Trip Insurance..yes or no????

[disneyisfun]

Was just wondering if everyone gets trip insurance? It will cost us an additional $160-$190 ...is it worth it? Just thought I would get some opinions from the experts

 

[Melrosgirl]

Yes. It's a must.

 

[jgalecpa]

Absolutely.

However you do not have to go through DCL directly.

We used acces america (Accessamerica.com). they are the same Co. DCL uses.

We were quoted $99 each from dcl ($396 total). Since we booked air separately, the fee did not cover any of that.

Went to access america, got the kids free, the air covered and paid only $160 total.

Out of an approximately $8,000 total cost trip (trip, air, spending, etc) $160 only amounts to 2% of the cost of the trip.

If only one trip out of 50 needs this, it is worthwhile.

Buy it.

Jim

 

[my3kids]

insuremytrip.com has the prices and ploicies of a number of insurers. A good place to do some comparison shopping.

 

[outahere]

Absolutely........... especially on a trip as expensive as a cruise

If nothing else, at least you will have peace of mind knowing you're covered if something does go wrong

 

[Dreamer04]

YES YES YES

I don't know anyone who would say "no". Murphy's Law says that "Anything that can go wrong, will. And at the worst possible moment". Trip insurance will save you money, if something, God forbid, does go wrong.

 

[prymsu]

Last year I decided that nothing every happened, and that the insurance money was extra money I could spend on my trip. Well, the short story is my mother got diagnosed with terminal cancer just a week or two before my scheduled depart date, and I really would have canceled had I been able to get my money back on the cruise and the airfare, but since i didn't my mother wanted me to go. Of course i went, but i would rather have gotten my moola back and stayed home at that time.

get it. you never know how or when you may need it, and hopefully most folks won't ever have too, but just in case it would be a good thing to have.

 

[hydster]

We never have bought it before but our friends went on a cruise about 3 months ago and their teenage daughter (no she wasnt even close enough to be of driving age) but she sluffed school, snuck home (was supposed to be at grandparents) and took the car out for a "joyride". On this ride she was going extremely fast and missed a critical turn in a road, slid down the side of the hill and ended up being ejected out of the car(you know how brilliant teens can be sometimes). She was in a coma for 4 weeks and our friends didnt have trip insurance. They were on a Carnival Hawaiian cruise where they had 5 days at sea and it was on the 2nd day being on the ship when they got news. They ended up having to call in a Helicopter to fly them to Hilo so that they could make more arrangements to get home, they also had to eat the rest of their cruise money they spent, eat their plane tickets home, eat the plane tickets home they had purchased for when the cruise ended from Honolulu which were non-refundables and also then had to deal with all the medical costs of their daughter on top of it. I never really thought it was important until then...now I dont think I will ever go without it. We even buy extra insurance on flights just so we dont have to worry about the kids and $$$ if we die.

Just my 2 cents
Heidi

 

[jeanniec]

Definitely yes! Not only for a major crisis where you have to cancel or interupt a trip, but it's worth it even for "minor" problems. Went on a Celebrity cruise last December. Got sick, was diagnosed with bronchitis, got medicine and went back to the "hospital" twice a day for breathing treatments for 3 days. Total cost = $496. We paid around $200 for the 2 of us (10 day cruise) so we saved $300 by having insurance. Also saw a lady with a broken leg get evacuated from the ship. That must have cost a fortune! I will always get insurance when on a cruise -- not from Disney, tho. Too expensive. We are getting it thru AAA this time. If you have a pre-existing condition, you have to purchase it within 2 weeks of booking your cruise to get covered.

 

[BelievesinMagic]

Check your CC it may also have some added coverage. Ours gives us $1,000,000 automatic travel accident ins. along with medical and travel assistance. Beware not to pay duplicate charges. charge. This advice was from our TA.

 

[disneyisfun]

What does CC stand for?

 

[Hygiene99]

CC stands for Credit Card...

Well let me say this we have taken 6 cruises and we have not
purchased trip insurance yet.................

 

[jilljill]

WE have taken 4 cruises - 2 in hurricaine season - and not purchased the insurance yet. My friend bought the insurance and got hurt on CC and had to go to the infirmary. He has been fighting since Feb. to get reimbursed for part of the visits.

