Hey guys! Thanks for watching. Here's my full guide, recommendations and step by step instructions emmacruises.com/cruise-travel-insurance-why-you-need-it-and-how-to-get-it-step-by-step-guide/
Hi Emma - An important included benefit with premium credit cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express is that they cover emergency transportation and medical costs. If you travel or cruise often, these cards may pay for themselves in savings and points.
Emma...... my wife and I want to THANK YOU! After watching your video, we realized that our cruise insurance would NOT cover Sarah if she had an asthma issue, because it was considered pre-existing. NCL refunded our money for the insurance and we ended with with private insurance that covers pre-existing conditions, and, it was also 1/2 the price!!!!! So.....we are SO GRATEFUL to you for this video. Fortunately, the cruise went off without a hitch, and didn't need to use the insurance. THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!!!
@@gailjohnson9066 We went with SquareMouth and from them John Hancock Silver plan. Reasonable and great benefits. One of the perks, I think, is benefits after a 3 hour flight delay...instead of 6 hours.
Most plans require that you purchase within 14-21 days of booking the cruise to get the pre-existing conditions covered without an additional fee. We basically book the insurance within a day or two of booking the cruise. We can always add more to the insurance after I figure out the flight costs. Another note--insurance purchased thru the cruise line will only cover what you book thru the cruise line. Private insurance will cover your entire trip--better coverage and generally cheaper. My credit card has coverage, but it is very restrictive and not enough coverage.
Bruce is from my home state of South Carolina and he and his wife made another tragic mistake. They didn’t have passports. Carnival allowed them to travel with just a drivers license and a birth certificate but when he was transported to a hospital, his wife found they needed a passport to get back home. A hard lesson to learn: always have a passport when leaving the U.S.; you may need one to get back in.
@@davidfence6939 I was the first in my family to get a passport. I had no choice if I wanted to go to Europe and was thankful I did. My mother, born on a farm in the 30s, didn’t have a birth certificate and had extra trouble getting a passport, but when she visited me in Europe, it was so worth it.
True but luckily it was not too hard for them to get a temporary passport to return. You will not be stranded and not be able to return but it could take a several hours or days if not an emergency to get permission to return.
@@shawnmartin95358 usually the government only denies a passport application because of a criminal record (like a sex offense or being on parole) or the person has defaulted on a loan from the Federal government. A lot of older Americans born in rural areas don’t have birth certificates and think they can’t get a passport, but that’s not true. My mom had to jump through a few more hoops but she was able to get one without a birth certificate.
My mom had a heart attack on a Caribbean cruise. She was dropped off in Cartagena Colombia at the Hóspital Boca Grande (Big Mouth, really?) where it was determined she needed a stent. She had travel insurance, who called the hospital and asked if they did that procedure. Their answer was yes, but not very often. She was determined to be stable enough to fly and was air ambulanced to the USA for the procedure, courtesy of the insurance. My parents would be two of the few people to have left Colombia without going through customs, lol.
You quickly touched on the topic of being an organ donor. My heart is shot along with my lungs and kidneys, but skin is an organ and I believe bones are. My grandson had cadaver bone put into his foot at 10 years old to correct his arch. People, even if you THINK your body is shot....please remain on the donor list!!
My husband and I learnt the value of having travel insurance. In 2015, my husband had a stomach bleed on the last full day of our New Zealand cruise, by time he admitted it was more than his stomach being “off”, the medical center on the cruise ship was unable to stabilize him to medivac off the ship and spent the next 15 hours monitoring him while we transit to our next port, Sydney Australia. When booking our cruise, I purchased the travel protection plan with the cruise line and since I booked our airfare separately, I also purchased additional travel insurance to cover the expense of the airfare, which was a good thing. The cruise line plan would have covered everything while we were on the ship but not all of what we encounter outside of the time frame of the cruise. His medical bills were 100% covered, most of extra cost of hotel stay and meals for me were covered as well as the additional week stay we had to do under doctor’s order. The fees for changing our flight were also covered as well. I originally purchased the travel insurance for in case we were not able to go, so glad I that had.
Well said! So many think this is too expensive - until they need it. My husband wound up in a hospital in Germany for 8 days, interrupting our river cruise and requiring lodging for me and flight changes, too. The insurance was an absolute blessing. I never travel without it, ever. Thanks for this video.
Emma, this is a much-needed video. I have an annual policy. They are so easy to set up since you do not have to add up the total cost of your vacation. You apply, pay for it, and boom, you have coverage for a year. Highly recommended for frequent travelers. Independent companies offer better coverage than the cruise lines in terms of limits and being primary insurance, so that you do not wait for your regular insurance claim to be denied before getting treatment under your travel policy. Note that even on policies that waive the lookback period for pre-existing conditions, the cap on those conditions may be well under what is covered for other conditions. I am not an insurance agent; please ask a professional any questions you have before buying a policy.
Thanks so much John. Yes! Me too. Completely agree, I spent so long trying to work it out yesterday. If in doubt, ask the company. Thanks for watching! :D
Emma, THANK YOU for the advice on having travel insurance for health issues. My husband and I took our last cruise in 2019. In 2022 our health has become more complicated. He has a pacemaker but I have several conditions related to having had lupus for years that weren’t present in 2019. You may have just saved my life! Thank you!
A tough subject but a very important one. I was taught if you can’t afford insurance, you can’t afford to travel. I’d never consider travelling overseas or a cruise without it. But it does make more sense why Americans might not have it. Though you’d think with them knowing what their prices are that they’d get some?
uh UK doesn't have single payer travel insurance, they only have the NHS which is for healthcare...they are in the same boat as Americans for travel insurance. :)
Medical facilities on a ship are awesome "urgent care" units. My husband is a medic and and had to use the facilities and he was highly impressed. He actually said it was better than a lot of emergency rooms he has taken people to.
That was well said Emma . I wouldn’t dare travel with out it as I always say “ The time I don’t buy it, is the time I’ll need it” so I rather have it (pay for it) and not need it (use it). Keep up the great work Emma
A good friend of mine’s father had a heart attack while on vacation in South America. He passed away while they were trying to evacuate to a hospital that could adequately help him. I don’t know if it was a problem with their insurance, but I do know that the delay in trying to get back was the problem. Your advice is invaluable and could very well be lifesaving.
We went on a Nile river cruise and one of my conditions for allowing it was insurance. Oh I had a fight there as she didnt want to spend £30-40 but I put my foot down on it. Fast forward to half way through the cruise and the entire boat had a viral outbreak. So much so we prohibited from landing anywhere and they actually ordered us to drop anchor mid river and they would send medical teams out to the boat. First thing the wanted to see when they got onboard were your insurance documents. Just to sit and tell them what was wrong with you, well that cost $380! I was lucky and didn't need anything but my partner who'd made such a stink about insurance. Her bill was over $8000 in the end for a, back then, young healthy early 30s gal. I've never had to fight with he about buying annual insurance since
I always travel with travel insurance with evacuation, COVID & medical covering any pre-existing conditions. Need to add the 'Cancel for any Reason' option in the future with all the sudden changes the cruise lines are implementing on passengers.
@@EmmaCruises CFAR coverage also has to be purchased within the first 2 or 3 weeks of initial payment for the trip. It does cost a bit more but it's worth it for peace-of-mind.
Thanks for putting a guide on your website to step people through learning about travel insurance. I will spend time learning about this and then using it when I start to cruise again. I have heard many people promote travel insurance, but you took it to the next step by educating people about it. Thanks for doing that.
