Insurance

[titodewy]

Hello all,

Is it best to buy America Holland's Insurance if you want full coverage?

Are there other insurances out there that may be better?

We are new to cruising.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

I rarely buy the cruise line insurance because it covers only the cruise. I add travel days before and/or after the cruise, not through the cruise line, so that wouldn't be covered. You really want door-to-door coverage.

 

Most people look at trip insurance as cancellation coverage. But it should give you much more than that. Medical coverage is an important part of insuring a trip. Check your own plan to see if you're covered out of the country. Many seniors are shocked to learn that Medicare ends at the border, so if you're over 65, don't count on Medicare. 

 

Take a good look at the "repatriation" coverage. Will the insurance get you home in case of illness or injury? Many years ago, we saw a young man in a full leg cast stretched out over the middle 5 seats on a 747. We thought, wow, that's expensive!

 

Years later, we found out how expensive repatriation can be. DH fell, had a ton of complications due existing health issues, and we flew home "air ambulance" from England. I would estimate the flight alone was around 125K. It cost us nothing. Travel Guard paid for (and arranged) the flight, plus all medical care while DH was in the hospital in Yorkshire. 

 

My story raises a few points. I always buy the insurance during the window that gives coverage for "pre-exisiting conditions," so there were no quibbles about his health issues. I also buy the rider for choice of hospital, so we were taken to the hospital in our town. The basic plan is "nearest appropriate hospital," which, flying from England could have been Boston rather than NJ.

 

As I get older, the insurance gets more expensive, but I won't cruise without it.

[shadow 123]

14 hours ago, titodewy said:

Hello all,

Is it best to buy America Holland's Insurance if you want full coverage?

Are there other insurances out there that may be better?

We are new to cruising.

 

I wouldn't use the ship's insurance. I had a horrible time with it. You have to do all the work . It's a secondary policy not a primary. Find someone else

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

May I ask your age. 50 60 70 80 

[TiogaCruiser]

What type of insurance and which policy will depend on what you already have and what you want to cover.

 

We buy HAL platinum and then a separate travel medical policy, as our employer provided insurance covers us wherever we are.

[Host Kat]

21 hours ago, titodewy said:

Hello all,

Is it best to buy America Holland's Insurance if you want full coverage?

Are there other insurances out there that may be better?

We are new to cruising.

 

Hello @titodewy

 

Your thread has been moved to the Cruise/Travel Insurance forum where it will be on topic. Browse through the thread titles in this forum looking for threads of interest. You may find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that may be of interest to you.

 

The Cruise Critic website and message boards are both great resources for new as well as experienced cruisers. Please feel free to browse the Cruise Critic Community categories list of the various forums. I suggest you put the page link in your browser's Favorites for quick & easy access in the future. Please read a few threads in the different forums to get a feel for what each forum is about. Make sure you read any pinned threads (aka stickies) on the top of the first page of threads in most forums. You will find very important instructions or information there.

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat

[jclinard]

Only take recommendations from people who attempted to make claims.

 

I attempted to make a claim with Travel Guard.  They refused to pay.

[GeezerCouple]

 

From a post I made a few minutes ago on another thread:

 

2 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

I would STRONGLY suggest that you use a travel insurance agent, or preferably a broker who works with several insurers.  Each company and policy can be different, and especially to someone not familiar with travel insurance, reading the policy summaries online may very well not be helpful in critical ways.

TALKING with a licensed professional... at least they can point out the pros and cons of different policies.  CALL them!  Ask questions.  Let them ask you questions to help them help you find the best fit policy for your specific needs.

 

We learned about www.TripInsuranceStore.com from CruiseCritics a bit over 10 years ago, and THANK GOODNESS.  On our first insured trip, we had a large claim.

We got coverage through TIS with Travel Insured, and we received a nice fat check in less than 2 weeks from when we submitted all of the documentation.

[Note; You WILL need receipts, so keep them.  Ask for them if not offered, etc.]

 

Also, make sure the agent/broker will help with the claim should that be needed.

 

We've since had several more claims, including a couple more large ones and those were paid promptly as well.

 

GC