Holland American Insurance

[ebtrip]

We usually get our travel insurance from an online company, would like to know if anyone gets the cruise lines insurance, as it has “cancel for any reason “ included. The cost is about the same. Thanks

[RuthC]

For the last several years I have been getting the HAL insurance, primarily because it is cancel for any reason. At my age, I never know when something will happen suddenly and I can't make the trip. 
I also purchase medical insurance and evacuation insurance separately to cover anything that happens during the cruise where that coverage would be necessary. 
I tend to call Insure My Trip and speak to a representative there to discuss my needs and choose a plan that covers them. 

I assume the cost of the cruise itself, since I am able to pay for it anyway. 

[ebtrip]

I was told the insurance also covers medical and evaluation. Is this not correct.?

[crystalspin]

The standard plan is basically to cover 80% of the cost of the cruise. Period. The Platinum coverage is 90% fare and a very minimal health coverage. Check the website. It's plainly stated and you don't have to go by what you were told. Evaluation may be covered but evacuation may not!

 

We sailed with "just" the Platinum coverage on a B2B at New Years this past winter. But we would not consider doing so with our upcoming 35-day and 24-day cruises. 

[oakridger]

2 hours ago, ebtrip said:

I was told the insurance also covers medical and evaluation. Is this not correct.?

 

Sort of.  Please read the attached link from HAL.  Personally, the medical and evacuation insurance is no where near adequate for me.  The recommendation to check online and/or The Trip Insurance store is a good place to start.  Cruise Cancellation Protection Plan | Holland America

 

 

[oakridger]

@crystalspin Ha ha.  You and I must certainly be on the same CC visit schedule!  We seem to post at almost the same time on many different threads!!  We need to meet on a cruise sometime!

😉

~Nancy

[POA1]

Our TA does a pretty good job of shopping for cruise plans. On our last cruise, I passed the 55+ threshold and HAL's plan was the most cost effective FOR CRUISE PROTECTION. For the health care component, we rely on coverage from our American Express Platinum card. It's got better coverage than HAL's platinum cruise protection plan does.

 

Prior to my entering geezerdom, 3rd party cruise protection was more cost effective.

[MrSnuffleupagus]

I just use my American Express Platinum. 

[Florida_gal_50]

I always get Hal’s cancel for any reason.  You never know what can come up and you don’t have to worry if it will be a covered reason.  You don’t have to purchase it until the day before final UNLESS you have a non refundable fare.  It’s definitely not a medical plan so you need to get that elsewhere.  I used when the pandemic first started and the money was back on my credit card in around 10 days.

[0106]

If you have an insurance question , you may need want to post it in this forum to get advice from a professional.

 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I too always get HAL's Platinum Cancel for any reason plan, paying for it just before final payment. I have used it several times as unexpected events do come occur. And you get a cash refund not FCC as with the Princess plan.

 

But for health insurance I would go elsewhere as HAL's plan is minimal. The same applies to evacuation insurance which I think is beoming more and more critical especially on long cruises.

[AllTheSun]

3 hours ago, MrSnuffleupagus said:

I just use my American Express Platinum. 

What sort of medical coverage does that provide?

[MrSnuffleupagus]

40 minutes ago, AllTheSun said:

What sort of medical coverage does that provide? 

B. Covered Losses:

Covered Losses include Trip Cancellations or Trip Interruptions that result from the following:

1. Accidental Bodily Injury or loss of life or Sickness of either the Eligible Traveler, Traveling Companion or a Family Member of the Eligible Traveler or Traveling Companion;
2. Inclement weather, which prevents a reasonable and prudent person from traveling or continuing on a Covered Trip;
3. The Eligible Traveler or his or her spouse’s change in military orders;
4. Terrorist Action or hijacking;
5. Call to jury duty or subpoena by the courts, either of which cannot be postponed or waived;
6. The Eligible Traveler or Traveling Companion’s dwelling made uninhabitable; or
7. Quarantine imposed by a Physician for health reasons.

 

Up to 10K/trip for trip cancellations and 10K/trip for trip interruptions. Coverage begins the date the trip is purchased to the date the trip ends.

[ebtrip]

Thanks all for your replies. I did the research last night, and the insurance does not have enough coverage for evacuation and medical..I found a great policy with a company I usually use, better price, with 100,000 medical, 250,000 evacuation. It doesn’t cover for any reason, but that doesn’t bother us, since we’re going other than a illness. 

[YourWorldWithBill]

Just to add a note to what @MrSnuffleupagussaid, I also use the coverage in the AmEx Platinum card. That insurance makes the cost of the card more than worth it. I also pay about $64 for extra coverage before each cruise. That provides, if I remember correctly, about $100,000 of medical coverage. I figure that for $64 it's worth it.

