Insurance

[Newtrvlr2017]

I am going  on NCL epic on April 19 2024 to Greece and debating buying insurance. How likely that it will be cancel. New in solo cruising. TIA 

[NotADopey1]

You may want to think about what you’ll do if your luggage is lost, you miss the boarding time, you get sick or injured and need transportation home and many things other than a cancelation. We go through Trip Insurance Store, a broker for many companies.  They can help you find the best match including budget.  1-888-407-3854.  While we haven’t had to use the coverage a couple traveling with us have used it.  Might be worth a call.

[leaveitallbehind]

I think you are looking at this from to narrow a focus. Insurance - including that offered through the cruise lines - is not just to cover cancelations by the cruise line.  It mainly is to cover you, with unforeseen issues prior to the cruise that my cause you to cancel as well as unforeseen issues, such as medical or other circumstances, during the cruise from that could impact you financially. Of particular importance if traveling abroad is medical coverage as most general US medical insurance may not cover you in foreign countries.

 

Follow the advice suggested by @NotADopey1 and look into different coverage options that IMO I think all travelers - in particular if traveling internationally - should have.

Edited February 19 by leaveitallbehind

[d9704011]

6 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

and look into different coverage options that IMO I think all travelers - in particular if traveling internationally - should have.

Also, consider annual plans rather than individual trip plans if you anticipate traveling on a fairly regular basis.

[GeezerCouple]

31 minutes ago, Newtrvlr2017 said:

I am going  on NCL epic on April 19 2024 to Greece and debating buying insurance. How likely that it will be cancel. New in solo cruising. TIA 

 

We strongly agree with the suggestion to call www.TripInsuranceStore.com

 

But CALL them.  There is a lot that isn't included in the online information, plus they can help figure out what *you* might need, which could be very different from what we, for example, need.

 

Also, please browse through the Travel Insurance section of CC:

 

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

 

The mods may move this there soon.

But the other posts have a plethora of discussion and recommendations and reports of experiences.

 

This is what we just posted there:

 

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

We have used TripInsuranceStore.com also, after learning about it here on CC almost 10 years ago.  And good thing, too.  Our first trip with insurance, a very expensive trip for us at the time (er, times have changed! 😉 ) needed to be cancelled less than 2 weeks prior to our planned departure due to a medical emergency.  Fortunately, our discussions with them (and lots of Q&A while we learned - pretty fast - about travel insurance) helped us to get the right policy, and all of our expenses were refunded in cash, about 2 weeks after we submitted all of the documentation.  (In this case, we were more concerned about the medical issues, so we didn't deal with the documents for a while, until some of the emergency level issues were under better control).

 

Our policy through TIS was with Travel Insured.

Importantly, we've since had several other claims, including another large one.  All of them were paid promptly.  We have zero complaints, and we'll continue to get this policy, from TI, through TIS.

 

There is no extra charge for using a broker.  TripInsuranceStore has policies from several vetted insurers, and they can discuss your situation and help you figure out what types of policies might be best for your specific circumstance.

But CALL them; don't rely upon the mini-summaries online, or even longer online summaries.  Have a professional talk to you.  Not only will you have questions, but they will probably have questions (e.g., any pre-existing medical conditions?  frail family members not traveling with you?   etc.).

 

Time can be critical.  The best choice of policies is usually available within10-20 days of your FIRST payment for the trip (such as the deposit, refundable or not).  Differences depend upon state of residence.  But even later, there are probably good policies available, until the day of final payment anyway.

 

Our only complaint is that we needed to file travel insurance claims several times... 😞 

But at least we got paid every time, and promptly, including for the large claims.

 

GC

 

[navybankerteacher]

16 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Also, consider annual plans rather than individual trip plans if you anticipate traveling on a fairly regular basis.

Definitely the way to go - if you plan to venture a few hundred miles from home much more than once or twice a year.

[Newtrvlr2017]

26 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

We strongly agree with the suggestion to call www.TripInsuranceStore.com

 

But CALL them.  There is a lot that isn't included in the online information, plus they can help figure out what *you* might need, which could be very different from what we, for example, need.

 

Also, please browse through the Travel Insurance section of CC:

 

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

 

The mods may move this there soon.

