Princess insurance VS. Private insurance

[jajsmom]

We have always purchased our own insurance through insure my trip.  We are ruby and eligible to be upgraded to the Princess Platinum plan.  In this crazy day and age of covid, would you recommend one plan over another?

 

Also, just spent the past few hours reading this board.  I learned so many things that I did not know from Princess.  We sail on the Regal in January 2022, so not sure what the rules will be then.  I'm assuming we still need to be fully vaccinated and have pre-cruise testing done.  Also, just learned that there is no longer the traditional dining that we signed up for.  I loaded the app on to my phone, but can't find where to register for a dining time.

 

Thanks for help with all of my questions!

 

Lauri

[Mary Ann 2]

You sign up for dinner on the app where it says "Dine My Way."  You can then choose to dine the same time and dining room for the whole week or just specific days.  If you have trouble, I recommend that you do a Google search for Medallion Mondays video covering Dine My Way.  It is the way that I figured out how to add specialty restaurants like the Crown Grill.

 

We have the Princess Platinum plan.  Princess increased some of the limits this year which is good.  I am still up in the air about whether it is better to go with private insurance (we also have used insuremytrip), but since we are over 65, it is usually cheaper and I like that I don't have to pay for it until final payment.  With all the past cancellations, just that has saved money.

[kjg46]

Keep in mind that Princess Insurance is 'secondary" others on insuremytrip etc. maybe primary and secondary. when it come to handling claims. Also if you travel early or  extend your travel after the cruise etc. Princess will only cover items purchased through the cruise line.  All the Best.

[NavyVeteran]

Here or some pros and cons for Princess Vacation Protection (in my opinion):

 

Pro: If you have Medicare and are traveling outside the US, it really doesn't matter that PVP is secondary. I have Medicare and Tricare for Life. Normally Tricare for Life is primary insurance when outside the US. However Tricare for Life is secondary to PVP (the US law stating Tricare for Life is secondary overrides the contract provision saying PVP is secondary. Why pay for "primary" insurance if the "secondary" insurance gives you exactly the same coverage?

 

Con: PVP does not have as high medical coverage limits as some other policies. If you have no other medical insurance covering you (e.g., Medicare only and outside the US), these limits may not be enough. Since I have Tricare for Life which provides worldwide coverage (with deductibles and copayments), I do not need that high a medical coverage limit.

 

Con: PVP does not have as high an evacuation limit as some other policies. If your cruise is in Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Western Europe, this may not be a problem. If your cruise is to a more remote location, PVP may not provide adequate coverage. One option would be to purchase an annual evacuation policy in addition to the individual trip insurance policies.

 

Pro: PVP provides a Princess credit (100% for Platinum coverage) for cancellation not for a covered reason. If you will be cruising with Princess within the next year and just have a temporary reason for cancelling, this is great. Third party policies with cancel for any reason coverage are usually much more expensive.

 

Pro (if you're not as young as you used to be - like me and a lot of other Princess cruisers) or Con (if you're a young kid): PVP is not age rated. It costs exactly the same for an 18-year old and for an 81-year old. For the 81-year old, it is probably much less expensive than a third-party policy. The 18-year old may be able to get a better deal elsewhere - I don't know for sure because it's been a long time since I priced a policy for a young kid.

 

[Barry ATL]

The most recommended on Cruise Critic is tripinsurancestore .  Steve, the owner, gives lots of recommendations and hosts Q&A threads on this site.  Here is the link to the travel insurance forum here on Cruise Critic:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

 

There is lots of good info there.

 

Personally, I always go double insured.  My husband is paraplegic and if something happens out of the country, I want to make sure we are not in trouble.

 

GeoBlu is the Blue Cross travel product.  That have a network of doctors and hospitals all over the world that will bill directly to GeoBlu just like your insurance at home.  So, if something really bad happens and you don't have $20,000.00 in open credit on your credit card, you will still be okay.  Some foreign hospitals require payment before they will treat.  The CON to GeoBlu is they do not have the trip insurance and their evacuation coverage is low.

