Travel insurance

[SkiTeton]

I'm overwhelmed by all of the options for travel insurance. Especially when using a site which allows you to compare multiple quotes from different companies. I plan on using a third-party such as Allianz or similar in lieu of RCCL's travel protection.

 

What are the important aspects of travel insurance? What do you prioritize when comparison shopping?

[Clarea]

High enough emergency evac coverage is a priority to us. Royal's insurance (Cruise Care) is pretty low in that respect.

[Ashland]

I'm overwhelmed by all of the options for travel insurance. Especially when using a site which allows you to compare multiple quotes from different companies. I plan on using a third-party such as Allianz or similar in lieu of RCCL's travel protection.

 

What are the important aspects of travel insurance? What do you prioritize when comparison shopping?

The trip cancellation is low on my priority list...what is important is medical and evacuation coverage.

 

We and many others on this board can recommend you call Steve or one of his associates at The Trip Insurance Store. Their professional's when it comes to assessing the need each traveler has based on your personal situation. I find it much easier to understand this sometimes complicated world of travel insurance when you speak to a live person.

 

(888) 407-3854

 

http://www.thetripinsurancestore.com

[katiel53]

One of my thoughts is the amount of medical evacuation insurance with a plan. I also look at the length of time between booking the cruise and buying insurance because of the pre-existing conditions.

 

I also look at the price in comparison to the various policies I am checking. I also look at the ratings of the companies as well as reviews of the companies.

 

I do include the cost of the hotels, planes as well as the cruise. I have the insurance start the day I leave home until the day I am scheduled to return home.

 

My medical insurance does not cover me outside the country, so I am sure to get full coverage for that and it must be considered primary, not secondary as I don't want to have to send a claim to my own insurance and wait for a rejection letter to send to the insurance company.

 

These are just a few of my thoughts when purchasing the insurance.

[xxoocruiser]

OP - If you have any pre-existing conditions I don't think RCCL's will cover that. Generally to be covered for pre-exiting conditions you need to be purchase the policy within 10-14 days of the booking date. Timing varies depending on the insurance company as well as the policy.

[GTO-Girl]

One of my thoughts is the amount of medical evacuation insurance with a plan. I also look at the length of time between booking the cruise and buying insurance because of the pre-existing conditions.

 

I also look at the price in comparison to the various policies I am checking. I also look at the ratings of the companies as well as reviews of the companies.

 

I do include the cost of the hotels, planes as well as the cruise. I have the insurance start the day I leave home until the day I am scheduled to return home.

 

My medical insurance does not cover me outside the country, so I am sure to get full coverage for that and it must be considered primary, not secondary as I don't want to have to send a claim to my own insurance and wait for a rejection letter to send to the insurance company.

 

These are just a few of my thoughts when purchasing the insurance.

 

This is exactly the criteria we use....except we drive so no airfare and I don’t include hotels.

[TeeRick]

I'm overwhelmed by all of the options for travel insurance. Especially when using a site which allows you to compare multiple quotes from different companies. I plan on using a third-party such as Allianz or similar in lieu of RCCL's travel protection.

 

What are the important aspects of travel insurance? What do you prioritize when comparison shopping?

 

For additional medical or evacuation coverage, many people take an inexpensive annual policy with a secondary insurer (like for example, GeoBlue if your primary is Blue Cross Blue Shield). The annual policy covers you for all trips during that year. For travel insurance most go to the online stores (insuremytrip, squaremouth, etc) and put in the search criteria most important to them - it is different for everybody so no one answer fits all here.

[knittinggirl]

OP - If you have any pre-existing conditions I don't think RCCL's will cover that. Generally to be covered for pre-exiting conditions you need to be purchase the policy within 10-14 days of the booking date. Timing varies depending on the insurance company as well as the policy.

Pre-existing is very important! We've been in medical just about every cruise recently. If you can find something w/ primary medical, so much the better. I had to get an EOB from my primary before sending it to the travel insurance people, even though I knew they wouldn't cover it because it was out of network.

[parmagal]

My credit card provides some travel benefits, provided I purchase tickets with it. So I look for the things the card does not cover plus medical and evacuation benefits.

[Steelers0854]

-First and foremost, I don’t see this discussed often enough, a credit card with a very high limit and a $0 balance, preferably one with no foreign transaction fees. In many countries you have to pay upfront for cost and get reimbursed when you get home from your insurance policy which is almost always a secondary policy.

 

-Medical Evacuation coverage with high limit- Not unusual to run in the tens of thousands of dollars and that’s just to get you to a primary care location. If you have to be flown back to your home country this could easily run into the 6 figures.

 

-Medical Coverage with high limit - Remember you are in another country.

[Joebucks]

I will also vouch for the credit card option. A good travel credit card will provide these benefits, probably travel rewards, and other travel benefits. It will likely come with a large annual fee. Depending on your total travel spending habits, it is another avenue worth looking into.