There are some other cards that also include this insurance, but I don't know each of them. I just think that AmEx would pay me for all the times I've recommended it. 🙂

[ICUQT]

I was one of those guys that stood on the balcony of the ship only to glance down and catch the stretcher of someone being led off the ship for medical treatment. I was one of those guys that said won't happen to me. Well last November it did happen to me. I was on a different cruise line with their ship's platinum plan similar to HA. I won't go into the specifics of my ailment but suffice to say I was in serious need of medical treatment. The ship's infirmary stabilized me and put me ashore in Belize. The hospital did not accept AMEX (Platinum card) I had my Visa Debit card  and my wife called my Bank to transfer enough funds to cover the expected charges. Like RuthC I had my own medical evacuation flight insurance she called and made arrangement to fly me out after 3 days. I filed a claim with the ship's insurer for medical and trip interruption only .I was informed by the Insurer that they will pay for the "excess" portion of medical that my private insurance did not cover. My Medicare advantage plan covered all medical cost. Leaving only the trip interruption to be settled. The best thing that I did was to take out the private Medical Evacuation Flight Insurance several years back. It saved me close to 75K and I never got a bill for door to door service. Well worth the $475 a year for a family plan. I think I will have a different perspective when I look down from the balcony again. 

[Murray's Pop]

8 hours ago, MrSnuffleupagus said:

I just use my American Express Platinum. 

Do you have to book through the Amex Platinum Travel or just pay for the cruise with the Amex card?

[YourWorldWithBill]

1 minute ago, Murray's Pop said:

Do you have to book through the Amex Platinum Travel or just pay for the cruise with the Amex card?

The trip just has to be paid using the AmEx platinum card; that's the only condition. We pay the entire trip, including airfare, using the card.

[Murray's Pop]

2 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

The trip just has to be paid using the AmEx platinum card; that's the only condition. We pay the entire trip, including airfare, using the card.

Thanks, that's what I thought just wanted to make sure.  Always pay for our cruises on the Amex.

[MrSnuffleupagus]

Yep, the Amex Plat more than pays for itself! Awesome card!

[YourWorldWithBill]

1 minute ago, MrSnuffleupagus said:

Yep, the Amex Plat more than pays for itself! Awesome card!

Exactly. Well worth the cost. Hard to understand why more don't take advantage of this.

[ebtrip]

I always take insurance thru an online insurance company. Have used it many times, (wish we didn’t need to). In March we were on a transatlantic cruise, another cruise line.  3 days prior to disembarking my husband got Covid. The ship charged $800 for Paxlovid, plus all the doctor and medicine charges. Our Medicare PPO does not cover for foreign travel. Insurance reimbursed for all medical expenses and also paid us for the 3 days of cabin confinement, under trip interruption. 

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, MrSnuffleupagus said:

B. Covered Losses:

Covered Losses include Trip Cancellations or Trip Interruptions that result from the following:

1. Accidental Bodily Injury or loss of life or Sickness of either the Eligible Traveler, Traveling Companion or a Family Member of the Eligible Traveler or Traveling Companion;
2. Inclement weather, which prevents a reasonable and prudent person from traveling or continuing on a Covered Trip;
3. The Eligible Traveler or his or her spouse’s change in military orders;
4. Terrorist Action or hijacking;
5. Call to jury duty or subpoena by the courts, either of which cannot be postponed or waived;
6. The Eligible Traveler or Traveling Companion’s dwelling made uninhabitable; or
7. Quarantine imposed by a Physician for health reasons.

 

Up to 10K/trip for trip cancellations and 10K/trip for trip interruptions. Coverage begins the date the trip is purchased to the date the trip ends.

I found your response interesting.  The poster asked about medical coverage and what you posted has NO medical coverage.  Am also curious what AMEX Platinum has for medical.  We gave up our AMEX Platinum years ago for another card (with better benefits for us) and wondered if AMEX now covers medical.  If one is hospitalized (outside their own country) the bills can quickly add up to 10s of thousands of dollars.

 

Hank

[YourWorldWithBill]

1 minute ago, Hlitner said:

I found your response interesting.  The poster asked about medical coverage and what you posted has NO medical coverage.  Am also curious what AMEX Platinum has for medical.

Yes, that's really the important point. They cover medical up to a certain maximum, and I pay the additional $64 a cruise (or each international trip) for the additional coverage. I believe it's up to at least $100,000, and various aspects of necessary travel are also included.

[MrSnuffleupagus]

7 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I found your response interesting.  The poster asked about medical coverage and what you posted has NO medical coverage.  Am also curious what AMEX Platinum has for medical.  We gave up our AMEX Platinum years ago for another card (with better benefits for us) and wondered if AMEX now covers medical.  If one is hospitalized (outside their own country) the bills can quickly add up to 10s of thousands of dollars.

 

Hank

Should you have a medical emergency while traveling, Platinum Travel Assistance can provide you with medical assistance in consultation with local treating physicians. Medical visits to your hotel can also be arranged, depending on the circumstances and the resources available in each country. This assistance includes the following benefits per trip among others*:

 

• US$100,000 for emergency medical transportation** 
• US$250,000 for emergency medical services
• US$1,000 for emergency dental treatment
• US$1,000 for prescription expenses

 

Travel Accident Insurance offers a coverage of up to US$500,000 in case of accidental death or dismemberment while traveling on a Common Carrier Conveyance (plane, train, ship or bus), when the entire fare has been charged to The Platinum Card.