 

So, we take a second policy that has usually $500,000 in evacuation insurance and to insure the trip, delays, lost luggage, etc.

 

Make sure whatever policy you get covers pre-existing conditions.  Most do not unless you buy them in the two week window after you book the trip.  Again, I really suggest going over to the Cruise Critic insurance forum.

 

Bottom line is the cruise company's product (Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, etc) that they sell with your cruise is usually not good coverage for most people and is more expensive.

 

As with all free advice, your mileage may vary.  😀

 

 

[Joanne G.]

16 hours ago, Mary Ann 2 said:

 . . . We have the Princess Platinum plan.  . . . . it is usually cheaper and I like that I don't have to pay for it until final payment.  With all the past cancellations, just that has saved money.

 

9 hours ago, NavyVeteran said:

 . . . . .Pro: PVP provides a Princess credit (100% for Platinum coverage) for cancellation not for a covered reason. If you will be cruising with Princess within the next year and just have a temporary reason for cancelling, this is great. Third party policies with cancel for any reason coverage are usually much more expensive.

 

My friend and I had to cancel our Sep 12 Majestic cruise due to a medical issue.   We were in the time frame when the penalty was 75% of the cruise fare.   We had purchased the PVP.

 

We filed a claim for a refund of the cancelation penalty, and the claim was denied based on the timing of my friend's condition presenting/worsening during the 60 days prior to the policy being purchased.    

 

When we canceled, we thought that if the claim was denied, we would at least get a credit for a future cruise for some or all of the penalty amount.   However, the denial claim included this wording:

 

. . .in the event you purchased Princess Vacation Protection prior to making your final cruise vacation payment to Princess, you may be eligible to receive future travel credits.  (Bolding is mine.)

 

We committed to the PVP when we booked the cruise and paid  our deposit on July 9.   We paid for the PVP with our final payment on July 13.   Does the above statement from the refund denial letter mean that we should have paid for the PVP at the time of booking or some other date prior to final payment, and not at the time of final payment?   

 

Like Mary Ann 2 above, I was under the assumption that the PVP is typically paid for with the final payment. If I missed some fine print, that's on me.    But if it's true that the benefit of getting a future cruise credit only applies if the PVP is paid for prior to final payment, I can at least share the information.  

 

[jajsmom]

Thanks for these responses!  Interestingly, we currently live in PA, but will be residents of FL by the time we cruise.  It is cheaper for us to get insurance as residents of PA.  The policy coverage for private insurance is slightly better, but at about half the cost.  We considered getting cancel for any reason insurance, but we are outside the period to select that.  Our final payment is due to the travel agent tomorrow, so we'll need to make a decision tonight.  I think I'm leaning towards the private insurance.  Thanks!

[Mary Ann 2]

4 hours ago, Joanne G. said:

Like Mary Ann 2 above, I was under the assumption that the PVP is typically paid for with the final payment. If I missed some fine print, that's on me.    But if it's true that the benefit of getting a future cruise credit only applies if the PVP is paid for prior to final payment, I can at least share the information.  

 

That's good to know!  I can see now that especially if you have pre-existing conditions, you should chose private insurance or pay for Princess insurance right away.  Of course anyone can have a condition come up before a cruise, so same maybe should be said for all cruises.

Edited September 23, 2021 by Mary Ann 2

[milolii]

If you want the pre existing waiver or CFAR, you really need to contact an experienced insurance provider.  And yes,  insurance for both of these conditions needs to be purchased shortly after your first deposit for any non refundable cost associated with your trip.   This includes airline tickets.  So be careful. The time frame is usually 14-21 days.  As BarryATL noted the travel insurance forum on CC is very helpful with Steve and others offering advice. 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

We got the Bank of America Premium Rewards Card. We take 4-6 cruises every year but last. The card is $95.00 a year but it does have excellent Travel insurance included with it. Covers my wife and myself for a ton of stuff. Used the insurance one time. It was easy and fast. 