 

[mjvans]

So if you buy insurance, what exactly are your benefits?? Basically, I thought if you cancelled your cruise within the 60 day time frame, you were going to lose money.......will the insurance reimburse the difference?? The reason I ask is that my hubby is a firefighter and the summer season is his busiest time. We are going on 8-29-04 and although the dept has never cancelled vacations due to high fire season, I still wonder if I should purchase. Or, does the insurance just cover if the ship does not depart?? I'm confused! Can anyone elaborate?
Thanks
Michelle

 

[Mjasp]

Originally posted by jilljill
WE have taken 4 cruises - 2 in hurricaine season - and not purchased the insurance yet. My friend bought the insurance and got hurt on CC and had to go to the infirmary. He has been fighting since Feb. to get reimbursed for part of the visits.

Jill...Who did they pruchase the insurance from, and why the problem paying?
Thanks
Joanna

 

[ruvidu]

We have been on 4 DCL cruises and have never opted for the insurance but:
It is just the two of us
We have great health insurance through my company
We are eternal optimist

With that said, we are doing an Alaska land and sea tour next year ($7000) and did purchase the insurance for that. The reason is that we will be flying a long way with more chances to miss flights and thus portions of the trip. I said optimist not stupid.

I really hold insurance companies and lawyers in the same regard. Read into that what you will.

Russ

 

[MrsPete]

After considering it carefully, we decided against the insurance.

Why?

We're young and healthy, and we don't plan any sports-type excursions during our cruise. Of course we know that this doesn't make us immune to accidents, etc. but it does give us fairly good odds that we won't be sick or injured during our four days with Disney. If we should be struck by a terrible virus, we have good health insurance. Both of our policies will pay for medical care outside the country during travel -- we checked.

The cost of our cruise is fairly low. We're going on a short cruise in low season in a cheap cabin. If a family tragedy should prevent us from traveling at the last minute, we can afford to absorb the loss.

We live close enough to drive our own car to Florida, and we're driving down a day ahead of time. Thus, travel delays are not a big concern. We're not likely to lose our own luggage.

Insurance is always a bet. Yes, there's a chance we could lose this bet, but given our circumstances right now, our risk is fairly minimal. I'm not saying this is the right choice for everyone. I'm not even saying it's the choice we'd make for future cruises if our circumstances were different; however, I think it's the right choice for us right now.

 

[CamColt]

I never thought much about insurance for a trip, until last summer. We booked a WDW trip about 4-5 months in advance and everything was fine. We did purchase everything separately so we never even thought of insurance. Exactly a month before we were supposed to leave FIL suddenly took ill and was given a month to live. Imagine our worry and stress over this! We had hoppers which we could use anytime, and we were driving so that wasnt a factor, but only our hotel cost was at risk. We were afraid of getting down to Florida and getting a call to turn around and come home, in which case we would have lost our hotel money(we only had 5 days in advance to cancel). We didnt know if we should cancel ahead of time to save that money just in case or what. In the end FIL ended up passing away 2 weeks to the day before we were to leave, so it did work out(God that sounds awful, but you know what I mean). After that experience, I will always buy insurance for a big trip like a cruise. You never know what tomorrow may bring for yourself or family members. When we booked that trip FIL was perfectly healthy. We never would have guessed he would have been gone so fast.

 

[Mjasp]

Originally posted by CamColt
When we booked that trip FIL was perfectly healthy. We never would have guessed he would have been gone so fast. [/B]

This is so true, you never know, thats why its called insurance. I called home on our trip in August to check our messages, there was a message on our machine that our friend 42 yrs old had passed away. Nothing wrong with him and as fit and trim as can be, leaving behind a wife and 2 DD's ages 3 and 4.

Gall bladder is another thing to consider given all the rich foods. Imagine the cost of getting air lifted off for an emergency. My insurance also covers out of the country illnesses, but getting airlifted is my biggest concern.

Joanna

 

[Rootee]

from last year:

Right insurance a must for a foreign vacation
By EILEEN OGINTZ
Special to The Herald

After two blissful days at sea, the Olsons were in high spirits when they left their cruise ship to explore the Caribbean island of St. Maarten.

Then, 2-year-old Haley was hit by a truck.

