Travel Insurance

[flamomo]

I have plans for several trips, including 2 cruises, in the next year. I also have very elderly parents, so I have concerns about having to cancel flights and cruises if something happens to one of them. Plus, I'm no "spring chicken", so that adds another dimension of concern.

Does anyone know what insurance companies offer multiple trip policies that might cover having to cancel if I or my parents become ill,l or if one of them passes away. I'm mostly concerned about trip cancellation coverage.

I went on the insuremytrip site, but don'r know if the companies there are reliable as far as paying claims. So I'm asking the knowledgeable CC posters for some help.

 

Thanks

[nycgirl0618]

I've been doing a lot of reading over the past few days on travel insurance and policies. From what I've seen on the boards, most people seem happy with CSA, Travelex, Global Alert and Travel Insured. Travel Guard is also very popular but I've seen a lot of people complain about payment of claims. I personally have used CSA in the past. My husband had sun poisioning in Jamaica. We paid 500 out of pocket. When we got home I filed the claim and promptly received the check, no problems.

 

One thing to look out for in your case. If anyone in your family has a pre-exisiting condition, make sure the policy covers that. Most policies will waive the pre exisiting condition clause if you buy the policy within 14 days of making your non-refundable deposit. If you have any questions, call the insurance carriers directly. I'm kind of a nut so I call two separate times to make sure I get the same answer. I don't want any surprises when I'm in a hospital in a foreign country.

[tnr]

I use Travel Guard and have had very good luck with them. We were on a cruise in the Caribbean a few years back, and my mom got a blood clot in her leg. She had to be put off the ship in Cozumel. My DH and I went with her. Insurance covered the stay overnight in the "hospital" (if you could call it that); they sent in a medivac and got us to Ft. Lauderdale; arranged and paid for her stay at the Cleveland Clinic until well enough to fly home to Calif; arranged and paid for lodgings for us; and gave us allowances for food and transportation while there. All of this with no hassles. We will never travel outside the country without the insurance.

[cruiseco]

Annual, multi-trip plans are available. The problem is that they have either no cancellation coverage or just a minimal amount such as $1000. And that $1000 is not per trip, it's for the whole year.

 

The problem is that the insurers would have absolutely no way of figuring out beforehand what their risk exposure is regarding cancellation penalties. Is the client going to book a couple of cheap three-day cruises or is he planning a half dozen voyages with Crystal in top-of-the-line suites at $10,000 per trip?

 

If your primary concern is trip cancellation you're best off buying a policy for each cruise.

[eandj]

You want to buy insurance that has pre existing conditions included. Generally purchased within 14-21 days after paying your initial cruise deposit. If your parents (or you) have ANY "conditions" that would cause serious health problems, you'd be able to cancel or interrupt your cruise and get the money back.

However, if those conditions aren't covered you may be told that you Knew the chances you were taking.

Ex: You/they have high blood pressure or take a med for an irregular heart beat etc.. If there is a heart "event" before or during the trip, the problem ,you'll be told, was the pre existing condition...which you KNEW about. So if you haven't already put down your deposits, keep that in mind.

 

There are tons of threads on insurance on this board. Do your research to get ideas and then make sure you read the entire policy before purchasing it.

 

We always use Travel Guard and have used the medical bill reimbursement with NO problem. They were really fast and efficient. But there are others.

[CruiseNut7]

Travel insurance - now a must for all cruises IMHO!

 

flamomo - go back to the insuremytrip.com website and call a customer service agent there. I used to try to figure things out online, but their agents have always been very knowledgeable and will assist you in choosing the policy best suited to your needs. It doesn't cost any more to book with the variety of companies that they offer.

 

I was in the same situation as yours with "not getting any younger myself" and my parents were elderly, so I made sure that pre-existing conditions were covered. I purchase my policy(s) 7-10 days PRIOR to FINAL payment - no sense in any insurance company having your money right after your first deposit - it may save on the cost, however.

 

I have used Travel Guard, TravelEx, CSA and did have to file a claim. I was booked to sail on a Saturday and had my travel insurance with CSA. Well, my mother passed away unexpectedly on Thanksgiving Day and we had to cancel the cruise. After a lot of paperwork, I did receive 100% of the cruise cost and was reimbursed for the flights I'd booked and paid for.

 

So, the travel insurance is a "must have" - but try calling these folks, as they have always steered me and my family to the best policy suited for us.

 

Best of luck and happy sails!

[flamomo]

Thanks to all for the input. I have always purchased insurance through the cruiseline, but some of my planned trips are just flights, and I was looking to protect my flight costs.

CruiseNut, I will call insuremytrip, and talk to them about what kind of policy I can purchase for multiple trips. It's good to know that their reps are knowlegdeable. Since both of my parents have health issues, and at their ages of 88 and 92, I definitely need pre-existing conditions covered.