Trip insurance... is it worth it?

[AllyCat81]

We're not booking airfare through the cruise line, we're planning on flying in the day before so we don't have to worry missing the ship. We both have our own private insurance for health purposes...

 

So what else would the travel insurance cover? And is it worth it to purchase it?

 

Thanks!

[OceanDreamin]

It would cover needing to cancel after final payment if one of you, or a family member got sick such that you were unable to travel or needed to care for that family member. It would reimburse you for the cost of your cruise and your airfare.

[caribbean dreams]

Yes get insurance but go thru other companies, not the cruiseline.

It will cover basically everything from the time you leave home until the time you arrives back home, airlines, lost luggage, medical evacuation, ect...

 

Our medical insurance covers us internationally but alot don't, you may want to check & see about that on your policy.

[lvtotrvl1]

Also, be sure to doublecheck that your health insurance will cover you when you leave the country, especially be sure you have medical evacuation insurance on your health insurance.

[marym933]

Check your health insurance, some policies are not good out of the USA. Trip insurance can also pay for emergency medical evacuation to a hospital from the ship if you were to get seriously ill or hurt. I have gotten good rates at http://www.insuremytrip.com.

[Froufie]

What about lost luggage? or missed flights? ...and I won't even mention cruising during hurricane season. I always get the insurance - the $$ is definitely worth the peace of mind!

 

Froufie

[redlef]

We're not booking airfare through the cruise line, we're planning on flying in the day before so we don't have to worry missing the ship. !

 

Jet Blue was down for several days this past winter. Bad weather at one major airport can screw up the entire country and it sometimes takes more than a few hours to catch up.

 

It looks like you're traveling in September - that's hurricane season. Might not be a bad idea to protect your "investment."

 

If you're taking a $3000 trip, is it worth $250 to protect it? Only you can decide that.

[Name game]

It also covers for trip delay, baggage delay, accidnetal death and dismemberment (hopefully that will NEVER be needed), etc... There are a whole bunch of other things as well. I think even dental is covered under some of the insurance plans. Even if you never make a claim (which luckily I never have), it's worth the money just for peace of mind.

[truecruiser]

yes.

 

We're not booking airfare through the cruise line, we're planning on flying in the day before so we don't have to worry missing the ship...

 

and, that's not necessarily true.

[AllyCat81]

Well we aren't booking the airfare through Carnival. From what I can tell, they won't cover our flight unless we book it through Carnival.

 

Everything else though seems worth it to take it. I just couldn't find on Carnival's website exactly what the insurance covers.

[redlef]

Well we aren't booking the airfare through Carnival. From what I can tell, they won't cover our flight unless we book it through Carnival.

 

Everything else though seems worth it to take it. I just couldn't find on Carnival's website exactly what the insurance covers.

 

goto insuremytrip.com. There are many travel insurance companies, most are less expensive and offer better coverage than the cruise lines.

[CCCCreg]

We had never bought trip insurance but the last several cruises when we book through Costco, they provided trip insurance for free. Our last cruise was a 12 night transatlantic and American Airlines lost(misplaced) our luggage. We were without luggage the entire cruise. When we got home after the cruise, the cruise insurance promptly reimbursed us for the items we had to purchase. Now, it is like American Epress, we won't leave home without it! :D

[cruiseco]

Also, be sure to doublecheck that your health insurance will cover you when you leave the country, especially be sure you have medical evacuation insurance on your health insurance.

 

And even if they do cover emergency evacuations be sure to ask them how they handle it.

 

Many health plans will cover an evac but you have to pay for it upfront and apply for reimbursement when you get home. These helicopter rescue companies do not take Blue Cross. On a $25K evac that can be tough to come up with while at sea.

 

With almost all travel insurance plans they will not only handle all of the arrangements of an evac for you but they'll also pre-pay it.

[Wilbo]

Depends if you are a gambler. If you can take the loss without pain, don't buy trip insurance.

If you feel your voyage is a premium trip, purchase insurance.

You never know when you will be ill or unable [God forbid] to travel as a result of a accident.

[caribbean dreams]

Well we aren't booking the airfare through Carnival. From what I can tell, they won't cover our flight unless we book it through Carnival.

 

I would take everyones advise and look at insuremytrip, it will cover your flight no matter if you book thru Carnival or not.

Carnival charges to much, you can get better coverage at a cheaper price elsewear.

We just payed $249 total for 4 of us for 12 days and that wasn't even the cheapest plan.

[mrdood]

We have never purchased it. Have never needed it - OK, there was the $30 suitcase that got damaged :p We are relatively young and in great health, so it is a manageable risk for us. We have medical and evac that covers us internationally through my work. So the biggest risk is the cost of a missed flight or missed cruise, for that we just self insure, we can handle any financial loss associated with our cruises at this time and are willing and ready to do so. If you can be willing to live with that, you can go without it, if not buy the insurance.

 

When we cruise with others, like my parents, we always make them buy it, I am only willing to gamble with my own money.

 

For any medical and evac we would have to pay up front and are also able to do that. Thank goodness for high limit Platinum American Express!

