Trip Insurance - buy through Carnival or what's your favorite company?

[Stacy1436]

I am traveling with my 75-year-old mother and need to purchase travel insurance. What company have you used that you like? I need something that if she falls or something happens in a foreign country, it will pay to have her brought home. I am not sure whether to purchase it through Carnival or through a separate company.

[trihawks1]

I have always purchased trip insurance and up until this last fall, I had never used it. However, I fell and broke my left leg, my left elbow, messed up the knee 6 weeks before my Dec 2015 cruise. I ended up going into a rehab/nursing facility until New Year's Eve day. I then was home bound for another 10 weeks. Needless to say, very disappointed I missed my cruise (oasis of the seas). I submitted tons of documentation to my travel insurance and was 100% reimbursed for airfare, cruise, hotel rooms, etc. I didn't cancel the cruise until Dec 1 when my orthopedic surgeon said no way would I be ready. It got me to think that things like this injury from a fall off the steps of the front porch of a house is not expected...just like appendicitis or the flu etc. whether things happen before or during the cruise, it makes sense to get travel insurance. Make sure you keep documentation of when you booked the cruise and all receipts etc. my insurance said I had 30 days, some are longer, to decide to take the insurance. So check that out. Also, include all expenses you would have if you cancelled prior to cruise. My daughter and her fiancé are going in November on Breeze for their honeymoon. They are flying in the day before to avoid any airline or weather issues. I have insurance for them and based on their ages and $ amount I am insuring it was around $180-200 per person. That's cheap for peace of mind. I always use non cruise insurance...I also always choose a policy that I can cancel for ANY REASON and get reimbursed. Just double check all the fine print and the different levels they have available. Well worth it even if you never use it. To get sick on the cruise and need evac via helicopter or airfare to get back home and medical bills...you just never know!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[code_d]

Always use insure my trip .com. As it compares many different companies for you to look at. Usually much less than cruise line's for better coverage. Definitely good peace of mind.

[amyh13]

Always use insure my trip .com. As it compares many different companies for you to look at. Usually much less than cruise line's for better coverage. Definitely good peace of mind.

 

I go to this same website. It always seems to direct me travel guard. And I always get the coverage that would get me back home in the event of a medical emergency.

[crusinpsychRN]

I use Travel Guard. Carnival is too high. I cruise close to home so no flights. Now I just get medical and it only costs $25 which would cover medical and an evacuation.

Edited August 9, 2016 by crusinpsychRN

[ourcruiseyears]

Started off with InsureMyTrip but always found that TravelSafe gave us the most bang for our buck considering our personal needs. We've been purchasing their Classic Plan directly from them for a number of years now. Haven't had to file a claim (yet, knock on wood!) but they are always very pleasant to deal with when we've called with questions.

[BettyPC]

Always buy from the cruise line. Had to file once w/Royal C. Worked fine and got all the money back (except for the cost of insurance of course).

[zdcatc12]

Always use insure my trip .com. Usually much less than cruise line's for better coverage.

 

Always buy from the cruise line.

 

Ah, why I love reading the posts on here!

[elainmir]

We go through our auto insurance company USAA and select travel and it shoots us to Travel Insured but we get a price break for going through our insurance company. We pick our plan and our 14 yo son is always free! You get much better coverage at a much better price than Carnival offers!

[astrofan4ever]

Travel Guard, DS got a large splinter in his toe while on shore, had to visit the medical clinic and the Ship's Doctor to have it removed. Travel guard reimbursed my for the total bill. So the insurance paid for itself the cruise

[Towel Critter]

I used to always go with Travel Guard, but after gaining more experience than I would like in the area of filing claims with travel insurance companies (3 of 4 last booked cruises cancelled within days of sailing), I have settled in on Travel Safe. The cost and coverage is about the same as Travel Guard, but they require less documentation, in my experience, than Travel Guard. I was fortunate enough to get reimbursed 100% for the three canceled cruises, twice with Travel Guard and once with Travel Safe, but Travel Safe made me jump through far fewer hoops. Getting documents signed by doctors and gathering together medical records can be a headache, so having to do less of it is a big deal to me.

[TX Catty Cruiser]

First I want to let you know that this thread will be moved by the CC gods to another location... so don't be shocked like I was.. the location is under cruise discussion /cruise insurance. FYI there are a lot of threads and good information.

 

Second, there is an agent that specializes in travel insurance and his website is trip insurance store.com. (got the info from one of those threads). I called and told them what I needed and they suggested a company and policy. They answered all my questions including why they didn't represent a company that I had found on my own.

 

Bon voyage!

