Jump to content

Travel Insurance which is best.


12thman

Recommended Posts

Looking for recommendations for travel insurance please. Things that I'd want covered are preexisting medical conditions, cancel for any reason, medical evacuation. Looked at the one from Royal Aon and Costco travel uses Travel Guard. Any other suggestions appreciated. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always look here: https://www.travelinsurance.com/

They give you lots of options for policies and you can choose which best fits your needs. For example, I don't really care about coverage for airfare or luggage, as we usually cruise out of Galveston, which is 35 minutes from our house. But, we DO care about medical coverage and medical evacuation, so I pick a policy that is heavy on that side, but lighter on the travel cancellation/ lost luggage side. I find the policies to be very reasonably priced on this page. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We use the trip insurance from USAA.  If you are a USAA member, I'd recommend it.  Very easy to handle a claim when my husband couldn't join us this summer.

A couple of things to note, at least with USAA, pre-existing medical or CFAR coverage, insurance must be purchased within 30 days of the deposit.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, 12thman said:

Has anyone used the claims process? It may offer really good coverage but how about getting a claim filed and settled?

We've done it before..can't remember which insurance company it was through, but it was a third-party.  We had no issues with our claim but it's all about documentation.  I want to say I ended up submitting a 72-page document for effectively a travel delay claim (hurricane closed down the airport we were to fly home into).

Understanding the difference between trip cancellation, trip interruption, and trip delay coverage is important as they cover different things for different reasons and that can trip you up when filing.  But those coverages are secondary for me as the biggest financial loss would be due to medical issues.  I just got an annual policy through Allianz to help with that as I have a lot of traveling coming up and it was much more cost effective than paying per trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, WAAAYTOOO said:

Not to mention waaay easier

Definitely!  Kicking myself for not doing it sooner as I've had some travel mishaps that I could have benefited from by having the annual policy.  Not that I don't have the means to fly by the seat of my pants if needed because of travel issues, but it's nice to know that you'll recoup some of the money!

I will have to say that the policies are very well written to where you may assume you have coverage for something when you really don't.  The biggest thing to keep in mind is that your trip doesn't start until you leave your house, and therefore no coverage for travel delay or interruption is in effect.  And trip cancellation coverage is only effective until you leave for the trip..so if you have a cruise preemptively affected because of weather, you don't really have any coverage until you leave for the trip.  If you decide to cancel a cruise because it got shortened due to weather, that's not one of the reasons that trip cancellation insurance typically covers.  A lot of folks get caught off guard by this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Adding that coverage options for U.S. residents vary by state since each state has insurance regulations so take what you read from a fellow cruiser with a grain of salt.  It may not apply to you in a good or a bad way.  

Also, Allianz and other providers are continually changing their offerings.  Subtle changes may trip you up one year to the next.  Assume nothing, read everything, ask question of your potential provider.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, 12thman said:

@twangster would you mind telling me which insurance you used when you had so much difficulty?

I used Allianz.  I primarily got them for medical and medical evacuation coverage.  The trip delay and trip cancellation coverage where secondary to why I went with them but that is where I had trouble with them.

I left my house, the trip was underway when weather forced a delay that caused me to miss the ship.  My airline didn't fly to the next port of call so I had no recourse but to call it a cancellation which is what the initial call to the claims department suggested I file.  The issue started when someone at Allianz changed my submission to trip delay.  Which it wasn't since I could not ever catch up to the ship.  That grey area I became stuck in became my purgatory as they wouldn't consider it a cancellation or a delay.  Solution?  Denied.  So it took alot of fighting to get them to change their position.  They started citing clauses that weren't in my policy and that is where I caught them and ultimately what caused them to payout.  Weather caused it and there was no possible way to recover and make the ship - ever.  

That annual policy is still active and if I have a medical issue I'll likely need that form of coverage.  My concern is - if they fought me so hard on a simple claim under $1k what will happen if I have a $15k medical claim?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, 12thman said:

Has anyone used the claims process? It may offer really good coverage but how about getting a claim filed and settled?

We found the claim process with Allianz was easy online.  We were able to scan and upload supporting information.  We actually received $$ about 2 weeks after we filed.  Our case involved baggage delay.  Incidentally, Royal's Guest Services staff were very helpful and coordinated the forwarding of our luggage when it finally arrived at the airport.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently learned that a Chase preferred credit card will provide great coverage as long as its used to pay for the cruise.  Includes cruise & air if trip is cancelled for medical, death or other reasons. Plus other travel expenses incurred if flight delays etc.  Covers all parties traveling up to $20k per trip.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Whatever you decide, just make sure it's going to cover what you're concerned with. I need a policy that includes either "cancel for any reason" or "cancel for work reasons" because I can be pulled into court with very little notice (for absolutely no good reason, in my opinion, but there it is).  Find one that is tailored to your needs, as they may be different from someone else's.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Baked Alaska said:

@12thman Here's why we get it:

 

WOW! I got it last cruise because it costs so much to cruise. Glad to read that your husband is fine. My biggest concern is medical evacuation. Especially if you are far from adequate medical care. Taking a medical evacuation can cost thousands if not hundreds of thousands. That's why people buy insurance not because you know you need it but in case you need it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:
  • Whatever you decide, just make sure it's going to cover what you're concerned with. I need a policy that includes either "cancel for any reason" or "cancel for work reasons" because I can be pulled into court with very little notice (for absolutely no good reason, in my opinion, but there it is).  Find one that is tailored to your needs, as they may be different from someone else's.

Yes, that's why I asked for help with what I listed originally. 

 

Hope you work in the judicial system? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, 12thman said:

Yes, that's why I asked for help with what I listed originally. 

 

Hope you work in the judicial system? 

Police dispatch/911.  Basically they call us into court and ask us if that's our voice on the recording. Such a waste of time.  They actually flew someone back from the middle of her vacation once.  Or we rearrange everything and they settle 10 minutes before court starts.   I'd be so pissed if I lost all of that money for a court case.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:

Police dispatch/911.  Basically they call us into court and ask us if that's our voice on the recording. Such a waste of time.  They actually flew someone back from the middle of her vacation once.  Or we rearrange everything and they settle 10 minutes before court starts.   I'd be so pissed if I lost all of that money for a court case.

WOW! That's crazy!! They can't use technology to determine it's you? I'd quit if they dragged me back from vacation. Dispatchers here don't make enough for that inconvenience. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...