[Jenna1983]

I've been on two cruises, where I've used cruise insurance twice. First time, I had to visit the doctor and needed transportation because we got in late and the rental place closed at the port. Second time, the airlines lost my shoes and they broke my suitcase. Both claims were more than I paid out on my insurance. It was a good idea. I purchased it already for my January cruise!

[thepeach]

We're not booking airfare through the cruise line, we're planning on flying in the day before so we don't have to worry missing the ship. We both have our own private insurance for health purposes...

 

So what else would the travel insurance cover? And is it worth it to purchase it?

 

Thanks!

Absolutely, get the travel insurance. We have used the insurance 3 times. We cancelled a cruise twice due to an immediate family member being sick (my mom), and since I was the caretaker, we got our money back for the cruise, and the airplane tickets (not purchased through Carnival). OK, you have to fill out the paperwork, but we did receive full reimbursement. On another occasion, I ended up with bronchitis on the last day of a cruise, and was treated by the ship's doctor. Our travel insurance paid for those out-of-pocket expenses. It is definitely worth the extra money. We won't go on a cruise without travel insurance. Everyone is correct, do not purchase through the cruise line-it's way too expensive.

[Ms Belvedere]

We've purchased insurance once, the cruise was in January '07 and we wanted to be sure we'd be covered in case of bad weather. The other cruises we took our chances, we're in pretty good shape health-wise, we didn't have any family members who were ill (trip cancellation), we don't have any clothing items that are worth a lot of money and we couldn't do without (lost luggage), and it was a little bit of gambling that nothing would go seriously wrong. In October we'll be traveling without insurance, I'll get it for the December cruise due to the possiblity of bad weather.

 

Through insuremytrip.com the insurance in January cost $52/pp.

[JJMM]

It has been 23 days since I made first payment on my cruise and now realize that I don't have coverage for Financial Default (I understand this to be the cost of my cruise) and can no longer get the pre-existing waiver. I guess if I buy the insurance now it would be to cover expenses for medical issues that happened on the cruise, perhaps baggage coverage and the biggie of getting medical evacuation if needed? I would appreciate it if anyone can clear this for me. It seems that for the same price, I lost the other benefits for waiting too late. I was almost thinking of cancelling my cruise and rebooking??? Thanks! :confused:

[caribbean dreams]

It has been 23 days since I made first payment on my cruise and now realize that I don't have coverage for Financial Default (I understand this to be the cost of my cruise) and can no longer get the pre-existing waiver.

 

Yes, you can get a pre-existing conditions waver up until final payment is due, look thru the different policies on insuremytrip, i got my pre existing waver the night before final payment, just look for the Freestyle Luxe plan.

[redlef]

It has been 23 days since I made first payment on my cruise and now realize that I don't have coverage for Financial Default (I understand this to be the cost of my cruise) and can no longer get the pre-existing waiver. I guess if I buy the insurance now it would be to cover expenses for medical issues that happened on the cruise, perhaps baggage coverage and the biggie of getting medical evacuation if needed? I would appreciate it if anyone can clear this for me. It seems that for the same price, I lost the other benefits for waiting too late. I was almost thinking of cancelling my cruise and rebooking??? Thanks! :confused:

 

Some policies need to be purchased when booking, and some when final payment is made.

 

I believe the CSA Luxe package from csatravelprotection.com can be purchased up to 24 hrs after final payment and give you full coverage. But definitely check out their website and call them up, rather than take my word for it.

[GoinCruisin]

I probably would never get insurance simply to cover the cost of travel... but I always get it for medical... I am self insured, and even the policies I have had in the past would have left me holding the bag on a chunk of international medical charges (dang, why are they out of network?? :p LOL) Plus, with policies I have had in the past that cover medical evacuation, they cover it to the NEAREST hospital... which could be Jamaica... no thanks. Just a quick visit to the infirmary on the ship can cost quite a bit... Most people think their insurance will cover them wherever they are... but there are usually limitations.

 

I always hear people say "we are healthy, with healthy family, etc etc etc"... but there are horror stories on here ALL the time. The healthiest people can get hurt on excursions... the healthiest people can have accidents. The healthies of people can have family back home get hurt or die...Do you know how much a last minute flight costs from the Caribbean?? Always makes me laugh... people are always healthy, until they aren't!!! :p I can't imagine ever passing up insurance for $40 for peace of mind.

 

Insurance is cheap... the best case scenario is you never have to use it... the worst case is that you will need it, and didn't fork out the money to get it.

[caribbean dreams]

I believe the CSA Luxe package from csatravelprotection.com can be purchased up to 24 hrs after final payment and give you full coverage. But definitely check out their website and call them up, rather than take my word for it.

 

You are correct, that is the package i booked but i did it thru insuremytrip.

It is 24 hours but make sure you check the time if you are planning on waiting that long, it is a different time zone then me so i almost missed the deadline.

[Ms Belvedere]

I always hear people say "we are healthy, with healthy family, etc etc etc"... but there are horror stories on here ALL the time. The healthiest people can get hurt on excursions... the healthiest people can have accidents. The healthies of people can have family back home get hurt or die...Do you know how much a last minute flight costs from the Caribbean?? Always makes me laugh... people are always healthy, until they aren't!!! :p I can't imagine ever passing up insurance for $40 for peace of mind.

Guilty as charged!:D LIke I said, we've gambled in the past (on both land vacations and cruises).