Insurance

[craig403]

Where do you get your insurance from?  (Asking for a friend)  

We go back and forth on trip insurance.  Most of the time we get it especially if it is an expensive trip.  When we go out of Galveston we gamble and do not take it.

We normally purchase the RCI insurance but then I wonder about the close connection between the cruise line and the insurance company.  On the other hand, an outside company has no loyalty to the cruise line.  I know there are several companies that offer insurance and prices are all over the place but I have never taken the time to research all the exclusions in the policies.  That in itself is weird.  You spend all that money on the trip but then don't check out the details...

[Matt]

I've used Allianz based on reputation.  Never made a claim, so can't vouch for their service. But buying it was easy enough.

[ellcee]

Also used Allianz in the past on recommendation from a friend who is a frequent cruiser.

[Stephanie]

Check with your credit card, too.  Some cards have built in insurance as a service.  It's generally on cards that have an annual fee associated.  I have the Chase preferred card and trip insurance is automatic if I use that card to book my travel.

[craig403]

The part that really concerns me is medical evacuation from the ship or foreign country.  I've heard costs in the $25,000.00 range.   Even hospitalization in a foreign country could be very complicated and costly.  

I told my wife if I needed that, just push me overboard. She said "ok, don't have a problem with that".  I don't sleep well at night...

 

[Matt]

19 minutes ago, Stephanie said:

Check with your credit card, too.  Some cards have built in insurance as a service.  It's generally on cards that have an annual fee associated.  I have the Chase preferred card and trip insurance is automatic if I use that card to book my travel.

Great recommendation.  I think one of my cards has something that covers basics.

[Stephanie]

Ha!  So, don't drink the local water and never rent a scooter.

Also, the ships have medical facilities on board that can handle most emergencies.  Did you know if someone dies on a cruise, they will keep the body in the "morgue" on board until the ship gets back to the main port?  Actually had a client die on a cruise once.  They were in Europe.

[JLMoran]

I had bought the insurance offered by Royal (via my TA, seems to be what they use by default). But on closer inspection, this does not cover pre-existing medical conditions and I realized it also doesn't cover the flight portion of any cruise. So going to be canceling that for the Eastern Caribbean trip I have scheduled in March and will see what I can find on tripinsurance.com. Just get the multiple quotes, and then search through for the ones that explicitly cover cruise, airfare, pre-existing medical conditions, Acts of God, etc. Too many oddball circumstances with me and my family to take any policy that offers less.

Only complaint I have with tripinsurance.com is that you have to specify the total dollar amount of your trip up front. How am I supposed to know that before actually booking the flights? My TA said she won't be buying the plane tix until January or February, so I guess I hold off buying the trip insurance until final payment date on the cruise and just SWAG the total cost based on currently published ticket rates?

[ellcee]

Squaremouth is a good place to check for multiple insurance plans.

[DocLC]

I typical price shop through InsureMyTrip.com, but I have also bought Allianz through my TA. I did have to make a claim once through Allianz, which want too painful and took about three weeks to resolve the claim. 

[Matt]

1 hour ago, JLMoran said:

I had bought the insurance offered by Royal (via my TA, seems to be what they use by default). But on closer inspection, this does not cover pre-existing medical conditions and I realized it also doesn't cover the flight portion of any cruise.

If you book your airfare through Royal Caribbean's Air2Seas program, then they will do the foot work for you if your flights need to be changed because cruise altered/cancelled. Not sure if that applies to non-cruise related reasons for needing to cancel cruise.

[craig403]

We were on the Voyager a couple years ago when a tooth went bad on me.  Medical would only give me Tylenol so in Wellington, New Zealand we ask in the Port Authority office for recommendations.   Took a cab to the dentist office where I was seen within 30 minutes and he did a root canal for $375.   Try to do that in the US.  Back home, RCI sent us claims forms and all of my claim was paid within a couple weeks.  Very happy.  Not with the tooth but with RCI.      

As a side note:  If you ever have the opportunity to do the Perth to Sydney cruise, highly recommend it.   

 

[JLMoran]

1 hour ago, Matt said:

Not sure if that applies to non-cruise related reasons for needing to cancel cruise.

That's the part where I need certainty. Without going into the details, I need to know without any doubt that I could call my TA and just say, "Sorry, I know we're supposed to leave in five days but I have to cancel." And that after that, I can file the claim and get 100% of everything back.