When To Buy Cruise Insurance

[Yvonne]

We are planning to go on our 12th cruise next January. Normally I purchase insurance within a few weeks of making the cruise deposit but this time I'm not so sure I want to do that. I know that when I purchase the insurance (we always buy from Allianz - used to be Access America) that money is gone, and even if I cancel the cruise before the cut-off date I wouldn't get the insurance money back that I paid out.

 

Can I wait until just a few days before the final payment date for the cruise to buy the insurance?

 

I don't really have a good reason for why I'm dragging my feet on purchasing the insurance right away this time, so I'm just wondering what others do. Do you buy insurance right away (I know you have to for pre-existing conditions) or do you wait? And if you wait, when then do you buy it?

[1025cruise]

I want coverage for cancel for any reason and pre-existing conditions, so I must buy insurance pretty quickly. I suppose if you don't need those clauses, you can wait.

[Flatbush Flyer]

If you and your traveling family partner(s) have had zilch in the way of health issues during the "look back period," pre-existing conditions is not an issue. However, what is any difference in your and the insurance company's belief in what constitutes a pre-existing condition can be a bone of contention.

Note as well that, with some insurers, you can secure policy at lowest amount to cover deposit and add to premium/payment as you add things (e.g., penalty dates, final payment, etc.)

 

Do the research!

[ready2cruzagain]

We always buy ours a couple of days before final payment. We use insuremytrip dot com. Of course, we don't have pre-existing conditions and don't need cancel for any reason.

[missjulia1]

Test

[Elaine5715]

My policy from Round Trip saids to purchase within 10 days of initial booking for the cancel for any reason to be effective.

[pris993]

i BUY AN ANNUAL BUSINESS TRAVELERS PLAN FROM TRAVEL GUARD, COVERS MEDICAL AND EMERGENCY EVAC, HAS SOME OTHER BENEFITS... NOT REALLY TRYING TO INSURE THE TRIP, JUST WANT TO HAVE MEDICAL AND EMERGNECY EVAC INS, SINCE WE ARE SENIORS.

 

aN ANNUAL PLAN COSTS US ABOUT $500 FOR THE TWO OF US... THEN i DON'T HAVE BUYING INS WHEN i BUY A CRUISE OR CX WHICH WE SOMETIMES DO THROUGH A YEAR.

 

THIS INS COVERS US IF WE ARE 100 MILES AWAY FROM HOME AS WELL, SO GOOD IN AND OUTSIDE USA.

[Flatbush Flyer]

We always buy ours a couple of days before final payment. We use insuremytrip dot com. Of course, we don't have pre-existing conditions and don't need cancel for any reason.

 

 

Some folks think that they don't have "pre-existing conditions" despite the gray area created by even just an annual medical exam or regular dental visit during the look back period.

[SPacificbound]

I also buy annual medical and evacuation insurance.

[Keith1010]

For most insurance companies you need to purchase it within two week of making your deposit to get the pre existing coverage.

 

You don't have to purchase it all at once though. Many will let you first purchase enough to cover the deposit and then you can augment when you make your final payment.

 

Keith

[JVilleGal]

i BUY AN ANNUAL BUSINESS TRAVELERS PLAN FROM TRAVEL GUARD, COVERS MEDICAL AND EMERGENCY EVAC, HAS SOME OTHER BENEFITS... NOT REALLY TRYING TO INSURE THE TRIP, JUST WANT TO HAVE MEDICAL AND EMERGNECY EVAC INS, SINCE WE ARE SENIORS.

 

 

 

aN ANNUAL PLAN COSTS US ABOUT $500 FOR THE TWO OF US... THEN i DON'T HAVE BUYING INS WHEN i BUY A CRUISE OR CX WHICH WE SOMETIMES DO THROUGH A YEAR.

 

 

 

THIS INS COVERS US IF WE ARE 100 MILES AWAY FROM HOME AS WELL, SO GOOD IN AND OUTSIDE USA.

 

 

Ouch you're shouting! So hard to read :(

[GeezerCouple]

We are planning to go on our 12th cruise next January. Normally I purchase insurance within a few weeks of making the cruise deposit but this time I'm not so sure I want to do that. I know that when I purchase the insurance (we always buy from Allianz - used to be Access America) that money is gone, and even if I cancel the cruise before the cut-off date I wouldn't get the insurance money back that I paid out.

 

Can I wait until just a few days before the final payment date for the cruise to buy the insurance?

 

I don't really have a good reason for why I'm dragging my feet on purchasing the insurance right away this time, so I'm just wondering what others do. Do you buy insurance right away (I know you have to for pre-existing conditions) or do you wait? And if you wait, when then do you buy it?

 

First, please also take a look (and ask questions) on the travel insurance subforum of CC:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=635

 

We'd also recommend that you contact the folks at

http://www.TripInsuranceStore.com

 

But CALL them, don't just depend upon the summaries on their website.

One of the main reasons for complaints here is because people didn't realize the "fine print", so there wasn't coverage they assumed existed.

 

They sell policies from several vetted insurers, and they'll help you find the best policy for your needs.

 

As mentioned above, you can usually insure just the initial deposit, not the full trip, and add coverage as you add additional NON-refundable charges.

The policies we usually get allow one transfer of the coverage to a totally different trip (within a year, or something like that - double check please).

 

And we have 21 days of initial deposit (refundable or non-refundable) to start the coverage, to get the pre-existing condition exclusion waiver, something *very* important to us.

 

If you miss that 21 days, there is another company Steve (owner of TripInsuranceStore.com) uses that allows the waiver if insurance is started within 24 hours of final payment (defined very specifically). But the CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason) is quite expensive this way, and as it's closer to departure, hopefully less necessary.