I purchase a year-long policy that is very generous. It's far less expensive because I travel frequently, and I totally agree that travel insurance is somewhat like mandatory gratuities: yes, you can refuse to do it, but it's not a good idea and people who really know do it.
Emma, I have never cruised, and I probably never will (but who knows??? lol) but I enjoy learning new things and listening to different points of view. For some reason RUclips recommended your channel, and I'm glad it did because I've been really enjoying watching your videos and listening to advice about cruising. I guess maybe because it's a way I can "experience" something that I would not do otherwise. Thank you!!
What annoys me about travel insurance is that if you are older than 30, then you are bound to have some pre-existing condition. Plus, the insurance companies put the onus on you to tell them what ALL your conditions are, even something you have had once about 30 years ago (a kidney stone in my case.) People can forget what one off but potentially recurring ailments they had years ago.
I'm soon 40 and got a clean sleight still regarding pre-existing conditions. I wonder if your statement is accurate because among my group of friends I don't think anyone has anything. My girlfriend is also a blank piece of paper when it comes to that, which I guess is a good thing for insurance purposes. Just curious how common or uncommon this actually is because never thought much about it.
@@eowendyl I'm 65 and perhaps a bit unlucky with fairly minor but potentially expensive (for Insurance Companies,) conditions. I have had Asthma since I was 23, I hurt my back badly playing squash (don't ask,) when I was 30 and it has never cleared up, I had a kidney stone when I was in my early 30's but have never had since and was diagnosed with HPB in my mid 50's although lifestyle changes mean my BP is now normal and I don't take medication for it. EVeryone I know my age has something wrong with them that would need to be declared, even if they had only ever had a single bout many years ago.
Very good point! A good friend of mine, Mike was on safari in Africa and fell unconscious (the cause was never found). He was flown to the US and pumped full of antibiotics for several weeks before he regained consciousness. He had insurance that covered this. Thank you!
Thank you for this topic. When we are young and healthy, travel insurance is the last thing on our mind. Unfortunately, time and declining health require additional precautions. If one does not have savings, or substantial credit lines, travel insurance is a must.
94 and still cruising??? Emma your Gran is a LEGEND!!! I've never thought that I've wasted a single dollar paying for insurance. I get as much as my budget reasonably allows and for my house in a hurricane zone, my cars, my life, and my health I feel safe that I've done the best I can. But when I was younger not so much. Learning the difference of what would have been covered if I had played just $50 more a month when I was 25 the cost of an appendectomy with complications would have saved me more than $30,000 out of pocket!! It was a hard way to learn this but it's just how things work here in the USA!!
I’ve seen one man have a medical emergency and get flew to one place. But unfortunately that place wasn’t equipped to handle his condition. But his policy only cover 1 flight.
Emma, well said and I trust everyone will adhere to this video. One would not embark on a foreign holiday without a valid passport so neither should one embark on a foreign holiday without the appropriate travel cover.
The worst travel insurance policy I ever bought was in early January 2020 from a company with a name similar to "Wellington's" who sent an e-mail to me to tell me that my annual cover basically was completely invalid as the government suggested not travelling abroad (and therefore it was invalid) but since it was also a "suggestion" from the government that I couldn't cancel and claim on the insurance as I was "technically" still able to travel...
Insurance for evacuation can be vital. My boss and his wife were in Cancun with their in-laws. The brother-in-law had a heart attack, was taken to a hospital (they were not on a cruise) and the doctors determined he needed a stent. They refused, however, to place the stent without cash payment up front. They would not take a credit card. The man literally lay on the OR table while family wired money from the States. The process took hours, though, and sadly the gentleman died. Adding to their grief, the family felt they had been completely "shaken down."
Hi Emma can you add Canada to your list of insurance comparisons ? Next to huge US market we often get forgotten about, but thousands of us Canadians cruise too. Thanks, kindly 💖
Hey Hey! Canada and Australia are definitely the next to add to my guide, but it's already 3500 words long and not sure I can make people read anything longer!! ;)
Excellent video Emma! Insurance that covers you and your situation is so important. Insurance MUST be a part of your planning and must be covering all of the appropriate conditions!
California Linda shares thank you for your reminders in this vlog, it has been awhile since many of us have been crusing. Thank you and I am looking forward to next Thursday's live event with you 🇬🇧 and ilana 🇨🇦 . So glad you're back to enjoying crusing.
Absolutely right! I'm amazed that anyone would travel anywhere - especially on a cruise - without travel insurance. I think some banks' included insurance is OK - the important thing is to check it covers everything you need (including emergency evacuation, repatriation, etc.) and that you inform them of all pre-existing conditions and pay whatever extra charge they require to cover these. For me, you have to think "what possible excuses could this insurer come up with for not paying if I do need to make a claim?" and make sure you've covered them all in advance.
I have done 20 cruises without insurance. Over 30 years had a savings of about $4,000, adjusted over a conservative investment over those years would equal about $10,000. In my cash investment accounts. Also have $80,000 worth of available credit on my credit cards plus $50,000 cash in my checking account at all times. Some of us see insurance as a net worth drain. But I can see where people that live hand mouth and paycheck-to-paycheck, would need to pay for insurance
@@davidwilliams-wg9xo P&O are now insisting on it and to prove it at the port apparently. What has happened over the decades is that as more people worldwide have insurance for almost everything now, the suppliers of medical services have jacked up their prices as they see it as a magic money tree. 40 years ago when I started traveling, almost nobody had travel insurance. My mother spent 2 days in a ships hospital which cost her almost nothing but today that would be $1000's+++ thanks to the magic of insurance. The same applied to things like pet insurance, you pay the same as you did some decades ago (in todays prices) then you pay double that again on top because most people now have pet insurance.
@@stephanguitar9778 due to the habit of borrowing money. Almost every citizen of every country. Has this habit. I have always lived my life spending less than I earned and saving and investing the remainder. Which is grown my net worth exponentially I don't need to brag on how big it is but I don't need insurance for my home or my health. But I would never drive a car without auto insurance for sure. It's just too dangerous. It's sad so many people live hand-to-mouth paycheck-to-paycheck and of course are terrified living their lives in fear insurance has become the go-to product which wastes a lot of money. Once you get as big as me self-insurance is the way to go
@@davidwilliams-wg9xo UK and Australia. Just about everyone we know in both countries has pet insurance cause they wont be able to afford serious or ongoing treatment for their dog or cat. A quick visit to the vet in the UK will cost £60 just to turn up then loaded prices for any drugs etc.
Fab advice. Sorry to hear about Bruce :( -- and totally agree with that bit about organ donation. Regarding travel insurance, my husband had cancer one of the times we travelled. The insurance for him to go on a long weekend to Cork and back was £500. Our friends had bought us the tickets (we hadn't been able to go on a cruise the previous year after he'd had to have brain surgery) but I'm so glad we paid because the photos I took on that trip were the last in which he looks good before dying later in the summer. But please spare yourself the heartbreak of not being insured. I miss Jeremy and there was nothing we could have done -- his time was draining away and that trip was our last holiday together (apart from an overnight trip to a cricket game). But what happened to Bruce just breaks my heart. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
I don’t agree personally with organ donation my honest opinion, if you want that’s great but don’t be down on people who don’t want to do it. I get what Emma’s saying but it’s not for everyone. It’s sad about Bruce they should of done better, what trauma for his wife to go through.
