Do you purchase travel insurance when you cruise?

Question

Have you ever had to use it? I am wondering if it is really as good as they make it sound, or if it is a rip-off.

Answer 1

I didn't my first few cruises, but my mom is over 75 and I decided it'd be a good idea to take insurance in case anything happened to HER!

I was booked and ready to go on my 4/30 (Mon) cruise when I found out on FRIDAY that some medical tests showed I needed immediate surgery!!!! I'm only (was 53, now 54) and was totally caught offguard (an understatement) ... luckily I had cruise insurance.

I'll never cruise again without it! You just never know!

I booked thru an agency that provided free insurance from ITravel Insurance (at mycruisevalue.com). At first it seemed like it would be a real pain in axx cuz there was lots of paperwork.

I was pleasantly, amazingly surprised when I had a question and called. Not only was it answered on 2nd ring, but by a real person......... who was informed and ACTUALLY answered every question I had!

Answer 2

I purchase travel insurance, but not through the cruise line. I use Travelux. And yes I have had to file a claim. I usually purchase travel insurance when I plan to cruise from a port outside the country and thus have to make airline connections and maybe spend a night in a hotel. When air connections are involved there is always the chance of delay (the last cruise we went on in May this year, get this; the plane wouldn't start!!! .... they had to reboot the computer control systems to get it going .... took about half an hour for that. If it had been an hour delay we would have missed our connection in Boston)

Last year we had a cruise out of Dover England and when the cruise was on the last leg back they informed us that they could not dock back at Dover because of gale force winds. So they docked in Harwich instead. So we had to pay for transfers from there to the airport even though we already had tickets for the train back to London and then the commuter train to the airport. We filed a claim and the insurance company paid us.

We have other cruises coming up out of Barcelona Spain and Santiago, Chile and I will use Travelux again. I like Travelux because their insurance includes medical coverage in case you get sick.

Answer 3

I strongly suggest you take insurance. The right insurance will cover you for every thing. So if you have to cancel for almost any reason you will get your money back. If you get sick or someone gets sick at home and you have to travel back you can be covered, if someone dies and you have to go or something happens on the cruise. If your flight is delayed and you miss part of your trip and you can be reimbursed. I take insurance every where I go.

You don't just automatically get reimbursed you have to file the claim and make sure you have the right documents. You have to prove to them that you are not ripping them off. I have never had to pay out any money.

My son has been sick while on vacation and my father passed away while he was on vacation and insurance covered it all. His death was very unexpected and thank goodness he had insurance.

Break down per day as to what it would cost you. Sometimes it is no more than the price of a meal per day.

I think it is worth it.

Answer 4

Purchased it one time when I booked an expensive vacation with most fees paid up front and the trip was many months away. I have never heard of anyone using it. My gut is it will only pay off should you be serious injured or ill and then you would have to prove it which may take much time and effort. I have since figured it best to just take a chance. Like most insurance, the insurance company isn't going pay up without a fight.

Answer 5

One thing I would suggest getting even if you don't get the regular (cancellation) insurance, is to at least get medical insurance. My father and I booked a cruise for May of 2006. We scheduled it only about 2 months ahead of time, and I knew we wouldn't be cancelling, unless there was a major emergency. Therefore, I didn't bother with cruise/trip insurance to cover the cost of my trip. However, being that my father was 66 and diabetic, there was a slight chance of him needing medical attention during our week long cruise. For this I purchased a separate medical insurance, which also included air lifting from the ship to the nearest hospital if needed. (Apparently being air lifted can cost upwards of $50,000, which regular health insurances WILL NOT PAY. Also, once you leave the U.S. many/most health insurances do not cover any medical expenses, especially Medicare. It only cost $40 for my father to be covered, and about $18 for myself. For less than $60 total, this gave me peace of mind knowing that if tragedy should strike at sea, at least my parents wouldn't end up loosing their house over medical bills.

As far as your standard trip insurance, remember that carnival allows you to transfer your ticket to someone elses name for a $50 fee. This way, even if someone is unable to make it due to work or such, another person may travel in his/her place. However, if you are booking the cruise a long time in advance, consider taking out insurance.

Answer 6

My husband and I did not purchase travel insurance when we went on a cruise to Greece this past April. Everything was fine.

Answer 7

my family always does in case we need to cancel. My cousin had to use it - she works the er room and was on call for the hurricanes. If you know it is a for sure thing - go for it without insurance, but be able to loose that $$ if you have to cancel.