Read your policy....

[CDNPolar]

I don't mean to offend anyone on CC with this post, but so many of the questions that come into this discussion forum would be taken care of by reading the policy.

 

My first suggestion is that when you are considering insurance, you get the policy - the complete policy language, not just the highlights.  This you should read and understand before paying for your policy.

 

Create a list of questions that are important to you such as:

 

• Are my pre-existing conditions covered?
• What is the stability period for cancelation vs. a medical claim while travelling.  These can be different.
• Is medical evac covered?
• Is there CFAR
• What are the actual reasons I can cancel that are covered by the policy. 
• Same as above for interruption.
• How soon after I put my first deposit of make the booking do I have to purchase the insurance to be covered for pre-existing or CFAR?
• Can I insure only the deposit and then add insurance coverage as I make payments or the final payment?

 

These are the types of questions that I look for answers in the policy language before buying.  Then I call the insurance company for more information or to confirm my thoughts or suspicions.

 

I have not yet bought a policy that I have not read every single word of the policy and I understand inside and out what I am covered for and where I am not covered.

 

It is great to bring your questions here, but that will never - in my opinion - be a substitute for reading the policy.

 

[canadianbear]

Although that is great info to read the policy most are 26 pages long & it’s like you’d need to be a lawyer to understand it all.  Asking questions of the agent selling it-well, they can tell you their interpretation but that isn’t necessarily correct either. 
 

Most people buy the policy in good faith but if you have a major claim the insurance companies seem to try to find every excuse not to pay.

 

We had what I consider a minor travel insurance claim and it took 8 months to settle mainly because of my being stubborn & I am sure most would just have written it off.  
 

 

[CDNPolar]

3 hours ago, canadianbear said:

Although that is great info to read the policy most are 26 pages long & it’s like you’d need to be a lawyer to understand it all.  Asking questions of the agent selling it-well, they can tell you their interpretation but that isn’t necessarily correct either. 
 

Most people buy the policy in good faith but if you have a major claim the insurance companies seem to try to find every excuse not to pay.

 

We had what I consider a minor travel insurance claim and it took 8 months to settle mainly because of my being stubborn & I am sure most would just have written it off.  
 

 

 

I guess that there are some of us that read those 26 pages and some that buy in good faith.

 

I have learned that good faith does not always get you where you want to go.

 

I agree that the insurance company will give you an interpretation that is not necessarily correct, which is why I double check that the call is being recorded, I get the reference number of the call, AND I will call back if I don't think the information I got was correct and ask a different agent.

 

It is all a slippery slope, but I will persist until I have the answers that I feel are correct, and then I am satisfied.

 

 

[canadianbear]

12 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

I guess that there are some of us that read those 26 pages and some that buy in good faith.

 

I have learned that good faith does not always get you where you want to go.

 

I agree that the insurance company will give you an interpretation that is not necessarily correct, which is why I double check that the call is being recorded, I get the reference number of the call, AND I will call back if I don't think the information I got was correct and ask a different agent.

 

It is all a slippery slope, but I will persist until I have the answers that I feel are correct, and then I am satisfied.

 

 

Me too.  I read all the pages but still wish I was a lawyer!  I also record the calls.  

 

What bothers me the most is people purchase insurance in good faith but get the runaround from the company when filing a claim.  And especially when it’s a very expensive claim or death. 
 

 

[Itstherealsailingbuff]

On 8/26/2024 at 10:57 AM, canadianbear said:

Although that is great info to read the policy most are 26 pages long & it’s like you’d need to be a lawyer to understand it all.  Asking questions of the agent selling it-well, they can tell you their interpretation but that isn’t necessarily correct either. 
 

Most people buy the policy in good faith but if you have a major claim the insurance companies seem to try to find every excuse not to pay.

 

We had what I consider a minor travel insurance claim and it took 8 months to settle mainly because of my being stubborn & I am sure most would just have written it off.  
 

