Cruise Insurance - time to buy for Mid Sept 2022 cruise

[GCS2000]

We have booked and actually completely paid off our cruise for next Sept.  Should we get the cruise insurance now?

 

We paid off the cruise now as we had some Amex RC credits on our cards we had to use before year end and this was an easy way to save $1000.

 

And what are the current recommendations for insurance companies for this purpose

 

FYI we have already booked our flights and hotels with Delta miles and Chase points and all are refundable tickets (well the Delta flights aren't refundable perse (i.e. $$) but we won't lose our miles if we cancel they just go back to our account) so I am assuming we don't really need insurance for those parts.

 

TIA for the advice

[Merion_Mom]

Since you are not insuring for pre-existing conditions, you may as well  wait to buy the insurance until "the last minute".  Not all insurance companies will refund your payment if you cancel your cruise; some will move it to another cruise/trip.

[Traveling Mike]

I have always used Travel Guard and have not had any complaints.  I have collected a couple of time from them.  When Covid hit they covered non-refundable hotel rooms and they transferred two cruises to the rebooked cruises.  I follow their recommendation of purchasing the policy as soon as I pay for something on my vacation.

Mike

 

[milolii]

You need to talk to an insurance agent.  There are several good ones.  I have heard good things about travel guard and we used tripinsurancestore.com.

 

There  are some restrictions  as far as dates are concerned. 

 

CFAR and a waiver for pre existing conditions  have time sensitive dates attached.  Which are quite short. Usually 10-21 days after you put down your first deposit.  

[Babr]

1 hour ago, GCS2000 said:

We have booked and actually completely paid off our cruise for next Sept.  Should we get the cruise insurance now?

 

We paid off the cruise now as we had some Amex RC credits on our cards we had to use before year end and this was an easy way to save $1000.

 

And what are the current recommendations for insurance companies for this purpose

 

FYI we have already booked our flights and hotels with Delta miles and Chase points and all are refundable tickets (well the Delta flights aren't refundable perse (i.e. $$) but we won't lose our miles if we cancel they just go back to our account) so I am assuming we don't really need insurance for those parts.

 

TIA for the advice

If you are beyond 21 days of paying for your cruise, you have missed the window to purchase Cancel For Any Reason or other time sensitive coverage. There are policies that offer a pre-existing waiver at final payment, but you have already paid.

 

There really isn’t a good reason to buy insurance until your cash is at risk in the penalty phase of the cruise line’s cancellation policy because the premium will not be refunded, as Merion_Mom pointed out.

 

 

[GCS2000]

I guess what I am more concerned about is the should something happen on the ship and we have to be airlifted.  I have read plenty of stories here and elsewhere about the cost people have been hit with from this very thing.

[Babr]

14 minutes ago, GCS2000 said:

I guess what I am more concerned about is the should something happen on the ship and we have to be airlifted.  I have read plenty of stories here and elsewhere about the cost people have been hit with from this very thing.

You do not have to worry about that part because insurance does not pay for it anyway. That service is provided by the Coast Guard equivalent / military of the nearest country capable of air/sea rescue as part of their aid to ships at sea. In addition to being in range, the weather and sea conditions have to be within limits to perform the maneuver.

 

If those pieces do not come together, you will be disembarked at the nearest port. This is when your insurance comes into play. It will pay for the medical costs you incurred on board as well as transportation and medical care once you reach land. 
 

The evacuation coverage in the policy just means that it will transfer you from hospital to hospital. If you need a higher level of care or extended care, you can be moved from the first available hospital to another hospital capable of providing the necessary care. Indeed, an air ambulance can be expensive if you don’t have insurance. Maybe this is what you are referring to.

 

Medical and evacuation are part of the comprehensive plan you buy for cancellation. You can buy it at any time, but it makes sense to buy it when your money is at risk. If you are not interested in a comprehensive plan, you can buy just the medical/evacuation coverage.