Insurance - Yearly Policy vs Individual Cruise Coverage

[Traveler1977]

Nowadays I wouldn’t think about cruising without travel insurance, but I have a question for all of you seasoned travelers regarding the type of insurance to obtain. Would purchasing a yearly policy through a private insurance company be better than getting insurance for each individual cruise through the cruise line or a private company? Any recommendations or tips would be appreciated. 

[david63]

Not sure how travel insurance works in the US but in the UK it is very easy to get quotes from several companies for both annual and single trip policies on line and then make a judgement call as to which is the best for your requirements and on price.

 

But whatever system you do the same - get the quotes and then decide.

Edited March 28, 2023 by david63

[wowzz]

We have had annual insurance for many years - if you travel more than once a year,  the annual policy, at least in the UK, always works out cheaper.

Our annual worldwide cover, including cruise cover,  costs us less than £300 ($360) for us as a couple. 

[SargassoPirate]

We put the pencil to it years ago and figured that what we saved by not buying the cruise lines' travel insurance more than paid for our annual travel insurance policy.  Our annual policy covers us for all travel beyond 150 miles from home - road trips, plane trips, train trips, and motorcycle trips.

 

Also, compare the coverage.  Anything beyond the policy limits means you are "self insured" and you should be comfortable with that level of risk.

 

Good Luck!

[Jadn13]

Yearly policy the way to go, works on all sorts of travel outside of your home area.

it is very cost effective.

[ricka47]

For us, the annual policy has been the way to go. For years, we went without, and once my wife sprained her ankle on a tour. That caused no out-of-pocket to us but taught us a lesson.

 

We then bought the yearly policy and used it three times in the same year for a broken foot for me, an infection for my wife, and an illness for my granddaughter. Every dollar was covered.

 

We won't be without the yearly policy again!

[david63]

44 minutes ago, wowzz said:

if you travel more than once a year,  the annual policy, at least in the UK, always works out cheaper.

I have done online quotes for annual and single policy insurance where the annual is cheaper than the single even when only having one holiday!

[Rick&Jeannie]

Annual certainly sounds like the way to go...how about telling us which company/policy you've used? And...have you filed claims (successfully) through it?

[John99]

      

I see you posted on the Virgin Voyages board but this is your first time posting Princess Board.  Welcome.

Besides this Princess thread - how about using the Cruise Topic Board. 

This would under the Cruise/Travel Insurance Forum. 

You can post your question(s) there also.  Cruise/Travel Insurance has page after page of comments, questions, ideas etc.  Check it out.  John                      

[LACruiser88]

3 minutes ago, John99 said:

      

I see you posted on the Virgin Voyages board but this is your first time posting Princess Board.  Welcome.

Besides this Princess thread - how about using the Cruise Topic Board. 

This would under the Cruise/Travel Insurance Forum. 

You can post your question(s) there also.  Cruise/Travel Insurance has page after page of comments, questions, ideas etc.  Check it out.  John                      

Here's a link...

 

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

[cruzsnooze]

I have Medjet annual. You aren't covered for the cruise fare but that's not where the big expense would be . it's getting medical care and evacuation from anywhere in the world. 

[Jadn13]

Allianz, filed 3 different times and received payment for all in approx 2 weeks from submitting.   Used for cancelled cruise w/ Dr.s note, trip interruption, leaving a B2B early w/ship Dr’s note included return transportation not used and filed for ship Dr’s visit.

[alyssamma]

7 hours ago, Traveler1977 said:

Nowadays I wouldn’t think about cruising without travel insurance, but I have a question for all of you seasoned travelers regarding the type of insurance to obtain. Would purchasing a yearly policy through a private insurance company be better than getting insurance for each individual cruise through the cruise line or a private company? Any recommendations or tips would be appreciated. 

I'll give an opposing viewpoint 🙂

 

First, I agree with what most people state with respect to not buying insurance from the cruise line. This is the most expensive and most restrictive policy you can buy. Ditto for airline insurance.

 

That being said, a yearly policy can be great if the coverage amount is high enough. If you are taking a $2K sailing several times a year, I think annual is best. However, if you are spending $10K on your cruise (or other trip), it may be difficult (in the US) to find a cost effective annual policy that will cover that.

