Buy the trip insurance - because sometimes life really does suck!

[umograd83]

Today my husband and I should be boarding the Paradise in Tampa for a much anticipated cruise vacation. Instead, I am typing this from the confines of my couch. After being sick with a chest cold for a week, then coming down with a severe case of stomach flu, we had to cancel our cruise vacation. I became sick around 6:00 p.m. on Monday evening. We were supposed to fly to Tampa the next morning at 5:55 p.m. After spending the evening between my bed and bathroom, my husband took me to the quick care doctor, who sent me to the ER. Thankfully, what they thought might be a gallbladder attack was only the stomach flu. The only thing that could make this worse is if we didn't have the insurance to recoup the money. As it is, we are going to have a fight on our hands with Southwest because we did not call to cancel our flights (hello, I was in the hospital!). So, please, buy the trip insurance. It really is helpful if you need it.

[dmdiver]

Wow, sorry about your vacation. Thanks for the reminder.

[Keith1010]

Sorry to hear this but clearly one of many examples of why one should have insurance.

 

Also for those on board a ship medical insurance is important too.

 

Keith

[papaflamingo]

Tough break. We had to cancel a Med Cruise in 2011 when my Mom passed away. Cruise insurance paid back the over $4000 that I had invested. I know a lot of people don't want to pay the few hundred to protect a few thousand, I do. My Father in Law is 93. I am over 64. You just never know. So sorry to hear you missed your cruise. Glad to hear you had it covered. On a side note, amazing how many on Cruise Critic complain loudly when they get sick and don't have insurance and are angry that the Cruise line (any cruise line) won't give them a refund. Sigh.

[Warm Breezes]

I sincerely hope you feel better soon and I am sorry you are missing your vacation. I'm glad you took this opportunity to warn people instead of crying that the cruise line owes you bit that we sometimes get when people miss their cruises due to life and they didn't have insurance. We had a couple close calls on our first 3 cruises so we started purchasing insurance after that. We had to use our insurance when my Grandmother passed away the day before a cruise. It made the decision so much easier to cancel and head home knowing we would be refunded and could rebook later. I'm sorry you don't have that this time, but I thank you for the warning to others and for not coming on here feeling entitled to more, even though it was your choice not to insure your cruise. It is refreshing to see people taking responsibility for their actions for a change and I thank you for it. I wish our country had more people like you in it. Feel better soon.

[papaflamingo]

I'm sorry you don't have that this time,

 

Actually the OP did have insurance, just not for their plane flight (unless I read it wrong). :)

[Warm Breezes]

Actually the OP did have insurance, just not for their plane flight (unless I read it wrong). :)

 

You are correct. I need check my reading skills :D:o.

[CruisinCrow]

So sorry you missed your cruise. We had a cancel a trip once because my father-in-law was very ill so I know you are mourning the loss. Hopefully you can reschedule something soon and you won't have problems with Southwest. They are usually the nicest, most flexible airline to work with so I've got my fingers crossed for you.

[StolidCruiser]

Sorry to hear you weren't able to travel. Hope you feel better soon and thanks for the reminder on the importance of insurance.

[MomofTheBoy]

Sorry you missed your cruise and truly hope you feel better.

 

Do you all get the carnival insurance or travel insurance through an outside company? So far I've gotten mine from an outside company for my last few vacations (land and cruise). Luckily nothing happened where I needed to use it but I'm still curious. Traveling with a child by myself, trip insurance is now a staple for me.

[Savlamara]

So sorry you had to miss your cruise!

 

But as for the flight, call them and tell them what happened! I had to miss a flight (on Jetblue) cause one of my kids was sick. Once I mentioned that Jetblue gave me back everything in a credit even though I should have lost the whole $400 fare, they did have to ask a supervisor first. All they asked for was the name of the doctor and his phone number but they never called. Southwest is much more lenient then Jetblue so it doesnt hurt to call and ask!

 

Feel better soon! :)

[Podna's]

Sorry you missed your cruise and truly hope you feel better.

 

 

 

Do you all get the carnival insurance or travel insurance through an outside company? So far I've gotten mine from an outside company for my last few vacations (land and cruise). Luckily nothing happened where I needed to use it but I'm still curious. Traveling with a child by myself, trip insurance is now a staple for me.

 

 

Great question. I'd like to know if op used Carnival's insurance also and how good it is. I've always used Travel Guard but have been tempted to use Carnival's when cruising with them.

[stargate fan]

Great question. I'd like to know if op used Carnival's insurance also and how good it is. I've always used Travel Guard but have been tempted to use Carnival's when cruising with them.

 

Please reconsider your temptation.

