Princess Platinum Vacation Protection - Pro's and Con's

[ccrain]

Considering booking long cruises in 2009/2010 - Europe or Australia. With the cost of cruise air at about half of the best price I can find on-line, the question of Princess Insurance is back on the table. (Princess insurance does not cover you for problems with air that you book on your own.)

 

I see three really big pluses with Princess Insurance (and we get an automatic upgrade to Platinum coverage):

 

1 - No need to purchase until final payment, unlike almost all 3rd party insurances which require payment within days of deposits. This goes very well with using FCCs.

 

2 - Cancel for any reason gives 100% credit and credit is better than nothing.

 

3 - A little bit less in total price, given the automatic upgrade to Platinum.

 

I see also a few big minuses:

 

A - No pre-existing condition coverage, unless death occurs.

 

B - Tertiary insurance. It only pays when all other insurances are exhausted or won't pay. Makes filing claims a real pain.

 

#1 is a real plus for me. Only one other insurance allows for pre-existing coverage at final payment and its pretty pricey. #2 covers for any last minute emergencies related to pre-existing conditions that might pop up under A.

 

Any other thoughts?

[Coral]

 

#1 is a real plus for me. Only one other insurance allows for pre-existing coverage at final payment and its pretty pricey. #2 covers for any last minute emergencies related to pre-existing conditions that might pop up under A.

 

Any other thoughts?

 

My travel agent has a policy written especially for their agency (pretty large) from Access America which allows pre-existing condition coverage when purchased at final payment.

 

My only comment about Princess's coverage is that $20,000 medical coverage is not that much coverage (that is unless you have a policy that also covers the majority of your health outside the US).

[Colo Cruiser]

Considering booking long cruises in 2009/2010 - Europe or Australia. With the cost of cruise air at about half of the best price I can find on-line, the question of Princess Insurance is back on the table. (Princess insurance does not cover you for problems with air that you book on your own.)

 

I see three really big pluses with Princess Insurance (and we get an automatic upgrade to Platinum coverage):

 

1 - No need to purchase until final payment, unlike almost all 3rd party insurances which require payment within days of deposits. This goes very well with using FCCs.

 

2 - Cancel for any reason gives 100% credit and credit is better than nothing.

 

3 - A little bit less in total price, given the automatic upgrade to Platinum.

 

I see also a few big minuses:

 

A - No pre-existing condition coverage, unless death occurs.

 

B - Tertiary insurance. It only pays when all other insurances are exhausted or won't pay. Makes filing claims a real pain.

 

#1 is a real plus for me. Only one other insurance allows for pre-existing coverage at final payment and its pretty pricey. #2 covers for any last minute emergencies related to pre-existing conditions that might pop up under A.

 

Any other thoughts?

 

 

1 Question....

 

Where does it give you 100% credit?

 

I thought it was 70% or 90%??

[Coral]

1 Question....

 

Where does it give you 100% credit?

 

I thought it was 70% or 90%??

 

I looked that up because I knew there was a new policy coming out. I didn't read all the fine print but here is a link listing the upgrade at 100%: http://www.princess.com/learn/answer/pdf/Princess_Vacation_Protection.pdf

[Pam in CA]

FYI, another bonus is that most other policies are based on age. The Princess policy is not so that if you are older, it is often less expensive.

[Colo Cruiser]

I looked that up because I knew there was a new policy coming out. I didn't read all the fine print but here is a link listing the upgrade at 100%: http://www.princess.com/learn/answer/pdf/Princess_Vacation_Protection.pdf

 

 

That just has to do with the non refundable cancelation fees. It still only gives you a 70% or 90 % refund mostly in a future cruise credit.:)

 

They are just calling it a different name from what I can tell. :)

[ccrain]

That just has to do with the non refundable cancelation fees. It still only gives you a 70% or 90 % refund mostly in a future cruise credit.:)

 

They are just calling it a different name from what I can tell. :)

 

"...100% of the otherwise non-refundable cancellation fees..."

 

This to me means 0% of the refundable cancellation fees and 100% of the non-refundable in future cruise credit.

 

Which should equate to 100% future cruise credit of the money I don't get back.

 

Unless I'm missing something here...

[ccrain]

My travel agent has a policy written especially for their agency (pretty large) from Access America which allows pre-existing condition coverage when purchased at final payment.

 

My only comment about Princess's coverage is that $20,000 medical coverage is not that much coverage (that is unless you have a policy that also covers the majority of your health outside the US).

 

$20k is not that much. Most of the major third parties have $50,000 minimums. But I do note the $50k in evacuation and once we get back in the US, my work insurance takes over.

