What do you think about NCL Travel Insurance

[din2play2]

When I booked our cruise for April 2015 I did take the Travel insurance offered. But now I have 2nd thoughts about it. The cost is approx. $230.00 for 3 of us. I can't remember if I took it for my other cruise or not :eek:

The one thing that is stopping me is that when we were on our last cruise someone had to be helicoptered off and taken to the hospital :( The ship even changed course to get closer to land. (I believe he suffered a heart attack but was ok - Thank GOD!) But I remembered someone saying that he hoped he took out the travel insurance otherwise this was gonna be an awful expensive trip .

Was wondering what your thoughts are on Travel Insurance.

[bjinouno]

for our first two cruises I didn't take it, Than hearing and seeing things happen on the ship, or before leaving,,, I think it's well worth it, I just booked for Jan 2015 thru NCL I looked over the policy, and like all that I see, Pre exsisting condition from the day you book... it's a long time between now and than so much can happen, and we all pray nothing does. I'm sure there are so many other companies to compare with, but just did all that booking the cruise. good luck with your final decision

[Shawnino]

Buy stock in insurance companies, not insurance.

 

If you feel you must buy travel insurance, see what your existing policies already cover. If you have a premium credit card, see what that covers. Try to buy any coverage you feel you need as an add-on to anything you already have. It should be much cheaper than freestanding insurance from a cruise line.

 

Me, though, I go without.

Edited August 24, 2014 by Shawnino

[Sestar]

I didn't buy it from NCL. You can get cheaper and comparable insurance from where else.

 

This thread might help you. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2067459&highlight=insurance

[roger001]

Insurance is something you buy hoping it will be money totally wasted and you will never, never use it. If that turns out to be the case, you won. If you do have to use it, it will go a very long way in making a bad situation much better. My sister and friend watched the Getaway sail away without them several months ago. They woke up in the Miami hotel cruise morning with friend having a heart attack. The insurance covered all the lost expenses. We never cruise without travel ins.

[don't-use-real-name]

Only thing wrong here booking insurance should be done within a specified

time frame (10 days?) of the cruise Final Payment (90 days?)!

Taking an insurance rider this early is giving someone free use of your funds.

 

NOW onto other details - - -

 

Better to have it (or least a fraction of it) than NOT !

 

You may have the best insurance coverage but missing that one line - sentence

- paragraph in your existing personal policy - that at sea nothing is included !

 

With the insurance you would be able to salvage most all the cost of the cruise

to have another one if you medically cancel or at least have some monetary

coverage to reduce unexpected bills.

But then again your age and health will and should determine your placing a

casino bet on something going wrong.

 

Other factors all is well with your immediate family ? - what happens if you have

to render aid at the last minute to a relative ?

 

Insurance on the 3 or 4 day trip - not much to lose here - - -

Insurance on the 5-10 day trip - better do some thinking here - - -

Insurance on the 14-or more trip i.e. Panama Canal No brainer here take the

insurance this trip is costing a small fortune !

 

Then think back on the cruiser that was heli-lifted to a place for medical aid !

Also consider the airfare and medievac from an airport no where near one

of your port stops !

 

Now what IF ????? - How is your health and those around you ?

 

Disaster is not likely to happen to you and yours but Oh the comfort of having

the insurance cushion.

[rochelle_s]

Wow that is a can of worms that question. There have been some pretty heated discussions about travel insurance the last couple of weeks. There is at least one very vocal person who will come on here and will tell that it is a waste of money and a rip off etc. There will be many others that will tell you that they wouldn't cruise without it.

 

I would recommend having a look at third party insurance. You can check various different policies through insuremytrip.com. You can compare cost and determine what type of coverage you would like. If want you really want is only medical and evacuation coverage then that is possible. But you do need to do a little research and see exactly what the different policies cover and how much they cover you for.

