Princess Insurance vs. 3rd Party

[IndyKid]

Whenever we travel outside the US I always get insurance. I've heard that I'm better off getting insurance through someone other than Princess? I'd like to hear from those more experienced cruisers about their experiences with making claims, etc.?

[CrazyTrain2]

I use Allianz but I've never had to file a claim.  They have good ratings.

[IndyKid]

3 minutes ago, CrazyTrain2 said:

I use Allianz but I've never had to file a claim.  They have good ratings.

How did their price compare to Princess?

[CrazyTrain2]

5 minutes ago, IndyKid said:

How did their price compare to Princess?

Cheaper and it covers more things.  I buy an annual policy and then I am covered for all my travel for the entire year - going to see the kids, personal travel unrelated to cruising.  The cruise lines are NOT the insurance carrier, they are only selling somebody else's policy. Additionally, if you have to cancel your trip or even make modifications your insurance is NOT REFUNDED from the cruise line.  Cruise insurance may or may not cover cruise air.  Frankly it's horrible coverage.

[Rick&Jeannie]

The real advantage of the Princess insurance is the CFAR (cancel for any reason.)  I always do the Princess offering but I back it up with GeoBlue Trekker and MedJet Assist. Our Medicare will not cover you outside the US and we want the option of being able to fly home if a medical emergency warrants it via MedJet.

[NavyVeteran]

1 hour ago, CrazyTrain2 said:

Cheaper and it covers more things.  I buy an annual policy and then I am covered for all my travel for the entire year - going to see the kids, personal travel unrelated to cruising.  The cruise lines are NOT the insurance carrier, they are only selling somebody else's policy. Additionally, if you have to cancel your trip or even make modifications your insurance is NOT REFUNDED from the cruise line.  Cruise insurance may or may not cover cruise air.  Frankly it's horrible coverage.

If you cancel a Princess cruise with a refundable deposit before final payment, you receive a full refund - including prepaid Princess Vacation Protection. If you have third party insurance, you may not get a refund.

Princess Vacation Protection covers air purchased through Princess EZAir. It doesn't cover air purchased elsewhere.

The question of cheaper often depends on age. Princess Vacation Protection is not age rated. It costs the same thing for us seniors as for people in their twenties. Most third party insurance is priced based on age. If you are younger, it may be cheaper. If you are older, maybe not.

[NavyVeteran]

• 2 hours ago, IndyKid said:

  • Whenever we travel outside the US I always get insurance. I've heard that I'm better off getting insurance through someone other than Princess? I'd like to hear from those more experienced cruisers about their experiences with making claims, etc.?

I've had excellent experience with claims using Princess Vacation Protection. On a cruise last year, DW and I both got COVID and were in isolation for the last three days of the twelve-day cruise. DW had to spend one night in the ship clinic and had over $3,000 in medical charges onboard.

 

We received a payment for all of our medical charges plus one fourth of the cost of the cruise (3 days isolation out of 12 days). No problems. I didn't even have to provide them with Explanations of Benefits (EoB) from my primary or secondary insurance.

• Primary insurance was Medicare. They knew that Medicare provided no coverage overseas, so they did not require an EoB from Medicare.
• Secondary insurance was Tricare for Life. Tricare for Life does provide coverage overseas where Medicare does not. However, US law states that Tricare for Life is secondary to any other valid insurance except for Tricare supplements or Medicaid - explicitly stating it is secondary to travel insurance. I provided a link to a Tricare website explicitly stating that, and they didn't require an EoB from Tricare.

The whole process was fairly simple. It did take a couple of phone calls as well as the online submission.

 

One of the things to compare is the coverage limits between Princess Vacation Protection and third party insurance. If you do not have any other medical insurance that covers you outside of the US, then the Princess Vacation Protection limits may not be sufficient. Since Tricare for Life provides coverage outside the US, we only need limits to cover the Tricare copayments, so I believe the Princess Vacation Protection limits are adequate for us.

 

I agree with @Rick&Jeannieabout the benefits of Cancel for Any Reason with Princess Vacation Protection.

  

[GeezerCouple]

We haven't sailed Princess, so cannot speak specifically about *their* insurance policy.

However, we NEVER get the cruiseline insurance; we *always* get third-party coverage.

