Poll do you buy trip insurance, if so have you had to use it?

[Cackyschmackers]

In reading all these responses, it really comes down to how and when you are arriving to the cruise port (flying in the winter months for example as we normally do vs driving in from a few hours away) and the number and demographic of your travel party. We have 5, 3 kids, and we fly, usually in the winter months. The logistics of our travel is much different than those of a couple for instance. Also your itinerary, I imagine being air lifted from the south Caribbean is much more difficult than key west or Bermuda. And of course your risk aversion. We have excellent health care insurance, and our credit card benefits are stellar, but in the scenarios where we either have already used or for which we may likely need trip insurance, neither would cover the several $K involved with correcting our situation to where we'd be not losing money (and ruining our vacation with fret or circumstance ).

 

[tnshsms]

I've said this a few times before, but I don't think it hurts to repeat. I agree with the above posters that travel insurance is a must and to not go through DCL because its expensive and only covers that portion. We typically go with Travel Guard and the main reason is because we have had a claim and they were super easy to work with....and it had nothing to do with not being able to make it TO the cruise. Let me tell you a story....

We went on a wonderful 3 day DCL in May of 2011. It was me, my hubby and 2.5 yo. We got off the cruise on Sunday and because of the flight schedules, we didn't get a flight until Monday. (trying to fly free isn't the most convenient sometimes.) We woke up very early Monday morning to catch our ME bus to the airport at 7:30am to see I have a missed call on my phone telling me my flight has been cancelled and we were booked on a flight for Tuesday. The reason for the cancellation - mechanical failure. We called trying to get one faster and it wasn't happening so we make the best of it and go to Magic Kingdom but not after securing a new ME time on Tuesday, another night of hotel and getting tickets to MK. While I called the airline, DH called travel guard and we started our claim because now we had meals and a hotel room we weren't planning on having. Tuesday morning arrives, we get another phone call, flight cancelled again. This time for weather. So this time we choose to switch hotels to see another property so we go to Coronado Springs. At this point we are out of clothes so we do laundry at CS and hang out by the pool. We are again, booked on another flight for Wednesday, this time through Chicago(we were thru DFW before). We again get up, this time we actually make it to the airport to find out our flight is delayed. We get on the flight which took 1 hour longer than it should have because of weather and we land 1hr 15min late causing us to miss our connection flight. So we spend the night in Chicago, booked for another flight Friday morning. We had to make the airlines get our luggage back because we were suppose to be connecting so we wait 90 min for that to happen. The next morning, you guessed it, cancelled. We HAVE to get back to work and home so this time we rent a car and drive 9 HOURS home. It was the worst end to a great vacation. All with a 2.5 yo. Total cost of our delay - $1250. Travel Guard paid for all of it. Our hotels, food and even our rental car back. The only thing we were out was the MK tickets on Monday. So I now am a firm believer in trip insurance.

Oh and the airlines wouldn't comp us a hotel room because it was all due to weather. Even though our first flight was mechanical failure because we were not at the airport to make a claim, we were unable to get any comp hotel rooms from them. We did however, get 40k in airline miles added to our account after a few phone calls.

So mine has nothing to do with medical or even missing my vacation...it was getting home. You never know how or when you'll need it. And btw, the trip insurance for this claim was $98. It was worth it.

 

[tnshsms]

And I will second that credit cards these days do have good trip insurance if you are delayed and for lost bags. But maybe read the fine print. That might cover one hotel room or one meal and bags up to maybe $150. It won't cover as well as Travel Guard (or something similar) would. Just keep that in mind. I have those same cards (Sapphire, Reserve, AmEx) but the coverage isn't as good and my friend can attest to that. She had a small weekend trip with no insurance(she typically does but opted to rely on credit card insurance) and was out about $500 still after the claim with the card when their flight was delayed, the luggage was delayed and they had to fly home a day later leaving too. It was only covered up to certain dollar amounts and so their claim was about $300 and they were out the $500.

 

[ironz]

I don't generally get trip insurance for domestic travel, because many of those trips involve costs we can cancel or move deposits around. For our cruises, we do. Primarily because it's a bigger out of pocket cost, it involves travel to places which we may find ourselves in a situation of needing evacuation, and I'm risk-averse. There is also generally a larger lead-time between booking a cruise and the actual vacation, in which things can happen to our family.
I have also purchased trip insurance for other group trips (cycling trips) because of the same reasons.
A general SW flight and hotel stay to WDW-- nah.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

My family has pre-existing conditions, so we always buy travel insurance for our cruises. It is too much money invested not to spend few hundred more on insurance. Fortunately, we have never had to use it, but it gives us peace of mind that we have it if needed.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I always buy the insurance unless it is a 2 night cruise out of my home port in which case, I just don't care enough.

