I buy NCL insurance. Am I crazy?

[ziggyuk]

29 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Ha ha.  I thought the same thing when I read that but didn't want to say anything

I did not intend to start a debate on travel insurance.  I wanted people to scold me or applaud me for taking NCL insurance.  I must say, I am very interested in the reasons people buy insurance.  I think just like with extended car warranties, people get purposely scared to take them out.  I always read about people afraid of being life flighted from ships. OMG that is the last thing on my mind and is the least possible thing to happen.  I take the insurance for the likely scenarios.  Dying on a cruise ship is not one of them.  If you take a vacation to Bermuda and fly there, how come these people don't think they will die in Bermuda and take insurance.  But for some reason the cruise ship factor, people think different.  I just fear something in my life is going to take priority of the cruise week that I booked 1.5 years in advance.

 

Makes no difference if it's a cruise, flight or land based break, insurance is very inexpensive and, as far as I'm concerned a no brainer.

Just to cover theft, cancelled flights, cancelled hotels, medical emergencies and yes possibly a repatriation flight.

 

I have claimed on the insurance twice, once for a bag & camera theft and once just last year when we had flights and hotels booked for Nicaragua when civil war broke out while we were in El Salvador, government advice was not travel there, we needed to bypass Nicaragua and fly directly to Panama. All extra last minute flights, hotels, the lot were all covered and paid in full.

Frankly insurance is no more expensive than the cost of a good meal out. There are a lot of things I could/would cut out before insurance if I really needed to save cash.

Edited April 17, 2019 by ziggyuk

[erdoran]

My one time I had a claim I had NCL insurance - and they paid without a problem.  About a week after final payment my arthritic hip, that I had been nursing along for several months, entirely gave out and the doctor said there was no way cortisone shots or anything else would tide me over until after my cruise - so I had a hip replacement about 2 weeks before my cruise date, cancelled and got 100% of my cruise cost and my non-refundable hotel deposit back from NCL travel insurance.  I could have had airfare refunded, but the airline had just changed my flight time for the third time, so I was able to decline the schedule change and get a full refund.  

 

Right now I've been relying on my Chase Sapphire Reserve up to $10k/trip for COVERED reasons (not any reason) cancellation coverage, and  $100k evacuation.  I'm still working so not on Medicare, and my current health insurance does cover international (I made sure).  I've spoken with the Travel Insurance Store a couple of times and they even think I'm good...so that's one option in this discussion.

 

I'm sure there is less expensive travel insurance to be had, but everyone is different and it's ESSENTIAL for whatever insurance you buy you read the terms and conditions very, very carefully and if you are unclear, call them for an explanation.  The devil is in the details for these policies.  Pennywise is not always pound foolish; sometimes a higher price gives you better coverage, other times it's an illusion.  Only YOU know what life situations you need to be covered for.  

Edited April 17, 2019 by erdoran

[BNBR]

37 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Ha ha.  I thought the same thing when I read that but didn't want to say anything

I did not intend to start a debate on travel insurance.  I wanted people to scold me or applaud me for taking NCL insurance.  I must say, I am very interested in the reasons people buy insurance.  I think just like with extended car warranties, people get purposely scared to take them out.  I always read about people afraid of being life flighted from ships. OMG that is the last thing on my mind and is the least possible thing to happen.  I take the insurance for the likely scenarios.  Dying on a cruise ship is not one of them.  If you take a vacation to Bermuda and fly there, how come these people don't think they will die in Bermuda and take insurance.  But for some reason the cruise ship factor, people think different.  I just fear something in my life is going to take priority of the cruise week that I booked 1.5 years in advance.

 

Insurance is to protect against financial catastrophes, period.  Losing out on a cruise fare is anything but a catastrophe (if it is, then the person can't afford the cruise to begin with).  Most insurance is simply for people who are bad at math.  With the exception certain people who have good reason to believe they are higher risk than the incredibly highly paid actuaries believe them to be.

[david_sobe]

41 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

Insurance is to protect against financial catastrophes, period.  Losing out on a cruise fare is anything but a catastrophe (if it is, then the person can't afford the cruise to begin with).  Most insurance is simply for people who are bad at math.  With the exception certain people who have good reason to believe they are higher risk than the incredibly highly paid actuaries believe them to be.

I agree. However the amount paid for a Haven suite these days for folks like me would be a catastrophe

[BNBR]

21 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

I agree. However the amount paid for a Haven suite these days for folks like me would be a catastrophe

 

Yeah no kidding.  It's why I have no interest in the Haven anymore.  Regular cruise product is outstanding, the Haven just doesn't offer enough for me anymore to pay the premium.  I'm kind of shocked they still fill it up. 

[smplybcause]

18 hours ago, BNBR said:

 

I will point out that you put on your flame suit... So I'll just be blunt. 

 

This is easy. You can't afford the Haven by your own admission. So you can't afford the insurance either. 

 

Get a normal, much cheaper cabin that you won't struggle over 1.5 years to pay off. And skip the insurance. Travel cancelation insurance is only for people who are terrible at math. 

 

However, make sure your medical insurance covers international (it probably does) and consider an evac plan as you can buy one for your entire family for $70/year, unlimited trips. 

 

From everything I've read, in the US your medical insurance is more likely not to cover international than it does. And if it does a lot of them cover it under out of network rates which usually have deductibles twice as much as in network and coinsurance is usually twice as much. 

 

Personally, when I called mine when I was in Canada I was told they only cover life threatening emergencies out of country - to be determined by them. 

