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Travel Protection is vacation insurance and it's designed to protect your vacation investment in the event you must cancel due to unforeseen circumstances that may interfere with your ability to travel, or if things to go wrong while you are on your cruise.
We highly recommend you purchase Travel Protection Insurance. All cruise lines charge penalties if you must cancel your cruise within their penalty periods. And it is unwise to expect that they will make an exception, even under the direst circumstances. Travel Protection will refund these penalties if you cancel for a covered reason. You should also buy Travel Protection because most Americans have little or no health care coverage when they travel outside the country. When you board a foreign-flagged cruise ship, you physically enter another country. For those who do have health coverage in effect outside the US, medical evacuation is not included. Airlift transportation from a ship to a qualified medical facility can cost thousands and thousands of dollars, and without travel protection, you have no coverage and pay out of pocket, often up front! Travel Protection covers emergency medical transportation when necessary. Medical facilities on cruise ships and in resort destinations are extremely limited and may be inadequate for your condition. While the medical facilities on many of the newest cruise ships are state of the art, they are not hospitals. They are designed only to stabilize a patient until more comprehensive care can be obtained. It is not safe to assume that a cruise ship is equipped to treat every illness or injury. If you must be evacuated, your Travel Protection would cover the costs. Cruise Line and airlines claim little responsibility when things go wrong. It is not the responsibility of the cruise line to connect you with the ship if you miss it. And if you're flying to the port of embarkation, the airline is obligated only to fly you there and may not be willing or able to send you somewhere else to pick up the ship. Travel Protection will reimburse you the costs incurred for missed connections and fly delays. Any one of the above reasons is good enough to buy travel protection, but consider that every one of them applies to everybody all the time! The bottom line is that travel protection is the only way you may get your money back if you have to cancel your cruise.
A typical travel protection policy includes three main benefits:
The trip cancellation benefit is designed to reimburse you up to the total cost of your vacation in the event a medical emergency forces you to cancel under penalty with the cruise line. Trip cancellation benefits apply prior to the start of the cruise, while trip interruption coverage works for you after you have left home. If an emergency to anyone traveling, or to those immediate family members left behind, causes you to cut the trip short, trip interruption is intended to reimburse you for the missed portion of the vacation and the out-of-pocket expenses necessary to return home. Without these two important benefits, you have no recourse but to lose both cruise and the money you've paid for it. Major medical and medical evacuation benefits offer you medical protection outside the area covered by your primary care provider without a deductible. In addition, emergency medical transportation, including helicopter airlift, is covered to transport you to a medical facility where you can be treated. Baggage protection provides you with reimbursement for lost, stolen or damaged luggage. Most people do not consider the repercussions of taking a cruise without their clothing! Baggage benefits can provide you with the necessary cash to replace some of the missing articles so that your cruise is not a complete fashion emergency.
In general, the insurance portion of a travel protection plan covers medical emergencies, such as a death, illness or injury to you, your traveling companions and any immediate family members. It is important to know that most cruise line travel protection policies do not cover pre-existing medical conditions under the trip cancellation clause. A pre-existing medical condition is usually defined as one for which you have been treated within 60 days of purchasing the insurance. However, this exemption does not preclude your need for, or the validity of, the trip interruption and medical benefits. Business and personal obligations are not covered for trip cancellation under the insurance portion of a travel protection policy, but waivers may be available through the cruise line that offer credits toward future travel if you must cancel for a non-medical reason. In situations when only one member of the party is unable to travel contact CruiseCheap.com to learn what options are available without having to cancel the cruise altogether.
A pre-existing medical condition is one that existed during the 180 days (approximately six months) preceding and including the policy effective date. A condition is pre-existing if you:
1. Received a recommendation for a diagnostic test, examination or medical treatment; or Item 2 of this definition does not apply to a condition that is treated or controlled solely through the taking of prescription drugs or medicine and remains treated or controlled without any adjustment or change in the required prescription throughout 180-day period before coverage is effective under this policy.
CruiseCheap.com's Travel Protection includes a pre-existing medical conditions waiver if you purchase the plan within 14 days of making your first payment. This provision does allow you to file for cash reimbursement of the cruise line's penalty. It is important to know that pre-existing medical conditions are not covered by the cruise line's insurance plans. However, many cruise lines have a waiver built into their travel protection that provides you with a credit toward future travel.
Travel protection can take much of the worry out of a bad situation by paying for the medical evacuation required to transport you to the nearest hospital. In addition, assistance services are included to verify coverage so that you can be treated immediately. The assistance services can also help you communicate with the doctors if you don't speak the same language. Without the medical coverage included in a travel protection plan, you will be forced to pay out of pocket up front for medical treatment and medical transportation, and you'll be on your own dealing with the doctors and the hospitals in a foreign country.
CruiseCheap.com offers Travel Protection, which includes a waiver for pre-existing medical conditions, and we will automatically include the premium amount on your invoice for your consideration. All cruise lines offer a travel protection policy, but the coverage amounts can vary greatly from one line to another.