[Babr]

7 hours ago, Joanne G. said:

 

My friend and I had to cancel our Sep 12 Majestic cruise due to a medical issue.   We were in the time frame when the penalty was 75% of the cruise fare.   We had purchased the PVP.

 

We filed a claim for a refund of the cancelation penalty, and the claim was denied based on the timing of my friend's condition presenting/worsening during the 60 days prior to the policy being purchased.    

 

When we canceled, we thought that if the claim was denied, we would at least get a credit for a future cruise for some or all of the penalty amount.   However, the denial claim included this wording:

 

. . .in the event you purchased Princess Vacation Protection prior to making your final cruise vacation payment to Princess, you may be eligible to receive future travel credits.  (Bolding is mine.)

 

We committed to the PVP when we booked the cruise and paid  our deposit on July 9.   We paid for the PVP with our final payment on July 13.   Does the above statement from the refund denial letter mean that we should have paid for the PVP at the time of booking or some other date prior to final payment, and not at the time of final payment?   

 

Like Mary Ann 2 above, I was under the assumption that the PVP is typically paid for with the final payment. If I missed some fine print, that's on me.    But if it's true that the benefit of getting a future cruise credit only applies if the PVP is paid for prior to final payment, I can at least share the information.  

 

The wording in the FAQ for Princess Vacation Protection says that if your condition is not stable in the 60 days prior to purchase, the pre-existing condition is not covered. Whether you pay for it at deposit or final payment does not seem to matter as long as there is no change that would cause you to seek treatment or change RX in the 60-day look-back period.

 

At the same time, the FAQ also says that if your condition does change so that you do not qualify for a cash refund, you can still get FCC under the Cancel For Any Reason provision of PVP.

 

I don’t know what happened to your claim, but I would pursue it further. You may have to file a separate claim for CFAR. Communicate with Aon to determine the next step. 

 

 

[SargassoPirate]

On 9/22/2021 at 3:11 PM, jajsmom said:

We have always purchased our own insurance through insure my trip.  We are ruby and eligible to be upgraded to the Princess Platinum plan.  In this crazy day and age of covid, would you recommend one plan over another?

 

Also, just spent the past few hours reading this board.  I learned so many things that I did not know from Princess.  We sail on the Regal in January 2022, so not sure what the rules will be then.  I'm assuming we still need to be fully vaccinated and have pre-cruise testing done.  Also, just learned that there is no longer the traditional dining that we signed up for.  I loaded the app on to my phone, but can't find where to register for a dining time.

 

Thanks for help with all of my questions!

 

Lauri

We carry an annual travel insurance policy that covers us for all travel more than 150 miles from home.

 

When Covid hit last year, we found ourselves with a cancelled cruise from Sydney to the US and put off a train in Adelaide as Australia closed their internal borders.

 

I filed claims for our unexpected expenses and what was not covered by the refunds from Princess and other operators and was happy with the settlement.

 

I've also had one claim for issues during a road trip and was happy.

 

TravelGuard by AIG.

 

BTW, my Blue Cross/Shield coverage extends worldwide.

 

 

[Peckishpixie]

I always purchase my own insurance because it covers you for the whole trip not just the cruise. I have to park my car at the airport, rent a car at my destination, stay at a hotel, get on the cruise and everything else on reverse. Travel insurance (we use travelex) covers you from the time you leave your door to the time you get back if anything at all goes wrong with any of the steps 

[nini]

7 hours ago, jajsmom said:

Thanks for these responses!  Interestingly, we currently live in PA, but will be residents of FL by the time we cruise.  It is cheaper for us to get insurance as residents of PA.  The policy coverage for private insurance is slightly better, but at about half the cost.  We considered getting cancel for any reason insurance, but we are outside the period to select that.  Our final payment is due to the travel agent tomorrow, so we'll need to make a decision tonight.  I think I'm leaning towards the private insurance.  Thanks!

The highlighted sentences would/ could be a red flag for an insurance company and be a detail on filing a claim.

[Babr]

3 hours ago, nini said:

The highlighted sentences would/ could be a red flag for an insurance company and be a detail on filing a claim.