But the other posts have a plethora of discussion and recommendations and reports of experiences.

 

This is what we just posted there:

 

 

I see.. thanks for the tips. My cruise and flights are paid in full and terrified that it get cancel. I want my first solo to be successful and relaxing.

[Ashland]

27 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Definitely the way to go - if you plan to venture a few hundred miles from home much more than once or twice a year.

Agree we feel very comfortable with our GeoBlue Trekker annual policy.

[leaveitallbehind]

18 minutes ago, Newtrvlr2017 said:

I see.. thanks for the tips. My cruise and flights are paid in full and terrified that it get cancel. I want my first solo to be successful and relaxing.

The odds of a cruise getting canceled is very low.  Odds of it being rerouted due to weather, is certainly more of a possibility. But neither of those would not be my concern. 

 

Having insurance to cover me against medical and other issues that could risk many thousands of $'s would be my priority.  Having that peace of mind would go a long way towards my cruise being relaxing.

 

Oh, and it will also cover the cruise line cancelation you are concerned about.

Edited February 19 by leaveitallbehind

[Newtrvlr2017]

8 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

The odds of a cruise getting canceled is very low.  Odds of it being rerouted due to weather, is certainly more of a possibility. But neither of those would not be my concern. 

 

Having insurance to cover me against medical and other issues that could risk many thousands of $'s would be my priority.  Having that peace of mind would go a long way towards my cruise being relaxing.

So true. I want it to be hassle free while abroad. I read in the news and FB group being sick and how those cruiselines charge you to the yingyang. Planning to get an annual premium as it is worth it. 

 

[leaveitallbehind]

9 minutes ago, Newtrvlr2017 said:

So true. I want it to be hassle free while abroad. I read in the news and FB group being sick and how those cruiselines charge you to the yingyang. Planning to get an annual premium as it is worth it. 

 

It's not that cruise lines charge you a high amount.  The medical centers on the cruise lines are for emergency services and, since insurance is not taken on the ship, if someone is sick or has an on board emergency, they charge you what the service would cost if billed through insurance.  Have you ever tried to get medical attention without insurance, or seen the bill for your services as submitted to the insurance companies?   I don't think the ship charge is significantly higher than that.

 

It's worth it not only as a cost deterrent but for the peace of mind knowing that you won't have thousands of $'s charged directly to you because you don't have insurance to cover it.

[Newtrvlr2017]

1 minute ago, leaveitallbehind said:

It's not that cruise lines charge you a high amount.  The medical centers on the cruise lines are for emergency services and, since insurance is not taken on the ship, if someone is sick or has an on board emergency, they charge you what the service would cost if billed through insurance.  Have you ever tried to get medical attention without insurance, or seen the bill for your services as submitted to the insurance companies?   I don't think the ship charge is significantly higher than that.

 

It's worth it not only as a cost deterrent but for the peace of mind knowing that you won't have thousands of $'s charged directly to you because you don't have insurance to cover it.

No as once you get to emergency or doctor, first thing they ask is your insurance card. Do have BCBS from work and Mayo partner with Allianz. Reading the Allianz coverage and also may go to Chubb website. Thanks folks for all your help.

[Joebucks]

Insurance is a lifelong waste to the average person. Most of us already buy (and many overpay for) auto, home, and health. You go on the internet and everyone talks about how important it is to buy pet, life, travel, etc. If people truly understood how much they spent vs how much they claimed, they would be sick. Then you see someone who swears by their insurance because it "saved them $500." Yet they spent many times that. Sometimes, you are even lucky to get anything at all after all of the hoops and exclusions. Most people are much better off taking all of this money and putting it into savings. Insurance should be for catastrophic loss, not minor inconvenience.

 

With that said, it's not always a terrible purchase. If you are traveling months per year, and/or are in poor health, an annual policy may be worth considering. If you are young and healthy, you probably don't need that $150 policy to cruise to the Bahamas because someone on the internet scared you into it. Always know what you already have, what you need, and what you are buying. Some plans may not cover your pre-existing conditions, may be secondary (and largely worthless). There's no one-sized-fits-all approach. It's not a magical plan that fixes your every inconvenience.