We had to use the insurance once. A few days before our cruise, my husband came down with bloody diarrhea. He has a long history of IBS. We were really bummed, but we had to cancel. It took probably about 8 weeks for the refunds to process. Our medical deductible was higher than the cost of the cruise, but having that $3K back put a really nice dent in the medical bills.

Sometimes I buy the cancel for any reason insurance. I don't plan to cancel for no reason, but I got really spooked after having the cancel a cruise for medical before and now I just assume the worst when planning out that far in advance.

 

[Rabb it]

Always buy it, never use it.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

We buy Travel Insurance for large, non-refundable trips, Cruises included. Since someone asked, we use Allianz. Once (not for a cruise) we did need to use it when an injury to a family member the day before our trip caused us to miss the first two days. The Insurance refunded 2/7 of the costs for the week. No problem. A few doctor's notes, etc. was all it took.

I agree with the PP about "pre-existing conditions." We always buy it right away so that those are covered. They mentioned one way it can get you even if you think you don't have a PEC, another is if you come down with something between now and your trip, then you can't get the insurance to cover your NOW "pre-existing" condition, so when you wait to buy, you are taking the risk that nothing will happen to any of your party between now and then.

Also, a personal example about medical insurance. Make sure you know if your normal Med insurance covers Medical in a foreign country. At one point, my Senior Citizen Mother wasn’t feeling well and we thought she might have to see the doctor on the ship. Maybe get some meds. We inquired at the infirmary on the ship. They had 3 office hours in the morning, 3 in the evening: $150 to see the doctor at that time; $300 any other time. So we called the travel insurance company (using Guest Services' phone), since we knew our trip insurance covered medical expenses (which, since we were not in the US would not have been covered by our regular Medical insurance). They said it would be 100% covered; Medicines too. We would pay on the ship, file the claim when we got home, and then they would pay us back. No problem. So that was good to know, even though we didn’t end up using the doctor.

So even if you don't think you will need a med-evac (who ever thinks they will?), just seeing a doctor on the ship might cost you hundreds.

 

[3Down1Up]

My father had to use it on our Med cruise on DCL - he was pickpocketed in Rome and lost credit card and cash and passport. Filed a claim for cost of new emergency passport from US embassy and stolen cash. We always go to insure my trip dot com and choose the best based on prices. Will absolutely not travel internationally without travel insurance.

 

[Markonefive]

I always buy insurance for out of country travel. Only used once 25 years ago (wife had an infection in Orlando, walk-in clinic paid for out of pocket and antibiotics). I see trip insurance the same as home fire insurance. Really, really, hope I never need it, but if I do need it, will regret it if I don't have it. Important to have cancellation, trip interruption and medical. If relying on credit card, read the terms closely and make sure it has what you want. Going to an insurance broker can be a good idea also, they will shop around for you. Travel agencies may tend to favor a particular company, not necessarily the best. Disney insurance not the best value or coverage.

 

[DLgal]

My mom just had to use travel insurance on a European cruise. It was on Princess and she purchased the Platinum level coverage. Princess lost her only suitcase. She had NO clothing except what she was wearing. It was a 10 night cruise. She had to buy a bunch of things, do laundry every day, etc. The cruise line ended up crediting her shipboard account $750, reimbursed her for all her purchases, and guess what...the bag was found on the second to last night of the cruise, in another passengers stateroom. Since she had the insurance, it wasn't as terrible as it could have been.

The insurance cost $125.

 

[bbel]

Not cruise related, but I haven't cruised as a guest.
But I did a last minute trip to visit my cousin in Canada when I lived in the U.K., booked two days before I flew out. Almost didn't bother with insurance because it was so short notice and I was 18 so nothing was going to go wrong, obviously....
First morning I fell down a load of steps in the park. Fractured my knee and ankle. Ended up in hospital for a night. Couldn't fly home for two weeks because of what I had to have done to it. When I eventually could fly home, a week later than planned, I had to fly first class and be medically escorted on and off because I couldn't bend my leg... fortunately i went home to the good old nhs, so didn't have to worry it then.
Luckily, an hour before I left for the airport I bought insurance, which literally saved me thousands!

Needless to say I get it every time now, but most of my (international) travel is done through work who pay for it.

 

[Jess_S]

I don't buy insurance, but I do self insure by setting aside a pool of money to cover emergencies. My health insurance does cover me outside the US, so that impacts my decision. We also fly in 2 days before any cruise, which is a form of insurance when you think about it.