 

Actually, I'm hoping that someone who uses this can chime in and tell me where you can find that because if it doesn't cost too much I'd like to buy it, lol.

 

But your other alternative is to buy an individual policy via insuremytrip or squaremouth. These are pretty inexpensive for the coverage that you get. 

[Traveler1977]

Thanks for your responses. They have been helpful. 

[Jersey42]

You might want to see my post on the recent thread linked below.  

 

My conclusion to the OP was "If you take a lot of relatively inexpensive trips, have no pre-existing conditions and have good medical coverage outside of the US (even with a big annual deductible), you can find an annual travel insurance policy that will probably offer everything you need at a good value.  If not, then you need to weigh any negatives with your risk tolerance.".

 

Just be sure you understand the terms and conditions of any policy you purchase and how they fit your situation. None of the annual comprehensive travel plans plans work for us, but for others with different needs, they can be a good value.

 

[mrsm88]

On 3/28/2023 at 10:25 AM, cruzsnooze said:

I have Medjet annual. You aren't covered for the cruise fare but that's not where the big expense would be . it's getting medical care and evacuation from anywhere in the world. 

We have Medjet also, but what about if you have an issue & need to cancel a cruise before you go? Do you get a policy for that? It seems that Amex might cover this issue if I charge my entire cruise on my card.

[Rick&Jeannie]

2 hours ago, mrsm88 said:

We have Medjet also, but what about if you have an issue & need to cancel a cruise before you go? Do you get a policy for that? It seems that Amex might cover this issue if I charge my entire cruise on my card.

I have looked into what AMEX covers in a situation like this...they don't provide a lot of coverage, certainly not enough to cover *most* total cruise fares.  IMO...(and best for us) is a combination of the Princess insurance coupled with GeoBlue Trekker (annual, extra medical for out side the US).  I keep going back to look at MedJet...I'll probably pull the trigger on that at some point.

[simong]

geo blue trekker has some medical evacuation coverage. and medical coverage outside the us, chase sapphire preferred has some cxl coverage. the big risks are medical evacuation, and treatment outside the us. they are considered 2nd ary coverage. read geo blue terms and conditions not what the people selling it are saying, i like the fact several trips can be covered for a 1 year policy

[JUST4JENNA]

On 3/28/2023 at 6:45 PM, Jersey42 said:

You might want to see my post on the recent thread linked below.  

 

My conclusion to the OP was "If you take a lot of relatively inexpensive trips, have no pre-existing conditions and have good medical coverage outside of the US (even with a big annual deductible), you can find an annual travel insurance policy that will probably offer everything you need at a good value.  If not, then you need to weigh any negatives with your risk tolerance.".

 

Just be sure you understand the terms and conditions of any policy you purchase and how they fit your situation. None of the annual comprehensive travel plans plans work for us, but for others with different needs, they can be a good value.

 

Can you please explain why you suggest an annual travel plan if you already have good coverage out of the US? Thank you 

[Jersey42]

32 minutes ago, JUST4JENNA said:

Can you please explain why you suggest an annual travel plan if you already have good coverage out of the US? Thank you 

If that is the way it came across, I apologize because that was not my intent.

 

I do not recommend a comprehensive annual travel insurance plan for the majority of people.  The biggest faults I have with these plans are limitations in their medical coverage. Too little is my biggest issue, but secondary vs primary, and handling of pre-existing conditions can be a concern. But if you already have good medical coverage outside of the US, then the limitations won't matter.

 

Another concern is the limited annual cancelation and interruption benefit.  15K/year is the most I have seen, and the average is a lot less.  But if you tend to take a lot of relatively inexpensive trips, this limitation may not matter to you either.

 

So the only way I would consider an annual comprehensive travel plan is if:

• you already have good medical coverage outside of the US, and
• you tend to take a lot of relatively inexpensive trips (even if the total cost of the trips exceed the annual maximum benefit)

[klfrodo]

1 hour ago, JUST4JENNA said:

Can you please explain why you suggest an annual travel plan if you already have good coverage out of the US? Thank you 

When I was working prior to retirement, I had BC/BS which included an International rider for coverage outside the US. When I called HR for more information, they were useless. I ended up calling BC/BS on my own and asked very specific questions.

