Travel Insurance - worth it?

[rab1022]

We just booked the Feb. 11, 2013 5-night Wonder cruise out of Miami with KSF. We've never gotten travel insurance before, but we've also never sailed during flu season before...

I signed up for the Disney travel insurance, but it is $174! Not bad, except that the cruise is only $1706 ($1365 when you take the 20% I saved with Target last week into account). That's nearly 13% of the price of the cruise...

I'll probably keep it, but are there better deals out there? And, the wording is so obscure - does it cover flu or similar illnesses?

 

[toontoy]

I would highly recommend insurance. Ed have had to cancel a couple trips and when you think of that alone it saves you money. We have had lost luggage and delayed flights as well. A few years ago I was stuck in NYC for 3 days and I learned teal quick to buy it. We travel 12 or so times a year mainly for work and always carry insurance. I would check insure my trip.com

 

[sayhello]

Worth it is such a relative term. I personally think it's totally worth it, but I've had multiple times I've needed to use it, so that probably biases me.

When you're asking about "covering the flu or similar illnesses", do you mean for medical treatment or for cancellation payment? Most insurance policies will cover for illnesses like that, if it meets certain criteria (always read the policy before buying!) If you have the flu 3 months before the cruise, you wouldn't be able to cancel the cruise for that and get it paid for (unless for some strange reason your doctor bans you from traveling for 3 months). But if you catch the flu the week you are to travel, and can't take the cruise, as long as you cancel according to the instructions in the policy, and get a doctor's verification of your illness and inability to sail, then you should usually get reimbursed.

If you get sick *on* the cruise, and either have to go to the ship's doctor or be confined to your cabin, or something like that, then, with the right documentation, you should get reimbursed for medical costs and/or missed vacation time. Again, it varies by policy and circumstances. Always check with your insurance company to find out exactly what's covered and what's required to document it.

Sayhello

 

[MillauFr]

I never buy the insurance but as others have pointed out it is probably a good idea to buy the medivac that will pay to airlift your from a hospital in a 3rd world country.

For the rest of the expenses I just don't see the point. Our family has run up $5,000 in medical expenses this year that aren't covered by our medical insurance. If I crash my car and have $5,000 in damage my auto insurance doesn't pay. If my house has $5,000 in damage my homeowners insurance won't pay a dime. So why should I buy travel insurance to protect me from canceling my cruise????

13% of your cruise fare is completely outrageous. It should be 1-2%.

 

[tweis]

We just booked the Feb. 11, 2013 5-night Wonder cruise out of Miami with KSF. We've never gotten travel insurance before, but we've also never sailed during flu season before...

I signed up for the Disney travel insurance, but it is $174! Not bad, except that the cruise is only $1706 ($1365 when you take the 20% I saved with Target last week into account). That's nearly 13% of the price of the cruise...

I'll probably keep it, but are there better deals out there? And, the wording is so obscure - does it cover flu or similar illnesses?

Disney's insurance is usually only 8% of the cost of your cruise, not sure why your's is closer to 10% of the original amount. But there are other options out there for you to look at. In the past and for our next cruise we will use Travel Guard. You can visit www.insuremytrip.com to find other options that may be right for you.

 

[rab1022]

Thanks to those that recommended insuremytrip.com!

I found a policy through Allianz that more than covered what we needed for only $52 -- that's another $122 that we can save (read spend elsewhere on the trip).

 

[tweis]

Thanks to those that recommended insuremytrip.com!

I found a policy through Allianz that more than covered what we needed for only $52 -- that's another $122 that we can save (read spend elsewhere on the trip).

Your very welcome. It saves up quite a bit of many as well

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

For big ticket vacations (DCL is one) we always buy trip insurance. We have experienced flight delays personally and I know others that have; that would have caused flight delays long enough to miss the boarding time.

We have also experienced two unexpected deaths in the family that would have caused us to cancel the cruise or cut it short. There are too many unexpected things that could happen that may cause either missing the ship or having to leave during the vacation; that I would never chance having no insurance.

We always include trip insurance in the cost of a DCL vacation when we save up for it.

 

[ekatiel]

Disney's insurance is usually only 8% of the cost of your cruise, not sure why your's is closer to 10% of the original amount. But there are other options out there for you to look at. In the past and for our next cruise we will use Travel Guard. You can visit www.insuremytrip.com to find other options that may be right for you.

Thanks to those that recommended insuremytrip.com!

I found a policy through Allianz that more than covered what we needed for only $52 -- that's another $122 that we can save (read spend elsewhere on the trip).

We love www.insuremytrip.com! I always buy through them. They have choices that fit everyone's budgets/needs, and they are usually cheaper than the actual cruise line . --Katie

 

[JimGA]

We just booked the Feb. 11, 2013 5-night Wonder cruise out of Miami with KSF. We've never gotten travel insurance before, but we've also never sailed during flu season before...