 

For one thing, that type of coverage starts the moment we step out our door until the moment we get back home.  It covers the trip to the airport.  Any hotels before or after the cruise.  Any other trips, large or small, before or after the cruise.

 

Inportantly, it would provide 100% of the loss as *cash*, not any "credit" with a possible time limit.  We can use that credit for another cruise or a completely different trip.  Or no trip at all.

(Some lines may have some of the refund in cash, and Princess might be one of them, but I'm not sure.)

 

We've had several claims, including some large ones, and they've been paid without nonsense each time, and usually very quickly; only once wasn't, because there were several hurricanes, and the travel insurers were swamped.  Our claim wasn't weather related, but we got caught in the crowd.  Our travel insurance broker made a call on our behalf, and approximately a week later, a check arrived.

 

GC

[Rick&Jeannie]

Everybody has different criteria as to what is important to *them*!  I seriously doubt that there's *any* one insurance policy that solves *everybody's* concerns.

[GeezerCouple]

7 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Everybody has different criteria as to what is important to *them*!  I seriously doubt that there's *any* one insurance policy that solves *everybody's* concerns.

 

Absolutely correct.

And there are many different types of policies.

(Also, insurance is regulated in the USA by each state, so a policy/terms available in one state may not be available or may be different in another state.)

 

The critical thing is to make sure that one *understands* the terms and conditions (T&Cs) of the policy you end up getting AND that they match your insurance needs.

 

When we see complaints here, there is usually (not always!) one of two issues at play:

 

1) The policy never covered the "event" that the claim was based on in the first place.

or

2) The claim was not completed properly or fully.

 

#1 above includes things lie not understanding any pre-existing condition exclusions that might have existed, or not realizing that the insurance only covers the cruise itself, or that a non-traveling family member's illness wasn't covered, etc.

 

#2 above includes, among other things, complaints that the person making the claim refuses to share their medical records.  For one thing, the insurer has the right to protect against fraud.  But the important other thing is that the T&Cs of the policy will include statements about providing this type of documentation if needed.  And HIPAA does *not* apply.  HIPAA applies to medical providers/etc., *and* does not apply if the patient gives consent, which would be included in any release form for the insurance company.

 

I absolutely do NOT mean to imply there are never "claims that are denied inappropriately" or that some insurers never play games and delay, delay, delay!

But those are not the majority of complaints, from reading here and elsewhere.

 

A good travel insurance agent or broker will work with the traveler to help them get the type of policy that best suits their needs.  That can be invaluable.

(And it can be incredibly difficult to know if the "details" match, if one only uses online policy summaries.)

 

GC

[NavyVeteran]

14 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

We haven't sailed Princess, so cannot speak specifically about *their* insurance policy.

However, we NEVER get the cruiseline insurance; we *always* get third-party coverage.

 

For one thing, that type of coverage starts the moment we step out our door until the moment we get back home.  It covers the trip to the airport.  Any hotels before or after the cruise.  Any other trips, large or small, before or after the cruise.

 

Inportantly, it would provide 100% of the loss as *cash*, not any "credit" with a possible time limit.  We can use that credit for another cruise or a completely different trip.  Or no trip at all.

(Some lines may have some of the refund in cash, and Princess might be one of them, but I'm not sure.)

 

We've had several claims, including some large ones, and they've been paid without nonsense each time, and usually very quickly; only once wasn't, because there were several hurricanes, and the travel insurers were swamped.  Our claim wasn't weather related, but we got caught in the crowd.  Our travel insurance broker made a call on our behalf, and approximately a week later, a check arrived.

 

GC

Princess Vacation Protection pays 100% in cash for cancellation for covered reasons. It pays credit only when you use the Cancel for Any Reason coverage to cancel for a non-covered reason.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We had excellent service using Princess CFR insurance last Dec.  We had to cancel a cruise 3 days before sailing because of a medical problem.  We sent in the required documents and were refunded (to our credit card) within less than a week.  Great experience with them.

[Coral]

I don't like Princess's medical coverage (max $20K). That doesn't cover much. Plus they have a 90 day look back window so if you have pre-existing conditions, read carefully about it.