[erdoran]

3 hours ago, smplybcause said:

 

From everything I've read, in the US your medical insurance is more likely not to cover international than it does. And if it does a lot of them cover it under out of network rates which usually have deductibles twice as much as in network and coinsurance is usually twice as much. 

 

Personally, when I called mine when I was in Canada I was told they only cover life threatening emergencies out of country - to be determined by them. 

Yeah, love it.  First run up the bill and then let them decide after the fact whether they want to pay it.....in what other industry do customers hand vendors a blank check?!

[dcipjr]

On 4/16/2019 at 11:31 AM, graphicguy said:

Yes.  That said, it seems my TA (an online Agency) is more prone to take care of all the AMEX OBC and goodies better than NCL has in the past.

 

I’ve had a PCC with NCL tell me I don’t qualify for AMEX perks, when in fact I knew for a fact I did.  It took me about 3-4 calls to finally get them to apply the AMEX perks to my booking.  And, I had to lead them by the hand to point them to the AMEX links outlining the perks.

 

That said, it could have been I had a poor PCC, too.  

 

Let me know if I can help further.

 

Hey @graphicguy, I have a cruise booked that I booked directly with NCL. I’m 0 for 2 on getting a phone representative to apply the Amex perks to my booking. Both of them have just said they didn’t know what I was talking about.

 

What exactly did you tell them to do, to get the perks applied to the booking? I lead them to the page, and I know there’s a link of sorts on the page:

 

“To obtain benefits, travel agents must visit americanexpress.com/asdonline. Participating providers and benefits subject to change.”

 

There’s a login there on the link, but neither rep that I talked to knew what to do there.

 

I was thinking of calling Amex and asking them, but I don’t want to get the booking transferred to Amex’s TA because then I wouldn’t be able to call NCL for price drops and upgrades.

 

Any pointers?

[graphicguy]

2 minutes ago, dcipjr said:

 

Hey @graphicguy, I have a cruise booked that I booked directly with NCL. I’m 0 for 2 on getting a phone representative to apply the Amex perks to my booking. Both of them have just said they didn’t know what I was talking about.

 

What exactly did you tell them to do, to get the perks applied to the booking? I lead them to the page, and I know there’s a link of sorts on the page:

 

“To obtain benefits, travel agents must visit americanexpress.com/asdonline. Participating providers and benefits subject to change.”

 

There’s a login there on the link, but neither rep that I talked to knew what to do there.

 

I was thinking of calling Amex and asking them, but I don’t want to get the booking transferred to Amex’s TA because then I wouldn’t be able to call NCL for price drops and upgrades.

 

Any pointers?

I wouldn't hesitate to transfer your booking to AMEX.  They can and will offer you all the perks NCL offers.  Going through the NCL PCC is probably the last way I'd book.  They just aren't very good.

 

If you see a price drop or a chance for an upgrade, AMEX would be just as effective as NCL's PCC to help you.

 

Good luck!

[Jersey42]

On 4/15/2019 at 11:37 PM, Bright1 said:

I have a Chase Sapphire credit card. If I pay for the entire cruise with my card, I have complete ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage. The $95 annual fee seems like a good investment. My medical coverage is up to date so I think we’re covered. 

Any thoughts?

Exactly which Chase Sapphire card do you have, and does it still provide "cancel for any reason" coverage?  If so, do you have a link to the card.

 

I have a $95/year Chase Sapphire Preferred card that provides some great insurance benefits. But the $10K trip cancellation benefit is only for covered reasons.  I have also looked at the more expensive Chase Sapphire Reserve card, but the trip cancellation benefit is also for covered reasons.  If there really is a card with cancel for any reason coverage, I want it.

 

Here are some of the pertinent terms and conditions for my existing Chase Sapphire Preferred card:

 

What is Trip Cancellation insurance?

Trip Cancellation insurance reimburses you or your Immediate Family Members for up to ten thousand ($10,000.00) dollars for each Covered Trip if a Covered Loss prevents you or your Immediate Family Members from traveling on or before the departure date and results in cancellation of the travel arrangements.

 

Covered Trip means any pre-paid tour, trip or vacation when some portion of the cost for such travel arrangements . . . has been charged to your Account.

 

Covered Loss means one of the following events that occur when you or an Immediate Family Member is insured under the policy and the event causes cancellation of the travel arrangements:

• Accidental Bodily Injury, Loss of Life, or Sickness experienced by you, a Traveling Companion, or an Immediate Family Member of you or a Traveling Companion
• Severe weather, which prevents a reasonable and prudent person from beginning or continuing on a Covered Trip
• Change in military orders for you, your Spouse, or your Domestic Partner
• A terrorist action or hijacking
• A call to jury duty or receiving a subpoena from the courts, neither of which can be postponed or waived
• Finding your or your Traveling Companion’s dwelling to be uninhabitable
• Quarantine imposed by a Physician for health reasons
• Financial insolvency of the Travel Agency, Tour Operator, or Travel Supplier whose services you booked

[negn]

I’m most concerned with medical evacuation in the event of a serious injury/ illness.  I bought a good policy for $83 for DH and myself.  You may do better looking around at other options

[cincicruisers]

Insurance seems to be “all for” or “all against”.   I do buy insurance for our cruise vacations.  I only had to use once but it paid 100% of the claims.  My daughter got very seasick and got bronchitis.  Several trips to doctor, shots, and RX totaled around $500/$600.  No questions asked, quick payment.  I know this is a small amount but we were glad we had the insurance.