best place to buy trip insurance

[sunshinesusie]

What is the best company to get trip insurance with?

Any recommendations.

[agabbymama]

I usually go to insuremytrip.com

 

They aren't the actual insurance company, but they give you about 5 or 6 different companies to choose from with the different coverages and different prices. Then look at what I think I need, and purchase that coverage. I usually do this as soon as I book, so you get the pre-existing condition included in the coverage.

[6rugrats]

I checked the calendar and it's not April 1st. Was that a serious post??

[cassie55]

Trip insurance is such a waste of time and MY hard earned money. I take a small bag enough to fit over head and take mulitlples of things. Like 1 sweater, 2 pair of shoes, dress shoes and sneakers and 1 pair of relax shoes, 2 pairs of shorts, 5 tops and a dressy dress, 4 pairs of underpanties and i can always wash some a small travel size of woolite and bra and also have 2 pairs of long pants and a bathing suit. I did for many years waste my money in travel insurance now i got smart after well over 100 cruises that I only take what i can wear and I wear everything. I am not this vacation to impress anyone. I am here to relax and have fun. So I intend to do this when ever i travel as i take 10 cruises a year and i go to europe 5 times. I Found out when we went with our darling daughter and her miserable husband they insisted we take out the insurance I said NO< you can do that. They did, the cruise line lost their luggage and it still cost them well over 1000.00 for the two of them to replace the clothes for 2 weeks cruise. Then when they got home after the cruise, they complained and it took them well over 5 months to receive the compensation of 500.00 from them so they spent the extra 500.00 for clothes they never needed in the first place.

 

So if you do not need those 50 pairs of shoes, 40 hats, all the makeup and ninety nighties, and panties and bracelets and rings. You can get by with just alittle is good..

 

Take what you need pack away the rest cause when you get home you will need to rewash all that stuff anyways

Lucia

 

:confused:

 

There's far more to insurance than lost luggage. What about medical fees? What about the costs of repatriation if it becones necessary?

[sunshinesusie]

What are you talking about- April 1st

[azspring]

What is the best company to get trip insurance with?

Any recommendations.

 

We always use Travel Guard (travelguard.com). They give a free upgrade in coverage if you buy it within a week or so of your cruise booking.

 

We had to cancel a cruise once when my DM broke her leg in 4 places (requiring surgery, plates, screws, rehab etc) eight weeks before our cruise. We got a total refund for our cruise minus the $300 TA commission.

 

One downside, older cruisers have higher rates.

[cherylandtk]

Sunshine--April 1st was a reference to April Fools Day as QueenLucias post was only about luggage, and trip insurance is for FAR more important things than that.

 

I suggest you go to an insurance specialist and let them guide you through what is and is not covered and determine which type of coverage you need. Like cars or clothes, insurance is not "one size fits all". I particularly like the folks at http://www.tripinsurancestore.com, but the site mentioned above is another.

[blindrid]

Trip insurance is such a waste of time and MY hard earned money. I take a small bag enough to fit over head and take mulitlples of things. Like 1 sweater, 2 pair of shoes, dress shoes and sneakers and 1 pair of relax shoes, 2 pairs of shorts, 5 tops and a dressy dress, 4 pairs of underpanties and i can always wash some a small travel size of woolite and bra and also have 2 pairs of long pants and a bathing suit. I did for many years waste my money in travel insurance now i got smart after well over 100 cruises that I only take what i can wear and I wear everything. I am not this vacation to impress anyone. I am here to relax and have fun. So I intend to do this when ever i travel as i take 10 cruises a year and i go to europe 5 times. I Found out when we went with our darling daughter and her miserable husband they insisted we take out the insurance I said NO< you can do that. They did, the cruise line lost their luggage and it still cost them well over 1000.00 for the two of them to replace the clothes for 2 weeks cruise. Then when they got home after the cruise, they complained and it took them well over 5 months to receive the compensation of 500.00 from them so they spent the extra 500.00 for clothes they never needed in the first place.

 

So if you do not need those 50 pairs of shoes, 40 hats, all the makeup and ninety nighties, and panties and bracelets and rings. You can get by with just alittle is good..

