Travel insurance

[sterling2]

We are traveling by Amtrak for a cruise out of San Francisco. We've purchased Princess' platinum insurance. Do we need additional insurance in the event we miss our cruise departure due to late arrival by the train.

[ccastner]

Very probably yes but read the princess ins terms first

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[easyboy]

It is better to get a 3rd party insurance for expanded coverage.

[cheeseclan]

Princess only covers the cruise unless you get their EZ air as well. We use princess for the cruise and then travel guard for our flights and hotels etc. Has worked for us.

[LeeW]

Princess insurance only covers what you buy from Princess but does include a "cancel for any reason" clause that is expensive from other insurers. If you miss the cruise and you didn't buy pre-cruise transportation through them they will give you a partial reimbursement for costs of catching up to the cruise. If you just cancel you get a full refund (with Platinum) as a credit for a future cruise, not cash. General info on vacation protection is at: http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/prepare.jsp

[fishywood]

Princess only covers the cruise unless you get their EZ air as well.

 

Princess insurance only covers what you buy from Princess

 

Princess Vacation Protection does include some travel delay coverage whether or not the travel was booked through Princess

 

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/faq_answer_legal/Princess_Vacation_Protection.pdf

 

See Page 5, Part A: Travel Arrangement Protection

 

What the general document does not tell you is that the scheduled arrival time of your common carrier must be no later than what Princess deems sufficient and your delay must be for a certain number of hours before coverage kicks in. Though this is true of many independent travel policies as well, so it still pays to shop around especially with Amtrak's on-time record.

[cargo13]

Cruise line insurance coverages for trip costs not booked with the cruise line are not. We had disputed claim with Holland (same company as Princess) several years ago for return air & bus tickets. Since we have always insured with an independent travel insurance company because they will cover all trip costs. CSA Travel Protection has been affordable with better coverages than the cruise lines. Their customer service is good to so you can get advice from CSA regarding best fit plan for your needs. 800-874-2442

[fishywood]

Cruise line insurance coverages for trip costs not booked with the cruise line are not.

 

But Princess Travel Protection does cover additional expenses incurred due to trip delays/lost luggage even if travel was booked independently. Which is what I assume the OP is asking about.

 

Though if the OP is asking about a refund for the total cruise if Amtrak never gets them to San Francisco, they wound't get a refund (only an FCC under the CFAR coverage) as that would not be a covered reason even if booked through Princess.

[Grego]

We have an interesting (to us) scenario that we are having a tough time getting a definitive answer.

 

It goes like this:

We fly from FL to Sydney Australia using EZ Air

Spend two days in Sydney at the hotel of our choosing

Fly from Sydney to Melbourne using EZ Air

Spend two days in Melbourne, again using our choice of hotel

Board the ship and voyage to Singapore

Spend two days in Singapore, once again in a hotel of our choice

Fly to FL using EZ Air

 

Does Princess Platinum Insurance through Aon Affinity cover the whole time? Or does it only cover the four days before, the voyage and four days after the voyage? With this scenario, we have a week before the ship leaves due to travel time and the stays in the two cities before we board.

[Thrak]

Amtrak is pretty reliable but I would make sure I was arriving in SF either the day before my cruise or very early in that morning on the day of the cruise. That will cover most types of delay that Amtrak might incur. Trying to arrive by Amtrak at 1:00 PM for a 4:00 PM sailing would be way too risky for me to contemplate. Even a 10:00 AM arrival would worry me as, even though I did say Amtrak is usually reliable, one never knows what weird thing might happen.

[Yosef42]

Usually is the key term, here. A few years ago, when there were some pretty serious wildfires in Colorado, my MIL was nearly three days late arriving by train (and the operator could only tell us that she had "Terminated in Sparks").

 

Also, OP should be aware that Amtrak trains actually go to Emeryville, which is across the bay from SF and the cruise pier, so some sort of transfer will be necessary.

[dickinson]

We have an interesting (to us) scenario that we are having a tough time getting a definitive answer.

 

It goes like this:

We fly from FL to Sydney Australia using EZ Air

Spend two days in Sydney at the hotel of our choosing

Fly from Sydney to Melbourne using EZ Air

Spend two days in Melbourne, again using our choice of hotel

Board the ship and voyage to Singapore

Spend two days in Singapore, once again in a hotel of our choice

Fly to FL using EZ Air

 

Does Princess Platinum Insurance through Aon Affinity cover the whole time? Or does it only cover the four days before, the voyage and four days after the voyage? With this scenario, we have a week before the ship leaves due to travel time and the stays in the two cities before we board.

 

I have been told that unless you are staying in Princess hotels (i.e. hotels that Princess has a relation with and recommends) it will only cover your cruise and your EZ Air. This also happens to people who use EZAir to either fly in before or after a cruise but spend a few days in the embark/deport city. Unless you stay at a Princess hotel (more $$$$$) you need other coverage for those days.

 

I have read the Princess Vacation Protection brochure and this appears correct. All their language actually seems to talk about the cruise and then mentions EZAir is counted too.

[caribill]

Princess insurance only covers what you buy from Princess but does include a "cancel for any reason" clause that is expensive from other insurers. If you miss the cruise and you didn't buy pre-cruise transportation through them they will give you a partial reimbursement for costs of catching up to the cruise. If you just cancel you get a full refund (with Platinum) as a credit for a future cruise, not cash. General info on vacation protection is at: http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/prepare.jsp

 

To "cancel for any reason" you must cancel before the ship has sailed.