''I was right there,'' said Doug Olson of Racine, Wis., still incredulous a year later. ``One second was all it took.''

One second and the entire extended family -- there were 14 family members on vacation together -- was plunged into every family's worst vacation nightmare, made worse by being in a foreign country. Haley was conscious, her leg badly injured. Someone called an ambulance, and the family raced to a small nearby hospital

''They didn't even want to look at her at the hospital without cash up front,'' said Kim Olson. ``We had trouble even getting an outside line to call off the island. I was a complete basket case.''

Even the most minor mishap or illness can wreak havoc with a family vacation. That's why it's important to play the ''what-if'' game before you go.

What if somebody gets sick?

''Treat a minor illness the way you would at home,'' said Dr. Tim Vega, an Illinois family practitioner and spokesman for the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Make sure you've got a thermometer and fever-reducing medication, as well as first-aid supplies like antibiotic cream, adhesive bandages and gauze.

When traveling with kids to Third World countries, don't leave home without antinausea and antidiarrhea medication, because dehydration can become a major problem, said Kurt Kutay, founder of the adventure outfitter Wildland Adventures.

Don't stubbornly adhere to a vacation itinerary if an ailing family member isn't up to it.

''Don't push a child to keep going if they really feel sick,'' said Vermont child psychiatrist David Fassler. ``It's important to make sure a child doesn't feel like they've done anything wrong or ruined the family's trip.''

If the ailment is worse than a minor injury or illness but still not an emergency situation, first call your pediatrician or family physician at home for advice, suggests Dr. Richard Wayne, medical director of the Christus Santa Rosa Children's Hospital in San Antonio, Texas.

Physicians say that if someone in your family has a chronic condition like asthma or diabetes, it's wise to get a just-in-case referral before you leave home, and to carry a list of medications that family member uses. In the United States and other countries with sophisticated healthcare systems, families can find medical help at a children's hospital or university-affiliated medical center. And American consulates abroad can sometimes refer American tourists to English-speaking and Western-trained physicians.

SAVED BY INSURANCE

The Olsons weren't that lucky. The doctors on St. Maarten couldn't even assess the true extent of Haley's injuries.

''The medical equipment they had just couldn't compare to the United States,'' Doug Olson said.

Even the ship's doctor who came to the hospital couldn't help. That's when the Olsons became the poster family for travel insurance when traveling outside the country. Haley's grandmother remembered that the family had purchased a policy from Travel Guard International, a leading travel insurance carrier.

''We never considered the possibility of a medical emergency,'' said Doug Olson ``We just wanted to cover costs in case our luggage got lost.''

Within 36 hours of Haley's accident, she and her parents were flown to Miami, where orthopedists quickly discovered she had multiple leg and pelvic fractures and put her in a body cast. The insurance covered the medical evacuation, the flight home from Miami and Haley's follow-up orthopedic treatment for a year -- more than $30,000 worth of coverage. Plus, the cost for the rest of the cruise was refunded.

''This could have wiped out all our savings,'' Kim Olson said. ``I won't go anywhere now without travel insurance.''

That's true of many travelers, many of whom are willing to pay hefty charges (typically 5 percent to 7 percent of the cost of their trip) for travel insurance.

BUSINESS INCREASES

Travel Guard's business has jumped 70 percent since last fall, in the wake of September 11, said company spokesman Dan McGinnity. To that end, Travel Guard and other insurers have added new lower-cost policies to cover travelers in case they get stranded as a result of a terrorist incident or face a medical emergency.

''There's a new focus on safety,'' McGinnity said.

The website www.insure mytrip.com highlights different travel insurance plans from different companies and lets consumers shop for the best deal. Travel Guard is offering new Sense of Security plans, (800-826-1300 or visit www.travel-guard.com). Access America is offering Travel with Ease, (866-807-3982 or visit www.accessamerica.com). Travelex Insurance Services offers free coverage to children under 16 if their parents have coverage, (800-228-9792 or www.travelex-insurance.com).

Jeanne Salvatore, vice president of consumer affairs for the nonprofit Insurance Information Institute, warns travelers to make sure they need the extra protection before signing on the dotted line.

As for the Olsons, young Haley has completely recovered from her injuries, her mom said.