I would venture to guess that one big reason travel insurance is so much more expensive in the U.S. is the fact that we don't have universal healthcare, so the policies have to cover people that not only aren't covered by default, but the expenses themselves are much higher.
Thank you so much for this information. I definitely want a good travel insurance policy and was having difficulty figuring out where/how to get it. You may have saved lives by making this video.
Great video! I work in the cruise industry and insurance is the number 1 thing people try to cheap out on. Insurance is always cheap when you NEED it and expensive when you dont,
Great video Emma, I will definitely look up your insurance quote next time I travel, I usually add the Carnival vacation protection when I book my cruise because it's convenient. I can easily add it and prepay gratuities before final payment due date. Never cruised without it.
Great video. I have a pre existing medical condition, would not dare go abroad without insurance that covers repatriation and the rest. Boggles the mind why people don't get any cover.
Thank you for this video. Because I've learned to respect your past cruise videos, I took this to heart. Generally buying extended insurance policies for new cars and electronic goods are a gold mine for the resellers and a general rip off for the consumer so I've always viewed those add on policies in a similar light. Thank you for giving me another, well informed perspective
Thank you, Emma! Thanks for the link to insurance. For the second time I have used the link to successfully purchase travel insurance. It is so much easier than the way I used to do. I appreciate it greatly!
Every cruise we have ever done, Barr the 2 night Disney uk staycation has had at least one helicopter rescue of a sick/ill person. One trip (norway) had two emergency evacuations! Luckily my dear husband gets travel insurance through his employer and that covers both of us, including our pre existing conditions. No way would I travel without insurance now. (Ashamed to say I did in my 20’s and 30’s) To travel on board a cruise ship, you should have at least a million pounds worth of cover. Helicopters are expensive.
Emma, you have truly amazing and valuable information on your website. As a well-traveled person, I was impressed at the breadth of useful details and tools you provide.
The other issue with this story is not just the lack of health insurance. They were also traveling without a passport which made choices very limiting. It’s unbelievable how people in the US think they can travel abroad without a passport. The fact that there’s a loophole for cruises, doesn’t mean that you should. Please people, always take your passport while on a cruise!
Oh really? I didn't know that or see the on the news. Interesting! I've done a lot of research into the passport thing, and yep I always say get the passport if you can. I wouldn't ever risk without, but there are some loop holes like you say: emmacruises.com/do-you-need-a-passport-to-cruise/
I always get the insurance, but bc I live in Caribbean, I also carry air ambulance policy at all times. Our little hospital is great; I had my daughter there and gall bladder surgery, but if anything major happened, I would like to be able to get to a mainland hospital.
Thank you for doing this video. I have already bought my insurance, through a comparison site. I took the silver policy, so not the cheapest available. I hope I never need the insurance. It is crazy to go without insurance!!
My wife and I are both senior citizens, with a few preexisting conditions. The travel insurance we use, in the United States, will only cover any preexisting condition if you purchase the insurance within 30 days of making the initial deposit. after that time frame preexisting conditions won't be covered. Even for cruises 18 months away, we've followed that rule and have had no trouble when we needed to make a claim.
I've had an insurance policy with a credit card that cover's anything on land or air but I don't know about a cruise since all I've is talk about. So you just added this to my check list. Telling it as it is.
The old saying that the devil is in the detail is extremely relevant when it comes to travel insurance. While it is a quick process to obtain quotes it is really important to spend the time understanding the coverage and its related conditions.
I had travel insurance from Allianz when I got covid on a Europe trip. Luckily all it did was force us to stay longer in one place than we planned and we had to cancel a multi day tour. They did eventually pay up for what was covered, but it took 3 months and I had to resubmit the same info and documents two or three times.
Here is something that a lot of people miss, if you are combining say a business trip with a holiday on the end of it, generally your company will cover the business trip and indeed might or might not cover an extension.. always check that! But the thing that catches people out is that if you get insurance for the extension yourself.. it generally has to run from leaving your home country, so in my case I often work away for 3 weeks and will add a 1 or so onto the end, my insurance actually has to cover the full 4 weeks and include all the countries while away.
Your vids are totally awesome. Thank you for sharing valuable information. I've see a lot of the problems and amities you have covered. Keep up the good work.
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Thanks for this info and the guide with the link you provided. On prior cruises, I never had travel insurance but going forward, it's definitely what is both prudent to get as well as required. My largest concern would be coverage for a delayed return and international travel required to repatriate if the cruise ship itself is not able to return to the scheduled home port. I'll be using your identified resource to evaluate options available. I will also check what coverage is provided by my credit card as well.
Several year ago (pre Covid) my daughter and son in law were traveling internationally and decided to get travel insurance. Well during their trip they became ill with a respiratory virus and couldn’t fly. The insurance company rejected their claim because they had both had had respiratory illness in the past. Not the same one or anything special and it had been years but the insurance company claimed preexisting conditions. Apparently even a sinus infection can be a preexisting condition for a completely different respiratory illness. The doctor rolled her eyes and said this happens all the time and offered to help them challenge it.
@@smc130 Until the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) passed denying healthcare coverage based on preexisting conditions was both legal and common in the US. I don't know how the ACA interacts with travel insurance policies. Insurance laws can vary between the different US states, and it's very possible that travel insurance has broad latitude for exclusions.
They're usually just overpriced travel insurance policies that you can buy elsewhere cheaper and don't provide any better protections. In my opinion :)
I always buy travel insurance for any trip that takes me out of the United States (my home country). We have used it once, and I was so glad to have it.
Thanks for this video. We always buy travel insurance for our cruises. Our TA had a very good policy, but we had to purchase right away after booking our cruise so that pre-existing conditions would be covered....
This is one of those, well of course you do that, or huh, never thought of that. Make photocopies /digital scan of the front page of your passport. If lost or stolen its definitely expedites the process. A copy with a close family member back home is not a bad idea, or at least one in a place you can tell them where it is. I would also talk to your regular insurance and ask if they cover world wide. Mine does, but medical transportation would be a separate issue. I'm in the US.
I'm so glad I live in a country with good medical insurance. I pay about $1500/yr and that includes world coverage. Insurance is mandatory, but there is no such thing as "preexisting conditions excluding you from coverage". Insurance companies may not refuse anyone. I was once abroad, and was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Spend the night in hospital. The next morning, all I needed to do was made one phone call to my insurance company which took some basic info, asked the name and location of the hospital, and called me back half an hour later to say everything was taken care off. Never saw any bill.
I used to have travel insurance from my work policy. Never did read the fine print or needed to use the coverage. I know that it covered medical expenses up to a certain amount and any medical evacuation while travelling. 🙂🙂🙂
If you can afford the cruise you should be able to afford the insurance, iv had a yearly policy with a well known Building Society for a while, but because im on tablets for Hypertension the last 4 years i have to pay a extra £30 a year for the existing condition, which is stated on my insurance policy, but 60 p a week is worth the piece of mind, dont take the risk with your life.
We always get trip insurance, but so far, only for domestic US flights (we don’t cruise). We did recently have to cancel a trip for our son and DIL so they could come out to visit over Thanksgiving. DIL became ill 2 days before the trip. We’re still in the process of filing that claim, so no word yet on a refund…..
I never bought travel insurance until I started cruising. But I do for every cruise. I think it's more important now that cruiselines are sending you into quarantine and home if you test positive. Overall, it's a necessary cost. Better the $100 than $10s of thousands should something happen. Sucks, yeah but...
