Travel Insurance

[Jack E Dawson]

I have a question about obtaining 3rd party travel insurance. I hope i am not breaking any CruiseCritic site rules with the details of my question. If I am, I apologize.

For an upcoming 2020 Viking Empires of the Mediterranean cruise I am looking at obtaining travel insurance through InsureMyTrip.com. Does anyone have any experience with this site, especially if you have filed a claim. The quote given me is underwritten by STARR Indemnity & Liability, Dallas, Texas. This will be my first Viking Ocean cruise so any help will be appreciated.

 

Thank

Jack

[-Lew-]

We've used InsureMyTrip as well as SquareMouth more recently on the advice of our TA.  She mentioned SquareMouth is very good with providing assistance in the event there is a claim.  Both offer pretty much the same policies at the same premium.

 

We had a claim for our last cruise which we insured with iTravelInsured purchased through SquareMouth.  They required a lot of information, but paid right away with no further questions or issues.  We purchased the same policy for an upcoming TA on the Sky Princess in November.

 

 

[aungrl]

We fortunately have never had to file a claim - knock wood! - but I can highly recommend this site.   This team knows what it’s doing, and have given me more reliable/realistic quotes and policies than I’ve ever been able to purchase elsewhere.  

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, aungrl said:

We fortunately have never had to file a claim - knock wood! - but I can highly recommend this site.   This team knows what it’s doing, and have given me more reliable/realistic quotes and policies than I’ve ever been able to purchase elsewhere.  

 

We have used insuremytrip.com   for all of our international trips the past 4 years.  Fortunately we have never had to file a claim.  However, it has been so incredibly easy to work with them, ask questions, get answers, and in general, get what we need.  Their web site is quite good and helps you easily filter down to the options that make sense for you.

 

It would be interesting to see how they perform if we file a claim, but I actually hope we never find out!

[Vineyard View]

We always use this site, and unfortunately have had to file a claim due to unexpected medical. We did not use the insurance company you are looking at, so I cannot speak to that piece. There was a lot of paperwork, but i would assume that would be the case with any insurance claim. We were taken care of and currently have three cruises  through InsureMyTrip. 

If you call them, you will be speaking with a licensed agent and they are very helpful, knowledgeable, and have been able to guide me with specific plans that fit my needs. For instance, some insurance companies will allow you to initially cover only your deposit, and add to the policy as you spend more on things like flights and payments - while at the same time covering yourself for preexisting conditions if you insure within (usually) 14 days of deposit, so do not hesitate to call them. 

[OnTheJourney]

Echoing what has already been said...insuremytrip is great. The agents that work the chat feature are always very knowledgeable as well. 

[stretchcruz]

I've used insuremy trip for over 20 cruises and I do what vineyardview does. Had to file a claim once, reimbursed everything including Priceline hotels and fees to redopsit FF miles.

[Carol From California]

We have always obtained private insurance and used InsureMyTrip.com.  Then a few years ago we got a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card which includes $10,000 trip insurance per person. They do not cover pre-existing conditions. They only require that you pay some portion of the trip on your credit card.  So if you have already paid the deposit and then get the card and put the balance on the card you will be covered. The insurance includes trip cancellation, trip delay, medical, and emergency evacuation. The annual fee for the card is $450 but there is a $300 annual travel credit so the annual fee actually is only $150. For this you also get Priority Lounge access, reimbursement for Global Entry fee, etc. There is also usually a sign up bonus of 50,000 points or more.  

[CCWineLover]

27 minutes ago, Carol From California said:

We have always obtained private insurance and used InsureMyTrip.com.  Then a few years ago we got a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card which includes $10,000 trip insurance per person. They do not cover pre-existing conditions. They only require that you pay some portion of the trip on your credit card.  So if you have already paid the deposit and then get the card and put the balance on the card you will be covered. The insurance includes trip cancellation, trip delay, medical, and emergency evacuation. The annual fee for the card is $450 but there is a $300 annual travel credit so the annual fee actually is only $150. For this you also get Priority Lounge access, reimbursement for Global Entry fee, etc. There is also usually a sign up bonus of 50,000 points or more.  

 

Carol - does the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card insurance cover the spouse as well?   medical evacuation in addition to medical?  how much medical does it allow you to get?    We have always gotten insurance through InsureMyTrip.Com         So are you then using both or are you saying you could do one or the other?

