is reimbursed through a claim against the insurance.

 

If it's for a non-covered reason you still get back the $500 not subject to penalty. Then 25% of the penalized $500 is lost forever ($125) and the remaining $375 is held as a credit.

 

I just got off the phone with RCI. They said that if the reason for cancellation was 'Covered', I would receive a 75% refund. If the reason for cancellation was 'Not Covered' then I would receive a 75% 'Cruise Credit'.

No mention at all of 100% refund for covered reasons.

RCI does not offer a plan with a 100% refund. Do any other travel insurance companies offer 100%?

[cruiseco]

I just got off the phone with RCI. They said that if the reason for cancellation was 'Covered', I would receive a 75% refund. If the reason for cancellation was 'Not Covered' then I would receive a 75% 'Cruise Credit'.

No mention at all of 100% refund for covered reasons.

RCI does not offer a plan with a 100% refund. Do any other travel insurance companies offer 100%?

 

That's wrong. Go here to read the plan wording for yourself

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/pdf/RCICruiseCare.pdf

 

You'll note that it specifically states that if you cancel for a covered reason they will waive the cancellation penalties and refund you in full.

 

"Through the CruiseCare program Royal Caribbean will waive their standard cancellation provision and refund to you in cash the otherwise non-refundable value of the unused portion of your pre-paid cruise vacation should you need to cancel or interrupt your cruise vacation for any one of the following reasons . . ."

 

The only mention of the 75% figure is discussing the "Any Reason Cruise Credits"

 

One final hint when you have any questions about any cruise ine's plan: Don't bother calling the cruise line. They generally don't have a clue about these things. You're better off calling the actual insurer which in this case is BerkelyCare. 800-453-4022

[awm]

Many Thanks!!

[britchicknyc]

Would insurance help in the recent VOS to Canada problem? Did those people have options to cancel if they had insurance?

[smeyer418]

Only if they had a no fault cancelation policy- such as the cruise line had(for a 75% future credit). With most insurance a change in destination doesn't trigger anything...

[Cruisechik]

Here is my best advice though - you should buy your insurance ASAP - do not wait until close to your final payment (many people wait because prior to your final payment you can get your money back from RCL.) Here is why- lets say you are fine today and book your cruise (no pre-existing condition). then you injure yourself prior to final payment (and prior purchasing insurance) but you think you might still be well enough to go, and want to go, so you make your final payment. You can still purchase the insurance, but if you are not well enough to go they are not going to cover you because it would have been a pre-existing condition at the time of policy purchase. Note, however, that many policies DO cover pre-existing conditions, but you have to purchase the insurance within a certain time of your FIRST payment. Such as within 1 day or 14 days, etc.

 

 

FYI - CSA Travel has a plan that will cover pre-existing conditions IF you purchase within 24 hours of final payment.