Which Insurance Plan Do You Purchase?

[SteadyBetty]

Hi,

 

I was on the insuremytrip wesbite and wondered which plan to buy for a cruise I am planning.  It gave the following plans and I wondered which one do folks on CC usually purchase?  Many to choose from, just want to buy the right one.  Thanks!

 

[GTO-Girl]

I purchase one of the comprehensive plans...

 

For me....I purchase within 14 days of booking the trip so pre-existing conditions are covered.  I also make sure it is “primary” and not secondary so I can file with them first.  And I make sure it has a very high medical and medical evacuation coverage.

 

 

 

[LHT28]

I buy Trip cancellation/interuption  if you do not have out of Country Medical  then add that

You need to buy one that suits your needs

If not sure  then call the Insurance Company & ask

 

ALWAYS  read the fine print

[Essiesmom]

There is a board here for Cruise/Travel Insurance where many knowledgeable people can advise you:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

[sparks1093]

We typically buy a comprehensive plan and we make sure that the medical evacuation coverage is at least $100k. We also book within 14 days of booking the cruise which generally provides a waiver of pre-existing conditions. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

47 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

I purchase one of the comprehensive plans...

 

For me....I purchase within 14 days of booking the trip so pre-existing conditions are covered.  I also make sure it is “primary” and not secondary so I can file with them first.  And I make sure it has a very high medical and medical evacuation coverage.

 

 

 

OP: 

Without knowing your specific circumstances, no one can tell you which insurance is "best" for YOU.

 

Call a broker like insuremytrip.com and they will help you narrow the choices. 

 

As aforementioned, it is always a good idea to get a waiver of pre-existing conditions (a complicated topic worth your searching for previous CC discussions) and most insurers require that you buy the policy within 2-3 weeks of cruise deposit in order to get the PEC waiver. Note, however, that a few insurers (e.g., Nationwide) will waive PECs as long as you buy the policy before final cruise payment.

 

Also, worth mentioning is to be careful about relying on your existing medical insurance while out of the US (e.g., Medicare is useless). And learn what is "medical evacuation" (it is NOT your emergency transfer by a coast guard from ship to shore). 

 

Finally, IMO, never buy insurance from the cruise line against which you may need to file a claim AND don't seek "technical" assistance (medical, insurance, etc) from CC participants. The many good/accurate responses will be peppered with a lot of misinformation. CALL experts (often several of them) to get consistent accurate answers.

[jaimevoyager]

I am traveling with someone who just went in Medicare. We are doing a Hawaii roundtrip from Los Angeles. I’m not sure in which direction I should look for plans. Any input is greatly appreciated. 

[CPT Trips]

Medicare is good in Hawaii 😃

If one has a Medicare Advantage plan it MAY provide coverage for medical emergencies. I know mine does.

[jaimevoyager]

Thank you so much for the prompt reply! 😀

[Ashland]

We have been using The Trip Insurance Store for all our travel. Steve or one of his associates are amazing a helping you to choose the policy that applies personally to your specific needs. Call...and speak to a professional ... don't try and make what could end up being a very important part of your travel decision .. to just a website description that may confuse you.

 

(888) 407-3854 toll free   (Steve from The Insurance Store) has also been a guest contributor on Cruise Critic.

 

 

[dickinson]

2 hours ago, jaimevoyager said:

I am traveling with someone who just went in Medicare. We are doing a Hawaii roundtrip from Los Angeles. I’m not sure in which direction I should look for plans. Any input is greatly appreciated. 

 

Medicare does cover in Hawaii BUT not while you are at sea or in Ensenada, Mexico.  You need comprehensive medical from travel insurance just in case something happens outside of Hawaii.

[evandbob]

For those who cruise and vacation often during a year, it might be better to do like we do and purchase an annual travel policy rather than individual ones.

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, Ashland said:

We have been using The Trip Insurance Store for all our travel. Steve or one of his associates are amazing a helping you to choose the policy that applies personally to your specific needs. Call...and speak to a professional ... don't try and make what could end up being a very important part of your travel decision .. to just a website description that may confuse you.

 

(888) 407-3854 toll free   (Steve from The Insurance Store) has also been a guest contributor on Cruise Critic.

 

 

 

This, definitely!

 

Not only have they helped us select policies, but they use companies that tend to PAY without a lot of nonsense.

And IF there are any questions/problems with a claim, TIS will step in and assist.

We've had good experiences with Travel Insured.

 

GC

 

[lenquixote66]

At one time my personal health insurance covered me anywhere on the planet but alas that changed.

[ldubs]

23 hours ago, evandbob said:

For those who cruise and vacation often during a year, it might be better to do like we do and purchase an annual travel policy rather than individual ones.

 

Interesting.  What would you say would qualify for often?  Based on your experience, would two to four international trips/year justify an annual policy?  I'm curious for future needs.  Thanks.   