 

I usually buy Allianz. I have had to file a claim - I broke my wrist on vacation and had to fly home. They were amazing to work with. They sent a medical escort (paramedic) to fly home with me. I can't say enough great things about them. One doesn't appreciate how good a company is until you have to use them. Once I called them, they had me approve flights in 24 hours and I was flying Business Class home in 48 hours.

 

If you want increased medical coverage - look at GeoBlue coverage (medical only). 

[Nebr.cruiser]

2 hours ago, Coral said:

I don't like Princess's medical coverage (max $20K). That doesn't cover much. Plus they have a 90 day look back window so if you have pre-existing conditions, read carefully about it.

 

I usually buy Allianz. I have had to file a claim - I broke my wrist on vacation and had to fly home. They were amazing to work with. They sent a medical escort (paramedic) to fly home with me. I can't say enough great things about them. One doesn't appreciate how good a company is until you have to use them. Once I called them, they had me approve flights in 24 hours and I was flying Business Class home in 48 hours.

 

If you want increased medical coverage - look at GeoBlue coverage (medical only). 

We usually have a annual travel policy like Geo Blue as well.

[dickinson]

11 hours ago, Coral said:

I don't like Princess's medical coverage (max $20K). That doesn't cover much. Plus they have a 90 day look back window so if you have pre-existing conditions, read carefully about it.

 

I usually buy Allianz. I have had to file a claim - I broke my wrist on vacation and had to fly home. They were amazing to work with. They sent a medical escort (paramedic) to fly home with me. I can't say enough great things about them. One doesn't appreciate how good a company is until you have to use them. Once I called them, they had me approve flights in 24 hours and I was flying Business Class home in 48 hours.

 

If you want increased medical coverage - look at GeoBlue coverage (medical only). 

Princess's lookback period is 60 days.  Maybe it changed from 90 previously?

[Coral]

4 hours ago, dickinson said:

Princess's lookback period is 60 days.  Maybe it changed from 90 previously?

No - I think you are right. I typed the wrong period. Regardless - anyone interested in Princess's insurance, make sure you look carefully at pre-existing conditions, 60 day look back period and the amount of medical it covers (and your coverage outside of the US).

 

Theresa

[NavyVeteran]

5 hours ago, Coral said:

No - I think you are right. I typed the wrong period. Regardless - anyone interested in Princess's insurance, make sure you look carefully at pre-existing conditions, 60 day look back period and the amount of medical it covers (and your coverage outside of the US).

 

Theresa

I have Medicare and Tricare for Life. Since Tricare provides coverage outside the US, I believe the Princes insurance provides adequate coverage. If you don't have any other insurance coverage outside the US, then your case may be different.

I look carefully at the 60-day lookback period. As soon as DW and I both have 60 days with no changes in diagnosis or medications, we purchase and pay for the insurance immediately - we don't wait until final payment. There is no risk since the insurance is completely refundable until final payment. We don't wait until final payment because we may have a change within 60 pays prior to then. We still get the FCC refund even if the cancellation is because of a pre-existing condition, so we're not that worried.

Princess Vacation Protection is more of a bargain the older you are, since it is not age rated like most other travel insurance.

[Coral]

58 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

I have Medicare and Tricare for Life. Since Tricare provides coverage outside the US, I believe the Princes insurance provides adequate coverage. If you don't have any other insurance coverage outside the US, then your case may be different.

I look carefully at the 60-day lookback period. As soon as DW and I both have 60 days with no changes in diagnosis or medications, we purchase and pay for the insurance immediately - we don't wait until final payment. There is no risk since the insurance is completely refundable until final payment. We don't wait until final payment because we may have a change within 60 pays prior to then. We still get the FCC refund even if the cancellation is because of a pre-existing condition, so we're not that worried.

Princess Vacation Protection is more of a bargain the older you are, since it is not age rated like most other travel insurance.

My insurance has pretty poor coverage outside of the US. Thus, I need to buy something else.

 

Glad you have good coverage!

[NavyVeteran]

38 minutes ago, Coral said:

My insurance has pretty poor coverage outside of the US. Thus, I need to buy something else.

 

Glad you have good coverage!

That's why there's not one answer for all of us. Each person needs to look at the details of coverage of their other insurance and at the details of coverage of Princess Vacation Protection and any other insurance they are considering. The right answer for me is not necessarily the right answer for you. No one policy is best for everyone.