Trip Insurance

[PGHProducer]

Apologies if this isn't the right forum...

 

I typically buy my insurance directly with Royal Caribbean.

 

HOWEVER, if I decide to book with another company, which amount do I "insure" the trip for? Is it the subtotal? The full total amount after taxes, fees, gratuities? Something else?

 

 

[vacationlover_mn]

8 minutes ago, PGHProducer said:

Apologies if this isn't the right forum...

 

I typically buy my insurance directly with Royal Caribbean.

 

HOWEVER, if I decide to book with another company, which amount do I "insure" the trip for? Is it the subtotal? The full total amount after taxes, fees, gratuities? Something else?

 

 

We do total cruise cost + airfare + luggage + hotel + transportation.  And we always get medical, and try to book soon enough for “cancel for any reason”.

[Ashland]

To get some exact information on what you need specifically speak to a professional.

 

Call the Trip Insurance Store and speak to Steve who is often a contributor here on CC or one of his associates. We as well as many others here have used him for many trips.

 

888 407-3854 

[GTO-Girl]

19 minutes ago, PGHProducer said:

Apologies if this isn't the right forum...

 

I typically buy my insurance directly with Royal Caribbean.

 

HOWEVER, if I decide to book with another company, which amount do I "insure" the trip for? Is it the subtotal? The full total amount after taxes, fees, gratuities? Something else?

 

 

You put the total amount of any money you would not automatically get refunded if you had to cancel.

 

Because gratuities, port taxes, excursions, internet etc would be refunded you don’t include those….

 

We ALWAYS purchase trip insurance but never from the cruise line.  You can get better coverage for less money through a third party….

 

www.insuremytrip.com

Edited July 19, 2023 by GTO-Girl

[klfrodo]

It depends on what you want to insure and what level of risk you’re willing to take?

Every policy is different based on your needs. Also know that each State of residency could dictate the terms and conditions.

Cancel For Any Reason? You probably need to purchase a policy within 14 to 21 days after making a deposit

Pre-existing medical condition waiver? You probably need to purchase within 14 - 21 days also. You may also be required to cover ALL non-refundable trip costs. This varies by State.

 

Myself? I buy the minimum coverage required to get the medical and evac coverage. I can absorb the cost of the cruise. I can’t absorb the $100K medical.

Edited July 19, 2023 by klfrodo

[Anton]

A couple years ago I decided that I was tired of buying insurance for every cruise and now I buy an annual Allianz travel policy with the focus on the medical and emergency evacuation coverage.  It does cover up to $5000 per person trip cancellation, luggage loss, and medical payments among other things.  Annual policies have limits though, such as it's pretty much a use it once and it's done thing.  But I'm quite sure if I ever needed medical evacuation I won't be traveling again anytime soon. 

[Tree_skier]

I'm looking at doing the same.  Which plan did you purchase

[steveru621]

23 minutes ago, Anton said:

A couple years ago I decided that I was tired of buying insurance for every cruise and now I buy an annual Allianz travel policy with the focus on the medical and emergency evacuation coverage.  It does cover up to $5000 per person trip cancellation, luggage loss, and medical payments among other things.  Annual policies have limits though, such as it's pretty much a use it once and it's done thing.  But I'm quite sure if I ever needed medical evacuation I won't be traveling again anytime soon. 

 

The $5,000 is only once per year.

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, GTO-Girl said:

You put the total amount of any money you would not automatically get refunded if you had to cancel.

 

Because gratuities, port taxes, excursions, internet etc would be refunded you don’t include those….

 

We ALWAYS purchase trip insurance but never from the cruise line.  You can get better coverage for less money through a third party….

 

www.insuremytrip.com

I tried looking at insuremytrip.com but couldn't seem to get a quote for an annual plan?

 

[Tlbecker1]

18 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I'm looking at doing the same.  Which plan did you purchase

We purchase a yearly policy from Allianz.  We also purchase additional medical coverage from GeoBlue.  We have never had to use either of them, but I like just purchasing them once a year for all of our travel.

[steveru621]

10 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I tried looking at insuremytrip.com but couldn't seem to get a quote for an annual plan?

 

 

It is near impossible to find it.

 

[mets07]

We do an annual plan as well ... if you have USAA, they offer it thru Travel Insured International. Our concern is medical/evac. We will risk the price of the cruise.

[RobInMN]

There's a whole sub-forum for trip/cruise insurance. My guess is a mod will move this there at some point:

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

 

[Tree_skier]

40 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

 

It is near impossible to find it.

 

You're not kidding.  I just found figured it out.  The annual plans they offer do not seem to include any cancellation coverage.

