Travel Insurance

[MudderBear]

Asking not because of Covid, but just in general.  Is it better to buy insurance for your cruise through the cruise line when booking or making final payment, or perhaps is it a better deal to go with Allianz or AIG or someone else?  Thanks for your thoughts.

[riffatsea]

There is no " in general"  Everything depends on the type of coverage you need. I buy yearly travel medical insurance. The rest of my travel coverage is from my credit card. 

You need to read the insurance policy and compare coverage and costs and make your own decision

[Coral]

Everyone's situation is different. Some have pre-existing conditions, some do not, some need cancel for any reason and others do not. Some need higher coverage or want higher coverage if they are farther from home, others do not.

 

I would figure out what you want out of a policy and then look around at the policies. Also look and see what your current health insurance covers - some cover well outside of the US and others do not. Some include good evacuation coverage and others do not.

Edited August 7, 2020 by Coral

[jimdee3636]

You'll get a million different answers to this. All I'll say is that in recent years, especially when the cruise is a long way from the U.S., I've done a combination of cruise line insurance and AIG. However, I'll use AIG only for medical coverage and related medical expenses (airlifting to hospitals, etc.). I do this because cruise line coverage is usually OK in most respects but could be inadequate in the medical area. Since the cruise line coverage would normally be "primary" (i.e., you'd have to exhaust it before the AIG coverage kicks in) the AIG premium usually isn't prohibitive. There's also your own health insurance, but that's way too complicated to try to explain here.

[Tedferg]

jimdee3636, great idea I did not know you could do that! For many years we did not take extra insurance, just relied on what credit card gave. Then we bought Allianz for a couple of cruises. As we progressed in age Allianz, though providing better coverage became expensive. So we take Princess insurance, adequate for us and provides Cancel for Any Reason.

[Coral]

3 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

jimdee3636, great idea I did not know you could do that! For many years we did not take extra insurance, just relied on what credit card gave. Then we bought Allianz for a couple of cruises. As we progressed in age Allianz, though providing better coverage became expensive. So we take Princess insurance, adequate for us and provides Cancel for Any Reason.

I often do both also. I cover the cruise with cruise line insurance and then cover hotel and other things (pre and post, private shore excursions that don't allow cancelling, maybe air if bought independently) with Allianz. That way - Allianz covers the medical for the entire trip.

 

I would never rely on cruise line insurance for medical. Too minimal. It would barely cover a weekend in a hospital (not including surgery).

Edited August 7, 2020 by Coral

[Knickearth]

26 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

jimdee3636, great idea I did not know you could do that! For many years we did not take extra insurance, just relied on what credit card gave. Then we bought Allianz for a couple of cruises. As we progressed in age Allianz, though providing better coverage became expensive. So we take Princess insurance, adequate for us and provides Cancel for Any Reason.

like you we never took out additional insurance until we aged a bit.  We always take Princess insurance but it does not provide cancel for any reason.  We booked a cruise awhile back and prior to leaving my husband had to go on a business trip and couldn't take the cruise, he tried to cancel and put in for the insurance and they said that was not covered.  So be careful as to why you need to cancel.  Good news I still went on the cruise and I took a girlfriend.

[Coral]

6 minutes ago, Knickearth said:

like you we never took out additional insurance until we aged a bit.  We always take Princess insurance but it does not provide cancel for any reason.  We booked a cruise awhile back and prior to leaving my husband had to go on a business trip and couldn't take the cruise, he tried to cancel and put in for the insurance and they said that was not covered.  So be careful as to why you need to cancel.  Good news I still went on the cruise and I took a girlfriend.

It provides a future cruise credit if you cancel for any reason. Thanks for clarifying.

[MudderBear]

Oh, I should have said I was looking for insurance just to cover the trip if we had to cancel.  I honestly was not thinking a about medical.   That now, is another ball of wax to explore. 😞

[Coral]

2 minutes ago, MudderBear said:

Oh, I should have said I was looking for insurance just to cover the trip if we had to cancel.  I honestly was not thinking a about medical.   That now, is another ball of wax to explore. 😞

Though if you cancel for medical - is it pre-existing condition or not. That opens up an entirely different discussion. Princess's coverage for pre-existing is complicated (look back).

 

Why would you need to cancel?

Edited August 7, 2020 by Coral

[Bgwest]

Extremely complex subject with answers to your specific questions best answered by an unbiased professional. 
Try: Steve at www.tripinsurancestore.com
 

Over the course of many years he has provided me rock solid guidance. 

[dog]

7 hours ago, Coral said:

It provides a future cruise credit if you cancel for any reason. Thanks for clarifying.

platinum Princess Insurance does

[caribill]

Princess insurance is the same price for any age person.

 

Most independent coverage pricing gets higher the older you are and you may need to justify the cost if you are in the older age category.

 

Cancel for any reason can also be expensive with independent policies.

[1965]

We buy insurance through princess just before final payment. If I'm correct  until final payment you can cancel for any reason. Please correct me if I'm wrong. A day or 2 before final payment we buy princess insurance, mainly because it's very convenient, just a click. 

[AF-1]

Here's the deal MudderBear;  you want to buy insurance to cover the following;

1. Death in the family day of cruise

2. Emergency medical prior to cruise

3. You or someone in your traveling party breaks your leg on the cruise and you can not continue with the cruise

4. You or someone gets sick and has to be medically evacuated from the ship

**** the above have happened to me or my family.  This is why it is a good  to look at what the travel insurance covers.  If the ships insurance will covers these than use them; otherwise take a look at what other companies offer.  Good luck

Edited August 8, 2020 by AF-1

[laumicmah]

question...if you buy the trip insurance can you then cancel it if you cancel the cruise before final payment and get refund for insurance? We had a July 2020 cruise booked since April 2019 and bought the insurance at time of booking. Then, when things started going sideways (Covid) and before our final payment, we cancelled the cruise. We got deposit back but they did not refund $184 for trip insurance. And I filed a claim dispute through our CC. They did their investigation and came back with 'you did not cancel within 15 day free look period.' So we can't cancel trip insutance? If not, may as well wait to buy it like the month prior to the cruise or maybe get it with final payment. But not 15 months out.

