Should I keep the Celebrity insurance or cancel and find better coverage?

[OnTheJourney]

Hi,

 

I'm booked on a February cruise and purchased the X insurance at the time of booking. I suppose one advantage for this, presumably, is that I have 'cancel for any reason', but the flip side of the coin is that the coverage amounts are really low - 25k medical evacuation and 10k expenses. Considering that this trip goes to South America and Antarctica, I can only imagine what medical evac would cost from down there.

 

So my question comes down to whether or not I should cancel the X insurance and purchase something that offers greater coverage. Either way, using Celebrity or another product is secondary to my existing insurance. I need to find out what coverage I already have and then decide.

 

Any suggestions? I have never purchased trip insurance through the company with whom I have a trip booked, but certainly the cost of the cruise line insurance in this case is amazingly cheap.

 

Thanks for any thoughts,

Keith

[carolslc]

For most insurance you need to purchase it within so many days of booking. I found that out the hard way when I didn't purchase any then decided I wanted it some months later. I found some but paid more for less coverage. Go to insure my trip or other sites and see what you can get at this point then compare to celebrity. At this point you may be better off sticking, then know for the future to buy a non cruise line policy within a couple of days after booking.

[bobndee]

One thing to consider - bankruptcy protection. If you purchase travel insurance through the cruise line and the cruise line goes bankrupt, you lose what you've paid for the cruise and your insurance, too.

 

Independent travel insurance can include get your money back if the cruise line (or the airline you're taking to the cruise) goes bankrupt. Admittedly, none of us think X is in any danger of going under, but if they were, they wouldn't be shouting it from the rooftops.

 

Does the X insurance cover you if illness prevents you from starting the cruise? A friend of mine had her son get appendicitis the week before a family cruise. Their travel insurance gave them a full reimbursement.

 

As far as medical coverage goes, independent insurance lets you select the amount you feel you need. The amount you mentioned in your post sounds low to me. You can also get primary vs. secondary medical coverage, if you wish to pay for it.

 

BTW, I'm not an insurance agent, just someone who has gone through the same questions you're having now. We always buy travel insurance for major (expensive) trips.

 

There are several reputable on-line travel insurance companies you can get quotes from. I don't know if CC rules allow me to name them, so I won't, but a search will find them. The better ones will give you a range of quotes without you having to give them any personal information. Get a quote, compare it to what the X insurance costs and go from there.

[lysolqn]

We never take travel insurance through the cruise line because we always find we can get more comprehensive coverage for fewer dollars purchasing the insurance on our own. There is a great comparative website for travel insurance but I'm not sure if it falls under the CruiseCritic category of "don't post websites on the boards". I'll try to be cryptic and hope you figure it out. Insuremy and the last four letters rhyme with grip. Hope this helps.

[Bo1953]

You can also go the CC's Insurance Board here and read up on some of the pros and cons of your decision and what others have or recommend.

 

bon voyage

[BBsails]

Also, check your credit card(s) as many provide insurance coverage, and with some cards you do not have to book your entire trip on the card. You may be able to use the card's insurance and supplement privately if you think it's necessary. Be sure you read and understand precisely the terms of your credit card insurance (or any insurance for that matter).

 

Bon voyage

Betsy

[OnTheJourney]

For most insurance you need to purchase it within so many days of booking. I found that out the hard way when I didn't purchase any then decided I wanted it some months later. I found some but paid more for less coverage. Go to insure my trip or other sites and see what you can get at this point then compare to celebrity. At this point you may be better off sticking, then know for the future to buy a non cruise line policy within a couple of days after booking.

 

I think you're referring to purchasing insurance for pre-existing conditions and/or "cancel for any reason". I had a travel agent who was misinformed about trip insurance in general. You can purchase a trip policy any time up to 24 hours prior to departure. I've often found that the closer to the trip the cheaper it can be. For "cancel for any reason" it has to be purchased within 24 hours of the initial trip deposit.

 

I think I will keep the Celebrity insurance since it does include 75% credit towards another cruise in the event of canceling for any reason, but I'm still thinking of adding additional (secondary) coverage for medical. Not sure how having 2 secondary policies would come into play but from talking to X about it they said it shouldn't be a problem. I just talked to a Capital Blue Cross agent to find out what my current coverage is and he seemed to think there would be no limit at least in-network, but what was a bit discomforting was that he seemed to have no idea what I meant by 'medical evacuation', so whether or not something like a helicopter evac from the ship or wherever would be covered still remains unanswered. I think the thing to do would still be to purchase a product where I'm sure it is included.

 

Lysolqn....lol....I get it...I've used that website you cryptically refer to quite often :)

 

Thanks to all for the replies. Very helpful....

Edited October 26, 2016 by three4rd

[Pickels]

I have found out myself, and others have confirmed; you get a better deal not going with a cruise line's insurance. I don't know if it's permitted here, but I and others have recommended InSureMyTrip. Check it out.:rolleyes:

[bphman]

I almost always use non-cruiseline insurance because the benefits are better and pricing can be less. You can also customize the plans according to your needs. Private carriers include a pre-existing condition waiver which is often misunderstood. Some think that, if they are healthy, this is a non-issue. They fail to realize that family members with pre-existing conditions may affect coverage if you need to cancel. I have also gotten "Cancel for any reason" included for free by booking within 14 days of deposit. Add-ons may include "cancel for work", military call-up, flight insurance, increased medical and evacuation coverage, reseal car coverage, and others. HAL seems to have good coverage with "cancel for any reason" included up to 90%. You don't have to purchase cruise insurance right after booking. With most, you have up until final payment to purchase but will lose certain waivers if you wait.