[Guest maddycat]

The trip cancellation is low on my priority list...what is important is medical and evacuation coverage.

 

We and many others on this board can recommend you call Steve or one of his associates at The Trip Insurance Store. Their professional's when it comes to assessing the need each traveler has based on your personal situation. I find it much easier to understand this sometimes complicated world of travel insurance when you speak to a live person.

 

(888) 407-3854

 

www.thetripinsurancestore.com

 

I'm another one who buys our travel insurance through The Trip Insurance Store. For the last several years I have been buying Travel Insured Insurance. Their reviews are very positive.

[SG65CB]

Probably the least understood and least needed is coverage for bad weather. People say "you are cruising in hurricane season, I hope you have trip insurance. " The reality is that if a hurricane causes the cruise to be canceled the cruise line will give you a refund so insurance is not needed. If the cruise is not canceled but you decided not to go this is not a covered reason for insurance and they won't reimburse you. The only way insurance would help in a hurricane is if your flights are canceled traveling to the departure port.

 

People will say you should get "cancel for any reason" insurance instead, but it costs more and only repays a percentage of your expense, usually about 75%.

 

The best reason for insurance is medical coverage, medical evacuation, and cancellation of a trip due to health reasons.

[Little Buddy's Mom]

We buy cruiseline insurance since it's usually very inexpensive and does cover several things, however, we purchase GeoBlue annually for additional medical and evacuation coverage. Last trip, my husband had to visit the medical center and both companies paid.

[SRF]

We buy cruiseline insurance since it's usually very inexpensive and does cover several things' date=' however, we purchase GeoBlue annually for additional medical and evacuation coverage. Last trip, my husband had to visit the medical center [b']and both companies paid.[/b]

 

If you got double paid, that is insurance fraud.

[nutterbutter818]

I look at evacuation and trip interruption. When I am flying, especially internationally, I also look at what kind of coverage is available for for lost bags.

[Solo1959]

....I have the insurance start the day I leave home until the day I am scheduled to return home....

 

Just an alert, last year I was on a cruise during Hurricane Irma. The ship was diverted and returned 3 days later. At that time, the insurance from the cruise covered up until the earlier of the scheduled date of return or the date the cruise ended. So, for the final three days I was effectively uninsured. Nothing happened. I won.

 

This year, the cruise line policy was changed so that the insurance ends on the date of return so were my new cruise to be delayed, my coverage would continue.

 

My suggestion is that you check your policy for this clause and make sure that it meets your needs.

[Little Buddy's Mom]

55768097[/url]]If you got double paid' date=' that is insurance fraud.[/quote']

 

No it's not. You don't know what you're talking about. One has a deductible and paid after the other one paid.

[MyNameIsGermy]

The trip cancellation is low on my priority list...what is important is medical and evacuation coverage.

 

 

 

We and many others on this board can recommend you call Steve or one of his associates at The Trip Insurance Store. Their professional's when it comes to assessing the need each traveler has based on your personal situation. I find it much easier to understand this sometimes complicated world of travel insurance when you speak to a live person.

 

 

 

(888) 407-3854

 

 

 

http://www.thetripinsurancestore.com

 

 

 

Ditto. Great group of folks there.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[NewSalt]

We always get insurance coverage within the time limit for initial booking so that we are covered for preexisting conditions. For our last cruise, I learned that we could be covered for pre-existing conditions if we insured only the deposit until final payment and then added the rest of the trip at that point. This was a good option for us because our travel companions were facing the possibility of surgery between booking and final payment, so if we had to cancel at that point, we would have only been out the lower deposit premium.

[SRF]

No it's not. You don't know what you're talking about. One has a deductible and paid after the other one paid.

 

That is not double paid.

 

That is paid in full.

[SRF]

BTW, one option is, if you do not want or need to insure the cruise, you can insure for $0 trip cost with some insurers.

 

That will give you the medical and evac insurance, and even the delay and lost luggage. But it will not cover the cruise fare.

 

I am doing this for an upcoming land vacation.

[geauxgirlgeaux]

We have had to use trip insurance three times to cancel trips. I buy medical and cancellation insurance through insure my trip if it is an entire vacation, or through the airlines if just a flight. We also buy medjet coverage for medical evacuation annually. Our US health insurance will reimburse emergency care and we do take an extra credit card for this purpose. It is good to be prepared!

[GGGrandma32]

Pre-existing medical is important to me and has to be purchased within I believe 14 days of booking cruise though you can up coverage to include flights and other things later. But for us, having elderly parents, ability to cancel for their emergencies as well as ours is important as well. We had a parent pass the day we would have left on a 2012 cruise. We knew in the week leading up to it she was likely to pass during the 11 day cruise. Of course, the other medical and evacuation benefits are always important as well. I would not buy from the cruise line.

[GBM]

I get it for Medical, first of all. And then to handle problems with luggage, flights (cancellations, etc.), etc. And, what no one else mentioned, repatriation of remains. (I was dying to say that.)