Travel Insurance?

[stampinshauna]

I know it's a good idea to have Travel Insurance when cruising. Does anyone have thoughts on a good company to get it from (I declined it from DCL). We have had travel insurance policies in the past, but it has been 8 years since we last cruised, so I'm just looking for suggestions on policies, where to get good rates, etc.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I know it's a good idea to have Travel Insurance when cruising. Does anyone have thoughts on a good company to get it from (I declined it from DCL). We have had travel insurance policies in the past, but it has been 8 years since we last cruised, so I'm just looking for suggestions on policies, where to get good rates, etc.

I use a couple of Travel Insurance comparison sites (google that). You put in the parameters of what you want covered, and they will show you many different company's policies to chose from

 

[braysmommy]

You can compare plans on insure my trip we haven't had to use it but always purchase a plan.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

You can compare plans on ************ we haven't had to use it but always purchase a plan.

That's why I suggested googling the generic term. One of the biggest sites cannot be linked here.

 

[braysmommy]

That's why I suggested googling the generic term. One of the biggest sites cannot be linked here.

Oops didn't realize it was a forbidden website??

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Oops didn't realize it was a forbidden website??

Well, it's not really "forbidden". They just asked to not be linkable (is that a word?) on the forum. It's in the stickies.

 

[MillauFr]

Just get the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. We get free travel insurance when using our credit card to pay for the cruise. Easy peasy.

 

[braysmommy]

Just get the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. We get free travel insurance when using our credit card to pay for the cruise. Easy peasy.

We get insurance to cover medical costs and medical travel home which Chase doesn't cover I don't believe. Depending on where you are traveling that might not be a deal breaker but for us it is the main reason we get travel insurance.

 

[DisBNewB]

We used comparison sites and I read a few review articles, and between the two we went with TravelGuard by AIG. It all comes down to what you're looking for. I wanted to make sure we had a plan that would cover travel home if something happened while on the trip, as well as medical, etc. Coverage for hotel/issues/etc if there was a delay was an added bonus that I'd have liked (and got) but wasn't a deal breaker (though I did make sure to read the print and make sure it included hurricanes/storms as a reason for it - not all of them did).

I'd definitely find one that covers medical, as most insurance won't cover you when you're at sea, but past that, figure out what you feel comfortable with and poke at some of the comparison stuff.

 

[MillauFr]

We get insurance to cover medical costs and medical travel home which Chase doesn't cover I don't believe. Depending on where you are traveling that might not be a deal breaker but for us it is the main reason we get travel insurance.

This website gives a pretty good description of what it covers.

https://www.travelcodex.com/travel-insurance-chase-sapphire-reserve/
Seems to be better than the expensive insurance that Disney sells. Disney won't refund all of your money if you cancel. With Chase you can get all of your money back. Plus the insurance is free.

 

[braysmommy]

This website gives a pretty good description of what it covers.

https://www.travelcodex.com/travel-insurance-chase-sapphire-reserve/
Seems to be better than the expensive insurance that Disney sells. Disney won't refund all of your money if you cancel. With Chase you can get all of your money back. Plus the insurance is free.

Agree on not buying through Disney but since we want medical coverage and evacuation home we purchase through another site. As long as medical isn't a priority Chase seems like the way to go.

 

[n2mm]

I have a cc that offers insurance, but after reviewing it, it doesn’t provide the coverage like medical evacuation which is important. Yes it covers air issues, luggage, delays, but not that helicopter ride if you have to get lifted off, or fly home. Also, keep in mind that using a cc insurance your entire trip needs to be paid for by the card (including placeholder). My cc is the Jetblue Elite Plus MasterCard. I also use insure my trip comparison to purchase my policy.

 

[MillauFr]

Agree on not buying through Disney but since we want medical coverage and evacuation home we purchase through another site. As long as medical isn't a priority Chase seems like the way to go.

Isn't a $100,000 in medical evacuation insurance enough?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Isn't a $100,000 in medical evacuation insurance enough?

