Is insurance mandatory

[disneykins]

I read somewhere that one of the cruise lines required you to take their cancellation insurance. I'm hoping this is not NCL. Anyone know for sure? I have out of province coverage if I get sick (not sure about Covid) and transportation to the nearest hospital, etc through my former employer. I don't want to pay extra for NCL insurance ( I have back to backs booked so that would be an extra $400 for us on top of all the Covid testing we'll have to pay for). We are driving to the cruise so we don't need it to cover flights or hotels---if we test positive at the port, we'll just drive home to quarantine.

edited to add, we are both retired so 14 day quarantine at home is no problem.

Thanks,

Tony

Edited December 10, 2021 by disneykins
added info

[Selion]

6 minutes ago, disneykins said:

one of the cruise lines required you to take their cancellation insurance.

That's MSC.  That said, especially now, it's always good to have travel insurance.

[BirdTravels]

For a while, Royal required unvaccinated passengers to show proof of insurance (theirs or 3rd party). Not sure if they still do. NCL does not require you to carry insurance. 

[julig22]

Some locations require proof of insurance (covid coverage).

[GeezerCouple]

59 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Some locations require proof of insurance (covid coverage).

 

And sometimes a certain type of amount of insurance coverage is required for specific destinations, especially to exotic, very distant locations.  In some cases, that might be a specific policy required to be purchased through the travel vendor, but in other cases, providing proof of satisfactory coverage from other insurers may suffice.

 

As usual, it is essential to READ the full terms and conditions of whatever the travel provider requires and also of the specific insurance policy one is considering purchasing.

 

GC

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 12/10/2021 at 7:35 AM, Selion said:

That said, especially now, it's always good to have travel insurance.

I've never purchased travel insurance for a cruise.  I've saved more than enough $$$ to completely pay for an entire cruise if needed.

[Babr]

Keep in mind that Norwegian offers little assistance for Covid related expenses unless you have insurance. They will reimburse you what insurance does not pay if you provide proof of a negative test taken within a defined time frame prior to embarkation. Otherwise you bear all costs.

[BirdTravels]

20 minutes ago, Babr said:

Keep in mind that Norwegian offers little assistance for Covid related expenses unless you have insurance. They will reimburse you what insurance does not pay if you provide proof of a negative test taken within a defined time frame prior to embarkation. Otherwise you bear all costs.

That is incorrect. NCL does not require you to carry insurance like other cruise liens. They reimburse what insurance does not pay. If there is no insurance, they reimburse more. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

21 minutes ago, Babr said:

Keep in mind that Norwegian offers little assistance for Covid related expenses unless you have insurance. They will reimburse you what insurance does not pay if you provide proof of a negative test taken within a defined time frame prior to embarkation. 

Do you realize how much you've contradicted yourself in this post?

[Babr]

1 minute ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Do you realize how much you've contradicted yourself in this post?

You missed the part “unless you have insurance.”  With insurance and proof of pre-cruise testing, Norwegian will reimburse you.

[ChiefMateJRK]

14 minutes ago, Babr said:

You missed the part “unless you have insurance.”  With insurance and proof of pre-cruise testing, Norwegian will reimburse you.

You're mixing two things together.  Yes, the proof of pre-cruise testing is critical.  There is nothing written that says that they won't reimburse for somebody who has the pre-cruise testing but doesn't have any insurance.  That just something that folks have read into their policy, that isn't actually there.

[Babr]

19 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

That is incorrect. NCL does not require you to carry insurance like other cruise liens. They reimburse what insurance does not pay. If there is no insurance, they reimburse more. 

Other cruise lines do not require it either. Some have already posted here about exceptions such as unvaccinated guests or requirements of the destination.

 

I think perhaps you misread the policy. It will reimburse the difference of what insurance pays if you test positive at embarkation and meet their other requirements. That would include the cost of quarantine and transportation to get home. It does not say it will pay all expenses for people who do not have insurance.

 

In fact, if you test positive during the cruise you are disembarked with the choice of a refund for unused days or a pro-rated FCC. All other expenses, medical - if necessary - quarantine, meals, transportation, are all your responsibility.

 

That is a good reason to buy insurance even if it is not required.

 

 

 

 

[Babr]

10 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

You're mixing two things together.  Yes, the proof of pre-cruise testing is critical.  There is nothing written that says that they won't reimburse for somebody who has the pre-cruise testing but doesn't have any insurance.  That just something that folks have read into their policy, that isn't actually there.

It isn’t actually there that they will pay expenses for everyone regardless of insurance status.  Anyone who is concerned should call Norwegian for clarification.

[topaz2314]

12 minutes ago, Babr said:

It isn’t actually there that they will pay expenses for everyone regardless of insurance status.  Anyone who is concerned should call Norwegian for clarification.

I did call them on this topic and I got 2 different answers from the agent, each time I called. Is there a travel insurance you recommend that covers covid related delays etc. as well? We travel NCL getaway on Dec 22nd.

[Babr]

1 minute ago, topaz2314 said:

I did call them on this topic and I got 2 different answers from the agent, each time I called. Is there a travel insurance you recommend that covers covid related delays etc. as well? We travel NCL getaway on Dec 22nd.

I bought the IMG SE policy, but there are several that offer generous benefits for Trip Delay, the section of the policy that will pay for quarantine.  You can get per person benefits up to $2,500. Trip interruption will pay for any unused days of your trip and transportation to get home. 