Travel protection premiums can be priced in a variety of ways and may depend on one or more of the following factors:
The cruise lines use a variety of criteria to price their premiums. For example, Carnival Cruise Line prices its premium based on the length of the cruise, with longer cruises requiring a higher premium cost than short ones. Holland America Line determines its premium amount by calculating a percentage of the cost of the vacation. In addition, some cruise lines offer more than one level of coverage. This information is not available on most cruise line websites, so you'll have to take a look at the brochure for more information and a description of the coverage and benefit amounts. If you don't have a brochure just give us a call; we know how to figure these things out and we'll give you the best advice for your situation. Your booking agent can offer you the information by phone or you can find it on the cruise line's website.
Insurance offers cash reimbursement for cancellation due specifically to medical reasons. A waiver usually means that you can cancel for any reason whatsoever, but that a large portion of your payment will be held as a credit toward future travel. Insurance covers you from the moment you leave home until the moment you return. A waiver usually stops protecting you a day or so prior to the start of the trip. Many cruise lines offer a combination of both a waiver and insurance, which provides maximum flexibility for you by offering recourse for a wide variety of both medical and non-medical situations.
CruiseCheap.com is proud to represent CSA Travel Protection. They offer a number of benefits including:
Affordability
Cover Other Travel Products Pre-existing Medical Conditions Waiver The waiver is included at no additional cost to you and applies if you pay the premium amount within 14 days of making your first payment on your cruise.
$250,000 per person for Emergency Evacuation Expenses Money-back Guarantee Within ten days of purchase, if you change your mind about having purchased the policy, we will gladly refund the premium amount.
If you are making full and final payment on your cruise, and you are planning to take CruiseCheap.com's travel protection plan, you should accept the travel protection at the time of booking. However, you do have up to 14 days in which to make the payment and receive the benefit of the pre-existing medical conditions waiver. If you have elected to purchase travel protection through one of the cruise lines, you must include the premium amount with your final payment. However, do know that there are a few cruise lines that require the premium to be paid with the deposit. If this is the case, your agent will advise you properly prior to booking.
US citizens. Non-US citizens should obtain travel protection from a company doing business their home country, with one exception: CruiseCheap.com's Travel Protection can be purchased by Canadian citizens, but the medical benefits do not apply. Therefore, Canadians will be covered for trip cancellation/interruption and baggage.
If you become ill or injured, first see a doctor. Then if you find that you need to cancel, contact CruiseCheap.com immediately. We will speak to the cruise line on your behalf, cancel your cruise and advise you on what to do next. Whenever possible, we will request the necessary forms to assist you in starting the claims procedure. You must complete the appropriate forms and return them to the insurance company with documentation to support your claim, so it's important to have visited the doctor first.
First, learn the cruise line's cancellation and refund policy so that you know what your penalties are and when they go into effect. Next, take a look at what insurance coverage you may already have in place and decide if it is adequate for you. Take the time to compare the cruise line's policy against CruiseCheap.com's Travel Protection Plan so that you can make an informed decision about which one is best for you. Contact the insurance company directly if you have specific coverage questions. At CruiseCheap.com we are happy to assist you in understanding the general provisions of a travel protection policy, but are unable to actually determine how those provisions will apply to your personal situation. If you are undecided, purchase travel protection. Before you think that nothing can happen to you, consider that 80 percent of those who cancel their vacation do so because of a medical emergency. Remember, travel protection is the only way to get your money back!
In addition to purchasing travel protection, consider flying to the city of embarkation a day prior to the sailing date. This will help offset weather or airline mechanical delays, and you'll arrive on board your cruise more rested. This is especially important if you are traveling internationally or across several time zones. If affordable, considering booking your airfare through the cruise line as part of the total cruise package. Most people want to compare the price of the cruise line's air add-on with the price charged directly from the airline and saving money is important. But understand that you need to save a lot of money to offset all the advantages offered through the cruise line if something goes wrong. Make sure all of your baggage is clearly labeled. Consider keeping a separate, written inventory of all the items you are taking with you including cameras, jewelry, clothing, etc as well as their approximate values and descriptions. If you do have something that is lost or stolen, it could be easier to locate if you have this information. Additionally, it ensures that you do not forget to file a claim for something.
You will receive a comprehensive Travel Protection Booklet with your final payment or with your cruise documents. You can also read about the entire policy on our website. Please click here.
Your Travel Protection Policy will include both a US and International 24-Hour Emergency Telephone Number to call in the unlikely event you have a problem during your trip. Please document everything carefully. This includes date, time, names, supervisor names, locations, stores, facilities, phone numbers, people you spoke with, etc. Be sure to save all receipts and keep them organized so that you can file your claim later. The more thorough you are, the quicker your claim will be processed. Back to Top
When you cancel, you must begin filing a claim with the travel insurance company. This involves paperwork. If you had to cancel for medical reasons, you will be expected to provide proof from physicians. If you experience travel delays or lost baggage, you'll be expected to provide copies of all receipts for expenses as well as a summary of events and actions taken to resolve your issues. Upon reviewing all of the material you submit and upon approval, the insurance company will send your reimbursement check within 30 - 60 days of approval.
If you have more questions about Travel Protection, please call CruiseCheap.com directly or call 1-800-554-9839 and refer to plan code 1575-A.
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