Cruise Insurance am I really covered?

[blindrid]

We have pre-existing conditions. We purchase our cruises well in advance of sailing.

 

The company I use allows me to pay the minimum premium, basically covering the deposits, to insure we are covered within the proper period of time. As we add to the cost, like airfare, we increase the value of the policy to cover our financial outlay. When we make final payment, we pay the balance of the premium that covers our outlay.

 

This is extremely helpful in situations where you have to cancel the cruise as you don't lose the full amount of your premium.

 

That's exactly whatSteve at trip insurance store told me to do.

[Kellie Poodle]

That's exactly whatSteve at trip insurance store told me to do.

 

Steve knows his stuff. I got one gal at "insure my trip" who told me it wasn't right. Of course she was wrong. She also told me that if one person in the group has a pre-existing condition, the other parties had to get insured at the same time. Another wrong thing.

 

I stay away from insure my trip and book my insurance directly with my company of choice. Cost is the same.

[Doctor G]

We have pre-existing conditions. We purchase our cruises well in advance of sailing.

 

The company I use allows me to pay the minimum premium, basically covering the deposits, to insure we are covered within the proper period of time. As we add to the cost, like airfare, we increase the value of the policy to cover our financial outlay. When we make final payment, we pay the balance of the premium that covers our outlay.

 

This is extremely helpful in situations where you have to cancel the cruise as you don't lose the full amount of your premium.

 

Yes, I have done this several times. I insure just the deposit and then increase the policy each time I incur more costs. I, too, deal with one company that I have used many times.

 

Carolyn

[lobster129]

I appreciate this information. We book travel insurance within the first 14 days to cover preexisting conditions. But I have always paid insurance for the entire price of the cruise @ that time. Later I up the coverage for flights, hotels, non-cancelable tours etc.

 

It did not ever occur to me to initially just cover the deposit (versus entire cruise)

 

THANK YOU!

[amberben]

Sorry for your loss.

I am just so fed up with Travel Insurances.. whilst on a cruise coming back from Hawii a few years ago our ship had to turn back to the nearest island. We had two people on board who needed to go into hospital urgently. They was too ill to be air lifted off. So therefore we was a day late getting in dock. We come from the UK...anyway stayed up two nights running trying to contact our insurance, told them the problem. They said fine just fill the forms in when you get home. So to cut a long story short we couldnt get a flight home until the monday. Had to buy new tickets ,find some where to stay for two nights. Got home.. filled in forms... two weeks later letter form insurance saying we wasnt covered for the return journey.? Because the reason we was delayed wasnt OUR emergency but someone elses. And so therefore we wasnt covered. Well what was we supposed to do ????swim back to docks.!! Anyway they wouldnt pay out and we was $2000 down because of it. Apparently with travel insurance you are covered for delays going out on your journey but not on the return.!

[blindrid]

I appreciate this information. We book travel insurance within the first 14 days to cover preexisting conditions. But I have always paid insurance for the entire price of the cruise @ that time. Later I up the coverage for flights, hotels, non-cancelable tours etc.

 

It did not ever occur to me to initially just cover the deposit (versus entire cruise)

 

THANK YOU!

 

Steve did tell me that one company needed increase within 24 hours and another was a liitle more lax. I went ahead and did it all but good to know there are options. That's why I use Steve at Tripinsurancestore.com. - straight shooter and quick service and advice.

 

Last cruise he also helped with a small claim.

Edited May 17, 2014 by blindrid

[hulamoon]

Wow, ambergen. Who would have thought? since we include full air cost they would refuse to pay.

 

We spoke to steve about my father's health and he told us that some situations are not possible to predict if the claim will be paid. Makes me wonder why I spend all this money in insurance.

[Kellie Poodle]

Why spend the money on insurance? I had paid for a B2B and air fare to the UK. We were a month from sailing and I was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. Came out of the blue. I'm not a smoker nor do I associate with smokers. No one can explain how I got it.

 

I had over $9,000 invested in this trip. I had to undergo chemotherapy that pretty much trashed me and didn't get out of the hospital until the last day of October.

 

It took me the better part of a month to get the paperwork together, but I sent it in to my travel insurance company and less than 3 weeks later I had a check that reimbursed me every cent that I was out of pocket. I'm glad I had that insurance.

 

The cancer is gone and I'm planning the same cruises for the summer of 2015 (G-d willing). I have already insured them.

 

I won't plan an overseas trip without insurance. Better to pay a few dollars than to lose thousands.

[hulamoon]

Thanks for sharing your story Janet. Happy to hear you are cancer free.

[jtravel777]

I believe that a death that was expected (not sure of the legal/insurance/medical term is) is not covered. For example, if you parent has a terminal illness and has a high likelihood of dying when you are travelling, you would not be covered. There is a very fine line here.....for example, if a parent has cancer and has an expectation of six months to live and you book a cruise (with or without pre-existing conditions covered), it's unlikely the insurance company would pay if that death occurred while you are away. Insurance companies insure against the unexpected, not the expected.

 

Hopefully the OP will not run into any difficulties.

 

My brother-in-law had cancer with expectation to not live more than a few months. He was in hospice at the end, and passed away the morning we were to cruise. Our insurance (not "cancel for any reason" paid for everything). We called our travel agent, notified the insurance company and called the cruise line. We were reimbursed within a few weeks. The oddest part was the cruise line (RCCL) indicated that we did not need to alert them that we were not using the cabin, but could just "not show" at the pier.