 

Take what you need pack away the rest cause when you get home you will need to rewash all that stuff anyways

Lucia

 

Agree with 6rugrats, where did this come from????

 

I go to http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/ .

 

There both similar but Steve's service is a better and I like their site better to compare policies. My suggestion is to buy what you need and no more. Find out what your health insurance covers out of country first, and make an informed decision as to coverage limits.

 

As to the Queen's comments, I look at the clothing issue is they received $1,000 of clothes for $500.

 

With trip insurance running about 5%, it's easy to whine when one does not use it, but I still think there is a certain amount of value unless you can afford to pay out of pocket (and I'm not one to overinsure anything). I'm speculating that the "Queen" has the liquid assets to pay out of pocket as the typical traveller cannot afford her travel schedule.

 

But after listening to her, we know why one would call themselves Queen anything..... :rolleyes:

[vmom]

Trip insurance is such a waste of time and MY hard earned money. I take a small bag enough to fit over head and take mulitlples of things. Like 1 sweater, 2 pair of shoes, dress shoes and sneakers and 1 pair of relax shoes, 2 pairs of shorts, 5 tops and a dressy dress, 4 pairs of underpanties and i can always wash some a small travel size of woolite and bra and also have 2 pairs of long pants and a bathing suit. I did for many years waste my money in travel insurance now i got smart after well over 100 cruises that I only take what i can wear and I wear everything. I am not this vacation to impress anyone. I am here to relax and have fun. So I intend to do this when ever i travel as i take 10 cruises a year and i go to europe 5 times. I Found out when we went with our darling daughter and her miserable husband they insisted we take out the insurance I said NO< you can do that. They did, the cruise line lost their luggage and it still cost them well over 1000.00 for the two of them to replace the clothes for 2 weeks cruise. Then when they got home after the cruise, they complained and it took them well over 5 months to receive the compensation of 500.00 from them so they spent the extra 500.00 for clothes they never needed in the first place.

 

So if you do not need those 50 pairs of shoes, 40 hats, all the makeup and ninety nighties, and panties and bracelets and rings. You can get by with just alittle is good..

 

Take what you need pack away the rest cause when you get home you will need to rewash all that stuff anyways

Lucia

 

 

We don't take out insurance for the lost luggage coverage. That's only a minor part of the issue. Your post would give people the false impression that lost luggage coverage is the important issue.

 

We take it out for the trip cancellation coverage, trip delay and medical coverage. Recently had a friend who had to cancel a 14 day European cruise due to needing an emergency surgery just prior to departure which prohibited her from travel. In Chicago, travel delay is always an issue no matter what the time of year.

 

Take a look at http://www.insuremytrip.com for ideas of what different companies have to offer. Some companies offer free coverage for children traveling with their parents, which is what we did when our kids were younger. Also, Costco travel insurance is a real bargain for inexpensive coverage. Depending on the cost of the cruise and the age of the travelers, some cruise line insurance can be very competitive in terms of pricing.

[cruiser2101]

We've used TravelGuard and RCCL insurance. Fortunately we haven't had to use it, but so glad it's there in case of emergency. It boggles my mind to read that it's a waste of money for some. So many problems could arise, flying to the port is a real roll of the dice, plus you or a family member could become sick. There are so many things that could go wrong even after you depart. Lost luggage is a very minor problem compared to becoming ill and having to fly home. I've read many horror stories on this board about people who either missed their cruise, had to fly home early, or had to cancel at the last minute for one reason or another, and didn't have insurance. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

[glgolfer]

When you realize it could cost anywhere from 10 to 50 thousand dollars to be flown home due to a medical emergency, you'll see the value of trip insurance. Even if you're young and healthy, many things can go wrong on a trip.

[Beachgirl6479]

I usually use insuremytrip.com to find a good rate that suits my particular needs. You never know what can happen on any vacation, especially on a cruise where you are traveling to several foreign countries. On my last cruise, I went with my best friend who is on paritaneal dialysis. Do to miscommunication between the cruiseline and her medical supply company, we were kicked off the ship because they couldn't find her dialysis solution. Luckily they found it...after the ship had already sailed, but we wound up spending two nights in Miami and then flying to San Juan to catch up with our ship (which the cruise line picked up since it was their fault). However, had the solution not been found, I would've been reimbursed from the insurance company (I believe it was AIG). Make sure though that you purchase insurance as soon as you book your cruise. If we hadn't, her pre-existing condition would not have been covered. Thankfully we didn't have to use it, but it was good to know it was there, and that experience made me realize how important insurance is. I could care less about lost luggage, but when it comes to something medical, especially when you realize how much it costs for something like a medical evacuation, I would much rather be over-prepared. I figure if I don't have it, I will need it, and if I do have it, well, hopefully I will never have to use it! It's good to have that peace of mind.