 

Personally I have not insured every trip I have taken. If I am going overseas or plan on very active things where injury could occur, or I am taking an extended cruise etc then I make sure I have it. Most important to me is the medical/evacuation insurance and sometimes that is the only insurance I have added on. But a lot of the times the extra coverage for a multitude of things; delay, cancellation, pre-existing conditions, lost or delayed baggage, etc is not much more $$ and I end up purchasing that.

 

Also check with your credit cards-- they often include insurance if the entire trip is paid with the card or can be purchased for a reasonable amount.

 

So you see it is not an easy answer. It will depend a lot on your circumstances and needs. You don't have to go with the NCL policy. Shop around though and you might find a policy that suits you better and at a price point you prefer.

 

 

Rochelle

[GrabMyWrist]

We always purchase insurance. You just never know.

Edited August 24, 2014 by GrabMyWrist

[getupgo]

I've decided to get insurance for our 7 day cruise but it seems unfair to me that I live 40 minutes from the port and my price us the same as those who are flying in. All I need is the cruise coverage not flight.

[Reebster]

I don't always get the insurance, but usually will if my travel is overseas. I've had two claims that were worth more than everything I've ever paid in premiums total, so for me that makes it a decent investment. But I always buy from a third party, and it costs about half of what it would cost through the cruise line for a comparable policy. Check out some of the sites mentioned in this thread. They are very reliable.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Hikini]

We haven't bought it from NCL before, but we always get it through our travel agent. In 9 cruises we've never needed it, but I'm not willing to take the chance.

[sparks1093]

Only thing wrong here booking insurance should be done within a specified

time frame (10 days?) of the cruise Final Payment (90 days?)!

Taking an insurance rider this early is giving someone free use of your funds.

 

NOW onto other details - - -

 

Better to have it (or least a fraction of it) than NOT !

 

You may have the best insurance coverage but missing that one line - sentence

- paragraph in your existing personal policy - that at sea nothing is included !

 

With the insurance you would be able to salvage most all the cost of the cruise

to have another one if you medically cancel or at least have some monetary

coverage to reduce unexpected bills.

But then again your age and health will and should determine your placing a

casino bet on something going wrong.

 

Other factors all is well with your immediate family ? - what happens if you have

to render aid at the last minute to a relative ?

 

Insurance on the 3 or 4 day trip - not much to lose here - - -

Insurance on the 5-10 day trip - better do some thinking here - - -

Insurance on the 14-or more trip i.e. Panama Canal No brainer here take the

insurance this trip is costing a small fortune !

 

Then think back on the cruiser that was heli-lifted to a place for medical aid !

Also consider the airfare and medievac from an airport no where near one

of your port stops !

 

Now what IF ????? - How is your health and those around you ?

 

Disaster is not likely to happen to you and yours but Oh the comfort of having

the insurance cushion.

 

I bought our last policy 15 months before the cruise. By the time the cruise rolled around the cost of the policy was double what I paid for it. I also received a pre-existing condition waiver and the policy would be primary for medical expenses as a result of buying it early. Under those conditions they can use my money all they want to for "free".:)

[sparks1093]

Buy stock in insurance companies, not insurance.

 

If you feel you must buy travel insurance, see what your existing policies already cover. If you have a premium credit card, see what that covers. Try to buy any coverage you feel you need as an add-on to anything you already have. It should be much cheaper than freestanding insurance from a cruise line.

 

Me, though, I go without.

 

Insurance is not something you buy as an investment, it is something that you buy to protect your investment.

[sparks1093]

OP I have always found more robust policies from third party insurers and use http://www.insuremytrip.com to find our policy. Our last policy cost $33 a person (purchased 15 months before the cruise). I normally buy travel insurance for two things 1) medical coverage and 2) medevac coverage. While my medical plan does provide coverage overseas it only provides coverage for participating providers and the last thing I want to do is to have to find someone that accepts my plan. Medevac's are expensive, $25k or more. I don't have that kind of cash hanging around. Since a comprehensive policy is not much more than one that covers medical/medevac I just buy one of those. It is nice knowing that if we miss the cruise for some reason we will get most of our money back which would enable us to book another cruise sooner.

