Question about Insurance - Cruising in October

[imrunningl8]

Hi,

This may be a stupid question. I am sure I will get flamed for not buying insurance, but I was wondering what will happen since we did not buy it, if a hurricane hits and we are not able to sail or they have to change our dates.

 

We are flexible so we would sail another day if we need to.

 

The reason I did not take the insurance was because the cost of our cruise was so cheap it did not make sense to pay for it. We are on a tight budget and felt we could risk it. We knew we would cruise if at all humanly possible! :)

 

Thanks!

Stephanie

[Facation Fanatic]

If the cruise line cancels the cruise due to a hurricane, you will probably receive a full refund or some type of good will alternative, although there is no obligation to do that on the part of the cruise line. They have, in the past, offered that type of compensation as a PR tool. If the cruise line changes the ports of call or embarkation/debarkation point, there is nothing you can do about those types of changes since that is covered in their contract as well. If you miss ports of calls, sometimes they give onboard credit, sometimes they don't.

 

If the hurricane hits your hometown or close by and you are unable to get out or fly out, you lose the risk you took and thus, your money. If the cruise was cheap enough and you felt you could take the risk, then there should be no concern for the insurance. It would seem to me that you have already settled that issue in your mind and accepted the fact that, under certain circumstances, you will lose your money.

 

Buying insurance is a personal choice and I never flame anyone for not buying it. There have been powerful debates on this board both in favor and against insurance. In the end, it still comes down to what you are comfortable with and you are the ultimate decision maker. I buy cruise insurance regardless of what the cruise cost is. I do not consider having lost that money if it isn't used. In addition to the obvious benefits that are available if you need to use the policy, one intangible benefit is the peace of mind that it buys me. Good luck and hopefully, your cruise will go off without a hitch!

[NinaCO]

Hi,

This may be a stupid question. I am sure I will get flamed for not buying insurance, but I was wondering what will happen since we did not buy it, if a hurricane hits and we are not able to sail or they have to change our dates.

 

We are flexible so we would sail another day if we need to.

 

The reason I did not take the insurance was because the cost of our cruise was so cheap it did not make sense to pay for it. We are on a tight budget and felt we could risk it. We knew we would cruise if at all humanly possible! :)

 

Stephanie, I doubt that anyone here will flame you for not buying insurance! It's a personal decision, and it doesn't impact anyone else. You can still purchase insurance if you have second thoughts. The pre-existing exclusion will be in force, but the rest of the policy will be in effect.

 

If there's a hurricane, the cruise could begin or end in a different port. That's happened to lots of cruisers this season. From what I've read, the cruise line has bussed them to/from the original port. Also, the ship could stay at sea an extra day or two. I'm sure lots of people missed their originally booked flights after the cruise. The cruise line is not responsible for your flights unless you booked the air with them.

 

The main reason I buy insurance isn't to recoup the cost of the cruise if something comes up. It's to cover unexpected costs. If you need medical attention for any reason during the cruise, it will be extremely expensive. If you need to be flown to a hospital or repatriated, it costs a fortune. If you miss the flight after the cruise for a covered reason and end up spending the night in a hotel (happened to me), insurance will cover the airline's penalty and all the expenses associated with the delay.

 

The lower coverage offered by companies such as Travelex offer ample protection for many people. My recollection is the policy is about $60 pp. It's up to you whether you purchase insurance! I wouldn't cruise without it.

[imrunningl8]

Last year we cruised and I bought insurance and my father in law passed away 2 days before the cruise.

 

This may sound horrible but we still went on the cruise. My mother in law insisted and swore my father in law would be mad at us if we did not!

 

This year, I am allowing my son to take a friend and had to choose between the insurance or the friend. I chose the friend but am now rethinking that! ;)

 

I emailed carnival and they responded. They said the same thing you did, if the cruise is cancelled by Carnival, they refund my money regardless of insurance.

As far as changes to our itenary, I am flexible and will just float with the changes.

 

I may need to think about the health portion of it, I did not weigh that out.

 

We are driving to the port so I feel confident we will make it there, even if we had car trouble we would be ok.

 

Thank you for answering this!

[Perrys100]

Short and sweet... My DW and I were on a Carnival cruise druing Gordon, Isador, and OSAMA....(yup 9/11 cruisers) . We have great timmiing huh? I do have to report that our last cruise...NOTHING bad happened.

 

But on the insurance issue. We returned to Miami from a friday cruise and there were NO airplanes. We had to rent a hotel and could not get out of Miami unitll the following wednesday. I know alot of others has as much more trouble but...my insurance payed for the HOTEL, MEALS, AND some additional travel expenses. It ended paying up almost $900.00 in reinbursement.

 

An intersiting note...the insurance company had the main office in the World trade center. Just ironic I guess. They payed the claim very promptly. On a nother note the extra days in Miami allowed me to vastly improve my spanish or as our Mexican friends call is my Espanglish..is berry good today.

 

On the insurance issue..we are a head in money and reccomemnd it for crusing and not for blackjack. ALSO ...an additional travel day either side of your cruise ain't such a bad idea either.