 

I have booked my first Princess cruise, which is my very first cruise.  I leave in a year. Still trying to navigate CAN. Travel/ cruise ship insurance is mind-boggling. American insurance is totally different. I just reached retirement age this year. I declined princess insurance. Flight to Boston to embark, train from Quebec back to Ontario. I have no idea where to start or where to buy or who to ask, but surely I will figure it out soon. Options: Bank, direct insurance company, Costco, CAA, credit card??   Reading the posts here is helping and I am saving questions to ask. I struggle with insurance phone reps. who really sometimes don’t give the right answers.  🇨🇦

[CDNPolar]

1 hour ago, Itstherealsailingbuff said:

I have booked my first Princess cruise, which is my very first cruise.  I leave in a year. Still trying to navigate CAN. Travel/ cruise ship insurance is mind-boggling. American insurance is totally different. I just reached retirement age this year. I declined princess insurance. Flight to Boston to embark, train from Quebec back to Ontario. I have no idea where to start or where to buy or who to ask, but surely I will figure it out soon. Options: Bank, direct insurance company, Costco, CAA, credit card??   Reading the posts here is helping and I am saving questions to ask. I struggle with insurance phone reps. who really sometimes don’t give the right answers.  🇨🇦

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and welcome to cruising!

 

Travel insurance is not that mind-boggling, you just need to know what you are insuring.

 

Princess have a good package of insurance, but you still need to fully understand it to know what you are getting.

 

May I ask what this means?  "Still trying to navigate CAN"?

 

You are posting as a Canadian resident - I think - but saying that American insurance is totally different?  Is this what you are trying to navigate?  The differences between Canadian and American insurance?

 

Please don't be insulted by this statement, but sometimes insurance phone reps don't give the right answers because we are asking vague or complicated questions.  Our questions need to be specific, very specific.

 

You have a world of options but here in my opinion is what to consider as you are navigating the many options:

 

1) Age.  If you are over 60 and definitely 65 most insurance options have a few health questions that you must answer and depending on your answer you may be moved to a more in-depth health questionnaire.

2) CFAR - do you want CFAR - cancel for any reason?  That generally is ONLY available if you purchase within 72 hours or a specific number of days from the first booking date / deposit on your cruise.  For example, Manulife (Canada) has a PPP or Premium Protection Plan that is so comprehensive for pre-existing medical and has an amazing cancel for any reason portion, but you can only purchase this if you are within 72 hours of your first booking date or deposit date.  Call Manulife at 73 hours and this package is not available.

3) Do you need medical insurance?  YES, you do, but do you have this through an existing work policy or your partners policy?  If you already have travel medical, then you only need cancellation and interruption insurance.

4) Do you or your travelling companion have any pre-existing conditions which basically means are you taking any medication even for a stable condition?  Do you have tests booked, waiting on results, had a medication change, stoppage, etc.  These all determine your medical situation for medical insurance.

5) What is the total NON-REFUNDABLE portion of your entire trip - air, hotel pre or post, cruise fare.  What is non-refundable.  This is the amount you insure.  If you buy air on your own, and say you are flying business class and the tickets are fully refundable, then don't include this in the price you are insuring otherwise you are paying a higher premium for money that the insurance company will never pay out.  Insurance only pays for non-refundable portion of your trip.  Same with hotels pre and post, if you are booking hotels that you pay at the property - which we do - or that are fully refundable a day before arrival date, don't include this in your trip cost.

 

Personally I am not a fan of CC insurance as the primary insurance.  We use it as a secondary to mop anything up that is left over.

 

Definitely call in to insurance companies but ask for their policy PDF to read.  Most companies - like Manulife - do have all their policies online, but they have many policies, so be sure that you are reading the rules for the specific plan such as Manulife All Inclusive Vs. Manylife PPP or Premium Protection Plan.  The terms and coverages of these are so very different.

 

We prefer to go big name insurance companies and our choice is Manulife.  We have a friend that is an insurance broker and she has always said that they are the best to deal with when it comes to a claim.

 

You can insure a minimum amount now - with your deposit paid - and then when you are about to make further payments or the final payment, you can up your insurance then.  This way you are not paying a big chunk out 1 year in advance.  With Manulife I believe that you must insure at least $1,000.00 to start and pay that premium and then add to the covered amount later and pay the increased premium then.  This just secures the policy in place for you to hold any coverage like pre-existing conditions, or CFAR, etc.

 

Biggest piece of advice I can give is know what you need or want covered, how much, then read the policy, then ask questions.