My siblings and I (Mom pitched in too but it was mostly us kids) took our Mom on a Caribbean cruise for her 60th birthday and the ship that we were on had a hospital onboard.
A friend of mine had a severe fall when traveling to the Bahamas and ended up needing a Medevac flight back to Miami in the US. The travel insurance covered that but then she needed a Medevac flight from Miami back to her home state. The travel insurance would only cover one flight not two. Just one of those details that's always buried deep inside the policy. I think the second flight cost her about $7,000
Thank you so much for this. I had purchased cruise insurance from the cruise line, but purchasing this supplemental insurance, even though the cruise line's insurance will pay first, is great peace of mind.
Its worth mentioning pre-existing medical conditions isn't just diabetes and such, it's also allergies and things like that. If you know you have an allergy (food, insect bites/stings, etc) you need to declare it when getting travel insurance of any kind.
I had a stroke in my home a year and a half ago. I am very lucky that the top stroke center in NJ is only 3 miles away. I got there 30 minutes after the onset. They treated me with tPA and within an hour I was totally recovered. It is SO IMPORTANT to get to a stroke center within 3 hours of onset.
@@EmmaCruises Thanks. Yes I had a full recovery. I went into thg he emergency department totally paralyzed on my right side and within an hour of getting tPA, I got all movement back.
On a side note buy your insurance when you book and certainly by the time you pay the balance. Buying it just before departure will most likely mean you are not covered for medical cancellation (covid especially) most insurers have a lead time of 14 days before the cruise for the policy to be active regarding cancellation. My partner sells insurance and this is always pointed out to customers at the point of purchase, surprising how many people don't know. So have your insurance in place as soon as possible.
One way to look at it is how much you spent for the cruise. The insurance is pretty low cost. Especially when you factor that that chances of getting severely sick is extremely low but extremely fatal and cost prohibitively expensive if it occurred. Just be smart or if you you have lots of money set aside a large amount of liquid cash for such emergency. First option is probably practical for majority of people.
some years ago we went to Australia asked about the high cost the agent said how much it would cost for medivac? you fly back with doctors and nurses and kit as necessary that's not cheap!
We have travel insurance through a Building Society. As we have medical conditions we pay an extra £290 for an annual policy which covers worldwide travel. We also carry a letter which is confirmation of our cover which includes cruise cover and maximum of $10,000,000 cover. Travelling with inadequate travel insurance is madness.
its pretty expensive here in australia too. we looked into getting travel insurance for our very first cruise and it was around $200 each person, but as i could not find any policy from any company here that covered any of my pre existing illnesses we decided not to take it out. and havent taken it out for our next 3 cruises booked either. hopefully as were travelling only in australia all will be ok :)
We had that free bank insurance for years and we never gave any details to them at all or checked what it covered. Luckily we never had to make a claim. It expired when we were 65 and we now have a bespoke travel policy each with cruise and COVID cover.
The biggest problem with travel insurance for repatriation from a foriegn port to your home hospital is that the insurance company "reimburses" the expense. It will show that this is a "covered expense". Since they don't pay upfront, the patient has to have the tens of thousands or hundredsof thousands of dollars/pounds or there is no flight...therefore no claim. When calling insurance companies you will find they offer a real run-around answer like, "We evaluate all situations and make an appropriate deccision." They never say, "We pay for the flight upfront." Keep in mind if you need medical evacuation you need a dedicated aircraft equipped for med evac, a flight crew, a doctor and tech. Round trip. These flights are extremely expensive.
Part of the reason that I think US policies tend to be more expensive is that there isn't much in the way of any government subsidized portion, whereas in some countries, there may be (ex. public health care). In the US, this is mostly privatized and "for profit" basically (basically they are businesses with some government regulation, but otherwise for-profit businesses). There are other factors too, but that may be one reason why US insurance policies are higher.
I was due to travel on Viking Venus on 24 July but had to cancel less than 2 weeks before travelling because my insurance did not cover me because of the UK advisory against cruise travel in international waters. I couldn't get any cover elsewhere either. Luckily Viking allowed me to move my booking. So many people from the UK were on this voyage. None would have been covered if they travelled as a usual holiday guest without some get out such as "working" or with a US partner and on their policy.
Usually I decline rental car insurance because my regular auto insurance covers me. But I was so tired of being on hold I just said yes to shut the guy up and move on to my next phone call. I figured I could modify later. Well, I forgot and ended up with the top level of insurance. Lucky me. Canadian auto insurance doesn't cover you in the UK. Then because I wasn't used to driving as fast as locals on narrow Scottish roads I had an accident. I got a new car delivered to me next day, no questions asked, no extra fees.
Hey guys! Thanks for watching. Here's my full guide, recommendations and step by step instructions emmacruises.com/cruise-travel-insurance-why-you-need-it-and-how-to-get-it-step-by-step-guide/
Thanks, I used your link to buy a policy for our Nov cruise. Seems like a good policy and good price.
Hi Emma - An important included benefit with premium credit cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express is that they cover emergency transportation and medical costs. If you travel or cruise often, these cards may pay for themselves in savings and points.
Thank you!
Hey Emma, this is great advice but the trip insurance quote is almost as much as my cruise! It is over $8,000! That is just not doable for me.
Emma...... my wife and I want to THANK YOU! After watching your video, we realized that our cruise insurance would NOT cover Sarah if she had an asthma issue, because it was considered pre-existing. NCL refunded our money for the insurance and we ended with with private insurance that covers pre-existing conditions, and, it was also 1/2 the price!!!!! So.....we are SO GRATEFUL to you for this video. Fortunately, the cruise went off without a hitch, and didn't need to use the insurance. THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!!!
Hey Mark! I'm SO HAPPY to read that you got it sorted!!! Phew!!!!! :D
What co. Did you switch to?
@@gailjohnson9066 We went with SquareMouth and from them John Hancock Silver plan. Reasonable and great benefits. One of the perks, I think, is benefits after a 3 hour flight delay...instead of 6 hours.
Most plans require that you purchase within 14-21 days of booking the cruise to get the pre-existing conditions covered without an additional fee. We basically book the insurance within a day or two of booking the cruise. We can always add more to the insurance after I figure out the flight costs. Another note--insurance purchased thru the cruise line will only cover what you book thru the cruise line. Private insurance will cover your entire trip--better coverage and generally cheaper. My credit card has coverage, but it is very restrictive and not enough coverage.
Bruce is from my home state of South Carolina and he and his wife made another tragic mistake. They didn’t have passports. Carnival allowed them to travel with just a drivers license and a birth certificate but when he was transported to a hospital, his wife found they needed a passport to get back home. A hard lesson to learn: always have a passport when leaving the U.S.; you may need one to get back in.
@@davidfence6939 I was the first in my family to get a passport. I had no choice if I wanted to go to Europe and was thankful I did. My mother, born on a farm in the 30s, didn’t have a birth certificate and had extra trouble getting a passport, but when she visited me in Europe, it was so worth it.
True but luckily it was not too hard for them to get a temporary passport to return. You will not be stranded and not be able to return but it could take a several hours or days if not an emergency to get permission to return.
Sometimes you can't get a passport
@@shawnmartin95358 usually the government only denies a passport application because of a criminal record (like a sex offense or being on parole) or the person has defaulted on a loan from the Federal government. A lot of older Americans born in rural areas don’t have birth certificates and think they can’t get a passport, but that’s not true. My mom had to jump through a few more hoops but she was able to get one without a birth certificate.
