|
|
CRUISE
INSURANCE |
If you think that you will never need to
purchase travel insurance for your cruise, think again. The cruise lines
have taken an increasingly hard line in recent years, and they rarely
reimburse uninsured passengers for cruise cancellation or interruption
anymore. Travel insurance is a small price to pay for the financial
peace of mind a full coverage policy provides. Some travel insurance
policies also cover missed connections, lost or delayed baggage,
emergency medical evacuation, emergency medical and dental expenses and
emergency legal assistance. Be certain to closely review the details of
your policy prior to purchase to be certain you have the coverage you
need.
Travel insurance prices used to be based
solely on the cost and/or length of the trip, on a per person basis,
regardless of age. Now premiums are based on the cost of the trip per
person and the ages of the passengers. Some of the companies are also
using the trips destination as a factor in determining premiums. One of
the travel insurance companies even covers children under certain 16 for
free, as long as they are traveling with their parents.
Here are some other tips to keep in mind
about travel insurance:
-- Medicare will not cover you outside of
the United States.
-- HMO’s and PPO’s might reduce coverage
or eliminate it entirely when you leave your coverage area.
-- You can purchase travel insurance
through your travel agent, the cruise line, directly with the travel
insurance company or online travel insurance brokers. We recommend using
the online travel insurance brokers that will offer you multiple plans
offered by most travel insurance companies. Such brokers allow you to
compare coverages and to buy online.
-- In some parts of the world, you must
pay in cash at the medical facility at the time of treatment. Travel
insurance will cover this, up to the limits of your policy.
-- If you are injured or become ill in a
remote location, or a place that does not have suitable treatment
facilities, you may need to be airlifted to the United States or another
country for care. Emergency medical evacuations can run into the tens of
thousands of dollars, and your insurance will cover this, up to the
limits of your policy.
-- Some companies do not cover preexisting
medical conditions at all, while others require that the insurance be
purchased within 10 to 21 days of making the initial cruise deposit in
order to provide this coverage. Most of the policies available through
the cruise lines exclude coverage for preexisting medical conditions.
-- When it comes to trip cancellation or
interruption due to death, illness or injury, most travel insurance
companies normally cover you for yourself, your traveling companions and
your immediate family members. Check with your travel insurance company
to find out how they define immediate family members.
-- Some cruise lines offer cancellation
waiver insurance, which is not the same thing as trip cancellation or
interruption insurance. Waivers generally only apply to cancellations
made at least several days prior to the scheduled start of the trip.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance will cover you from the
time that you purchase your cruise until you return from the trip. To be
covered in both instances, you may need to purchase a combined waiver
and cancellation and interruption insurance policy.
Here is a well-known Travel Insurance online broker:
|
