An excellent argument FOR purchasing the trip insurance...

[DopeyRN]

due to patient confidentiality, I cannot give details, boy do I wish I could, but this story I learned at work today was unbelieveable. Non Disney cruise line...a dad gives his daughter and BF a cruise....she has a health issue come up the morning of the cruise...sees her doctor who assures her she can do the cruise.
5 hours at sea she suffers an emergency...she is in a life threatening situation...the cruise doctor does NOT know how to handle it, and is reading out of a book. The cruise line does not airlift her because she did not buy the trip insurance...they decide to bring her to a hospital when they dock...on the way another boat gives a distress signal and they go off course to rescue. FINALLY they make it to the island, bring her to a hospital. They attempt treatment. By the time she gets back to the states,she is very sick and needs to be admitted.

Is this making you nuts yet???? Now the cruise line wants $4000 for costs incurred on her behalf. Believe me if I could tell you more you would NOT believe it.


So what you have read is true...you NEED this insurance to cover you if the worst happens. You medical insurance will probably not cover you there.

 

[PiperG]

Donna,

I don't want you to disclose anything confidential. However, my son is extremely allergic to various nuts (most notably peanuts). When we cruised on the Wonder last year, we had a high level of confidence that he was in good hands.

Can you disclose if this child had an allergic reaction?

 

[DopeyRN]

No it had nothing to do with an allergy...and I would think if you child DID have a bad reaction, adrenalin/benadryl/steroids would be readily available. I do not want to cause any anxiety, it was just an eye opening experience for me.

 

[CarolAnnC]

On my last cruise we witnessed the airlifting via medivac helicopter of a heart attack patient. This procedure can cost upwards of $35,000 and may or may not be covered with health insurance.

My mother was boarding the airplane to take her to her Princess Cruise to Alaska when she was pulled off to be rushed to the hospital where my uncle passed away. Fortunately her trip insurance covered the plane fare and cruise fare. She lost her prepaid excursion money, but that was minimal compared to what she was reimbursed. She took the cruise a year later instead.

Trip insurance can be invaluable and for medical purposes it can save you financially for sure!

 

[PiperG]

Thanks for the feedback. I was concerned about DS 5 for a moment.

We do have trip insurance (just checked with DH).

 

[legs22]

I just hope that the DCL doctors are better prepared for emergencies than that doc! I wonder what cruise line it was???

Cruise insurance is inexpensive (non disney, like CSA)- buy it!


From: a SleepyRN

 

[luv2kids]

Boy am I glad that we bought the insurance! $190 was such a small amount considering what a cancellation or emergency would cost!

By the way DopeyRN, we live in Luling! Just right across the river from you!

Beth

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by PiperG
Donna,

I don't want you to disclose anything confidential. However, my son is extremely allergic to various nuts (most notably peanuts). When we cruised on the Wonder last year, we had a high level of confidence that he was in good hands.

Can you disclose if this child had an allergic reaction?

I also have severe tree nut allergies (but not to peanuts, which are beans, not nuts). I faxed the medical form to DCL a couple months ago, but haven't heard ack from them. I cruise in August, and figured that they'll call me as it gets closer to the trip. Has anyone had an experience where you had a health issue, filled out the form and they didn't call?

Anne

 

[ChiTownZee]

So Disney's trip insurance covers being airlifted? That's comforting knowing that.
I will definately be getting insurance! Anything can happen at anytime and I think it's a little naive to assume it won't happen to me. I'll be covering my butt! LOL

 

[barbeau]

Hadn't considered medical problems & our regular med insurance not covering expenses. Can you buy trip insurance close to the sailing date?

 

[Kaa]

You can't purchase the insurance offered by DCL after you have made your final payment. There may be other insurance companies that will cover you after you have made that payment.

 

[luv2kids]

We purchased our insurance after the final payment date through
www.csatravelprotection.com. You might want to check there!

 

[KimDisFan]

AAA has insurance as well. I am not sure if you need to book through them to get it. What is unique with AAA insurance is that it will cover a pre exisiting condition, if a person was to become sick and not be able to cruise. You need to purchase this insurance when you initially book the cruise. My inlaws did this, and my parent always purchase this as well when they travel.

As for the cruise ships, a friend of mine's mother tripped on a Carnival ship and broke her arm. This area has been an issue one of the crew member said. She was rushed to the hospital in San Juan. There they came upon an American Docter who told her to take her mother and get her on the 1st plane to the states, do not let the doctors treat her at that hoptial. The Carnival Cruise Ship gave her 15 minutes to pack her stuff and get the heck of the ship. They treated them very badly. She did not have the insurance and was out the cost of the cruise, but Delta transferred her flights and even got her a hotel room for the night at no cost.

So the lesson, is for the small price of the insurance, it is well worth it, just in case.

 

[Sandiebean]

I don't buy the insurance anymore because my husband's work insurance says it covers medical while out of the country. (We're in Canada). I think I will double check on what it does cover SPECIFICALLY.

 

[Asheryl]

We were on the April 27 Magic cruise. We were out on the vehanda prior to disembarking and noticed a hearst pulled up to the ship. There were four police officers watching the gangway.
A person who had passed was brought off the ship and loaded into the hearst. At the time I wondered if the person had cruise insurance and just what it would have covered in case of death.

Sheryl

 

[Coach]

Before my DW and I took our Disney cruise I was also nervous about something happening and one of us and needing medical attention. I called my own health insurance company and they said we were totally covered. This would include any transportation via air, sea or land to the nearest medical facility.
Also included is transportation for one family member to escort the injured party to that facility.

Unless you worry about someone getting sick at the last minute
please give your own health insurance company a call first before you spend your hard earned money on insurance you may not need.

Coach

 

[4nana]

I like the site http://www.cruisediva.com/insurance_sites.htm

It has excellent resources for travel insurance comparison.
Go to 'Insure My Trip', enter your trip needs to receive several insurance company comparison quotes.

 

[Carol RN]

On my first Disney cruise last October, I toured the medical facilities onboard the Magic. As an RN in the Emergency Department of a Level I Trauma Center, I can tell you that I was impressed with the facilities, equipment, and medical staff onboard. I was told that the physician and nurses are all Emergency Department personnel in their respective hospitals who sign on with Disney for a period of, I believe, 90 days. I spoke with several of the staff and asked some questions. They were very knowledgeable.

 

[atigeg]

How frightening!!!
I don't know how the Disney docs. would be in the case of a life threatening emergency, but when my kneecap popped off, they did a great job of treating it. They had to do what is known as a "closed reduction," which basically means popping that sucker back on. They had a velcro cast and crutches on hand in the correct sizes, and we were able to borrow a wheelchair for the rest of the cruise. When I got home, the ortho doc. said they had done a very good job. This happened after hours (at the 70s party), but the doctor and nurse arrived almost immediately. We didn't have trip insurance, but thankfully our medical insurance reimbursed us. We had to pay up front, to the tune of $700, so you may want to bring a charge card with plenty of room just in case of emergency.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[PiperG]

Ducklite,

Our TA faxed the paperwork to DCL and validated they had the form and logged it into DS 5's profile. We never got a call from DCS (maybe because we used a TA). When we embarked, our first stop was to check all was in order (it was).

Without question, DCL is a very safe place from our perspective. One night, they actually pulled the bread off our table because they could not guarantee that the bread was nut free. They brought us a different product so that DS 5 could have some.

We also felt fine leaving him in the Club. He even had dinner there once. Prior to dropping him off, we confirmed the menu was nut free and were completely assured.

I hope that was helpful.