Do you buy trip insurance

sharbear · Jun 30, 2015

So I am planning on booking a trip to Italy (so excited). Do I purchase everything and then purchase the trip insurance. I want to do this correctly. After you've booked your trip, how long do you have to get the trip insurance?

Thanks, I've never booked a big trip like this before.

NHdisneylover · Jun 30, 2015

Coming back to add that on just about 30 cruises and bout 300 nights in board, we have had need to make one claim on our medical--for our most recent cruise when DH had chest pains and felt he should be checked out. His blood pressure had spiked and they ran multiple EKGs, kept him under observation several hours, did blood work, etc. There was talk off making us leave in the port we were docked in (St Peterburg, Russia) and visit a cardiologist there, but since everything remained normal for several hours after they put him on medicine to lower his BP that ended up not happening.

Not even leaving the ship for medical care on land, that bill was $2800 so it was a relief to have the medical coverage. We estimate it would have cost us about that much in airfare had they made us leave--which we would have covered and still is cheaper than buying insurance for those travel costs for 30 cruises plus another 60+ land trips in the last 15 years.

wishesuponastar · Jun 30, 2015

zoo2tycoon said:
We are doing a cruise in January. All healthy and no medical issues. 9 day caribbean cruise, would you get trip insurance. I've priced it out, seems like a lot BUT then I think if weather issues getting to port and home in the winter. I was able to book non-stop down and a return flight with layover in Atlanta.

I was glad I bought trip insurance last year because the day before we were supposed to travel my daughter injured her foot so we had to cancel.

GusGus77 · Jun 30, 2015

For cruises or international travel, yes. All other travel, no. I recommend going to one of the sites that compares different options.

minnie56 · Jun 30, 2015

Always always! I have a travel insurance policy on my homeowners insurance. Has trip cancellation, interruption and medical. I've had to use a few times and never seen one bill. Fabulous and I don't even think about it, I cross border shop a lot and I'm covered should God forbid anything happen there too. Can't beat that kind of peace of mind.

minkydog · Jun 30, 2015

It depends on the trip, but generally, if im spending more than $600, i will get the trip insurance. Only had to use it once, last year. We planned a week-long Alaska cruise, with extra days in Seattle. DH became seriously ill just after we had paid it all off and he was forbidden to fly. He actually had open heart surgery on the day we had planned to leave. Trip insurance recouped the almost $6000 we had sunk into this vacation.

xlxo · Jul 1, 2015

Also check your credit card.... premium cards have some travel insurance.

dollarmite · Jul 1, 2015

I never leave Australia without full travel insurance. This covers medical, cancellation, delays, damaged and lost/stolen items, hire car damage etc. When planning a trip, the first thing I do is book the flights, and within 24 hours will have also booked the travel insurance. IMO, if (general) you can't afford the couple of hundred dollars for the insurance, then (general) you can't afford the (tens of) thousands dollars the rest of the trip costs.

I've only had to make one claim, and as I had paid an extra $25 to reduce the excess to zero, I got back the full $1000 or so we were out of pocket. I had to claim for extra charges when DH was injured the day before we left on a trip and had to delay his departure by a few days (long story). We got back all the costs involved with rebooking DH's flight, pre-paid airport-hotel transfer and the nights he missed at our first hotel. The insurance paid for itself just in reimbursement of the flight rebooking fees alone.

I wouldn't ever consider going to the US without complete insurance as I'm not going to risk losing every penny I own if we ended up needing medical treatment there and were handed a huge bill as a 'souvenir'.

AnnaS · Jul 1, 2015

We purchase the insurance for all cruises and anytime we leave the country.

Goofy_Disney_Dad · Jul 1, 2015

We never travel internationally so that would be another reason we've never sought it out.

Missy1961 · Jul 1, 2015

tvguy said:
Everywhere I have cruised was within reach of the U.S. Coast Guard so the helicopter will be at no charge. Amazing how far they will go. A co-worker was half way between San Diego and Honolulu on the Amsterdam when his appendix burst. U.S. Coast Guard sent TWO helicopters for him......just in case one crashed they told him, AND a refueling aircraft. All, free of charge to him. Even flew him back to San Francisco, 30 miles from where he lived so he could be treated by his Doctor.