After 18 years of travel without incident, the money we have saved on insurance would cover all but the worst issues.

 

[SoozCruise]

We always get it for ourselves (and for MIL in case any of her medical issues pop up and prevent her from cruising) for cruising and for large non-cruising trips with nonrefundable portions. We used it this winter to get our money back for a ski trip after DD2 broke a bone and was not going to be able to go on the trip. We had to submit a bunch of paperwork from the doctor but the insurance company was pretty reasonable to deal with. If DH pops into this thread he can post the company's name.

 

[cargo13]

For international trips or cruises--always buy travel insurance. I am most interested in the medical and emergency assistance services. Used it in China for a bloody nose that would not stop. Contacted the provider--CSA Travel Protection --who directed us to 1 of their hospitals in Shanghai and we paid 0. All processing of claims was invisible to us!

I understand that CSA is now Generali Global Assistance which has more plan options---www.generalitravelinsurance.com

 

[eva]

We always buy it when cruising or leaving the 48 states. We have never had to use it. But we have been with people that have. And we have had people in our group that wished they had bought insurance.

We did an Adveture by Disney a few years ago that really stressed what the insurance could be used for. A young couple in our group was given the trip as a honeymoon. They were pretty tight on money and had bought no trip insurance. They also checked all their bags for a 9 day trip of Italy. Needless to say, their luggage never arrived the entire trip. Everyone in the group were loaning them clothes and toiletries. Unfortunately, the majority of us were nowhere near their age or size. So they were wearing the same couple of sets of clothes and hand washing them each night. They did each buy a pair of jeans in Rome. But they were extremely expensive (over $150 each). Not too many JCPenny's in Rome. And the poor girl didn't have any of her makeup. It wouldn't have been a big deal to me. But it sure was to a newlywed.

We also had a friend that was hit by a motorcycle is London. Crazy but the driver's insurance wouldn't pay for quite a bit of her medical and definitely not the first class flight home. Luckily she had trip insurance that paid for everything not covered by the driver. It was over $25,000. It covered leftover medical, hotel for her husband for over a week, meals for them both, extra travel expenses. And their flights back home. She was like the previous post where she couldn't bend her leg and had to fly first class.

So, I think we will continue to purchase travel insurance. Our Blue Cross Blue Shield has told us that it covers some emergencies abroad, but not all. They suggest you look into their GeoBlue insurance for overseas.

From their site:
"Though many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans cover international care in emergency situations, GeoBlue offer the most complete set of benefits and access to services like emergency medical evacuation, which might not be covered by your regular plan."

So I am not taking any chances just to save a hundred or so dollars.

 

[shoes99]

We used it to cover a visit to the medical center on our cruise to Alaska. I booked a whale watching excursion and the night before DH had a panic attack. I told him
he did not have to go but I was going. In order for us to get his excursion fee back he had to go to see the ships doctor and get an excuse note.
He gave him a basic check up. It cost approx $165.
DCL refunded the whale watching excursion fee ($approx 149) and when I got home I submitted the bill to Medicare (Alaska is US so not a foreign port). They paid part then I submitted the
difference to trip insurance ( I used DCL's). We got all fees paid. I always buy trip insurance.

 

[Divslp]

I bought it for our first trip, didn't buy it for our second trip. Guess which trip we needed to use it for? Our second trip, who docked in Port Canaveral to news that there was a huge blizzard in our state and all flights were canceled. My husband needed to be back for an urgent work reason, so the airline refunded our tickets and we ended up renting a car and driving back towards the snow. So it wasn't too bad, but could've been worse.

 

[pirate33]

We never buy it anymore.
Years ago I bought it once but then found out our credit card has us covered for almost every concern we might have. By buying trip insurance I was over insured/doubling up and wasting money.

Do they cover med evac? That is one of the major concerns with a cruise in particular and also to countries with less developed health care systems. Indeed, I just heard of a situation in which a teenager was gravely injured in France, and now that he is stabilized the family would like to get him back to the U.S. If you haven't arranged for this sort of thing ahead time through insurance, it would be financially impossible for most people (80-200K just for the medical transport). Regular health insurance does not cover this.

 

[mareed]

Have purchased it through TravelGuard for every cruise (about 20) and have made 3 claims. Dr. visit onboard and antiobiotics, lost camera on a shore excursion (at WDW), & damaged camera on shore in Cozumel. While these were relatively minor claims, it's really the big possible medical expenses including evacuation as the reason I get the insurance. But since I have it anyway, you can bet I'll submit even the smaller claim if I have one.