[Carol From California]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

 

Carol - does the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card insurance cover the spouse as well?   medical evacuation in addition to medical?  how much medical does it allow you to get?    We have always gotten insurance through InsureMyTrip.Com         So are you then using both or are you saying you could do one or the other?

Yes. Covers spouse. $10,000 each. Medical evacuation in addition to medical, yes. I also have American Express Platinum card and they have medical evacuation coverage with a higher limit. You don't even have to pay for the trip with the card to get that benefit. Medical coverage limit is $100,000. No, I no longer use InsureMyTrip.com since I have gotten the credit card. I've attached the details of the benefits. Just remember, no pre-existing conditions.  

Chase Sapphire Reserve Insurance.pdf

[broker1217]

Carol--great info. We just got the Chase Sapphire Reserve specifically for the travel insurance benefits since Citibank Advantage announced dropping the travel insurance and car rental insurance benefits this September. I didn't realize that Chase did not require you to put the whole purchase on that card to have coverage.

We also, so far, have never purchased insurance since our credit card coverage is sufficient and no pre-existing conditions. We had claims on the Citibank card for an injury requiring surgery (while at home) and had zero out of pocket expenses for two booked trips including air, hotels/AirBNB, and prepaid hotel parking.

I always advise to explore your coverage on your credit cards and to fully understand the T&C of that coverage prior to purchasing any other insurance.

We also purchase an annual GeoBlue medical insurance policy which is only a couple hundred $ per year.

 

Whatever you choose--read up on the details and make sure you are covered. But unless booking a high cost World Cruise, you should be able to insure for far less than Viking's insurance. 

 

If you are really getting into comparing travel credit cards I would head over to FlyerTalk forums for detailed comparison.

[Vineyard View]

The big piece for so many is the pre-existing. It’s pretty crazy what can be construed as pre existing, so we never chance not having that. 

We have the Chase and Amex as well and those allow us to take a lower coverage policy for medical and Evac because the cards cover us. 

We also just recently found an insurance company through InsureMyTrip that covers pre existing if we book within the window of deposit and you only cover the deposit amount rather than the full trip cost. If I do not add any additional coverage as more expenses occur then with this specific policy pre existing is still covered and we can use credit card  coverage for additional expenses. I only found this through a  long dialogue with an agent on the phone. 

So different strategies work for different individual needs, but for me the key take away is that you sure don’t need to engage with any cruise lines Insurance for coverage. And as broker points out, pull up the details and read them so you truly know what they cover. 

[-Lew-]

4 hours ago, Carol From California said:

Medical evacuation in addition to medical, yes.

 

$10,000 will not go very far in paying for medical evacuation.  We buy an annual MedJet Assist policy for evacuation.  You can save 20% on the premium if you're an AARP member.

[CCWineLover]

1 minute ago, -Lew- said:

 

$10,000 will not go very far in paying for medical evacuation.  We buy an annual MedJet Assist policy for evacuation.  You can save 20% on the premium if you're an AARP member.

Thx Lew - good to know.  Our TA just told us to consider MedJet and we are AARP.

[Carol From California]

42 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Thx Lew - good to know.  Our TA just told us to consider MedJet and we are AARP.

 

49 minutes ago, -Lew- said:

 

$10,000 will not go very far in paying for medical evacuation.  We buy an annual MedJet Assist policy for evacuation.  You can save 20% on the premium if you're an AARP member.

$10,000 is not for medical evacuation, it's for medical expenses and is per person. The Chase Sapphire Reserve medical evacuation coverage has a $100,000 limit.  As I also mentioned in my post, I also have an American Express Platinum card. With that card the medical evacuation coverage has no limit and you don't even have to pay for any portion of the trip on the card.   

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/credit-card-travel-accident-evacuation-insurance/

[-Lew-]

7 minutes ago, Carol From California said:

$10,000 is not for medical evacuation, it's for medical expenses and is per person. The Chase Sapphire Reserve medical evacuation coverage has a $100,000 limit. 

 

Thank you...  I was unaware the medical evacuation benefit is in addition to the $10,000pp medical limit.  

[Carol From California]

6 minutes ago, -Lew- said:

 

Thank you...  I was unaware the medical evacuation benefit is in addition to the $10,000pp medical limit.  

