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I was going to pass on the expense and hope for the best. BUT, I am leaving from Chicago on January 10......what if there is a storm that stops flights? Please help. I am a firts timer and don't know what to do. I know there is travel gard and cruise line insurance, but don't know the diference. I could say....what are the odds on that specific day. I just don't know what to do! Thanks!
Gee Chuck, guess we aren't the only ones! <> While I do not recommend going without insurance we personally have never bought it. Yes I know it is stupid and that we can really get nailed if something happens but I truely dispise insurance companies. <G> Now before you get all uppity on me folks, YOU choose to go to the Casinos and gamble, "I" do not gamble in the Casinos. Aren't they both a type of gambling?
Jim
debv, my wife and I also live in the Chicago area and felt "safer" after we finally bought travel insurance (a month before we traveled). The vacation went off without a hitch, although I did have to see the shipboard doctor and was reimbursed by the insurance company. The decision is up to you whether or not to by insurance, the people on this board can only offer advice. I suggest you check the practical advice thread also. Good luck.
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Mark
Costa Atlantica, 3/23/03
Brilliance, 2/16/04
Brilliance, 2/14/05
Brilliance, 2/13/06
Brilliance, 2/12/07
Explorer, 2/3/08
Jewel, 2/9/09
Jewel, 2/1/10, RCI cancelled our cruise, (insert sound of sobbing)
We too never took cruise insurance, even for a 2001 cruise on Renaissance that had cost us nearly $14K. Nothing had ever gone wrong on our previous 10 cruises, so why should we worry? Well, on the very day that our cruise came to an end in Rome (9/26/01) Renaissance Cruise Lines filed for bankruptcy protection!
We were lucky in that our cruise was completed (although we still had to worry about our chartered flight home). Those folks on other Renaissance cruises were not so lucky. Those who had no insurance (like us), or who had insurance directly with the cruise line, faced a considerable loss.
If you're young and healthy, you might want to run the risk of not insuring your trip. This time, however, we've taken cancellation insurance for our Zenith cruise (as we did for our two other cruises after 2001). It's costing us only $73 per person, and it could save us a few thousand if something goes wrong. The choice is yours.
I'd recommend you buy the insurance for medical benefits primarily, rather than trip cancellation. Imagine yourself walking through one of the port cities and window shopping. You step off the sidewalk and slip and break an ankle. You have to go to the local hospital. The ship leaves you. You have to get to the next port to meet the ship or decide to just forget the rest of the cruise and go home. This can add up fast.
Most medical policies don't cover you outside of the U.S.A. So check yours carefully.
Someone posted on these boards a while back about a woman who fell ill in the islands and she had to be treated at the local hospital and then transported back to the U.S.A. and it cost her over $12,000!
We usually get insurance when taking a longer cruise. Living in Florida, we don't fly, but just wondering, which insurance is better to take? Just going thru the TA, or cruise line?? I can be dense at times, thanks for any info on this.
Jeanne
Check out www.insuremytrip.com it compares various travel insurance plans side by side.
We bought insurance for our upcoming cruise, at the end of this month, for the first time because this is the first time we are sailing in the midst of hurricane season. We purchased the insurance right away to waive the pre-existing conditions clause, and now I feel much more comfortable. At the time we booked the cruise everything was normal, but now I am pregnant and feel much more confident having that extra coverage just in case.
The insurance was under $100 for the two of us. We bought from a 3rd party carrier so our flights and hotels are covered too (not booked thru the cruiseline).
One of our cruisemate friends did break her arm on a previous sailing. Since she had the travel insurance she didn't have to pay a penny (saw the ship doctor and a doctor at the next port). Otherwise it would of been several thousand dollars (think the cost of two ER visits basically).
Insurance is one of those things you don't think you need until you need it and then are sorry you don't have it.
Thank you for the information, I will definitely check them out. I appreciate this very much. I am so glad that I found this web site, even though we have been cruising for years, we still are learning new things.
insuremytrip is the site I used last time to compare coverage and cost. Also, a recent news article about cruise travel insureance mentioned travelprotect.com which is CSA coverage; Silver VG31 or Gold VG31 were both reasonably priced for an on average vacation cost of $1000 trip apx. $35 and $45 per person. For Winter trips, I now buy insurance to be safe than sorry. It protects us from all kinds of unknown trip interruptions, loss and changes including medical evacuation. More and more cruises that I have been on we find a medical evacutation taking place. One of those incidents could cost your anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 dollars.
Bon Voyage
I'm definately looking into Multi-trip Medical Insurance for medical evacuation, etc.
I went into insuremytrip.com and found a company that offers it for two people for a total of $300 or $350 for the year, the price depends on the average length of trip.
Hubby and I still need to go through the policy and decide if it's what we need. I would rather pay for the entire year, since I cruise and take vacations at least four times a year.
My next cruise is December this year, so I will have start my policy right before I travel and it will be an annual policy.
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> While I do not recommend going without insurance we personally have never bought it. Yes I know it is stupid and that we can really get nailed if something happens but I truely dispise insurance companies. <G> Now before you get all uppity on me folks, YOU choose to go to the Casinos and gamble, "I" do not gamble in the Casinos. Aren't they both a type of gambling?
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