@@ysbel or, owe back child support
My mom had a heart attack on a Caribbean cruise. She was dropped off in Cartagena Colombia at the Hóspital Boca Grande (Big Mouth, really?) where it was determined she needed a stent. She had travel insurance, who called the hospital and asked if they did that procedure. Their answer was yes, but not very often. She was determined to be stable enough to fly and was air ambulanced to the USA for the procedure, courtesy of the insurance. My parents would be two of the few people to have left Colombia without going through customs, lol.
So so so relieved that you had travel insurance!!!!
Many many people left Colombia without going through customs
You quickly touched on the topic of being an organ donor. My heart is shot along with my lungs and kidneys, but skin is an organ and I believe bones are. My grandson had cadaver bone put into his foot at 10 years old to correct his arch. People, even if you THINK your body is shot....please remain on the donor list!!
❤️❤️❤️
My husband needed a heart transplant when he was 38 years old. He just turned 69. Thank you, organ donors!💖💖💖!
Excellent video on the importance of the right travel insurance. Pay more if necessary with pre-existing conditions, but, NEVER go without insurance.
Thanks so much Lou. Appreciate it! :)
My husband and I learnt the value of having travel insurance. In 2015, my husband had a stomach bleed on the last full day of our New Zealand cruise, by time he admitted it was more than his stomach being “off”, the medical center on the cruise ship was unable to stabilize him to medivac off the ship and spent the next 15 hours monitoring him while we transit to our next port, Sydney Australia. When booking our cruise, I purchased the travel protection plan with the cruise line and since I booked our airfare separately, I also purchased additional travel insurance to cover the expense of the airfare, which was a good thing. The cruise line plan would have covered everything while we were on the ship but not all of what we encounter outside of the time frame of the cruise. His medical bills were 100% covered, most of extra cost of hotel stay and meals for me were covered as well as the additional week stay we had to do under doctor’s order. The fees for changing our flight were also covered as well. I originally purchased the travel insurance for in case we were not able to go, so glad I that had.
Well said! So many think this is too expensive - until they need it. My husband wound up in a hospital in Germany for 8 days, interrupting our river cruise and requiring lodging for me and flight changes, too. The insurance was an absolute blessing. I never travel without it, ever. Thanks for this video.
Greetings from Germany! I hope things worked out alright for you and your husband is well now.
Emma, this is a much-needed video. I have an annual policy. They are so easy to set up since you do not have to add up the total cost of your vacation. You apply, pay for it, and boom, you have coverage for a year. Highly recommended for frequent travelers. Independent companies offer better coverage than the cruise lines in terms of limits and being primary insurance, so that you do not wait for your regular insurance claim to be denied before getting treatment under your travel policy. Note that even on policies that waive the lookback period for pre-existing conditions, the cap on those conditions may be well under what is covered for other conditions. I am not an insurance agent; please ask a professional any questions you have before buying a policy.
Thanks so much John. Yes! Me too. Completely agree, I spent so long trying to work it out yesterday. If in doubt, ask the company. Thanks for watching! :D
Thank you John. Your insight was valuable as Emma's videos are :)
Emma, THANK YOU for the advice on having travel insurance for health issues. My husband and I took our last cruise in 2019. In 2022 our health has become more complicated. He has a pacemaker but I have several conditions related to having had lupus for years that weren’t present in 2019. You may have just saved my life! Thank you!
A tough subject but a very important one. I was taught if you can’t afford insurance, you can’t afford to travel. I’d never consider travelling overseas or a cruise without it. But it does make more sense why Americans might not have it. Though you’d think with them knowing what their prices are that they’d get some?
uh UK doesn't have single payer travel insurance, they only have the NHS which is for healthcare...they are in the same boat as Americans for travel insurance. :)
Medical facilities on a ship are awesome "urgent care" units. My husband is a medic and and had to use the facilities and he was highly impressed. He actually said it was better than a lot of emergency rooms he has taken people to.
That’s good to hear!!! ❤️❤️❤️
That was well said Emma .
I wouldn’t dare travel with out it as I always say “ The time I don’t buy it, is the time I’ll need it” so I rather have it (pay for it) and not need it (use it).
Keep up the great work Emma
Yep! Thank you so much. I totally agree, it would be just luck the one time you didn't would be the one time you'd need it...
A good friend of mine’s father had a heart attack while on vacation in South America. He passed away while they were trying to evacuate to a hospital that could adequately help him. I don’t know if it was a problem with their insurance, but I do know that the delay in trying to get back was the problem. Your advice is invaluable and could very well be lifesaving.
The medical expenses in the US is a lot higher than most countries, which explains why US based insurance is more expensive that that of US.
About every other country in the world has free healthcare.
We went on a Nile river cruise and one of my conditions for allowing it was insurance. Oh I had a fight there as she didnt want to spend £30-40 but I put my foot down on it. Fast forward to half way through the cruise and the entire boat had a viral outbreak. So much so we prohibited from landing anywhere and they actually ordered us to drop anchor mid river and they would send medical teams out to the boat. First thing the wanted to see when they got onboard were your insurance documents. Just to sit and tell them what was wrong with you, well that cost $380! I was lucky and didn't need anything but my partner who'd made such a stink about insurance. Her bill was over $8000 in the end for a, back then, young healthy early 30s gal. I've never had to fight with he about buying annual insurance since
BLIMEY!!!!!!! Yes!! Exactly.
Cruise should cover that, as it happened on the cruise.
Those that had to pay should have sued.
I always travel with travel insurance with evacuation, COVID & medical covering any pre-existing conditions.
Need to add the 'Cancel for any Reason' option in the future with all the sudden changes the cruise lines are implementing on passengers.
Ooo, that one can be quite expensive so I haven't bought that before. But good idea if you do! :)
@@EmmaCruises CFAR coverage also has to be purchased within the first 2 or 3 weeks of initial payment for the trip. It does cost a bit more but it's worth it for peace-of-mind.
Thanks for putting a guide on your website to step people through learning about travel insurance. I will spend time learning about this and then using it when I start to cruise again. I have heard many people promote travel insurance, but you took it to the next step by educating people about it. Thanks for doing that.
Very welcome David! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I purchase a year-long policy that is very generous. It's far less expensive because I travel frequently, and I totally agree that travel insurance is somewhat like mandatory gratuities: yes, you can refuse to do it, but it's not a good idea and people who really know do it.
Thanks Emma we are heading to the Mediterranean in 30 days and for the first time we have Travel insurance Including Pre-Existing great advice
Yesss!! I am feeling proud. Hah a :-)
Emma, I have never cruised, and I probably never will (but who knows??? lol) but I enjoy learning new things and listening to different points of view. For some reason RUclips recommended your channel, and I'm glad it did because I've been really enjoying watching your videos and listening to advice about cruising. I guess maybe because it's a way I can "experience" something that I would not do otherwise. Thank you!!
What annoys me about travel insurance is that if you are older than 30, then you are bound to have some pre-existing condition. Plus, the insurance companies put the onus on you to tell them what ALL your conditions are, even something you have had once about 30 years ago (a kidney stone in my case.) People can forget what one off but potentially recurring ailments they had years ago.
I'm soon 40 and got a clean sleight still regarding pre-existing conditions. I wonder if your statement is accurate because among my group of friends I don't think anyone has anything. My girlfriend is also a blank piece of paper when it comes to that, which I guess is a good thing for insurance purposes. Just curious how common or uncommon this actually is because never thought much about it.