[ducklite]

I make sure it has a minimum of $250,000 in medical evacuation.  When we went to French Polynesia, I made sure it was $500K.  I'll do the same for the Galapagos, Macchu Pichu, etc.  Antarctica I believe requires a million in evacuation.

Edited August 1, 2019 by ducklite

[SRF]

One thing I do is, I do not cover the cost of the cruise.  

 

I have already paid.  If I miss the cruise, I will be unhappy, but it will not be a financial crisis.  A medical issue, and especially a med evac could be.

 

My typical trip insurance cost is $32.  My last cruise, if I had covered the cruise cost, would have been over $500.

 

A few cruises, and even if I miss one, I will be even. 😄

 

 

[donaldsc]

Allianz annual travel policy.  It covers all of our trips for a year.

 

DON

[ducklite]

16 hours ago, SRF said:

One thing I do is, I do not cover the cost of the cruise.  

 

I have already paid.  If I miss the cruise, I will be unhappy, but it will not be a financial crisis.  A medical issue, and especially a med evac could be.

 

My typical trip insurance cost is $32.  My last cruise, if I had covered the cruise cost, would have been over $500.

 

A few cruises, and even if I miss one, I will be even. 😄

 

 

I think it depends on how much you spend on the cruise fare and where you are going.  For a typical mid-level cabin on a seven day mainstream live Caribbean cruise, self-insuring could be the way to go.  But for a longer cruise or on a luxury line, that could be a very large hit to the wallet if life comes at you fast.

 

 

[SRF]

1 hour ago, ducklite said:

I think it depends on how much you spend on the cruise fare and where you are going.  For a typical mid-level cabin on a seven day mainstream live Caribbean cruise, self-insuring could be the way to go.  But for a longer cruise or on a luxury line, that could be a very large hit to the wallet if life comes at you fast.

 

No arguments.

 

But it is up to each person to determine their needs and comfort level.

 

But, as I stated, by the time the cruise is near, I have already paid for it.  The money is gone.  If I don't get to go, I will be unhappy, but life will go on.  I fail to see how missing the cruise and not getting your money back is that life changing.  Annoying, yes, a crisis, no.

 

But a few hundred thousand dollars in medical and med evac expenses would put me in a serious financial bind.  So I ensure those costs.

 

My last cruise, that I self insured the cruise fare, was a 12 night in a Grand Suite.  Even so, after about 10 cruises, even if I miss one, I will be close to even versus insuring the cruise cost.

[Viv0828]

if you get a mileage credit card (for most airlines) it costs $100 a year and has $10,000 worth of trip insurance (if you have to miss a trip). It has no medical insurance but we buy a yearly policy that costs about $800.

our granddaughter had emergency surgery and she and her parents were unable to travel. our credit card insurance paid about $3,700 dollars- the full cost of the 3 fares since we had charged them on that card. NOTE: this is NOT cancel for any reason insurance.

you need to know what you wish to cover.

[evandbob]

On 8/1/2019 at 1:21 PM, ldubs said:

 

Interesting.  What would you say would qualify for often?  Based on your experience, would two to four international trips/year justify an annual policy?  I'm curious for future needs.  Thanks.   

 

4 or 5 trips a year might be the tipping point.  A lot depends on the amount and type of coverage you are looking for.  We travel 9 or 10 times a year, and some of our trips are 2 weeks or longer so an annual policy that has good medical coverage and evac works better than individual ones for us.  

[ldubs]

7 hours ago, evandbob said:

 

4 or 5 trips a year might be the tipping point.  A lot depends on the amount and type of coverage you are looking for.  We travel 9 or 10 times a year, and some of our trips are 2 weeks or longer so an annual policy that has good medical coverage and evac works better than individual ones for us.  

Thanks for the info.  I was not aware an annual policy was an option before I saw your thread.  

[taglovestocruise]

Medicare may pay for medically necessary services and supplies administered aboard a cruise ship if the ship was within United States waters when you got this care, and the doctor was authorized to provide this care to you. The services and supplies must be provided in a United States port or within six hours of departure or arrival at a U.S. port.

If you received care within U.S. waters, the doctor should submit a claim to Medicare. If you received care while in international waters, Medicare doesn’t generally cover it.

[crystalspin]

On 8/2/2019 at 5:55 AM, SRF said:

...by the time the cruise is near, I have already paid for it.  The money is gone.  If I don't get to go, I will be unhappy, but life will go on.  I fail to see how missing the cruise and not getting your money back is that life changing.  Annoying, yes, a crisis, no.

I was never so surprised as when my DH took this attitude after Canadian Chinese river cruise company Sinorama lost their license to operate. We had paid the too-good-to-be-true price of $9000ish dollars for four of us on the Yangtze, thinking we were protected by our big-box-runs-a-travel-agency VISA card. Gotta read the fine print: financial insolvency of tour provider is not covered by that card! (It is covered by our new Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Not to be fooled twice!)

 

But thanks for bringing that approach up -- very applicable to the third-person cost of taking my mom along on cruises. The price is low, the medical risk not so much!