[steveru621]

3 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

You're not kidding.  I just found figured it out.  The annual plans they offer do not seem to include any cancellation coverage.

 

Allianz does, with lots of before/after restrictions. We have one. My wife had bronchitis and could not go. They paid us $4,000 with very little hassle. It's NOT cancel for any reason. 

[GTO-Girl]

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

I tried looking at insuremytrip.com but couldn't seem to get a quote for an annual plan?

 

I looked into an annual policy but it doesn’t meet the requirements I am looking for.

 

I want a policy that serves as “Primary” not secondary.  And I want a large medical and medical evacuation.  The annual policies I saw did not do that unless I paid a very high annual premium which defeats the purpose 

[PATRLR]

 

3 hours ago, Ashland said:

To get some exact information on what you need specifically speak to a professional.

 

Call the Trip Insurance Store and speak to Steve who is often a contributor here on CC or one of his associates. We as well as many others here have used him for many trips.

 

888 407-3854 

@PGHProducer I second the recommendation of calling and talking to Steve. 

 

2 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

I tried looking at insuremytrip.com but couldn't seem to get a quote for an annual plan?

 

 

I've talked to Steve and he's not a real fan of annual policies.   

 

 

 

[RedIguana]

16 hours ago, klfrodo said:

Pre-existing medical condition waiver? You probably need to purchase within 14 - 21 days also.

After eating the cost of trip insurance for a cruise I canceled the day before final payment due to the shutdown (canceled in March 2020 for a June 2020 cruise....pretty easy to see the writing on the wall at that point...did not want to give 5k to a cruise line for a cruise that was not going to happen), I obtain my trip insurance when I make final payment. Granted I don't have any pre-existing conditions myself, but some of my travel companions on the policies have, and there are plenty available that you can obtain at final payment that waive pre-existing conditions that are well controlled. 

[steveru621]

15 hours ago, GTO-Girl said:

I looked into an annual policy but it doesn’t meet the requirements I am looking for.

 

I want a policy that serves as “Primary” not secondary.  And I want a large medical and medical evacuation.  The annual policies I saw did not do that unless I paid a very high annual premium which defeats the purpose 

 

We have a second policy from GeoBLUE.

[teddie]

19 hours ago, PGHProducer said:

Apologies if this isn't the right forum...

 

I typically buy my insurance directly with Royal Caribbean.

 

HOWEVER, if I decide to book with another company, which amount do I "insure" the trip for? Is it the subtotal? The full total amount after taxes, fees, gratuities? Something else?

 

 

I always purchase through a reputable provider and buy an enhanced medical plan, which covers transportation back to your hospital of choice.  Otherwise, you will be taken to the closest appropriate facility for hospital care should it be needed.  That means, if you are sailing in the caribbean, you could be transported to a hospital in Miami for care. 

 

So, if you reside in, let's say, Minnesota, you may have to shell out cash for medical tranport to get back home, if your private health insurance won't cover that cost.  I speak from experience through my work as a program coordinator for a well-known rehabilitation hospital in New Jersey. I've worked with families who've had to pay $20,000  or more for air ambulance services to get back to their home hospital.

 

Stay safe!

 

Teddie

Edited July 20, 2023 by teddie

[Ashland]

5 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

 

We have a second policy from GeoBLUE.

We also have a GeoBlue policy and renew it every year. Happy to have never had to use it.🤞

[RB9643]

7 hours ago, teddie said:

I've worked with families who've had to pay $20,000 or more for air ambulance services to get back to their home hospital.

 

 

What possible benefit would there be to pay $20k to get back to their home hospital?  Just get me out of Honduras, I'm good.

 

 

[BirdTravels]

On 7/19/2023 at 9:50 PM, PATRLR said:

I've talked to Steve and he's not a real fan of annual policies.   

Of course not, he doesn't make any money on them. 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, RB9643 said:

What possible benefit would there be to pay $20k to get back to their home hospital?  Just get me out of Honduras, I'm good.

Have you tried to charter an air ambulance with a medical team to do a round trip from the States to Honduras? I guess the cheapest would be to drop you somewhere just inside the Mexican boarder, but I assume that you would want to get to hospital in Omaha. 

[RB9643]

3 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Have you tried to charter an air ambulance with a medical team to do a round trip from the States to Honduras? I guess the cheapest would be to drop you somewhere just inside the Mexican boarder, but I assume that you would want to get to hospital in Omaha. 

 

We're talking about being brought to the nearest US hospital, and then paying $20k to get from there to your "home" hospital. Read better.