I signed up for the Disney travel insurance, but it is $174! Not bad, except that the cruise is only $1706 ($1365 when you take the 20% I saved with Target last week into account). That's nearly 13% of the price of the cruise...

I'll probably keep it, but are there better deals out there? And, the wording is so obscure - does it cover flu or similar illnesses?

You would have to read your policy to see what is covered, but insurance is definately worth it.

I was never an insurance purchaser for trips until 2 years ago, we had a Disney trip planned and a few weeks before we left our son got the stomach bug, a month later which included 20 days in the hospital. We would have missed our trip, but luckily it was booked al carte and I could cancel the hotel reservation.

Point is, you never know what might happen.

 

[darkwing818]

I never buy the insurance but as others have pointed out it is probably a good idea to buy the medivac that will pay to airlift your from a hospital in a 3rd world country.

For the rest of the expenses I just don't see the point. Our family has run up $5,000 in medical expenses this year that aren't covered by our medical insurance. If I crash my car and have $5,000 in damage my auto insurance doesn't pay. If my house has $5,000 in damage my homeowners insurance won't pay a dime. So why should I buy travel insurance to protect me from canceling my cruise????

13% of your cruise fare is completely outrageous. It should be 1-2%.

As noted above we started to get medical/medivac insurance (relatively inexpensive), after a DCL cruise 2 years ago. As we were leaving the ship, I had a Kidney Stone attack and had to be rushed to the emergency room for a kidney procedure that day & was kept overnight. We kept wondering what would have happened had this happened in Mexico or the Bahamas w/o extra medical insurance . Really not sure just what my insurance would have covered. I know what I had to pay (my deductible) & it was BIG $$$s . So now we get extra medical/medivac insurance when we cruise or travel out of the country.

 

[KMG1969]

Looks like most of the most inexpensive policies had to be purchased within 15 days of trip deposit. Am I reading that right? I did my deposit about a month ago and trying to see what my most economical solution will be.

 

[sayhello]

Looks like most of the most inexpensive policies had to be purchased within 15 days of trip deposit. Am I reading that right? I did my deposit about a month ago and trying to see what my most economical solution will be.

The requirement to be purchased within 15 days of trip deposit is to qualify for certain extra coverage such as a Cancel for Any Reason rider or a Pre-existing Condition waiver. You can definitely buy most policies (even the cheap ones) a month out, you just might not get those "extra" add-ons. In general, price does not change based on how long ago you paid your first deposit.

If price is your biggest issue, check out www.tripinsurancestore.com or www.insuremytrip.com, you can compare policies & find the cheapest ones for what you want. If you're worried about a pre-existing condition waiver, there are still policies you can buy up until paid in full date that will have a PEC waiver, but they won't be inexpensive.

Sayhello

 

[geffric]

Travel Insurance is a must IMHO

only used it on the Wonder in Alaska..apparently United couldnt find Vancouver, so we spent 3 days without luggage..Travel Insurance was great and we got clothes for each day plus nec items. They paid promptly...It is insurance and I dont sail without it.

 

[shburks]

Deleted! Meant to post in a new thread!

 

[tvguy]

Worth it is such a relative term. I personally think it's totally worth it, but I've had multiple times I've needed to use it, so that probably biases me.

Wow, remind me not to hang out with you! But well put, "worth it" is really a relative term. Insurance companies love to sell travel insurance because it the lowest risk insurance there is. For most folks, they are buying piece of mind, not something they will ever collect on. The Travel Agency I use doesn't even sell it anymore, but does provide a list of online insurance options, but with a disclaimer that they make no recommendation about whether you should buy Travel Insurance. But to be honest, that's not just because of how few claims their clients have every filed, it is also because of how many of their clients that did file claims that did not get what they considered to be a satisfactory settlements.

 

[sayhello]

Wow, remind me not to hang out with you! But well put, "worth it" is really a relative term. Insurance companies love to sell travel insurance because it the lowest risk insurance there is. For most folks, they are buying piece of mind, not something they will ever collect on. The Travel Agency I use doesn't even sell it anymore, but does provide a list of online insurance options, but with a disclaimer that they make no recommendation about whether you should buy Travel Insurance. But to be honest, that's not just because of how few claims their clients have every filed, it is also because of how many of their clients that did file claims that did not get what they considered to be a satisfactory settlements.

What can I say? I'm a bit accident prone. I'm not the type of traveler that the insurance companies are counting on.

First time I used travel insurance, I got something under my contact lens on the flight down to San Juan, and spent $300 for the ship's doctor with a scratched cornea. Not a huge amount, but it more than paid for the trip insurance. Absolutely no problem getting payment from the insurance company.