Take a look at all the other benefits of the card in the attachment.

 

Not to mention the sign-up bonus of 50,000 points.  It's easy to rack up points because you get 3 x points on travel and 3 x points on dining at restaurants. The $300 annual travel credit means the annual fee is really only $150. You get complimentary Priority Pass Lounge membership and reimbursement for Global Entry fee.  You can use the points to get business class airline seats.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Insurance.pdf

[ropomo]

Regarding medical evacuation, most travel insurance defines "evacuation" as transport to the nearest licensed medical facility and not necessarily to a facility of your choice or near home.  That's where MedJet comes in.  They will transport you to the facility of your choice.  It is a service, not insurance, and annual subscriptions are quite reasonably priced and cover you for unlimited travel, foreign and domestic, more than 300 miles from your home.

[WAVTAM]

14 hours ago, Carol From California said:

Take a look at all the other benefits of the card in the attachment.

 

Not to mention the sign-up bonus of 50,000 points.  It's easy to rack up points because you get 3 x points on travel and 3 x points on dining at restaurants. The $300 annual travel credit means the annual fee is really only $150. You get complimentary Priority Pass Lounge membership and reimbursement for Global Entry fee.  You can use the points to get business class airline seats.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Insurance.pdf 333.27 kB · 1 download

Big fan of the Reserve Card. Wife slip in bath tub and dislocated shoulder in Sydney. Filed claim and insurance check within 6 weeks.

Really love the Priority Pass card. Use it at every airport.

[Cisterna]

On 9/13/2019 at 1:10 PM, Jack E Dawson said:

I have a question about obtaining 3rd party travel insurance. I hope i am not breaking any CruiseCritic site rules with the details of my question. If I am, I apologize.

For an upcoming 2020 Viking Empires of the Mediterranean cruise I am looking at obtaining travel insurance through InsureMyTrip.com. Does anyone have any experience with this site, especially if you have filed a claim. The quote given me is underwritten by STARR Indemnity & Liability, Dallas, Texas. This will be my first Viking Ocean cruise so any help will be appreciated.

 

Thank

Jack

Before you spend a tremendous amount of money on travel insurance~ look at the credit card you used to purchase your trip! If you have a great credit card like Chase sapphire and used it you are covered 10K each ! Citibank just discontinued their travel insurance which was a shock!  Many of the charges which include travel insurance are retroactive to the date you made the charges.  It takes a lot of time but check your card benefits for each used and see if you are covered before you buy additional insurance!   My friends husband passed away unexpectedly two weeks prior to her cruise and she received a full refund from her credit card company. It took a lot of paperwork, but she got it.  Another friend's mother passed away (while she was traveling)  and her credit card included travel insurance paid for her to leave her trip (trip interruption), reimbursed her to change her flight plans to get to the funeral .The most important insurance to have is a supplemental medical insurance for travel  outside of the U.S.  Another friend's husband had to be evacuated ( air lifted) from a ship and hospitalized, with the med. supplement it only cost them  $50! The hospital bill was over $ 28K.  Most people don't realize they are not covered when they are in other countries!   The policy only cost them $184.00 for the two of them!  Look up Go Blue is you have Blue Cross or Blue Shield. 

blue

 

[broker1217]

I agree--always see what your credit card coverage as a starting point. Understand your health insurance or Medicare or other coverage. Figure out where the gaps are and don't over-purchase.

Consider cancellation, interruption, lost luggage, pre-existing conditions, evacuation and hospital/medical costs abroad. What amount can you self-insure without undue financial damage?

 

GeoBlue annual policy has $500K evacuation coverage and our policy is about $400 annually (obviously will increase as we get older). That may be offset when we get on Medicare Advantage but will need to be re-evaluated.

Medevac is pricey but may make sense for your situation. 

 

Just make sure you educate yourself and understand your coverage. Consider worst case scenarios.

[Jack E Dawson]

Thank you all for the excellent advice. In particular, the advice on credit card insurance was something we had not even looked into. For this trip, we have booked our travel insurance through InsureMyTrip at almost 1/3 the cost of the Viking offer and we will have higher coverage. Of course the best possible outcome is not to have to find out if we got a good deal or not. 

 

Again, my thanks to all who responded,

Jack