Do we need travel insurance?

[candyht]

I'm ready to book our cruise for the 12/19 Wonder and I'm wondering if we should purchase travel insurance? On the cruise will be me, DH and my 5 year twin girls.

 

[GeorgeG]

Absolutely, possitively, YES!

Our luggage was lost by the airline on our way to a cruise last year and the travel insurance re-imbursed us for the clothes we had to buy on the cruise and the balance of what the airline didn't give us.

 

[disboo]

We had a Disney package booked (years ago) and lost out on two people's worth of it when my daughter had a severe asthma attack. She ended up in the hospital for fourteen days, I stayed with her and the rest of the family went on to WDW (and back) without us. We were not able to get a refund for our portion of the package.

(BTW, DD is 19, still asthmatic but under good control - only one med per day. Thank God for drug companies and new, improved meds. They have coem a LONg way in 19 years!)

 

[candyht]

My credit card (AMEX Blue) covers us for lost luggage. But I'm wondering if I need it for medical coverage. My twins are in good health.

 

[vicnmickey]

I would say yes, get it. Your girls may be healthy but you never know whats going to happen. And with the trip insurance you can either reschedule or cancel. I also questioned the insurance. But in the end decided to get it, because you just never know. I would rather be out the money for the insurance if not used and not the cost of the whole entire trip if you have to cancel at the last minute.

 

[Rootee]

Another thing to consider about insurance is that you have to think about the rest of your family that you leave behind. Although our family's heath may be fine now, we do have to think of the possibility that something life-threatening might happen to our parents now that they are well into their 70s. I'll never forget when my uncle had to have emergency by-pass surgery, but on the day his surgery was scheduled, his son and his family left on a cruise because they could not "afford" to cancel because they had not purchased insurance (which would have covered this situation)! It was very touch and go for him for the first few days, and they had a hard time reaching his son on the cruise.

I'd much rather spend the money on "fun" things, but the peace of mind is well worth it.

 

[aprilgail2]

Also think about if something happens to you ON the cruise...you know how much it costs to land a helicopter and fly you off of there????

 

[professorandmom]

I also have twins (DS,DS 8) and while I am not worried about the helicopter ride someone else mentioned, I do feel the odds are against me for chicken pox, flu or some other malady that would risk lots of money. If you do the math, since the insurance is per person and unrelated to the cost of the trip, the more expensive the trip, the more reason to buy the insurance (I'm in catagory 6 in August, yikes!).

 

[GOOFY D]

As far as health goes, check your own insurance coverage first as it may cover these instances of emergencies.

 

[Cassi]

Personally, I always recommend getting the insurance. I've been on three other cruises (not Disney yet- booked, though!), and I've bought it every time. I always thought I was getting the insurance in case something came up before we left and had to cancel, since we generally booked pretty far in advance. But we ended up using it during our second cruise.

We were on 7 day cruise to Bermuda, only 2 days (I think) into the trip when I became very ill. After seeing the ship's doctor, he told me to go the the Bermuda ER. I had jaundice and was in severe pain. They suspected hepatitis at first, and they weren't going to even let me back on the ship! But it turned out to be a gallbladder attack, and one of my bile ducts was blocked.

The trip insurance scheduled a flight home for me and my husband (and the last minute flight from Bermuda was not cheap!). They paid for the ER, the taxi trips to the hospital and the airport, and reimbursed us for all our cruise money from the time I got sick, even before we actually left the cruise. (I can't remember if they paid for the ship's doctor, but I almost think they did.)

Anyway, sorry this was so long, but I can't recommend the insurance enough!

Cassi