Thread: Cruise Insurance - Where do you buy it?

Where do you buy your Cruise Insurance? Any special reason for purchasing it from that source?

I had to put "Other".

We buy ours either direct from the insurance provider or from the web site insuremytrip.com.

We always compare the various policies offered on the above mentioned web site and purchase as soon as we put our deposit down so we will have the pre-existing conditions covered.

We have it included in the package of benefits(that cost a service charge) with our bank account, we also get household plumbing emercency, car breakdown cover, Will writing(have got to do that), & other stuff.

Since I'm licensed to sell insurance I obviously buy it from myself - LOL - but like Char I buy it immediately so I am covered for pre-existing conditions since I have pre-existing conditions.

never but it!!!

Most important to me is that I get it!

My primary concern now is that I have some sort of medical coverage when I'm away from the U.S.! For the most part, I'm pretty comfortanle with what I can get from the cruise line. But, I also work with a specialized travel agent who sells a policy not from the cruise line.

I have been researching so-called annual policies covering not only medical expenses (my biggest worry) but also "standard" cancellation provisions. I just may opt for this option, but my planned-so-far 2011 trips have already been covered by trip-specific cover, so I'll have to re-do my research!

SWR

We buy ours from our TA and always buy it as soon as we book a cruise.

I selected Other.

The last time I bought it direct from the insurance company. I look for a primary policy. I don't want to exhaust my other insurance coverages before the policy I buy for a vacation reimburses me if I have a claim.

I voted "other" I shop around and try to get the best deal.

I've discussed this at lengths on other posts. Buying travel insurance is always recommended, but it is always highly recommended when traveling during hurricane season, during Winter, flying to foreign countries, anytime with small children, or seniors. And as I always say, you hope it's a waste of your money because if you need it, it's usually not for a good reason. I could tell you horror stories about problems people have had - such as the elderly gentleman who had a heart attack while on a Panama Canal cruise. They airlifted him to a foreign hospital where he went into a coma for a couple of weeks and then died. Long story short, his wife had to stay in a hotel for the whole time, had to ship the body home, etc, etc. Total cost $100,000!! Had she not had travel insurance, it would have been a major problem.

But the most important thing about travel insurance;

1) Make sure you're buying travel insurance and not travel protection. There is a big difference and it can cost you big time.

2) For most people, independent insurance is much better and much cheaper than that offered by the cruise line.

3) Talk to your agent about insurance. They will have one or two companies with which they have a good working relationship.

4) Best price does not mean best coverage. Biggest brand name does not mean best coverage. And best deal does not mean best coverage.

We always buy travel insurance whenever we travel - the one time we didn't buy it was one time we needed it. Of course, if you can afford to lose the entire cost of your trip, have great health insurance that will cover you in foreign countries, and you have money available for emergencies, then by all means don't get the travel insurance.

Cruise Planners use to sell insurance from 5 companies. We fired 2 of them (both big names in the business) for not providing good customer service to our clients. One of them got out of the travel insurance business, and the two remaining provide very good policies at a reasonable price while giving very good customer service. So, as I mentioned, big brand names are not often the best deals.

As has been stated in the past, it's not the cost of the policy nor the policy itself that determines the best coverage since they are all very similar. It's the customer service after the fact that determines if an insurance company is good or not.

Pete