 

[Itstherealsailingbuff]

Thank you CDNPolar for taking the time to reply.  Yes, CAN meant Canadian. Okay, let me clarify a bit.  Where things get complicated on phones and emails for myself is not knowing the questions to ask and what to be aware of when discussing insurance.  I have many friends who are experienced travelers. They all have husbands who have insurance through work or their husbands make all of the arrangements. In fact, one good friend who cruises frequently with Princess had encouraged me to take the leap and book a cruise. "You'll love it," she says. What should have been my first clue not to listen to her advice was that she knows little about insurance. I recently discovered that her husband does EVERYTHING for her.  I mean that's a good thing in many ways except she should not try to give me advice about a topic she knows nothing about. Long story, she just fractured her ankle and they can't cancel their cruise which is in 2 weeks and the cruise is for 25 days. They would lose "thousands" if they had to cancel so they are still going. I really didn't understand what she was talking about because they have cruised for many years. Lesson learned.  Wish I had known about the "Cancel for Any Reason" timeline of 72 hours. I booked a 10 day cruise a few months ago with the minimum deposit, thinking I have lots of time to get cruise insurance.

 

Anyway, this same friend discouraged me from taking the Princess Insurance because I am not an American. The person who is accompanying me took the Princess Cruise insurance. We are in separate cabins, so we have solo pricing for our inside cabin which suits us fine. 

 

My biggest concern from different readings of experiences by others was "travelling in international waters", "cruise insurance" and having enough insurance for Medivac (helicopter evacuation) which nobody ever wants, right?

 

So here I am, trying to navigate this big trip on my own and I don't ask for sympathy but only helpful and kind replies and once I know what to ask, and point me in the right direction, then I am good to go. 

 

Again, thank you very much for everything you have written.  It makes much more sense of 'the world of insurance'!

Edited August 29 by Itstherealsailingbuff

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, Itstherealsailingbuff said:

Long story, she just fractured her ankle and they can't cancel their cruise which is in 2 weeks and the cruise is for 25 days. They would lose "thousands" if they had to cancel so they are still going. I really didn't understand what she was talking about because they have cruised for many years. Lesson learned.  Wish I had known about the "Cancel for Any Reason" timeline of 72 hours. I booked a 10 day cruise a few months ago with the minimum deposit, thinking I have lots of time to get cruise insurance.

 

Do continue to ask questions here... and don't rely upon those "others" who may not understand your question or the appropriate answer.

 

WHY would your friends "lose "thousands" if they had to cancel" so they are going even though she "fractured her ankle"?

This is exactly a reason that one gets travel insurance, and "CFAR" isn't needed for something that is regularly covered.  And a "fractured ankle" would be covered in any regular travel insurance policy that I'm familiar with (although, to be clear, I'm not an expert on ALL such policies!).

CFAR is needed when one wants to cancel for some NON-covered reason.  That might include wanting/needing to attend someone's graduation (that one didn't know about when one booked, probably).  Or "not liking the weather forecast" even though there are no "official storms" being tracked.  Or even "not liking a major change in the itinerary"...

 

Did you get travel insurance yet, or not?

I'm not familiar with Canadian coverages, but others here are.  You may still be able to get it, but probably not with CFAR.  Do double check about pre-existing condition coverage, so you know what you are/are not getting.

 

Note:  I went on a 12 day cruise shortly after having found out how horribly bad a torn rotator cuff feels!  Yes, we could have gotten a full refund due to insurance, but we decided it would be nicer to do some of the recovery on a cruise.  So DH had to help me dress, and the waitstaff quickly realized that cutting up some of my food was appreciated, so DH had just a bit less that *he* needed to do, etc.  And I saw a lot of the hair salon!

Also, knowing that we *could* get our money back took some pressure off, and made the decision truly "our choice" without much pressure of any kind.

We were VERY glad we went!

We do always get CFAR, but we have never needed to use it... yet.

However, there have been times when it was nice to know we had CFAR *IF* we wanted to use it.

(In our policies, CFAR pays 75%, not 100%, but that's a lot better than losing the entire cost.  We've had several claims, including a few large ones, but never quite needed the CFAR, although once it came very close.)

 

ENJOY your cruise!

 

GC

[Itstherealsailingbuff]

Geezercouple, thanks for your response. Yes, since writing, I have contacted my TA and purchased insurance, which I should have done the day I booked but everything is fine now. My questions were all answered and I knew what to ask thanks to this site.  Unfortunately, like I had said, I think friends who mean well, should be honest and say up-front that they don't know anything about the subject. Innocent mistake on her part and I mine for not knowing better.  Lessons learned all around.

 

Oh yes, a first cruise is a special cruise!