Maybe.

 

[Bonnie1222]

Just get the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. We get free travel insurance when using our credit card to pay for the cruise. Easy peasy.

I may be incorrect, but I thought for that card 100% of the trip had to be paid for using the card (can't put the deposit down using a different card then pay the balance with the sapphire card -like a place holder done on a previous cruise). I had researched getting a credit card that offered travel insurance and what you had to do and what was covered - and for the $450++ annual cost of the card I didn't think what you got was not enough for what I was looking to get covered (IMHO)... It was less expensive for me to pay per trip.

For me personally - I look at the amount of medical covered and evacuation. If something happens and you need to be flown back home it can cost a lot of money depending on where you are, and remember it is not just the transportation (flight), but the cost of personnel to care for you during the flight and how you get from the hospital at one end, and to the hospital on the other.

We have used that sight mentioned above the first couple times we bought insurance and were very happy with their service. They were available for questions before and after we purchased and we have used two different A+ rated companies that have been around for a century or more. Now, we go direct to those 2 sites and compare the coverage and prices and buy direct. The cost is the same as (no bump in price for going through the 3rd party) but we found there were additional options that didn't show on the 3rd party site. Still great customer service by going direct and we have contacted the companies via web chat and phone calls.

Important things to remember: Most policies require you purchase prior to the pay in full date, and depending on the coverage you want, you may have to purchase within so many days of your initial deposit (for example - cancel for any reason). And if you are flying or driving in from a distance - be sure to cover your ENTIRE trip, not just the cruise. And when you purchase can also determine the cost. I priced a policy 2 days before my birthday and had 1 price, purchased it 2 days after and it was higher because I had hit a new age bracket with the insurance company.

The biggest deciding factor is what do you want coverage for? Is it medical? is it evacuation? are you flying in and need to be covered if you miss your connection and miss the ship? reimbursement for lost luggage?

Best of luck in your research - and have a fantastic trip

 

[disneylandlocal]

Good question. What pricing is everyone finding on insurance? We have young kids and I’m always worried one could get sick before the cruise.

 

[Bonnie1222]

Good question. What pricing is everyone finding on insurance? We have young kids and I’m always worried one could get sick before the cruise.

It is based on where you are going, the price of the vacation, where you live and the ages of those insured. It's not that easy to give you a cost.

WTS... I have usually found better coverage for about the same price, or a little more than what DCL charges. But again it all depends on what coverage you want. If you want things like Cancel for Any reason - the price jumps significantly depending on what percentage you want back.

 

[Travel60]

Along with our autos, home, liability, umbrella, etc. insurances we have a travel insurance policy that covers medical expenses, emergency evacuation and some cancellations. Not sure if it has a cancel for any reason but it would cover a disaster. We travel a lot domestically and some internationally so it was better for us. Ask your agent.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Along with our autos, home, liability, umbrella, etc. insurances we have a travel insurance policy that covers medical expenses, emergency evacuation and some cancellations. Not sure if it has a cancel for any reason but it would cover a disaster. We travel a lot domestically and some internationally so it was better for us. Ask your agent.

In a similar manner, some of the major travel insurance providers offer annual plans that cover these potential loses along with things like lost luggage, travel delays, and so forth. Ours covers all of the non-refundable trip expenses like air fares and car rental coverage, not just the cruise fare, for about the same price as DCL wanted just to cover a single cruise.

 

[Bonnie1222]

Along with our autos, home, liability, umbrella, etc. insurances we have a travel insurance policy that covers medical expenses, emergency evacuation and some cancellations. Not sure if it has a cancel for any reason but it would cover a disaster. We travel a lot domestically and some internationally so it was better for us. Ask your agent.

Were you able to get a plan that covered the cruises? I spoke to the company I buy travel insurance from because they offered a yearly plan, and as @Ralph&Pam said cruises were not covered the way it was explained to me. DH and I have been taking 2-3 7-day cruises a year and it would be great to have one policy.