His rescue and video of it are mentioned in this report......showing how frequently the Coast Guard not only does medivacs, but delivers blood and medicines to cruise ships, all for free. But you do have to be somewhere close to a U.S. Coast Guard facility, so this would not work on a European cruise, but certainly on a Caribbean, Mexican, Alaskan or Hawaiian cruise.
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/air-drop-delivers-blood-cruise-passenger-15443765

Yes, the Coast Guard will get the patient out (if they can), but what about the people they're traveling with? and the USCG will bring the patient to the nearest hospital, they would still have to fly home. So it could end up costing you more than you think.

I don't travel far, but the last few times I did, I bought insurance. The plan I bought covered trip cancellation in case of job loss, and the situation at my employer worried me enough that I thought it made sense.

MrsDuck · Jul 1, 2015

We've bought it occasionally.

I buy especially if weather seems to be a concern. In the OPs situation, I'd buy in case of winter weather issues.

LynnTH · Jul 1, 2015

We too also buy Trip Insurance for all cruises. We also go through insuremytrip. They have a ton of different policies. We always get the "cancel for any reason" policy but this usually has to be purchased within 10-15 days of booking the cruise. We have almost had to use that twice on 2 different cruises - we didn't know until the day before we left if we were going to be able to go. One was because of flooding at DH's work (Marina) and the other was because DD had a high fever for about 3-4 days. It finally broke the day before leaving.

We did have to use the Trip Insurance for medical reasons on last cruise. DS fell on the ships basketball court (his fault) and broke his wrist in 2 spots. Went down to ship's doctor. They did x-rays and put on a temporary cast. Then they made an appointment for us the next day in Cozumel to see an Orthopedic Surgeon. He had to have more Xrays. They rebroke his wrist and then set it in a new cast. Kind of scary being in a Mexican Hospital. Way different than US Hospital. All went well. And of course you have to pay on the spot . So, paid by CC and did claim when we got home. Our medical insurance paid for some of it and what was not paid was covered by our trip insurance. So, we were reimbursed for all of it.

So, yes. We always will get trip insurance. You just never know what can happen. And always bring a Credit Card with you. Not sure what we would have done without that to pay.

wvjules · Jul 1, 2015

tvguy, you rely on the government and taxpayers to bail you out instead of being responsible for yourself?

CPT Tripss · Jul 1, 2015

Goofy_Disney_Dad said:
We never travel internationally so that would be another reason we've never sought it out.

Insurance covers a lot more than medical. If you have several thousand dollars in non refundable expenses should you need to cancel, then whether your trip is international or domestic is immaterial. Insure for what you can't pay out of pocket.

Goofy_Disney_Dad · Jul 1, 2015

CPT Tripss said:
Insurance covers a lot more than medical. If you have several thousand dollars in non refundable expenses should you need to cancel, then whether your trip is international or domestic is immaterial. Insure for what you can't pay out of pocket.

I've never felt the need to as I'm more than willing to assume the loss, should it occur. My wife and I travel very last minute and have no need or desire to involve insurance quotes into the equation.

msjprincess · Jul 1, 2015

wvjules said:
tvguy, you rely on the government and taxpayers to bail you out instead of being responsible for yourself?

Even if you have trip insurance if you're in the Coast Guard jurisdiction they are the ones who are going to medevac.

tvguy · Jul 1, 2015

wvjules said:
tvguy, you rely on the government and taxpayers to bail you out instead of being responsible for yourself?

No. I always travel with enough available credit on my credit card for that kind of emergency......something I have posted repeatedly on the Cruise Line Forum. Just making sure folks understand what most likely will happen.

wvjules · Jul 1, 2015

msjprincess said:
Even if you have trip insurance if you're in the Coast Guard jurisdiction they are the ones who are going to medevac.

I don't know that. Thanks.

Rhombus · Jul 1, 2015

Goofy_Disney_Dad said:
I've never felt the need to as I'm more than willing to assume the loss, should it occur. My wife and I travel very last minute and have no need or desire to involve insurance quotes into the equation.

I've never felt the need either. Same reason, I'm willing to accept the risk.

Do you buy trip insurance

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