 

Since you are short on time, I suggest you call The Trip Insurance Store. They can recommend the best policy for your needs when you give them the information about your trip and the things you are most concerned about covering, like quarantine expenses. There are other things to consider in buying insurance, so let them help you.  

[Diver2014]

We always buy cruise insurance.  You have insurance on your house.  You have insurance on your car.  You have health insurance.  Why not travel insurance?  Unless of course, you can afford to lose everything you have paid for your cruise.  We've filed claims several times for different circumstances and received every penny back that we paid for our cruises.  It's just an extra layer of security.  You don't 'save' money by not buying insurance.  You lose money if you don't have insurance and something happens.  We didn't buy cruise insurance when we were younger but times have changed. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, Diver2014 said:

We always buy cruise insurance.  You have insurance on your house.  You have insurance on your car.  You have health insurance.  Why not travel insurance?  Unless of course, you can afford to lose everything you have paid for your cruise.  We've filed claims several times for different circumstances and received every penny back that we paid for our cruises.  It's just an extra layer of security.  You don't 'save' money by not buying insurance.  You lose money if you don't have insurance and something happens.  We didn't buy cruise insurance when we were younger but times have changed. 

See post #6.

 

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, Diver2014 said:

We always buy cruise insurance.  You have insurance on your house.  You have insurance on your car.  You have health insurance.  Why not travel insurance?  Unless of course, you can afford to lose everything you have paid for your cruise.  We've filed claims several times for different circumstances and received every penny back that we paid for our cruises.  It's just an extra layer of security.  You don't 'save' money by not buying insurance.  You lose money if you don't have insurance and something happens.  We didn't buy cruise insurance when we were younger but times have changed. 

It's not really losing the money that we paid for the cruise that worries us. That is money we have already basically said we can afford. Yes, it would be a bummer of major proportion to lose it without the benefit of the cruise, but it would not bankrupt us. The thing that should worry anyone without insurance is a medical emergency. Almost half of our cruises have been in Europe. I cannot even comprehend how large the bill for medical treatment and especially medical evacuation would be. That kind of expense could be catastrophic.

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

See post #6.

 

see post #18. It is not the cost of the cruise that should worry you, but the thing that should worry you is what would happen with a medical emergency.

[BirdTravels]

12 hours ago, topaz2314 said:

I did call them on this topic and I got 2 different answers from the agent, each time I called. Is there a travel insurance you recommend that covers covid related delays etc. as well? We travel NCL getaway on Dec 22nd.

May be OBE because most insurance companies won’t sell a policy for a cruise “next week”. You normally only get full benefits if you buy your policy before final payment.  

[Babr]

10 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

May be OBE because most insurance companies won’t sell a policy for a cruise “next week”. You normally only get full benefits if you buy your policy before final payment.  

You can buy a comprehensive policy before departure, but buying at the last minute forfeits some benefits like CFAR or pre-existing conditions coverage. Post- departure benefits remain in place. 
 

That is why I suggested that topaz contact a professional rather than spend time researching policies. Steve or one of his associates can advise and recommend the best policies to fit the need in a timely manner.

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

see post #18. It is not the cost of the cruise that should worry you, but the thing that should worry you is what would happen with a medical emergency.

It all depends on individual circumstances. If you aren't travelling far then the potential costs may not be too much of an issue,.

 

On the other hand, medical emergencies can be a very big issue, as you say. When my Dad had a heart attack in New Zealand the insurance flew me out there and paid all expenses whilst I stayed out there for couple of weeks along with all the other costs. The final claim was over £20,000 which I didn't have to pay. If I take that into account then all inclusive travel insurance is basically now free for me for life.

 

Even the costs of the holiday can be significant, as we all know. We thought for a while that we were going to have to cancel our trip to Hawaii a few years ago. The loss would have been significant and whilst we could say that we were expecting to pay that anyway, it would have been difficult to justify spending the money again for a replacement.

 

On the other hand, for us a trip to Europe didn't used to have much risk due to the distance and reciprocal health agreements. That may have changed since Brexit but as I have an annual policy I don't need to worry about it.

[HuliHuli]

16 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I've never purchased travel insurance for a cruise.  I've saved more than enough $$$ to completely pay for an entire cruise if needed.

OK, but have you saved enough to cover a medical emergency in St. Maarten as NCL escorts you off the ship minutes before sailing?  It happened to an unlucky passenger last week on the Gem.

Yes, insurance is a personal choice (and I support that choice), but ship happens.

[ontheweb]

44 minutes ago, HuliHuli said:

OK, but have you saved enough to cover a medical emergency in St. Maarten as NCL escorts you off the ship minutes before sailing?  It happened to an unlucky passenger last week on the Gem.

Yes, insurance is a personal choice (and I support that choice), but ship happens.

Good example. And there are many ports much further away. The furthest we have been from the USA on a cruise is St. Petersburg, Russia. Can you imagine the cost of medical evacuation from there back to the USA?

 

You hope to never have to use it, but if you do the insurance can be what keeps you from being totally bankrupt.

[topaz2314]

I think ppl re getting confused with travel insurance vs medical insurance.. shouldn't our existing medical insurance cover the expenses there in case of medical emergencies. Travel insurance is for delays/cancelations or get stranded due to quarantine in Us or otherwise. etc.