[sandc4e]

I used insuremytrip and got a great policy with Nationwide.

 

I loved the layout of the website and the ease to compare policies.

 

I won't ever take a cruise without insurance, too may things can happen.

[riclop]

You will find better coverage for less $$$ elsewhere.

[easyboy]

Getting travel/trip insurance from a 3rd party gives higher coverage limits. Age however is also a factor for premium rates.

[JuliaMS]

As long as you are before final payment go someplace else. You can ask your TA but I went to Insuremytrip dot com. You can select what coverage you want - cancel for work, cancel for any, medical evacuation, preexisting condition etc) then compare policies side by side. I also bought the Nationwide cruise policy fro them. My travel agent was impressed with the better coverage for less than what they offered.

 

I put my deposit down on my cruise in Feb 2016, and got the policy the week before final payment was due for a Jan 2017 cruise. With a pre-existing condition waiver.

Edited October 27, 2016 by JuliaMS

[njmomof2]

Many different responses but the bottom line is...different insurance policies and companies have different requirements.

 

Purchasing through a third party is usually a better option for coverage. Cruise line insurance does not offer high enough (IMO) coverage for medical evacuation. That to me is crucial. Also, different policies have different rules for when you can purchase to take advantage of all the coverages.

 

Some are purchase within 14 days of first deposit. Others offer pre-existing condition waivers or cancel for any reason if you purchase before final payment is made. Some include cancel for work, others don't. Each is different, and it's important for each traveler to know what they want and investigate each vendor and policy to make sure it meets their individual needs.

 

We've seen many cruisers come on CC and note that their medical insurance provides for coverage overseas. Medicare DOES NOT cover out of the US. Some Part D (I think that's the section) additional coverages do have out of US coverage, but each individual needs to understand their policies. But I'm pretty sure the extra Medicare policies would not provide evacuation coverage, and that can get very expensive depending on where you're going.

 

I think that all travelers need to make informed decisions on what they want and whether they are properly covered. Many feel they can "self insure" and that's fine. Others don't want to take that risk. That's why, as I tell my kids, there is chocolate, vanilla and strawberry!

 

Take a look at insuremytrip or one of the other third party vendors for more information on different policies and coverages. Ask your TA. Make a call and I'm sure the representatives will be more than willing to discuss coverage options and costs with you.

 

Have a great trip.

[weregoingcruising]

I use Geoblue for medical and evac. 1 price covers us for all trips for 1 year. I use Visa credit card for cancellation insurance due to medical,weather delays ect. I self insure for cancel for any reason.

[ghstudio]

We never take cruise line (or airline) insurance....and we buy insurance just before our final payment. At that point, we pretty much know our "preexisting conditions" risk...we both have long term, but stable medical issues which aren't pre-existing conditions as defined in the policies because there is no change during the lookback period). We cover evacuation from a remote hospital to our home with Medjet (through AARP for a discount).

 

Everyone's situation is different. In you case, you have to be careful with pre-existing conditions which are probably waived if you bought the cruise line policy in time...and might not be waived if you buy another policy. As far as the limits on the cruise line policy...yes, they are woefully low....you should probably have at least 50K in medical and $100k in evacuation insurance...even with medjet because medjet doesn't cover ship to hospital...only hospital to home/home hospital.

 

Find out what coverage you have if you don't take any travel insurance...decide what you need and then go to insuremytrip or squaremouth and see what a policy will cost that provides what you need...

 

BTW...there is a forum on travel insurance on cruise critic.....http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=635

Edited October 27, 2016 by ghstudio

[bphman]

For njmomof2, Medicare Part D is prescription coverage. Medicare Part A covers hospitals and Part B covers physicians but not out of country (there are rare exceptions). Some supplemental plans MAY provide coverage outside of the U.S. Medicare Part C Medicare Advantage (or Disadvantage) plans cover you overseas but you would have to check with them. I, too, chose Nationwide. They had the best selection and they support my Buckeyes.

[tartan cruiser]

I too bought the Nationwide cruise plan on insuremytrip.com They have agents available to answer questions to help you understand exactly what is covered. The advantage is pre-existing conditions is waived if bought at or before final payment otherwise a 60 day look back Medical evacuation is $500,000 for the choice plan. My BCBS representative told me my supplemental insurance would cover emergency situations outside the U.S. but not evacuation. Your situation may differ but it might be a starting point for research.

[Lastdance]

Preexisting is very important if you had an event in your life during whatever the look back period is for that particular insurance . Even a change in prescription medicine can be a red flag...my DH is having rotator cup/attaching a tendon surgery on November. 11. He has to be cleared by the doctor before final payment in January with a note in his records and preexisting ins. Our sail date isn't until April, but pre payment is the cutoff and not the sail date. We used insuremytrip and CSA Insurance needs are different for everyone, so educate yourself! Even with that, unforeseen events can happen!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited October 29, 2016 by Lastdance