Edited August 29 by Itstherealsailingbuff

[GeezerCouple]

36 minutes ago, Itstherealsailingbuff said:

Geezercouple, thanks for your response. Yes, since writing, I have contacted my TA and purchased insurance, which I should have done the day I booked but everything is fine now. My questions were all answered and I knew what to ask thanks to this site.  Unfortunately, like I had said, I think friends who mean well, should be honest and say up-front that they don't know anything about the subject. Innocent mistake on her part and I mine for not knowing better.  Lessons learned all around.

 

Oh yes, a first cruise is a special cruise!

 

I'm glad you got travel insurance.

 

And although it's not helpful when "others" chime in when they may not have all the answers, etc., to be fair, most people who "chime in" are trying to be helpful (I am, right here, right now! 😉 ) and many may have no idea that they don't know, and that they don't know what they don't know, etc.

I suspect that you have "chimed in" on some other topics on other occasions, trying to be helpful.

Rarely are we "experts" in the field we are discussing, or where we are trying to give advice.

[I think one general time that people who are responding DO make some sort of clarifying comment is when attorneys include the familiar "IANAL" = "I Am Not A Lawyer", or sometimes "IANYL" = I Am Not Your Lawyer"...  And some online forums specifically prohibit any type of medical advice, for obvious reasons:  Most of us are not physicians, and probably none of us is a physician with medical knowledge about the person asking...]

 

I think the best "take away" from this is to read and absorb what others post, but without relying upon most (or even much!) of it as though it was "accurate".

Absorb the generalities, or perhaps use some of the information to help you ask better questions of those who are more qualified.

Or... learn even to KNOW that there might be others who "know more".

For example, we NEVER thought about travel insurance (!) until shortly after joining CC, as startling as I find that now.  But... we didn't know what we didn't know. 😲

So as soon as it was mentioned, and during the critical several weeks while we were planning a major cruise (+ fancy hotel stay + first ever business class long-haul air travel), I quickly looked into it, and we contacted www.TripInsuranceStore.com because a lot of people here seemed to be recommending them.

 

==>> And less than 2 weeks before our planned departure date, DH had a medical emergency. We were at the 100% penalty for everything stage.

The only travel we did for several weeks was local, among assorted physician and hospital appointments. (Fortunately, he recovered well, almost fully.)

And there were *so* many times one of us mumbled something like, "I'm SO glad we got that travel insurance so we won't have to pay AGAIN when we finally do take this trip!"

 

Yes, we could "afford" the loss; the money was long since paid, etc.  And we could have "afforded" to pay again.  However, this was by far the most expensive trip since our honeymoon, meant to celebrate a major birthday and an advance celebration of a retirement.

IF we had "lost" that money, we have zero question that we'd have been *so* ticked off that we simply wouldn't have planned anything "fancy" again.  And what a SHAME that would have been!

We've since had some wonderful trips (cruises and land, or both), almost all of them costing *more* than that "very special trip"... because we had such a good time when we DID start traveling again. 🙂 

 

We've had several other claims, including a few more large claims, and all were paid without any quarrelling.

Pay careful attention to the TERMS of your policy and HOW to file a claim, including the need for receipts and notes from any relevant physicians, etc.  Without the necessary documentation... claims probably won't be paid.  This is where working with an agent or broker helped a *lot*, especially that first time.  And also another time, some years later, when we needed help figuring out how to 'continue' with our plans after time in hospital, rather than heading home, which would have been easier.

 

Sorry for the length.  But it's worth it to do the reading and, in our opinion, to find experts and work with them (e.g., a travel insurance agent or broker).  Now... we understand a great deal, but *then*?  Almost zippo!

And we still usually "double check" with the travel insurance experts about whether, say, our "regular policy" is still appropriate for this new trip..."

 

GC

 

[CDNPolar]

12 hours ago, Itstherealsailingbuff said:

Geezercouple, thanks for your response. Yes, since writing, I have contacted my TA and purchased insurance, which I should have done the day I booked but everything is fine now. My questions were all answered and I knew what to ask thanks to this site.  Unfortunately, like I had said, I think friends who mean well, should be honest and say up-front that they don't know anything about the subject. Innocent mistake on her part and I mine for not knowing better.  Lessons learned all around.

 

Oh yes, a first cruise is a special cruise!

 

Happy to hear that you have your insurance now.

 

Now, with CFAR, it is not always only available if you buy within 72 hours or some are 15 days, as there are policies available, but they can be expensive and they may only refund 50% with a "for any reason" claim.