@@eowendyl I'm 65 and perhaps a bit unlucky with fairly minor but potentially expensive (for Insurance Companies,) conditions. I have had Asthma since I was 23, I hurt my back badly playing squash (don't ask,) when I was 30 and it has never cleared up, I had a kidney stone when I was in my early 30's but have never had since and was diagnosed with HPB in my mid 50's although lifestyle changes mean my BP is now normal and I don't take medication for it. EVeryone I know my age has something wrong with them that would need to be declared, even if they had only ever had a single bout many years ago.
The problem is..... the travel insurance companies have about fifteen gazillion exceptions and loopholes to allow them to deny paying your claim.
Very good point!
A good friend of mine, Mike was on safari in Africa and fell unconscious (the cause was never found). He was flown to the US and pumped full of antibiotics for several weeks before he regained consciousness. He had insurance that covered this. Thank you!
Thank you for this topic. When we are young and healthy, travel insurance is the last thing on our mind. Unfortunately, time and declining health require additional precautions. If one does not have savings, or substantial credit lines, travel insurance is a must.
Yep! So true. Thanks Anthony.
For a single trip we get it to start when we pay the full balance. That's when cancelling becomes an expensive thing.
94 and still cruising???
Emma your Gran is a LEGEND!!!
I've never thought that I've wasted a single dollar paying for insurance.
I get as much as my budget reasonably allows and for my house in a hurricane zone, my cars, my life, and my health I feel safe that I've done the best I can.
But when I was younger not so much.
Learning the difference of what would have been covered if I had played just $50 more a month when I was 25 the cost of an appendectomy with complications would have saved me more than $30,000 out of pocket!!
It was a hard way to learn this but it's just how things work here in the USA!!
She is! Such a legend :)
I’ve seen one man have a medical emergency and get flew to one place. But unfortunately that place wasn’t equipped to handle his condition. But his policy only cover 1 flight.
Emma, well said and I trust everyone will adhere to this video.
One would not embark on a foreign holiday without a valid passport so neither should one embark on a foreign holiday without the appropriate travel cover.
The worst travel insurance policy I ever bought was in early January 2020 from a company with a name similar to "Wellington's" who sent an e-mail to me to tell me that my annual cover basically was completely invalid as the government suggested not travelling abroad (and therefore it was invalid) but since it was also a "suggestion" from the government that I couldn't cancel and claim on the insurance as I was "technically" still able to travel...
Insurance for evacuation can be vital. My boss and his wife were in Cancun with their in-laws. The brother-in-law had a heart attack, was taken to a hospital (they were not on a cruise) and the doctors determined he needed a stent. They refused, however, to place the stent without cash payment up front. They would not take a credit card. The man literally lay on the OR table while family wired money from the States. The process took hours, though, and sadly the gentleman died. Adding to their grief, the family felt they had been completely "shaken down."
Great video. I think you've just found a new video segment - titled "What would Emma's Gran do?". Awesome video.
Haha!! I love that.
I *love* the idea of “what’s would Emma’s Gran do?”
Hi Emma can you add Canada to your list of insurance comparisons ?
Next to huge US market we often get forgotten about, but thousands of us Canadians cruise too. Thanks, kindly 💖
Hey Hey! Canada and Australia are definitely the next to add to my guide, but it's already 3500 words long and not sure I can make people read anything longer!! ;)
Excellent video Emma! Insurance that covers you and your situation is so important. Insurance MUST be a part of your planning and must be covering all of the appropriate conditions!
Thanks lots Kevan! :)
California Linda shares thank you for your reminders in this vlog, it has been awhile since many of us have been crusing. Thank you and I am looking forward to next Thursday's live event with you 🇬🇧 and ilana 🇨🇦 . So glad you're back to enjoying crusing.
Absolutely right! I'm amazed that anyone would travel anywhere - especially on a cruise - without travel insurance. I think some banks' included insurance is OK - the important thing is to check it covers everything you need (including emergency evacuation, repatriation, etc.) and that you inform them of all pre-existing conditions and pay whatever extra charge they require to cover these. For me, you have to think "what possible excuses could this insurer come up with for not paying if I do need to make a claim?" and make sure you've covered them all in advance.
I have done 20 cruises without insurance. Over 30 years had a savings of about $4,000, adjusted over a conservative investment over those years would equal about $10,000. In my cash investment accounts. Also have $80,000 worth of available credit on my credit cards plus $50,000 cash in my checking account at all times. Some of us see insurance as a net worth drain. But I can see where people that live hand mouth and paycheck-to-paycheck, would need to pay for insurance
@@davidwilliams-wg9xo P&O are now insisting on it and to prove it at the port apparently. What has happened over the decades is that as more people worldwide have insurance for almost everything now, the suppliers of medical services have jacked up their prices as they see it as a magic money tree. 40 years ago when I started traveling, almost nobody had travel insurance. My mother spent 2 days in a ships hospital which cost her almost nothing but today that would be $1000's+++ thanks to the magic of insurance. The same applied to things like pet insurance, you pay the same as you did some decades ago (in todays prices) then you pay double that again on top because most people now have pet insurance.
@@stephanguitar9778 due to the habit of borrowing money. Almost every citizen of every country. Has this habit. I have always lived my life spending less than I earned and saving and investing the remainder. Which is grown my net worth exponentially I don't need to brag on how big it is but I don't need insurance for my home or my health. But I would never drive a car without auto insurance for sure. It's just too dangerous. It's sad so many people live hand-to-mouth paycheck-to-paycheck and of course are terrified living their lives in fear insurance has become the go-to product which wastes a lot of money. Once you get as big as me self-insurance is the way to go
@@stephanguitar9778 where are you from? No one that I know personally has pet insurance LOL
@@davidwilliams-wg9xo UK and Australia. Just about everyone we know in both countries has pet insurance cause they wont be able to afford serious or ongoing treatment for their dog or cat. A quick visit to the vet in the UK will cost £60 just to turn up then loaded prices for any drugs etc.
Fab advice. Sorry to hear about Bruce :( -- and totally agree with that bit about organ donation.
Regarding travel insurance, my husband had cancer one of the times we travelled. The insurance for him to go on a long weekend to Cork and back was £500. Our friends had bought us the tickets (we hadn't been able to go on a cruise the previous year after he'd had to have brain surgery) but I'm so glad we paid because the photos I took on that trip were the last in which he looks good before dying later in the summer. But please spare yourself the heartbreak of not being insured.
I miss Jeremy and there was nothing we could have done -- his time was draining away and that trip was our last holiday together (apart from an overnight trip to a cricket game). But what happened to Bruce just breaks my heart. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
I don’t agree personally with organ donation my honest opinion, if you want that’s great but don’t be down on people who don’t want to do it. I get what Emma’s saying but it’s not for everyone. It’s sad about Bruce they should of done better, what trauma for his wife to go through.
I would venture to guess that one big reason travel insurance is so much more expensive in the U.S. is the fact that we don't have universal healthcare, so the policies have to cover people that not only aren't covered by default, but the expenses themselves are much higher.
I like your model behind you on the piano! I have enjoyed learning more about cruising from you as well!
Thank you! 😁❤️
Thank you so much for this information. I definitely want a good travel insurance policy and was having difficulty figuring out where/how to get it. You may have saved lives by making this video.
Thanks Laurie! I feel like people might get annoyed with me saying it over and over, but it's so worth it!! So important.
Great video! I work in the cruise industry and insurance is the number 1 thing people try to cheap out on. Insurance is always cheap when you NEED it and expensive when you dont,
Yep!! It's the most expensive thing to cheap out on, it's crazy! Thanks for watching.