 

You cannot miss the ship and then cancel.

[chubbypiggy]

To "cancel for any reason" you must cancel before the ship has sailed.

 

You cannot miss the ship and then cancel.

 

Is that a time limitation to use the credits that you received from your cancelled cruise under “cancel for any reason”? If you received a $4000 credit for a long cruise that you cancelled, must the entire $4000 credit be used for your next cruise? Or it can be used for several shorter/less expensive cruises? Thank you.

[trbarton]

We are traveling by Amtrak for a cruise out of San Francisco. We've purchased Princess' platinum insurance. Do we need additional insurance in the event we miss our cruise departure due to late arrival by the train.

 

What time does Amtrak arrive & where are you coming from? Remember that when you get off Amtrak you will take a shuttle bus to San Francisco. This information helps in other answers.

 

Tom😎

[sippican]

Generally, you'll get a better value by purchasing travel insurance from a third party vendor (as was suggested by a previous poster), rather than the cruiseline. You can choose a policy that best meets your individual needs. Always be sure to include the total trip cost: cruise, hotels, flights, etc., in the coverage amounts.

 

Frequently recommended websites are squaremouth and insuremytrip.

[caribill]

Generally, you'll get a better value by purchasing travel insurance from a third party vendor (as was suggested by a previous poster), rather than the cruiseline.

 

That depends on your age.

 

Most third party vendors base the premium on your age with the older you are the higher the premium.

 

The Princess insurance premium is not age based.

[Luvmyrotti]

You really need to compare levels of coverage in third party plans vs Princess. The medical coverage and emergency evacuation and repatriation provisions are much richer in the third party plans we get for generally the same price or less than Princess.

[sippican]

You really need to compare levels of coverage in third party plans vs Princess. The medical coverage and emergency evacuation and repatriation provisions are much richer in the third party plans we get for generally the same price or less than Princess.

 

Yes, I agree. When I mentioned "value" I was not referring to cheapest. It is true that the premiums for private insurance rise as we age, but the coverage is of upmost importance to us.

 

We want the entire trip covered, not just the cruise. As you mentioned, medical evacuation and repatriation are also a priority for us.http://experience.usatoday.com/cruise/story/cruise-101/2015/07/27/plain-truth-cruise-insurance/30737449/

[Grego]

I have been told that unless you are staying in Princess hotels (i.e. hotels that Princess has a relation with and recommends) it will only cover your cruise and your EZ Air. This also happens to people who use EZAir to either fly in before or after a cruise but spend a few days in the embark/deport city. Unless you stay at a Princess hotel (more $$$$$) you need other coverage for those days.

 

I have read the Princess Vacation Protection brochure and this appears correct. All their language actually seems to talk about the cruise and then mentions EZAir is counted too.

 

I agree with you after contacting the broker who handles Princess insurance plans. The policy covers up to 4 days before and after the voyage to take care of any delays, etc. In our planned scenario, it would not cover the whole time. It would appear that we would have to purchase insurance from someone like TravelGuard.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for an insurance company?

[Jersey42]

I agree with you after contacting the broker who handles Princess insurance plans. The policy covers up to 4 days before and after the voyage to take care of any delays, etc. In our planned scenario, it would not cover the whole time. It would appear that we would have to purchase insurance from someone like TravelGuard.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for an insurance company?

 

Check post 16 for two sites. We have used https://tripinsurancestore.com/ based on recommendations from others. You can put in your information and get quotes on a variety of plans. The website has lots of info to explain the options. Once you do this, call them. If you explain your situation, they can recommend the best option. We have used Travelex and Travelsafe through this company depending on the specific trip.

[easyboy]

We also use Travel Insured thru the same website.

[Grego]

Check post 16 for two sites. We have used https://tripinsurancestore.com/ based on recommendations from others. You can put in your information and get quotes on a variety of plans. The website has lots of info to explain the options. Once you do this, call them. If you explain your situation, they can recommend the best option. We have used Travelex and Travelsafe through this company depending on the specific trip.

 

Nice site and we will attack it more completely when we have a better handle on our trip cost.

[TriumphGuy]

We love traveling by train. Our experience with Amtrak has been relatively good. That said however, delays are not uncommon, most of the tracks are owned by freight lines, BNSF, etc., and passenger trains often spend time waiting on freight trains.

Weather delays are common also. Recently two avalanches caused the Empire Builder service along the Hi Line to be stopped and passengers had to be bussed. My advice is to leave yourselves at least a day or two before the cruise in case of delays. San Francisco is a beautiful city and if there are no delays and you arrive on time so much the better to explore.

Amtrak also offers trip delay/cancellation insurance for a reasonable price.

[Pam in CA]

We are traveling by Amtrak for a cruise out of San Francisco. We've purchased Princess' platinum insurance. Do we need additional insurance in the event we miss our cruise departure due to late arrival by the train.

If you are sailing a round-trip cruise out of SF, you will not be allowed to board at another US city unless you disembark in Canada or Mexico as it would be a violation of the Passenger Vessel Services Act. If this is the case, if you miss your ship, you'll probably miss the entire cruise. No matter how you plan to travel, unless you live close to the port, make sure you arrive the day before.