[poohbear8]

Ok, so why is it not a good idea to get your insurance through the cruise company? Can you cancel the insurance if you just bought it from them (Royal)? (2 nights ago)

[pris993]

Has anyone had any experience purchasing travel insurance on an annual basis? We have been traveling for years without any insurance but now we are getting older and I am reconsidering. But we often change our plans relative to which trip - cruise we take - sometimes a couple of times because we book way in advance. So am thinking buying coverage on an annual basis vs per trip may be a better way to go. Has anyone done it that way?

 

I am more concerned about health issues and medivac then simple trip cancellation, since we are getting older.

[blindrid]

Ok, so why is it not a good idea to get your insurance through the cruise company? Can you cancel the insurance if you just bought it from them (Royal)? (2 nights ago)

 

You typically get a free look period on any insurance offering. That means you have an opportunity to check coverages and cancel if wanted. It depends on state i.e. CO is 14 days.

 

Call them

[vmom]

Ok, so why is it not a good idea to get your insurance through the cruise company? Can you cancel the insurance if you just bought it from them (Royal)? (2 nights ago)

 

The main reason for not buying from the cruise company is that you have no recourse if the cruise company goes bankrupt. Private insurance companies cover you for bankruptcy of the travel provider.

 

If you already bought insurance from RCCL, don't get worried. I seriously doubt they will go bankrupt in the near future.

[poohbear8]

The main reason for not buying from the cruise company is that you have no recourse if the cruise company goes bankrupt. Private insurance companies cover you for bankruptcy of the travel provider.

 

If you already bought insurance from RCCL, don't get worried. I seriously doubt they will go bankrupt in the near future.

 

Ok, thank you. I was wondering if I had done something wrong and didn't make the best choice.

[vjmatty]

Even for a minor medical mishap it is worth it.... DH cut his head while we were on the QE2 and we were charged $200 for basically just gluing the wound together. That right there was the cost of the premium.

 

I also find some companies for an extra $100 have a "cancel for any reason" provision... this is especially helpful for non-refundable flights, but you have to ensure both the cruise and the flight with them.

[IDKaren]

Even for a minor medical mishap it is worth it.... DH cut his head while we were on the QE2 and we were charged $200 for basically just gluing the wound together. That right there was the cost of the premium.

 

I also find some companies for an extra $100 have a "cancel for any reason" provision... this is especially helpful for non-refundable flights, but you have to ensure both the cruise and the flight with them.

 

 

Only trouble with the "Cancel for any reason" insurance- if you look at the small print..you can only "cancel" up to TWO days before the trip AND insurance on the AIR only covers MECHANICAL and WEATHER...any other reason and it is a no gol BUT all things considered- with the mess lately with airlines I think it is a good investment to spend the $ and HOPE!

[robstrash]

Usually when you buy from the cruise operator, you'll spend a good 20-40% more than getting it on your own.

[vmom]

Usually when you buy from the cruise operator, you'll spend a good 20-40% more than getting it on your own.

 

 

That can often be true but not always. Most private insurance coverage take into account the age of the traveler, where as the policies sold by the cruiselines are a set amount and based solely on the price of the cruise fare. For people who are older there may not be the difference in cost and the insurance from the cruise company can be quite competitive.

 

Also, for a recent cruise I purchased, I priced out different policies on insuremytrip.com vs using the cruiseline insurance and they were basically the same price. This has not always been true however, so it helps to work out the figures.

 

One advantage of some cruiseline insurance policies, is their cancellation policy. I had read on the RCCL website last week that if you cancel the cruise before final payment you are completely refunded the cost of the insurance where as with many or most other insurance companies after a certain period the policy becomes non-refundable.