Carnival's coverage is much lower than other policies. We purchase TravelSafe Classic through InsureMyTrip. Our policy has $1' date='000,000 medevac and we can choose any hospital we want vs. Carnival's $30,000. TravelSafe's medical is $100,000 while Carnival's is $10,000. Those are big differences. [/color']

 

From the websites:

TravelSafe Classic: (per person)

Accidental Death and Dismemberment...............$25,000

Medical Expense/Emergency Assistance Accident and Sickness Medical Expense .......$100,000

Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation ............$1,000,000

Trip Cancellation ............................................ Trip Cost

Trip Interruption..............................................150% of Trip Cost

Missed Connection...........................................$2,500

Travel Delay (Up to $150 Per Day) ....................$750

Baggage and Personal Effects............................$2,500

Baggage Delay................................................$250

 

Carnival: (per person)

Part A. Travel Arrangement Protection

Trip Cancellation for Independently Booked Air…Up To Total Original Airfare Cost

Trip Interruption for Independently Booked Air...Up To Total Original Airfare Cost

Trip delay……………………………………………………………….$500

 

Part B. Medical Protection

Emergency Evacuation………………………………………….$30,000

Repatriation…………………………………………………….…….$30,000

Accident Medical Expense…………………………………….$10,000

Sickness Medical Expense…………….……………………..$10,000

 

Part C. Baggage Protection

Baggage and Personal Effects ...........................$1,500

Baggage Delay ...................................…………...$500

Edited March 10, 2016 by stargate fan

[umograd83]

I bought the Carnival trip insurance this time. I called my Carnival PVP, Linda, yesterday to let her know we were cancelling the cruise. She gave me the number to call. I talked with the representative at the insurance company and she e-mailed the forms that I need to fill out to me. I am not going to fight with Southwest today about the airfare because I am not feeling well enough to do that, but will tomorrow. However, it looks like I may be able to recoup most of the fare through the Carnival insurance company as I did book the air on my own. It was a little over $500.

 

Thankfully, we have a cruise planned in September for our 15th wedding anniversary, so we have something to look forward to.

[BananaAnna]

Glad you are improving!

 

General information - if you book your insurance through someone besides Carnival, you can include flight costs as well.

(I get insurance through TravelGuard.)

[Warm Breezes]

Glad you are improving!

 

General information - if you book your insurance through someone besides Carnival, you can include flight costs as well.

(I get insurance through TravelGuard.)

 

This is what we do when we are flying. We get the insurance for the cost of the whole trip not just the cruise.

[OCruisers]

Hate that happened to you and hope you'll be feeling back to normal soon.

 

We have a friend who recently had to be airlifted back to California from Mexico and who was happy to have had insurance to cover the cost.

[KirkNC]

Sorry to hear you missed your cruise!

[arby70]

Sorry about your cruise, but glad you had insurance. I always get the insurance. It's a gamble either way, but only gamble with what you can afford to lose.

[Sparky2]

Today my husband and I should be boarding the Paradise in Tampa for a much anticipated cruise vacation. Instead, I am typing this from the confines of my couch. After being sick with a chest cold for a week, then coming down with a severe case of stomach flu, we had to cancel our cruise vacation. I became sick around 6:00 p.m. on Monday evening. We were supposed to fly to Tampa the next morning at 5:55 p.m. After spending the evening between my bed and bathroom, my husband took me to the quick care doctor, who sent me to the ER. Thankfully, what they thought might be a gallbladder attack was only the stomach flu. The only thing that could make this worse is if we didn't have the insurance to recoup the money. As it is, we are going to have a fight on our hands with Southwest because we did not call to cancel our flights (hello, I was in the hospital!). So, please, buy the trip insurance. It really is helpful if you need it.

 

So sorry you had to miss your cruise. Hope you're feeling better.

 

We always buy travel insurance cuz you never know what's going to happen.

[mzloolue]

I got sick and we had to cancel my birthday/anniversary cruise last year.

 

At that point I was glad that I was in the hospital instead of sick on a ship.

 

The insurance paid back everything except the cost of the insurance.

[lemansz20]

Did you get the insurance from carnival?

[lemansz20]

Glad you are improving!

 

General information - if you book your insurance through someone besides Carnival, you can include flight costs as well.

(I get insurance through TravelGuard.)

 

Incorrect information, Carnivals insurance covers independent airfare. My personal vacation planner confirmed this, might want to ask for details before giving out the wrong one to thread starter.

[mzloolue]

Did you get the insurance from carnival?

 

Yes.

It was the Carnival insurance.

Our pvp sent us an email with instructions.

I had to get a doctor to fill out a form and fill out some simple forms myself and then fax it in.

It was fairly easy.

Edited March 11, 2016 by mzloolue

[lemansz20]

Make sure you include your flights, b/c my pvp is the one who told me about it. Make sure file that you had flights too.