Thread: When to buy Insurance

I started a new thread rather then using an old because I felt the topic was a touch different - even though there are a million posts about Insurance...Hey Tim gets your numbers up right

Anyway - when do you buy insurance, how long can you wait. Example both my booked cruises sail from FL and I live in NY, so I will need airfare and hotel. I booked without a TA since I really do not have one locally that I know and trust so I still need to get the hotel and airfare... With that being said, obviously I will not get airfare until things get closer to cruise time so I do not know the exact price, and flying from NY in the winter could cause a bit of a problem..

So, can I pick up the insurance later on, like a month before the cruise or will that be too late? Should I take a wild guess at the price of hotel and airfare and just add that too?

Any help would be great!!

WE always get our insurnace within the 14 days they give us to choose because of my DH health issues. We figure about what the other things might cost from past cruises, flights, hotels, etc and add it to the cost. A little more or less won't change it that much. We had to change insurance companies because we realized we needed primary coverage and with the company we use now, everything is covered. I like to be ahead of it, and it does cost a little more, but better to be safe than sorry.

I agree with Jeanne. It's a matter of a few dollars one way or the other in the end. Get it now.

We are like Jeanne...we purchase within the proscribed time limits to get the pre-existing condition waiver. By the way, that is not only for the cruisers but if you have parents or other close relatives who have medical conditions that might flare up and cause you to cancel your cruise, you would be covered.

All the companies I have dealt with over the years allow you to update and add flights/hotels after the fact and then charge you if there is a change in your premium.

Since you are past the time for the pre-existing condition waiver, I would suggest that you purchase your insurance before the day you make final payment so there would be no loss if you needed to cancel.

All the other coverage would be the same no matter when you purchase it.

As a retired teacher and civil servant we have access to great insurance.

Each August we determine for how many days we will be out of the country and then pay a monthly amount based upon our current health status. We generally select 40 days. We can leave the country any number of times but only for our chosen 40 days. The insurance covers medical and health related cancellations.

We could purchase insurance more cheaply for short trips, but overall it's a great deal for our needs.

I always recommend travel insurance, but I always HIGHLY recommend it if traveling: during the Winter; during hurricane season; anytime to Europe; with small children; with the elderly; or have pre-existing conditions which could change your health at the last minute.

I'll use Travel Safe as an example to help answer your questions, but most companies are very similar in their policies.

If you purchase the travel insurance within 15 days after you made your initial deposit, you are covered for three things that you are not covered for if you purchase the travel insurance at a later date. Those three things are:

1. Pre-existing conditions
2. Financial solvency of the agency, airline, cruise line, etc.
3. Acts of Terrorism

You are still covered for all the other items no matter when you purchase the insurance, but these are items that may or may not be important to you.

You can actually purchase the travel insurance up until the day before you depart on your trip. However, in order to be covered for certain items, they cannot have developed before your purchase. For example; weather-related storms cannot have been pre-dicted; injuries cannot have yet occurred, etc.

As for how much to purchase, you can buy the insurance to cover just your cruise and then increase it later when you buy the airfare. Keep in mind that alot of insurance is actually purchased in $500 increments, so if you cruise is for $1200, round up and purchase $1500 of insurance (the price is the same price for $1000 - $1500) - you may find this is enough to cover the airfare anyway.

Normally, you don't need to worry about the hotel costs because they will usually refund any payments if you let them know you're not coming several hours before you're suppose to arrive. Check with them to see what their cancellation policy is - you may not need to add this to the insurance coverage. Then again, you may find you've purchased enough insurance to cover it anyway.

As with anything, there are good companies and bad companies. Do your homework, work with your agent, and check out the policy to make sure you're purchasing travel insurance and not travel protection - there is a big difference!

Pete

Thanks all - awesome information.. Yes Pete I remember your thread about insurance and protection.

I might be within the time limit for one cruise, but not that other, which is okay. The only thing I can foresee is weather or something else causing us to miss 30 billion planes to get to FL.. We are both fairly health so (god forbid) any health issues would be new, and Act of Terrorism that is interesting

I want to pick it up very soon - mainly to cover the cost of the cruise, figure it is about 10% or less - 2000 would be 200 - so to me I think 200 bucks is worth protecting 1800.

I thank you, my main questions was answered, did I screw up by not ordering my insurance stat, answer is obviously no.

Is the insurance offered through the cruise lines to be correct - crap? I would rather go third party and plan too, I was just curious if thiers has many restrictions.. Such as, well you did not book the flight with us so we will not cover you...

Thanks again all for your quick replys!!!

The general consensus is to buy third party insurance. A good place to compare many policies side by side is InsureMyTrip.com. Check it out.

Originally Posted by Char

The general consensus is to buy third party insurance. A good place to compare many policies side by side is InsureMyTrip.com. Check it out.

Heard of them from other posts here but forgot all about them, thanks Char .. your the best!

Originally Posted by Char

The general consensus is to buy third party insurance. A good place to compare many policies side by side is InsureMyTrip.com. Check it out.

There is one exception to that. For 3rd party insurance age is a factor and the older the more expensive the insurance. Cruise line insurance is the same for someone 18 or 81.

Reggie