 

I priced third party coverage for a South Pacific cruise and its about $150 more if bought up front, but waiting for final payment and using CSA for pre-existing coverage runs about $300-$400 more than Princess.

 

I gotta re-check my work PPO insurance for coverage outside the US.

[Coral]

$20k is not that much. Most of the major third parties have $50,000 minimums. But I do note the $50k in evacuation and once we get back in the US, my work insurance takes over.

 

Most of the time, the evacuation is to the nearest large hospital - depending on your cruise, could be far away. Wouldn't be a big deal is the Bahamas.

 

I am looking at medjet assistance which will fly you anywhere you want if you are hurt (assuming a doctor will admit you there). I will do this if I ever do a trip to Europe or South America.

[Lynda90]

I just read the new policy and it has changed to allow for 100% in cruise credit for cancellation. However, I can't find the prices for it. The old policy lists the prices in the policy; the new one does not. Anyone know if the prices are changing? Also the new policy does not take effect until summer 2009.

 

Oh, never mind. I see that the new policy will cost 8% of cruise.

[MNYTRPS2GO2]

I didn't read the policiy and this may be a stupid question but I'll ask anyhow...does this policy cover evacuation due to a pre-existing condition?

[sultan_sfo]

As I read the policy, emergency evacuation is covered for a pre-existing condition. But the question remains -- to which location will one be evacuated? One would want to be evacuated to a location where one is covered by one's medical policy. That is why some look into the additional coverage provided by MedJet policy for evacuation.

 

I didn't read the policiy and this may be a stupid question but I'll ask anyhow...does this policy cover evacuation due to a pre-existing condition?

[Coral]

As I read the policy, emergency evacuation is covered for a pre-existing condition.

 

This is how I understand it also.

 

I am pretty sure you would be evacuated to the nearest hospital.

[Travel to Ports]

Fellow Cruisers,

Wonderful to actually read a policy! Thankfully, we added "Princess Gold" to our Mediterranean cruise (+ airfare) when making final payment and then my wife fell on our neighborhood sidewalk while exercising in preparation for our walking tours! Not anything we had been concerned about, we had been walking 2-3 miles many mornings over the past 5 months in preparation (was talking with a friend, I'm the one called and driver to the hospital). In the context of emergency room, CT and MRI evaluations, etc. our insurance "covers" us, but Berkleycare plus refund of govt fees will pretty much make us whole an allow us now to focus on replacement cruise next May.

 

My understanding of "pre-existing condition" was not that you are under treatment for a diagnosable condition -- if this was the case, the majority of passengers over 50 years wouldn't be able cruise insured (how sad). The issue is that any condition being treated must be stable under that treatment for at least 2 months (i.e. you take medication for condition x as an outpatient and have not had any acute issues, like not hospitalized due to condition x, for these 2 months).

 

Anyone having a discussion with Princess re this new policy? My hope is that Princess Gold has been changed to Princess Platinum (same premium?) I would think with the state of the economy and the USD cruiselines will need to promote and assure passengers to get them to comit 6-12 thousand $s for airfare and a 12-night cruise to distant locations.

 

Great question, useful discussion. Hope that other readers can share their good and problematic experiences re travel insurance. (Watch your step in Europe -- those cobbelstones can really be a problem!)

David

[Coral]

 

My understanding of "pre-existing condition" was not that you are under treatment for a diagnosable condition -- if this was the case, the majority of passengers over 50 years wouldn't be able cruise insured (how sad). The issue is that any condition being treated must be stable under that treatment for at least 2 months (i.e. you take medication for condition x as an outpatient and have not had any acute issues, like not hospitalized due to condition x, for these 2 months).

 

David

 

But your medication (dosage, type) can not have changed in the previous 2 months. My mom's doctor is always adjusting something. These types of changes (dosage, change in types of antibiotics) will cause the policy to not cover that illness. Way too strict of language.

[ccrain]

Actually asked the question and got an understandable answer. My work PPO, Aetna, does cover (reimburses) for emergency medical while outside the country as long as we notify and pay for it ourselves.

 

Now granted that collecting will be a hassle, as it always is, but at least the coverage is there.

 

Now for pre-existing conditions. Judy has two. Both of which could cause us to cancel a cruise (worsen after final payment), but neither of which could "flare" or worsen during a cruise that would require hospitilization.

 

So my logic is that I need to protect myself from pre-existing conditions that would cause me to cancel a cruise.

 

To do that, most policies require purchase within days of deposit. For cruises 12-18 months away, you just never know, and all the insurances I know of don't refund if you cancel.

 

So I'm thinking a combination of the Princess Platinum and my PPO gives me the most cost effective coverage with the 100% cruise credit after final payment and refund the insurance payment if cancelled before final payment.

 

Does that make any sense?