Mexico

Cruise Travel Insurance

travelCruise Travel Insurance

Cruise insurance is a specialized form of travel insurance designed to address the things that can go wrong when on a cruise. From medical emergencies to trip cancellations, cruise insurance provides coverage for a range of scenarios.

It is a form of travel insurance that is separate from normal travel insurance policies, although it can sometimes be bought as a policy extension

Typically, a cruise insurance policy will cover

  • Trip cancellation and interruption: If you have to cancel or interrupt your cruise for a covered reason, such as illness or injury, your insurance will reimburse you for the prepaid costs of your trip.
  • Medical expenses: If you get sick or injured on your cruise and require medical treatment, your insurance will cover the cost of your care. This includes both on-board and off-board medical expenses, including being restricted to your cabin if necessary.
  • Evacuation: If you need to be evacuated from your cruise ship due to a medical emergency, your insurance will cover the cost of your transportation to a hospital or other medical facility.
  • Baggage loss or damage: If your luggage is lost, damaged, or stolen, your insurance will reimburse you for your losses.
  • Missed port departures: If you miss a port departure due to a covered reason, your insurance will cover the cost of your transportation to the next port.
  • Cruise line bankruptcy: If your cruise line goes bankrupt, your insurance will reimburse you for the prepaid costs of your trip.

How much does Cruise Insurance Cost?

You can buy cruise insurance from a variety of sources, including cruise lines, travel agencies, and independent insurance providers.

Some important factors to consider when buying cruise insurance include the cost of the insurance, the coverage limits and exclusions, the reputation and financial stability of the insurance provider, and any additional benefits or features offered by the plan

The cost of cruise insurance can vary, but it generally ranges from 5% to 10% of your total trip cost.

Several factors can influence the price, including your age, the amount you’re spending on your trip, the length of your cruise, the number of people covered under your policy, and your destination and ports-of-call.

For example, the average price of basic coverage for a seven-day trip in February 2023 from the U.S. to Mexico was approximately $124, and the cost of basic coverage for a Disney Cruise Line vacation was  about $177 /$200

A couple of more specific examples include :

  1. For a $3,000 trip, the cost of cruise insurance is estimated to be between $150 and $210, which is approximately 5-7% of the total trip cost.
  2. The average price of a basic coverage plan for a seven-day trip in February 2023 from the U.S. to Mexico was $124, and the average cost of basic coverage for five different cruise insurance add-ons for a similar trip was $111.20.
  3. The Travel Basic plan from Travelex Insurance Services cost $116 for a sample trip, which is just below the average for plans listed.

What determines cost of cruise travel insurance?

The cost of cruise travel insurance is influenced by several factors, including age, trip cost, cruise length, number of people covered, destination, and plan type. Older travellers are considered to be at higher risk for health problems, so the cost of travel insurance rises with age.

Additionally, the more you spend on your trip, the higher the insurance cost is likely to be, as well as the length of the cruise and the number of people covered under the policy.
The destination and ports-of-call, as well as the plan type, also play a role in determining the price of cruise insurance
It’s important to consider these factors when obtaining travel insurance quotes to ensure that you are adequately covered for your cruise.

Cruise Travel Insurance Claims

There is normally a very specific time frame within which claims must be submitted. This will be detailed in the policy. It is a good idea to notify the insurance company as soon as possible, even if you submit the claim details later on.
The insurance company may want you to try and recover costs from the cruise line or a relevant airline first before they agree to pay, if that is relevant to the claim
The process for filing a claim with cruise travel insurance typically involves the following steps:
  1. Contact the Insurance Company: Always call the insurance company before submitting a claim to understand the required documents, the correct steps to file a claim, and how to submit the claim.
  2. Gather Supporting Information: Collect all the necessary supporting documents, such as proof of trip cancellation, medical records, or any other relevant information required by the company.
  3. File the Claim: File the claim either online, through the insurance company’s website or app, or over the phone. It’s essential to provide all the required information and documentation to ensure a smooth process.
  4. Follow Up: After filing the claim, follow up with the insurance company to ensure that all the necessary information has been received and to address any additional requirements.
  5. Appeal if Necessary: If the claim is denied, you can file an appeal with the insurance company. In some cases, a significant percentage of appeals are honored.
  6. Contact Regulatory Bodies if Needed: If the appeal is not successful, contact the appropriate comsumer protection body in your home country.

What documents are needed to file a claim?.

The more the better !