[Babr]

5 hours ago, laumicmah said:

question...if you buy the trip insurance can you then cancel it if you cancel the cruise before final payment and get refund for insurance? We had a July 2020 cruise booked since April 2019 and bought the insurance at time of booking. Then, when things started going sideways (Covid) and before our final payment, we cancelled the cruise. We got deposit back but they did not refund $184 for trip insurance. And I filed a claim dispute through our CC. They did their investigation and came back with 'you did not cancel within 15 day free look period.' So we can't cancel trip insutance? If not, may as well wait to buy it like the month prior to the cruise or maybe get it with final payment. But not 15 months out.

Usually, insurance companies do not refund the premium if you cancel after the free examination period. That said, there have been instances where people got refunds after cruise lines cancellations because of Covid. In normal circumstances, the insurance company is more likely to allow you to move the policy to another cruise within a defined time period.

 

The problem with waiting until final payment is the issue of pre-existing conditions. If you don’t seek treatment or have a prescription change within the look-back period, you should be OK; however, if a health problem arises, you will need a policy that provides a pre-existing waiver at final payment. Some policies will still allow that if you meet the requirements, but they can be more costly. Of course, you can always cancel before final payment if a health problem arises that could impact your travel.  Just be sure you understand the pre-existing clause before you dismiss it.

Edited August 9, 2020 by Babr

[gmjc2]

We have used Allianz for years. We are careful to purchase the policy within 2 weeks of the cruise deposit so that we get the pre-existing condition clause covered.

I have just read an article that says that some countries are requiring comprehensive International Medical Insurance on top of regular travel insurance now. That could prove costly to say the least.

 

 

[Coral]

5 minutes ago, gmjc2 said:

We have used Allianz for years. We are careful to purchase the policy within 2 weeks of the cruise deposit so that we get the pre-existing condition clause covered.

I have just read an article that says that some countries are requiring comprehensive International Medical Insurance on top of regular travel insurance now. That could prove costly to say the least.

 

 

My travel agent has an Allianz policy that allows for coverage of pre-existing conditions at final payment.

[cherylandtk]

18 hours ago, laumicmah said:

question...if you buy the trip insurance can you then cancel it if you cancel the cruise before final payment and get refund for insurance? 

Usually no. But often you can get a credit to be used on a different policy/trip IF no claim has been made on the insurance.

 

As noted above, after the free examination period you are technically ‘using’ the insurance for any medical reason that arises between Insurance purchase and trip start.

[donaldsc]

On 8/8/2020 at 6:36 AM, AF-1 said:

Here's the deal MudderBear;  you want to buy insurance to cover the following;

1. Death in the family day of cruise

2. Emergency medical prior to cruise

3. You or someone in your traveling party breaks your leg on the cruise and you can not continue with the cruise

4. You or someone gets sick and has to be medically evacuated from the ship

**** the above have happened to me or my family.  This is why it is a good  to look at what the travel insurance covers.  If the ships insurance will covers these than use them; otherwise take a look at what other companies offer.  Good luck

 

You left out several very important items.  You need to have a coverage limit that is high enough. Many of the cruise company policies have unreasonably low coverage limits.  I have seen cruise company policies that have a maximum payout of $20,000. While medical costs overseas are lower than in the US, $20,000 is not enough.  If the limits are not high enough, the facility where you are being treated may require that you pay for your care before they release you. 

 

Also, you should have some say as to where you will be treated.  If the policy says that you will be evacuated to the nearest "appropriate" medical facility, your definition of "appropriate" may be different from what the insurance company feels is appropriate.  

 

DON

[roxievegas]

I think you should consider where you are going on the cruise.  We live in the LA area.  If we are taking a cruise that goes to Mexico or up the coast, I take the premium insurance through Princess.  

When we booked our cruise to Europe I booked a separate plan through GEOBlue (?).  It provides evac, $1,000,000 coverage.

We are on Medicare, so you have to watch where you are going and know what is covered with your health insurance company.  We are concerned more about health than anything else.

[ontheweb]

There was earlier this year an entire forum devoted to insurance questions. Though it is not listed on the page now, you can still access it.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2484-qa-cruise-insurance-w-steve-dasseos-of-the-tripinsurancestorecom-june-2020/

[dickinson]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

There was earlier this year an entire forum devoted to insurance questions. Though it is not listed on the page now, you can still access it.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2484-qa-cruise-insurance-w-steve-dasseos-of-the-tripinsurancestorecom-june-2020/

 

Interesting.  I didn't know that there was not currently a trip insurance forum.  I went below to "Forum Jump" and looked under discussion topics.  That is where I found your above link which was a special Q&A with Steve at the trip insurance store.  I did NOT see the usual trip insurance forum there.  I am surprised because I read about many people booking cruises for next year and they would probably have questions about buying insurance.

[Babr]

1 hour ago, dickinson said:

 

Interesting.  I didn't know that there was not currently a trip insurance forum.  I went below to "Forum Jump" and looked under discussion topics.  That is where I found your above link which was a special Q&A with Steve at the trip insurance store.  I did NOT see the usual trip insurance forum there.  I am surprised because I read about many people booking cruises for next year and they would probably have questions about buying insurance.

Actually, it is still there. Just click on the main topic heading, “Cruise/Travel Insurance,” not the sub-heading which takes you to the discussion with Steve.