 

Medical costs are a bigger concern than CFAR or bag insurance. However, like in my case, my employer medical insurance covers overseas care. That might be a good thing to know. Instead of paying for high premiums in my normal insurance, and buying travel insurance, I have a healthy HSA savings and HDHP that would not bankrupt me in any medical scenario. Medical evac can have varying importance too, depending on your health, risk of trip, etc. Some annual med evac plans exist. Some credit cards include the coverage. If you're going to travel a lot, it might be wise to look into a CC that includes these benefits. 

 

[GeezerCouple]

3 hours ago, Newtrvlr2017 said:

I see.. thanks for the tips. My cruise and flights are paid in full and terrified that it get cancel. I want my first solo to be successful and relaxing.

 

I didn't mean to be totally discouraging about insurance if you've already made the final payment.

 

When is your cruise?

 

You should probably still call TripInsuranceStore, as they may still have a policy that would work for you (but without some of the coverage one gets by starting the coverage earlier).

 

Also, although we do not ordinarily suggest the cruise-line insurance (several reasons), if that's what turns out to be best at a relatively late date, then you might consider it.

Note:  Most (not all) complaints about travel insurance claims involve either:

1) the event that caused the claim was never covered in the first place;

or

2) there is a problem with sending in *all* receipts and in some cases (for some medical claims - not all) allowed the insurer to look at medical history (which would have been disclosed in the terms and conditions in case it might be relevant).

 

TIS don't try to upsell.

3rd party insurance will cover you from the moment you leave your house until the moment you walk in the door (e.g., if there's an accident en route to the airport, etc.).

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

GC

 

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

It's not that cruise lines charge you a high amount.  The medical centers on the cruise lines are for emergency services and, since insurance is not taken on the ship, if someone is sick or has an on board emergency, they charge you what the service would cost if billed through insurance.  Have you ever tried to get medical attention without insurance, or seen the bill for your services as submitted to the insurance companies?   I don't think the ship charge is significantly higher than that.

 

It's worth it not only as a cost deterrent but for the peace of mind knowing that you won't have thousands of $'s charged directly to you because you don't have insurance to cover it.

An example---DW ended up going to the medical center our last cruise on a sea day between Norway and Iceland. At the time, we both thought the bill was high but it turned out that we did not need the travel insurance because our secondary insurance (Medicaid is primary and we knew that we would not pay overseas) paid the entire amount as they must have considered it reasonable.

 

But her condition later worsened. Within a few weeks she ended up in first an ambulance, then an emergency room, and finally a hospital bed. If she had reached that condition a few weeks e on our cruise, the bill for treatment and medical evacuation would have been ENORMOUS. That is what the travel insurance is in place for.

 

BTW. she is fine now.

[leaveitallbehind]

32 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

At the time, we both thought the bill was high but it turned out that we did not need the travel insurance because our secondary insurance (Medicaid is primary and we knew that we would not pay overseas) paid the entire amount as they must have considered it reasonable.

But for clarity, as I understand it, most cruise lines don't take insurance on board for these charges and they need paid via credit card on board and then submitted to your insurance carrier separately, correct?

 

Glad she is better now!

[GeezerCouple]

2 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

But for clarity, as I understand it, most cruise lines don't take insurance on board for these charges and they need paid via credit card on board and then submitted to your insurance carrier separately, correct?

 

Glad she is better now!

 

This was our experience, both for ship medical center treatment, and also for any other overseas medical care or related expenses.  We paid, made *sure* that we got actual itemizedreceipts showing services provided (not just charge card slips), and then submitted the itemized receipts along with the claim form.  This can include taxi fares, costs for a physician to come to the hotel... whatever.  But receipts are required.  (The insurer has the right to protect agains fraud, after all.)

 

However, if the cost is likely to be prohibitive, and perhaps interfere with or delay treatment overseas, some insurers will try to make arrangements either to guarantee payment or to forward some money (e.g., by wire).

But it might still be necessary to provide a hefty "up front" sort of deposit.

 

We always travel with several charge cards that. combined, have a high credit limit.