Great video Emma, I will definitely look up your insurance quote next time I travel, I usually add the Carnival vacation protection when I book my cruise because it's convenient. I can easily add it and prepay gratuities before final payment due date. Never cruised without it.
Very true! Glad to hear it. See you at my live stream tomorrow maybe? :D
Great video. I have a pre existing medical condition, would not dare go abroad without insurance that covers repatriation and the rest. Boggles the mind why people don't get any cover.
Thanks for watching Tom! :)
Great and timely advice!
Thanks dude :-)
Thank you for this video. Because I've learned to respect your past cruise videos, I took this to heart. Generally buying extended insurance policies for new cars and electronic goods are a gold mine for the resellers and a general rip off for the consumer so I've always viewed those add on policies in a similar light. Thank you for giving me another, well informed perspective
Yes! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Thank you, Emma! Thanks for the link to insurance. For the second time I have used the link to successfully purchase travel insurance. It is so much easier than the way I used to do. I appreciate it greatly!
I am from Alabama, and one of the few perks is being at the top of a drop-down menu!! Xoxo
Every cruise we have ever done, Barr the 2 night Disney uk staycation has had at least one helicopter rescue of a sick/ill person. One trip (norway) had two emergency evacuations!
Luckily my dear husband gets travel insurance through his employer and that covers both of us, including our pre existing conditions. No way would I travel without insurance now. (Ashamed to say I did in my 20’s and 30’s)
To travel on board a cruise ship, you should have at least a million pounds worth of cover. Helicopters are expensive.
God Bless your Gran! Thanks for all the info you provide.
Critically important episode. Thank you.
Thanks Deb! It isn't the most fun topic to talk about, but I tried to in a way that would keep peoples attention. Hope it works!
Emma, you have truly amazing and valuable information on your website. As a well-traveled person, I was impressed at the breadth of useful details and tools you provide.
You're so kind, Thank you! 😁❤️
The other issue with this story is not just the lack of health insurance. They were also traveling without a passport which made choices very limiting. It’s unbelievable how people in the US think they can travel abroad without a passport. The fact that there’s a loophole for cruises, doesn’t mean that you should. Please people, always take your passport while on a cruise!
Oh really? I didn't know that or see the on the news. Interesting!
I've done a lot of research into the passport thing, and yep I always say get the passport if you can. I wouldn't ever risk without, but there are some loop holes like you say: emmacruises.com/do-you-need-a-passport-to-cruise/
I always get the insurance, but bc I live in Caribbean, I also carry air ambulance policy at all times. Our little hospital is great; I had my daughter there and gall bladder surgery, but if anything major happened, I would like to be able to get to a mainland hospital.
Thank you! I just bought insurance for our cruise in January, got a better deal than the cruise line was offering!!!:)
Thank you for doing this video. I have already bought my insurance, through a comparison site. I took the silver policy, so not the cheapest available. I hope I never need the insurance. It is crazy to go without insurance!!
My wife and I are both senior citizens, with a few preexisting conditions. The travel insurance we use, in the United States, will only cover any preexisting condition if you purchase the insurance within 30 days of making the initial deposit. after that time frame preexisting conditions won't be covered. Even for cruises 18 months away, we've followed that rule and have had no trouble when we needed to make a claim.
Just purchased my travel insurance! Thank you for the video and website suggestion.
I've had an insurance policy with a credit card that cover's anything on land or air but I don't know about a cruise since all I've is talk about. So you just added this to my check list. Telling it as it is.
Ha ha. Glad to hear it, thanks Jim! :-) PS, I had my chinese yesterday!! There's a pic of it on the community tab. Thank you! :-)
Again, fabulous information. Thanks soo much ♥️♥️♥️
Thanks Arlene! ❤️
The old saying that the devil is in the detail is extremely relevant when it comes to travel insurance. While it is a quick process to obtain quotes it is really important to spend the time understanding the coverage and its related conditions.
Oh of course, :-)
I had travel insurance from Allianz when I got covid on a Europe trip. Luckily all it did was force us to stay longer in one place than we planned and we had to cancel a multi day tour. They did eventually pay up for what was covered, but it took 3 months and I had to resubmit the same info and documents two or three times.
Here is something that a lot of people miss, if you are combining say a business trip with a holiday on the end of it, generally your company will cover the business trip and indeed might or might not cover an extension.. always check that! But the thing that catches people out is that if you get insurance for the extension yourself.. it generally has to run from leaving your home country, so in my case I often work away for 3 weeks and will add a 1 or so onto the end, my insurance actually has to cover the full 4 weeks and include all the countries while away.
Your vids are totally awesome. Thank you for sharing valuable information. I've see a lot of the problems and amities you have covered. Keep up the good work.
royal caribben test cruises just sent out the application :Mariner of the Seas - August 11th (2 Nights) from Port Canaveral, FL
Oasis of the Seas - August 22nd (6 Nights) from Bayonne, NJ
Liberty of the Seas - September 18th (4 Nights) from Galveston, TX
Next Question
Ooo yes. I have to admit, I don't understand why they're doing 'test' cruises when they're already doing lots and lots of real cruises.. :')
@@EmmaCruises i dont know why but i will not apply because none are in south Florida
Thanks for this info and the guide with the link you provided. On prior cruises, I never had travel insurance but going forward, it's definitely what is both prudent to get as well as required. My largest concern would be coverage for a delayed return and international travel required to repatriate if the cruise ship itself is not able to return to the scheduled home port. I'll be using your identified resource to evaluate options available. I will also check what coverage is provided by my credit card as well.
Thank you, yep definitely do that! Thanks for watching :)
Several year ago (pre Covid) my daughter and son in law were traveling internationally and decided to get travel insurance. Well during their trip they became ill with a respiratory virus and couldn’t fly. The insurance company rejected their claim because they had both had had respiratory illness in the past. Not the same one or anything special and it had been years but the insurance company claimed preexisting conditions. Apparently even a sinus infection can be a preexisting condition for a completely different respiratory illness. The doctor rolled her eyes and said this happens all the time and offered to help them challenge it.
I hope the won their case. I think the insurance they purchased was almost a scam it was so ridiculous in paying a valid claim.
@@smc130 Until the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) passed denying healthcare coverage based on preexisting conditions was both legal and common in the US. I don't know how the ACA interacts with travel insurance policies. Insurance laws can vary between the different US states, and it's very possible that travel insurance has broad latitude for exclusions.
Emma, what is your opinion of the "travel protection" programs offered by the cruise lines themselves and available when booking a cruise?
They're usually just overpriced travel insurance policies that you can buy elsewhere cheaper and don't provide any better protections. In my opinion :)
Everyone needs travel insurance. You just never know.
I always buy travel insurance for any trip that takes me out of the United States (my home country). We have used it once, and I was so glad to have it.
Thanks for this video. We always buy travel insurance for our cruises. Our TA had a very good policy, but we had to purchase right away after booking our cruise so that pre-existing conditions would be covered....
Thanks for watching Dale! :-)
This is one of those, well of course you do that, or huh, never thought of that. Make photocopies /digital scan of the front page of your passport. If lost or stolen its definitely expedites the process. A copy with a close family member back home is not a bad idea, or at least one in a place you can tell them where it is. I would also talk to your regular insurance and ask if they cover world wide. Mine does, but medical transportation would be a separate issue. I'm in the US.