 

1. Do you cover health emergencies outside the US? Yes (at Out of Network rates)

2. Do you pay directly? No (I must pay and then file for reimbursement)

3. If I don't have access to that amount of credit or cash, will BC/BS offer a letter of ability to pay or offer to wire a payment? No

4. After I've been stabilized, will BC/BS evac me back home? No

5. If I happen to die, will BC/BS pay to repatriate my remains? No

 

After my discussion with HR and BC/BS, I determined that it would be in my best interest to supplement my travels with a medical policy that fits my needs.

Edited April 17, 2023 by klfrodo

[JUST4JENNA]

44 minutes ago, Jersey42 said:

If that is the way it came across, I apologize because that was not my intent.

 

I do not recommend a comprehensive annual travel insurance plan for the majority of people.  The biggest faults I have with these plans are limitations in their medical coverage. Too little is my biggest issue, but secondary vs primary, and handling of pre-existing conditions can be a concern. But if you already have good medical coverage outside of the US, then the limitations won't matter.

 

Another concern is the limited annual cancelation and interruption benefit.  15K/year is the most I have seen, and the average is a lot less.  But if you tend to take a lot of relatively inexpensive trips, this limitation may not matter to you either.

 

So the only way I would consider an annual comprehensive travel plan is if:

• you already have good medical coverage outside of the US, and
• you tend to take a lot of relatively inexpensive trips (even if the total cost of the trips exceed the annual maximum benefit)

Thank you for clarifying! I’m just so confused.  I never purchased insurance in the past but now that we are in our 50s it’s been something we’ve been thinking  about. We are both pretty healthy with no underlying conditions. Our insurance through employer says we would be covered for emergencies/medical evacuation on a case by case basis. We are not concerned about loss of trip cost as we do travel a lot but as you said most of our trips are inexpensive. The medical is out only  concern. So not sure if we should purchase a plan on top of our primary insurance  for extra protection as “covered on a case by case basis has me wondering what that means exactly. If I fell and broke my leg on the ship, would that not be considered a medical emergency? The agent at Aetna could not give.me an answer 🤦🏻‍♀️

[JUST4JENNA]

50 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

When I was working prior to retirement, I had BC/BS which included an International rider for coverage outside the US. When I called HR for more information, they were useless. I ended up calling BC/BS on my own and asked very specific questions.

 

1. Do you cover health emergencies outside the US? Yes (at Out of Network rates)

2. Do you pay directly? No (I must pay and then file for reimbursement)

3. If I don't have access to that amount of credit or cash, will BC/BS offer a letter of ability to pay or offer to wire a payment? No

4. After I've been stabilized, will BC/BS evac me back home? No

5. If I happen to die, will BC/BS pay to repatriate my remains? No

 

After my discussion with HR and BC/BS, I determined that it would be in my best interest to supplement my travels with a medical policy that fits my needs.

Wow THIS is so helpful!!!! Now it’s making sense to me to purchase another policy!

Thank you!

one question though.. are there companies who will pay rather then reimburse you after out of pocket payment?  

[klfrodo]

Just now, JUST4JENNA said:

Wow THIS is so helpful!!!! Now it’s making sense to me to purchase another policy!

Thank you!

one question though.. are there companies who will pay rather then reimburse you after out of pocket payment?  

GeoBlue does have a network of medical facilities worldwide that will direct pay. The downside to that is if you are in an emergent situation will you or someone with you know which facility does or does not have a direct pay agreement with GeoBlue?

 

There are policies out there that will wire a payment if the amount is too large for your credit limit for you to pay directly. What is that limit and what are the terms in which they loan the money to you? I don't know.

 

Thats one of the reasons why I use a broker such as Steve at TripInsuranceStore.com

 

[JUST4JENNA]

46 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

GeoBlue does have a network of medical facilities worldwide that will direct pay. The downside to that is if you are in an emergent situation will you or someone with you know which facility does or does not have a direct pay agreement with GeoBlue?

 

There are policies out there that will wire a payment if the amount is too large for your credit limit for you to pay directly. What is that limit and what are the terms in which they loan the money to you? I don't know.

 

Thats one of the reasons why I use a broker such as Steve at TripInsuranceStore.com

 

What companies have you used through Steve and have you ever had to file a claim? Thanks for the info again 🙂