[rochelle_s]

I've decided to get insurance for our 7 day cruise but it seems unfair to me that I live 40 minutes from the port and my price us the same as those who are flying in. All I need is the cruise coverage not flight.

 

When you purchase insurance the price is based on what you paid for the trip, seeing as you are not purchasing airfare then you are not 'paying' for the coverage of flights. If you did need to fly to your port the cost of the insurance would be higher. That said your insurance will cover any flights needed to get you home if necessary from a port of call.

 

 

Rochelle

[garycarla]

I've decided to get insurance for our 7 day cruise but it seems unfair to me that I live 40 minutes from the port and my price us the same as those who are flying in. All I need is the cruise coverage not flight.

 

 

Folks that insure that part are missing the point. Insurance is for expenses that are high and the person would have great difficult covering.

 

Getting insurance for JUST the cruise is a bad bet. Why?

 

1 - Apparently the person can afford the $3000 expense for the cruise. After all, they just paid for it. If they can not go at the last minute for whatever reason, they are not out any EXTRA money, but they are out a cruise and that sucks. But, no extra expense. (actually the trip just got cheaper)

 

2 - Medical emergencies, having to get back home, etc can be very expensive and that is the part you have to insure.

[garycarla]

....

 

Insurance on the 3 or 4 day trip - not much to lose here - - -

Insurance on the 5-10 day trip - better do some thinking here - - -

Insurance on the 14-or more trip i.e. Panama Canal No brainer here take the

insurance this trip is costing a small fortune !

....

....

 

 

So, are you saying no chance of medical emergency on shorter trips, but there is on longer trips?

[getupgo]

Thanks Rochelle. Since I'm 71, it looks like NCL insurance is cheaper for me. It never occurred to me that I could get sick because I never am but last winter I got a cold that side lined me and I realized it would have caused me to miss my cruise. Lesson learned.

[getupgo]

For me its distance. Four day I'll be in the Bahamas and could get home cheap. 7 days, I'll be in Roatan. Big difference.

[sparks1093]

Folks that insure that part are missing the point. Insurance is for expenses that are high and the person would have great difficult covering.

 

Getting insurance for JUST the cruise is a bad bet. Why?

 

1 - Apparently the person can afford the $3000 expense for the cruise. After all, they just paid for it. If they can not go at the last minute for whatever reason, they are not out any EXTRA money, but they are out a cruise and that sucks. But, no extra expense. (actually the trip just got cheaper)

 

2 - Medical emergencies, having to get back home, etc can be very expensive and that is the part you have to insure.

 

I could afford to just burn $3000 but of course would have nothing to show for it but ashes. If I book a cruise and couldn't take it than without insurance it is no different than just setting fire to that money, affordability has nothing to do with it.

[david_sobe]

This topic amazes me most here on cruise critic. I am always surprised at what people write and their attitudes towards those who buy insurance.

I have taken cruises both very expensive (Haven for 5) and inexpensive ones. I have not purchased insurance for all cruises. My first time was when I booked Epic its first year and paid a fortune for a Haven suite. I wanted to protect my money since I was booking so far in advance and it was so expensive.

 

Here are the reasons I don't buy or need travel insurance when I cruise:

I live very close to the port of Miami and do not fly to get there.

I have good health insurance

I don't travel with expensive items or clothes so if something gets lost or stolen... no big deal

 

Here is the main reason I by NCL insurance:

I can cancel for ANY reason and get most of my money back towards rescheduling the cruise. We live in a world of uncertainties. My current booked cruise is over $4500. That is lots of money for me and it takes me about a year to pay off a little each month. Cruising is DIFFERENT than any other kind of trip or vacation. I can cancel hotels within 24 hours and not be charged. I can change airfare at the last minute with minimum penalties. I can rebook just about anything. If something comes up like sickness or an emergency and I don't have insurance, I will lose everything. So for me the $250 extra is worth all of that.