The second time I used travel insurance, I tore my rotator cuff a week before going on an escorted hiking tour. No idea how I did it, but there was no way I could carry even a day pack, or deal with any kind of weight. I had to cancel, and, again, had no issues getting reimbursement from the insurance company (although I called the insurance company to find out my options and requirements for repayment before deciding to actually cancel, so that may have helped). They were *extremely* helpful, and even paid the fee to have my flight out West changed so that I could still do the second half of my vacation, which was visiting various family members.

The third time I used travel insurance, I tripped and fell while heading up the outside deck stairs to my B&B room while packing up to head to the airport. Gashed my head open, and ended up in the ER rather than on my flight home. The insurance concierge service spoke directly to the hospital billing department, and I never even saw a bill from the ER. They also helped me re-book my flight home that I'd missed (reimbursing me for the exorbitant change fees for the flight), booked me in a hotel by the airport for the night (and reimbursed me for it) and paid for lunch during my extra day there.

I think that if you know what is really covered and what is not, and what is required of you to get reimbursed, most insurance companies are very easy to deal with. But I think a lot of people don't have a realistic picture of what is and what isn't covered, or what's required to get reimbursed.

Sayhello

 

[Green Tea]

I think the bigger reason is what could happen when you are on the trip,not canceling the trip for the flu or a broken leg preventing you from getting onboard. Losing $2K or whatever the trip costs would be terrible, but that would be a drop in the bucket compared to having a major illness hit while out of the country. You would have not only the foreign hospital bills (If your medical insurance didn't cover claims outside the US) the transportation required to get you back home after you recovered, the death of a family member at home that required you all flying home from someplace same day. Couple those with the loss of the cruise fare and the benefits look clearer, I think.

 

[motroc]

Trip insurance is worth it, even for the small stuff that you never think about.

We always buy the insurance for the cruise, but this year we also bought the insurance through our airline, which was dumb luck that we did.

We had to use the trip delay benefit on both, which is $150 pp/pd up to $500 pp per claim. The first delay was caused by the Fantasy getting in late where we missed our flight and with all flights being cancelled due to the storm, we had to stay three additional nights in WDW.

When the next available flight was eventually cancelled due to the damage of Sandy in NJ, we had to stay an additional 3 nights for the next available flight. We probably spent close to $1800-$2000 additional over the 7 additional days.

We filed two claims, one for the expenses during the first three days through the policy from the cruise, and another for the expenses for the second three days through the policy for the airline. We recouped almost all hotel and food expenses and had no transportation expenses (~$1600).

If we hadn't gotten the insurance through the airline, we'd be out $800+ right now. The bottom line is you never know what may happen so it's best to be covered. A little peace of mind is worth it.

 

[LiseG]

We've done a number of Disney Cruises and were VERY happy we chose to carry trip insurance... we used it our very first Disney Cruise when we were "hunkered down" at WDW while Hurricane Francis passed over.

If you're traveling on Disney Vacation Club points, I believe you'll need to get the trip insurance through Disney. They now have some way to calculate a cash reimbursement for the lost points.

If you're paying for the cruise you have options. In 2004, we booked through a travel agent and she took care of ordering the insurance (I have to look up who the insurance company was). It covered the cruise, flight... everything that was pre-paid and not cancelable or might be incurred due to a delayed canceled/trip. Our coverage activated due to Hurricane Frances delaying our cruise and paid for extra nights at WDW All Star Movie and our meals. They were awesome no documentation needed with a hurricane. They had the money we laid out for the hotel/meals in our account before the end of the cruise (so 5-6 days). Disney was also awesome... they gave us 1/2 our money back for the shortened cruise and 25% off our next cruise.

I'm not sure if you book the cruise on the DCL and book your flights separately if that could be added to the policy. You might also consider what other things you may pre-pay or have cancellation deadlines/fees. A couple years ago, we had medical emergency and had to cancel a Disneyland trip... the insurance covered the flight and the pre-paid tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. The hotels would have been covered, but no need as we cancelled the hotels before the deadlines.

Some plans are different in what they cover and what it takes for the insurance to go into effect. The last non-cruise trip we took we got TRAVEL GUARD'S GOLD PLAN from Teel's Travel Planners... kids are covered FREE. I started to do it online, then I ended up calling on a Saturday. Brad Teel answered the phone himself and walked me through the whole thing.... such a nice man (family run travel agency). He let me know that since every one was healthy, we could add the insurance even though we'd planned the trip a while earlier... and it didn't matter that I'd booked the trip direct.

Some plans you can opt for coverage even if you choose to cancel the trip (you don't have to be sick, lose your job, find a hurricane, etc.). It's refered to as "change for any reason" or "change your mind" insurance. It costs something like an extra 50%.

I just ran the numbers for the 3 of us for 7-Day Fantasy outside cabin. Through Disney it would be $250. TravelGuard Gold thru Teel's was $155 ...with "change your mind" added it was still only $228.

I'll be interested to hear what plans others have bought / used.

Lise