Thanks you the tip,will definitely be getting some when we start cruising again
Yay! I'm glad Kathleen :-)
Emma, I love your channel. I have never cruised and really do not want to however, I love how helpful your channel is. Thanks for your hard work
Thank you, appreciate that one :-)
I'm so glad I live in a country with good medical insurance. I pay about $1500/yr and that includes world coverage. Insurance is mandatory, but there is no such thing as "preexisting conditions excluding you from coverage". Insurance companies may not refuse anyone.
I was once abroad, and was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Spend the night in hospital. The next morning, all I needed to do was made one phone call to my insurance company which took some basic info, asked the name and location of the hospital, and called me back half an hour later to say everything was taken care off. Never saw any bill.
Thanks. Tina
Of course you've mentioned this before and I took notice of it, but this video is much more educational. Thanks a lot!
I used to have travel insurance from my work policy. Never did read the fine print or needed to use the coverage. I know that it covered medical expenses up to a certain amount and any medical evacuation while travelling. 🙂🙂🙂
If you can afford the cruise you should be able to afford the insurance, iv had a yearly policy with a well known Building Society for a while, but because im on tablets for Hypertension the last 4 years i have to pay a extra £30 a year for the existing condition, which is stated on my insurance policy, but 60 p a week is worth the piece of mind, dont take the risk with your life.
Oh so so worth it. Thanks for watching! :)
We always get trip insurance, but so far, only for domestic US flights (we don’t cruise). We did recently have to cancel a trip for our son and DIL so they could come out to visit over Thanksgiving. DIL became ill 2 days before the trip. We’re still in the process of filing that claim, so no word yet on a refund…..
I never bought travel insurance until I started cruising. But I do for every cruise. I think it's more important now that cruiselines are sending you into quarantine and home if you test positive. Overall, it's a necessary cost. Better the $100 than $10s of thousands should something happen. Sucks, yeah but...
Yes! So glad to hear that.
My siblings and I (Mom pitched in too but it was mostly us kids) took our Mom on a Caribbean cruise for her 60th birthday and the ship that we were on had a hospital onboard.
Thank you for your recommendations. I just bought a policy and I feel so much more at ease now.
Phew!! I’m proud of you, 😀❤️
A friend of mine had a severe fall when traveling to the Bahamas and ended up needing a Medevac flight back to Miami in the US. The travel insurance covered that but then she needed a Medevac flight from Miami back to her home state. The travel insurance would only cover one flight not two. Just one of those details that's always buried deep inside the policy. I think the second flight cost her about $7,000
Thank you so much for this. I had purchased cruise insurance from the cruise line, but purchasing this supplemental insurance, even though the cruise line's insurance will pay first, is great peace of mind.
Oh yes absolutely, sounds good! :-)
I'm watching this in Alabama. We're cruising for Christmas and looking into travel insurance.
Its worth mentioning pre-existing medical conditions isn't just diabetes and such, it's also allergies and things like that. If you know you have an allergy (food, insect bites/stings, etc) you need to declare it when getting travel insurance of any kind.
I am so sorry for these people. My heart goes out to them. THE HEALTH INSURANCE IS A BUSINESS AND NOT HEALTH CARE. ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY.
I had a stroke in my home a year and a half ago. I am very lucky that the top stroke center in NJ is only 3 miles away. I got there 30 minutes after the onset. They treated me with tPA and within an hour I was totally recovered. It is SO IMPORTANT to get to a stroke center within 3 hours of onset.
My goodness! Hope all is okay ❤️
@@EmmaCruises Thanks. Yes I had a full recovery. I went into thg he emergency department totally paralyzed on my right side and within an hour of getting tPA, I got all movement back.
On a side note buy your insurance when you book and certainly by the time you pay the balance. Buying it just before departure will most likely mean you are not covered for medical cancellation (covid especially) most insurers have a lead time of 14 days before the cruise for the policy to be active regarding cancellation. My partner sells insurance and this is always pointed out to customers at the point of purchase, surprising how many people don't know. So have your insurance in place as soon as possible.
Agreed! 😂👍Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
One way to look at it is how much you spent for the cruise. The insurance is pretty low cost. Especially when you factor that that chances of getting severely sick is extremely low but extremely fatal and cost prohibitively expensive if it occurred. Just be smart or if you you have lots of money set aside a large amount of liquid cash for such emergency. First option is probably practical for majority of people.
Yep! So so true. Couldn't agree more. Thanks for watching :-)
some years ago we went to Australia asked about the high cost the agent said how much it would cost for medivac? you fly back with doctors and nurses and kit as necessary that's not cheap!
We have travel insurance through a Building Society. As we have medical conditions we pay an extra £290 for an annual policy which covers worldwide travel. We also carry a letter which is confirmation of our cover which includes cruise cover and maximum of $10,000,000 cover. Travelling with inadequate travel insurance is madness.
Yess!! Sounds like you've got it covered. Awesome :D
its pretty expensive here in australia too. we looked into getting travel insurance for our very first cruise and it was around $200 each person, but as i could not find any policy from any company here that covered any of my pre existing illnesses we decided not to take it out. and havent taken it out for our next 3 cruises booked either. hopefully as were travelling only in australia all will be ok :)
We had that free bank insurance for years and we never gave any details to them at all or checked what it covered. Luckily we never had to make a claim. It expired when we were 65 and we now have a bespoke travel policy each with cruise and COVID cover.
The biggest problem with travel insurance for repatriation from a foriegn port to your home hospital is that the insurance company "reimburses" the expense. It will show that this is a "covered expense". Since they don't pay upfront, the patient has to have the tens of thousands or hundredsof thousands of dollars/pounds or there is no flight...therefore no claim. When calling insurance companies you will find they offer a real run-around answer like, "We evaluate all situations and make an appropriate deccision." They never say, "We pay for the flight upfront." Keep in mind if you need medical evacuation you need a dedicated aircraft equipped for med evac, a flight crew, a doctor and tech. Round trip. These flights are extremely expensive.
Very valuable information.
Part of the reason that I think US policies tend to be more expensive is that there isn't much in the way of any government subsidized portion, whereas in some countries, there may be (ex. public health care). In the US, this is mostly privatized and "for profit" basically (basically they are businesses with some government regulation, but otherwise for-profit businesses). There are other factors too, but that may be one reason why US insurance policies are higher.
I was due to travel on Viking Venus on 24 July but had to cancel less than 2 weeks before travelling because my insurance did not cover me because of the UK advisory against cruise travel in international waters. I couldn't get any cover elsewhere either. Luckily Viking allowed me to move my booking.
So many people from the UK were on this voyage. None would have been covered if they travelled as a usual holiday guest without some get out such as "working" or with a US partner and on their policy.
Hmm, it's tricky, I had to buy a really expensive policy that covered international cruise travel against FCO advice. All very confusing!
Usually I decline rental car insurance because my regular auto insurance covers me. But I was so tired of being on hold I just said yes to shut the guy up and move on to my next phone call. I figured I could modify later. Well, I forgot and ended up with the top level of insurance. Lucky me. Canadian auto insurance doesn't cover you in the UK. Then because I wasn't used to driving as fast as locals on narrow Scottish roads I had an accident. I got a new car delivered to me next day, no questions asked, no extra fees.
Emma’s Gran is a legend! And I will make a bet that Emma will be cruising aged 100+!
haha!! I hope so. I wonder what the ships will be like by then... Maybe it'll be like the film Wall-e!! =P
I would make that bet however I will not be around to pay that out. 😂🍻👍🇦🇺