[jimbri]

We purchased cruise insurance for our last cruise. We bought it through Carnival and it cost $49 per person. It seemed to cover everything we needed including having a helicopter take us to a hospital if necessary. This was a Caribbean cruise. We bought it because my husband had an attack of colitis the previous year. He had never had it before. He was fine then doubled over in pain and spent 5 days in the hospital with IV antibiotics. So things happen quickly. I once bought travel insurance for my son when he was traveling through Asia. I was told it would cover everything. Well he missed a flight and it was not covered (Although I specifically asked about a missed flight). I don't remember what company it was but it was a well known one that I had read about on different sites including cc. So that's why I picked the Carnival insurance and luckily did not have to use it. Good luck. I'm sure you will find a suitable policy.

[lola61]

I am traveling with my 75-year-old mother and need to purchase travel insurance. What company have you used that you like? I need something that if she falls or something happens in a foreign country, it will pay to have her brought home. I am not sure whether to purchase it through Carnival or through a separate company.

 

Insuremytrip.com :D

[TX Catty Cruiser]

First I want to let you know that this thread will be moved by the CC gods to another location... so don't be shocked like I was.. the location is under cruise discussion /cruise insurance. FYI there are a lot of threads and good information.

 

Second, there is an agent that specializes in travel insurance and his website is trip insurance store.com. (got the info from one of those threads). I called and told them what I needed and they suggested a company and policy. They answered all my questions including why they didn't represent a company that I had found on my own.

 

Bon voyage!

 

PS. With an agent you will have help with the red tape and has pull it you need to fight a claim .

[frangran]

Insuremytrip.com :)

[MMastell]

I buy from Alianz through insuremytrip. We have had to collect on it twice. Once on a cruise and two years ago when we Wintered in Mexico. They paid out quick and with few hassles.

 

Make sure you get the doctor's report of the diagnosis of any illness or injury. It needs to give the specific disease or injury. In Mexico the diagnosis was lung abnormality and that was on the invoice. I had pneumonia. I had to contact the hospital in PV and get the specific diagnosis. Once I had that Alianz reimbursed me the $450 ER bill within a week.

 

Take care,

Mike

[elliair]

I use Travel Guard. Carnival is too high. I cruise close to home so no flights. Now I just get medical and it only costs $25 which would cover medical and an evacuation.

 

We too have always used Travel Guard, we purchase the Gold Plan. Don't ever go on a trip without it!

[patrice1]

DH is a veteran, so we always go with USAA and get good prices, usually Travel Insured. We always get the "any reason" policy, but at our age, 60's, we know we need to be prepared. We must buy within 30 days of booking to get pre-existing conditions covered. Make sure you note that.

[Stacy1436]

Patrice1 I thought it had to be purchased before final payment. Final payment is 60 days out so how can we wait to buy it until 30 days before?

[Towel Critter]

Patrice1 I thought it had to be purchased before final payment. Final payment is 60 days out so how can we wait to buy it until 30 days before?

 

For a waiver of pre-existing conditions, one must purchase within a window that is determined by each travel insurance company. It varies a bit between companies. In other words, if you book a cruise on July 20, you must buy coverage by August 19 (30 days), or whatever the requirement by your provider is, for a pre-existing condition to be covered.

Edited August 10, 2016 by Towel Critter

[LaCal]

We use Nationwide Cruise Ins through Insuremytrip.com. They are one of the only companies to add in extra Cruise related benefits like port changes etc that the others don't

 

Carnival has just a very basic ins with minimal $$ coverage.....But Carnival is good if your a senior as travel Ins can get expensive.....My Mother in Law is 87 and going through Nationwide was going to be $290. Carnival doesn't discriminate on age so she bought it for $49 from them. We bought Nationwide for $120 for the 2 of us and it included $100,000 medical and $500,000 medivac plus loads of other benefits

[GradUT]

Yes, in order for pre-existing conditions to be covered, the insurance must be purchased within a set number of days (generally between 10-14 days) after the initial payment. So, if you paid the deposit on the cruise on August 1st, you might have to buy the insurance by August 11th in order for pre-existing conditions to be waived. So, if you think Mom might have to cancel the cruise due to her heart condition and you don't have a waiver of pre-existing conditions, your claim could be denied. If Mom is healthy as a horse, but you are afraid you might have to cancel because she might be in a bus accident a week before the cruise, then pre-existing conditions would not be an issue and you would not need to purchase within the abbreviated time frame.

 

Sooooo....when to buy insurance and what type of insurance to buy comes down to your particular circumstances. That's why I like InsureMyTrip.com. They have a vast array of policies and you can choose what suits you best. Also, the staff of IMT are great about answering your questions via email, phone or live chat.

[Gallivanting Souls]

I also use Steve, at Tripinsurancestore.com

Very helpful.

[Happy2cruise]

Always purchase thru tripinsurancestore. Steve and his staff are very knowledgeable and will work with you to get the best coverage for your specific needs or situation.