insurance

I've had insurance on and off again for cruises and the one time I tried to use it for lost luggage they would not pay off because the airline did. whats the point of insurance? we are going to close by ports--st thomas and st maarten. we are flying in the day before , got a low cruise rate, fairly good air and a hotel on priceline. is there any point to getting insurance? we have good medical as well.

[UConn1]

For the small amount I pay for insurance, I won't cruise without it. You never know what will happen. The $100 is worth it to me to ensure that if something comes up and I have to cancel, then I will get refunded. Life is too unpredictable for me to think about not having it.

I am in good health, but who knows, I may fall and break my leg....I want to have some comfort in knowing that all is not lost.

I have had to use it a couple of times, and boy and I glad I had it.

To me, it is like paying for medical, car, and renters insurance; I may never need it, but if I do, I am glad I have it.

Jodi

[Donna]

Hi Jfd,
I also agree with Uconn, its a small price to pay for knowing things will be covered that our regular medical insurance will not pay for. If you get injured and need to be air-lifted to the closest hospital, that could cost into the thousands and our regular insurance will certainly not cover the cost of that. You'll also get covered for missed or late flights, missing luggage, etc...Its just not smart to go without it. Our last cruise my husband had an accident and needed medical attention and after our regular insurance paid their part, I sent it into the company that I bought the travel insurance and they picked up everything that ours didn't, including the deductable, so it definitely pays to take it out, if you don't need it fine, but its good to have.

[Sandysnow]

Buy the insurance. I am soooo glad that we did. We were to go on the victory this Saturday and it had to be called off because I need to have surgery. Thank god, My travel agent talked me into the insurance because we cancelled today. I am only 48 and really never thought anything would happen to stop me from going on this cruise that I wanted so badly but YOU NEVER KNOW.

thanks you for the advice--now who is your preferred insurance company?

You say you have good insurance, most insurance does not cover you out of the country and does not cover evacuation at all which can run in the tens of thousands of dollars, one accident even if you are in good health can wipe you out financially.
My favorite is Travelguard, but there are many other good ones out there.

[Donna]

I've been using CSA for the past few cruises and even had to make a claim, which was handled very quickly and to my satisfaction.

[Dorothy]

The cruiseline considered your airline insurance "primary" and theirs secondary. It works just like any other insurance - secondary pays for whatever primary *didn't*. That's why the cruiseline didn't pay.

I actually assumed my land insurance covered me wherever I was and so cruised without buying it last round. When I checked, I discovered it WOULD NOT cover me, so I'll be buying this time around.

And finally, my bil just missed a cruise because his father was unexpectedly hospitalized. Guess what? No insurance. So they ATE the cost of a Disney (very expensive) cruise for him.

Since you never know what may (god forbid) prevent you from cruising, I'm a big believer in insurance.

dorothy

[LisaK]

get the insurance. Mainy for trip cancellation/interuption and Medical Evacuation ( that can cost, thousands) most insurance compaines do not cover you out of the country.

I've checked into insurance and most have a statement saying something about coverage for a pre-existing condition and that it is only covered if you buy insurance within a certain amount of time (less than 2 weeks) of making initial deposit on the trip. We booked in February (for a November cruise) and made a deposit when we booked. Can I still get insurance?

Carnival Destiny 11/02
Carnival Conquest 11/04

[fasteddie]

There are several web sites such as InsureMyTrip.com that compare different policies. Take into account if you have an existing medical condition, et.al. Some policies are inexpensive (~$65) but do not cover much. There are some that are more costly but cover more than you would ever need. We found one that was less than $100, but it covered everything we would need.

My first few cruises were without ins. (to try to save money) but considering our health, aging parents, etc., we wouldn't go without it.

Ed

Buy the insurance. In December, 7 months into an up til then healthy pregnancy my daughter went into early labor. My wife and I were set to go on a Princess holiday cruise 2 weeks later. My daughter's doctor filled out one form...I sent it in and had a check for 1/2 the cruise fare I would have lost in less than 2 weeks. I prefer the cruise line's insurance, because I like the ability most of the major lines offer to get credit for most of your cruise if you cancel for any reason, such as a work related crisis. It gives me peace of mind, even though often the cruise lines' policies are a little more expensive and in some cases not quite as good. In any case, take some sort of insurance for all the reasons listed in the above posts...it's worth it.