Our dog is 14 and starting to experience health issues. I am not sure she will be around in February but if she is and is sick and needs me, I will not take my cruise as planned and reschedule. I have comfort to know that for ANY reason NCL insurance allows me to change plans without losing all of my money.

I think it is the best thing ever. If I booked inside or balcony rooms I would take that chance and not take insurance. But expensive Haven suites take time for me to pay and I want to make sure I can take that vacation at some point.

I don't like when I see people write that if you need to buy insurance you should not be cruising or if you feel bad about losing your money, you should not be cruising. That is a very elitist attitude. We all work hard for our money. People have vacation savings accounts all the time. It is extremely common for people to save for a vacation or pay a little each month. This is how the real world works. If you easily write off a $5000 loss as no big deal, then good for you but most of us cant do that.

 

One myth that needs corrected is the Coast Guard does not charge for medical emergency rescues at sea. That is your tax dollars at work.

 

So long story short......NCL insurance works best IMHO. Other insurance companies cover things I don't need. I don't need lost luggage or missed flight insurance. I want to know that if an emergency comes up that is not health related, I can change my plans. My cruise has went up $800 already. Another $250 for protection is not going to rock the boat.

[Shawnino]

Insurance is not something you buy as an investment, it is something that you buy to protect your investment.

 

Cruises aren't investments, they are consumable commodities.

 

Frequent travellers should NEVER buy travel insurance. Instead, "self-insure". Take that $200 you would have spent on travel insurance and put it aside (or buy a bond with it, or a less risky ETF, or I don't care... that's not the point). After doing that multiple times, if you need to cancel a trip, you just pay yourself out of your accumulated nest egg.

 

The other point I'd make is just as we've all heard horror stories about how somebody's mother's cousin's wife's hairdresser's friend needed to get airlifted off a cruise, we've all heard stories about insurance companies that try to refuse to pay claims on technicalities. What do we say to the person who dutifully bought insurance but, oops, there on page 74 it says in the fine print that there's no liability because you called the wrong phone number to advise the company you'd be missing your trip. You needed to call Head Office, not Regional. Too bad, so sad!

 

Insurance, extended warranties, and so forth are (usually) the biggest rip-offs in the marketplace. If it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip, or life insurance to take care of dependents, I can see a use for it. But if you're going to be traveling frequently (or you're a vampire who dies frequently), save yourself money, and self-insure.

[din2play2]

Thank you all very much for your advice/suggestions. You have made my discussion for me. Definitely going to have insurance. Now just going to do some homework and figure out which one is best for what we need and hopefully never have to use it ;)

Thank You!!! Thank You!!!

[triptolemus]

Frequent travellers should NEVER buy travel insurance. Instead, "self-insure". Take that $200 you would have spent on travel insurance and put it aside (or buy a bond with it, or a less risky ETF, or I don't care... that's not the point). After doing that multiple times, if you need to cancel a trip, you just pay yourself out of your accumulated nest egg.

 

I don't get it. How does $200 allow me to self-insure my $5,000 trip? Or my unforeseen emergency? Can you explain that again? I guess if I do as you suggest 25 times...

 

For the life of me I do not understand why people think their personal one-size-fits all approach applies to to everyone else's situation. For me, $140 to protect $5,000 worth of "consumable commodity" + intangible unforeseen emergency makes sense. I'm waiting for someone to adequately explain why it doesn't. You haven't, in case you were wondering.

 

By the way... "nest egg" - I don't think it means what you think it means.

[getupgo]

The point of this board is for everyone to float their best idea out there and give the inquiring person a chance to analyze and make the best decision for her/himself. Its a great thing when people don't get hateful. I sure appreciate it. I have learned a lot.