Since the OP currently lives in PA and must make final payment tomorrow, I don’t think the insurance company can deny coverage because she moves to another state later. It may be to her advantage to buy in PA now, but I don’t think she is required to give Florida as the state of residence before she actually moves there.

[ontheweb]

6 hours ago, Babr said:

Since the OP currently lives in PA and must make final payment tomorrow, I don’t think the insurance company can deny coverage because she moves to another state later. It may be to her advantage to buy in PA now, but I don’t think she is required to give Florida as the state of residence before she actually moves there.

But that is more likely a question to ask the insurer rather than for an opinion in a cruise group.

 

And maybe it would be more appropriate to ask in the cc group dedicated to insurance questions. The person from insuremytrip sometimes answers questions there. But, it would not surprise me if he said to consult with the particular insurance company in question. 

[Babr]

2 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

But that is more likely a question to ask the insurer rather than for an opinion in a cruise group.

 

And maybe it would be more appropriate to ask in the cc group dedicated to insurance questions. The person from insuremytrip sometimes answers questions there. But, it would not surprise me if he said to consult with the particular insurance company in question. 

It is an interesting question and one better answered by a professional.

[ontheweb]

Just now, Babr said:

It is an interesting question and one better answered by a professional.

I am actually going to pose that question in the travel insurance forum on cc, and we'll see if any professional has the answer.

[nini]

12 hours ago, Babr said:

Since the OP currently lives in PA and must make final payment tomorrow, I don’t think the insurance company can deny coverage because she moves to another state later. It may be to her advantage to buy in PA now, but I don’t think she is required to give Florida as the state of residence before she actually moves there.

 

Agreed. I posted the possibility because I have worked with insurance companies and I can see potential issues down the road. Just trying to address the concern of the OP in Post #7.

[nini]

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

But that is more likely a question to ask the insurer rather than for an opinion in a cruise group.

 

And maybe it would be more appropriate to ask in the cc group dedicated to insurance questions. The person from insuremytrip sometimes answers questions there. But, it would not surprise me if he said to consult with the particular insurance company in question. 

Agreed! And as has been mentioned, this could also be addressed on the Insurance forum.

[ontheweb]

23 minutes ago, nini said:

Agreed! And as has been mentioned, this could also be addressed on the Insurance forum.

I did post it in the insurance forum and as of now (or more accurately a few minutes ago), there have been no responses.

[Babr]

13 minutes ago, nini said:

 

Agreed. I posted the possibility because I have worked with insurance companies and I can see potential issues down the road. Just trying to address the concern of the OP in Post #7.

Thanks for pointing out the possibility. Since each state regulates insurance, the upcoming move is something the OP needs to address with her insurer. If the company is licensed in both states, it may be possible to adjust the coverage to meet Florida regulations if necessary once she establishes residency there.

 

I’m curious about the outcome. This situation probably is not unusual. I’ve just never given it any thought.

[nini]

@ontheweb Thanks! We shall see...

 

@Babr I am curious as well.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, nini said:

@ontheweb Thanks! We shall see...

 

@Babr I am curious as well.

It does not look like the insurance forum is a very popular or busy place. I looked again, and my post posing the question that was first asked in this forum is the only post today. And there was only one topic with a reply from yesterday.

 

I think it picks up when the guy from insuremytrip is announced as a guest. Otherwise it seems basically dead.

[Babr]

12 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

It does not look like the insurance forum is a very popular or busy place. I looked again, and my post posing the question that was first asked in this forum is the only post today. And there was only one topic with a reply from yesterday.

 

I think it picks up when the guy from insuremytrip is announced as a guest. Otherwise it seems basically dead.

That may be why people post on the cruise line forum first. It is more likely to be seen and answered in a timely manner. Others just don’t know it exists because they’ve never felt the need to consult it.

 

In the meantime, insurance questions are relevant to cruising and may be of general interest because Covid has a lot of people scrambling for answers. Perhaps a little forbearance is in order for people who post questions here.