 

You absolutely could have taken the Princess insurance as a Canadian.  There are some cruise lines that don't offer or sell insurance to Canadians, but Princess insurance is good for Canadians, but you still must read the policy language and understand fully what it covers and what it does not.

 

Viking Cruises for instance, their Tripmate insurance is not available to Canadians.

 

As far as medical evac, depending on where you are cruising and how far out to sea you are, the helicopter evacuation is not always available. We were 16 or so hours into the Drake Passage going to Antarctica, and the ship had to turn around and go all the way back to port to debark an ill passenger.  However most medical coverages do have this option, or their promise is to get you to the closest medical facility that can and will deal with your medical situation.  For Canadian insurers this is often get you back to Canada where the costs are much cheaper than on foreign soil, and especially if you are taken to a US hospital.  If they can get you home to Canada they will.

 

You will have lots of advice to sift through from Cruise Critic, but note where the advice is coming from because insurance has some distinct differences between Canadian and US providers.  Our US friends on Cruise Critic are not giving you the wrong information, but it is true information for US policies, not necessarily for Canadian policies.

 

In my opinion, you cannot go wrong with Manulife in Canada.  No, I don't get a commission for sending you there, but they do in my opinion have some of the best policies.

 

Don't ever buy insurance based on who is the lowest price.  Insurance is not about saving a few bucks, it is about protecting you in a time of need.

 

We had to cancel a 14K trip last December very last minute based on a surprise medical situation that was not anticipated and actually quite a shock.  The insurance we bought was through the tour company (this was not a cruise) and the cost was about $600 bucks CAD.  We got every penny back.  Best purchase we ever made.  That refund did not even include airfare which we purchased separately, but we purchased fully refundable tickets.

 

Take note of the questions above and start to add any additional you have while travelling and use those to start to build your knowledge.

 

Cruise Critic is a great resource and @GeezerCouple is an extremely knowledgeable resource when it comes to insurance.

[Itstherealsailingbuff]

Thank you CDNPolar.  I phoned my Princess TA yesterday and asked to have the Princess insurance added onto my cruise total.  My minimum deposit is down and the balance is due June 2025.  I will print off their policy now and read all of the fine print until I understand and I will be asking questions. My TA gave me examples of insurance from Princess, so that was good to know.  Of course, I will definitely understand the health care terms of it. I expect that the family member I am travelling with, also a first time cruiser, will do the same.  We are both adults!  Yes, for a first cruise, I thought that departing from an American port and disembarking to a Canadian port would be better just in case there were any medical issues and a  Canadian hospital is to be needed. Hopefully not! I will also buy insurance from CAA or similar, to cover me from Canada to the U.S, Port as we will be touring the port city before we leave. Seems like a waste for a couple of days of touring, but insurance is there for protection, right?  It's in my nature to care more about what could happen to my family member than to myself and they have a pre-existing condition which does not prevent them from travelling, but in the world of travel, my family member is inexperienced. I have travelled solo and with a partner to the US several times throughout the years AND when we didn't need a passport to take a flight from Canada. (Those were the days!)  Preparation and knowledge is very important now and I thank you again very much for everything you have taken the time to write. 

[CDNPolar]

4 minutes ago, Itstherealsailingbuff said:

Thank you CDNPolar.  I phoned my Princess TA yesterday and asked to have the Princess insurance added onto my cruise total.  My minimum deposit is down and the balance is due June 2025.  I will print off their policy now and read all of the fine print until I understand and I will be asking questions. My TA gave me examples of insurance from Princess, so that was good to know.  Of course, I will definitely understand the health care terms of it. I expect that the family member I am travelling with, also a first time cruiser, will do the same.  We are both adults!  Yes, for a first cruise, I thought that departing from an American port and disembarking to a Canadian port would be better just in case there were any medical issues and a  Canadian hospital is to be needed. Hopefully not! I will also buy insurance from CAA or similar, to cover me from Canada to the U.S, Port as we will be touring the port city before we leave. Seems like a waste for a couple of days of touring, but insurance is there for protection, right?  It's in my nature to care more about what could happen to my family member than to myself and they have a pre-existing condition which does not prevent them from travelling, but in the world of travel, my family member is inexperienced. I have travelled solo and with a partner to the US several times throughout the years AND when we didn't need a passport to take a flight from Canada. (Those were the days!)  Preparation and knowledge is very important now and I thank you again very much for everything you have taken the time to write. 

 

You can tell that I believe in insurance...

 

I am sure that it will all work out for you.

 

Ask any questions along the way.