The *last* thing we'd want in the middle (or at the start of!) a medical emergency is to have time wasted while "payment arrangements" are getting sorted out.  And in some locations, that IS what can happen, unfortunately,

 

GC

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

But for clarity, as I understand it, most cruise lines don't take insurance on board for these charges and they need paid via credit card on board and then submitted to your insurance carrier separately, correct?

 

Glad she is better now!

Yes, that is true. But let me add that the charge was actually not over what our insurance was willing to pay for an obviously out of network medical charge. If she had gone to our local emergency room or urgent care, the bill would have first shown an ENORMOUS amount, and then a discount would have been taken off per their contract with the insurance.

 

And thank you for your thoughts about her well being.

[SoloAlaska]

My flight to my last cruise had a connection in Iceland. When volcanos started erupting I could have worried about if I needed to pay for a new flight if the airport was shut down. I however knew I had insurance that would cover me which took the stress away. 
 

I am a younger and moderately healthy solo traveller and the peace of mind insurance offers is worth the cost. I travel 4-6 times a year for a week or more plus quick visits out of country since I live close to the border. An annual policy makes sense. Now I am looking at switch to a travel credit card with similar coverage but honestly the annual fees is more than my insurance premium. If I do not take advantage of the other benefits it would make no sense.

[mjkacmom]

You do realize if you have to cancel your cruise for any reason after final payment, without insurance you will be left with no refund? And that isn’t the main reason you get insurance. Our medical insurance doesn’t cover us outside the US, so if we need any medical assistance, we are 100% oop. Broken leg, appendicitis, broken wrist, high fever dislocated knee (these are just off of the top of my head of reasons my young healthy children needed hospital care over the last several years here in the US, one can be young and healthy and still end up in the hospital). Get the insurance.

[Joebucks]

14 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

But for clarity, as I understand it, most cruise lines don't take insurance on board for these charges and they need paid via credit card on board and then submitted to your insurance carrier separately, correct?

 

Glad she is better now!

 

One thing most people don't realize is almost any medical coverage outside of the US is going to require you pay in full. Even travel insurance (in most cases) isn't going to have everything settled for when you want to leave a foreign hospital.

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, Joebucks said:

 

One thing most people don't realize is almost any medical coverage outside of the US is going to require you pay in full. Even travel insurance (in most cases) isn't going to have everything settled for when you want to leave a foreign hospital.

Even a GeoBlue policy?

[SoloAlaska]

3 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

One thing most people don't realize is almost any medical coverage outside of the US is going to require you pay in full. Even travel insurance (in most cases) isn't going to have everything settled for when you want to leave a foreign hospital.

That’s when I call my uncle for his credit card number 😂. Well I’m not from the US so this is particularly true if I get injured or sick in the US. Most other destinations are a lot cheaper if something happens but the US is brutally expensive and none of my credit card limits go nearly as high as they may need to go

[Joebucks]

2 hours ago, Ashland said:

Even a GeoBlue policy?

 

Some companies have it. Often limited in scope. For GeoBlue, you are supposed to "request" DirectPay within 48 hours of your appointment. Most of the situations people talk about here, are more of an emergency care. 

 

By and large, people have this crazy expectation that travel insurance can do all of these amazing things. Even my US-based health insurance takes time to process claims. Do people honestly think they just call them and say "Hey, I was sick Antigua" and they just pay them right the hospital right then and there? GeoBlue's policy requires time to do as much of this work beforehand. Even then, it probably doesn't work everywhere. 

[Ashland]

8 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

Some companies have it. Often limited in scope. For GeoBlue, you are supposed to "request" DirectPay within 48 hours of your appointment. Most of the situations people talk about here, are more of an emergency care. 

 

By and large, people have this crazy expectation that travel insurance can do all of these amazing things. Even my US-based health insurance takes time to process claims. Do people honestly think they just call them and say "Hey, I was sick Antigua" and they just pay them right the hospital right then and there? GeoBlue's policy requires time to do as much of this work beforehand. Even then, it probably doesn't work everywhere. 

But with a GeoBlue policy I can pay onboard and file a claim later making sure I have all the documentation right ? My question is will GeoBlue cover any onboard medical need even something small?

Thanks for answering.