Generally speaking :

  1. Trip Cancellation/Interruption:
    • Copies of all bills, invoices, receipts, and applicable credit card/bank statements pertaining to claimed expenses
  2. Medical Emergencies:
    • For illness or injury, provide the Attending Physician’s Statement Claim Form and Patient Authorization Claim Form.
  3. Baggage Delay/Loss:
    • Documentation related to the loss, theft, or damage of baggage, such as receipts and a copy of the rental car agreement if applicable
  4. Trip Delay:
    • Receipts for additional meal and accommodation expenses incurred during the delay
  5. Other:
    • Proof of incident (e.g., medical receipt, police report) for non-medical trip cancellation or interruption.

The insurance policy should specify exactly what documents are required for any type of claim and they can normally be uploaded to the insurance company website as part of the claim submission, or sent through the normal postal system, along with a printed claims form. Remember to always keep copies.

Major Cruise Lines

Cruise lines are big business and many will make some type of travel insurance compulsory. Some will have their own in house insurance which travellers will have to buy, or show that they have their own equivalent policy in terms of coverage.

Major Cruise Lines include :

  1. Carnival Corporation & plc: The world’s largest cruise company, operating over 100 ships across 9 cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and more.
  2. Royal Caribbean Group: Operating over 40 ships under the brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and partly owning TUI Cruises, Pullmantur, and Hapag-Lloyd.
  3. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: Operating around 30 ships under the brands Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas, and Oceania Cruises.
  4. MSC Cruises: A global cruise line with a fleet of modern ships operating various itineraries around the world.
  5. Princess Cruises: A well-known cruise line offering a wide range of itineraries and onboard activities.
  6. Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, and Disney Cruise Line are also major players in the cruise industry.

Here are a couple of examples of a cruise company’s own travel insurance plan

  1. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Booksafe Travel Protection Plan: This plan offers comprehensive coverage for trip cancellation, interruption, medical expenses, and more. It also includes a “Cancel for Any Reason” option, which allows you to cancel your cruise for any reason and receive a refund of up to 75% of your prepaid expenses.

 

Travel Insurance by Country

travelTravel insurance is pretty much a must, whatever country you are going to visit, but its cost and necessity does vary country by country.

For some countries it is a legal requirement, for others things like medical costs, as per USA, make it pretty crucial for most people.

Some countries are safer than others, and some parts of some countries are safer than others.

Insurance companies require people to follow any travel advice that their national government gives out about the state of a country, and how safe it is to travel there.

Governments of other countries than your own will also have travel advice for their citizens, which will be useful to follow.

Whilst travel insurance will usually cover most medical conditions, albeit at a cost,  if you have a condition such as epilepsy it is worth remembering that some countries still have quite a cultural and social problem with people who suffer from it.

It is also worth researching the medical system of any country you are going to, especially if you are visiting any remote areas of that country.

Also check if your insurance company will pay any medical bills directly to the hospital, or if you are expected to pay them and claim the money back from the insurance company.

Below is a list of articles about travel insurance to different countries, including some general travel tips and information on safety, airlines, sports, and health systems etc.

Jamaica

Tenerife

Argentina

 

What is Medical Tourism

travel

What is Medical Tourism

Travel information, news and resources regarding the world of medical tourism, with special focus on its relationship to travel insurance :

Medical tourism is the name given to the process of people seeking planned or elective medical treatments in a country outside of their own.

The process will not normally be covered by a standard travel insurance policy and is unlikely to be covered under someone’s health insurance policy unless specifically and directly arranged by the person’s insurance company, where some cover may be provided in very limited circumstances.

It is for the individual to plan the process and execute the whole procedure with all the risks and caveats that entails.

Types of Medical Tourism

Medical tourism can apply to a wide range of different procedures and can happen for many different reasons.

The main types of procedures can either be cosmetic or surgical or medical or a combination of all three. The most common procedures include dental care, cosmetic surgery, orthopaedic surgery, fertility treatments, cancer care etc.

Reasons for medical tourism

The chief reasons for someone seeking medical treatment overseas normally relate either to the cost of the treatment in their own country compared to another country, or the delay in waiting to get treatment in their own country as opposed to overseas.

For a lot of people in the USA, the main reason is often financial, whilst in other countries such as the UK people often see treatment abroad either because of the long waiting list for certain procedures, or the lack of provision of certain cosmetic treatments on the NHS.

Risks of Medical Tourism

There are many obvious risks associated with someone seeking medical treatment outside of their own country, but mostly these risks can be managed and minimized if proper time and planning are put into the research needed to make this happen safely.

The main risks/research areas include :

  • Checking the clinical capabilities of the hospital or clinic providing the procedure
  • Checking the qualifications and credentials of the clinical staff involved in the surgery or medical treatment.
  • The level of risk of infectious diseases within the country where the procedure is taking place
  • The general quality of care if it’s likely to be available to the individual both pre and post-op.
  • The individual’s ability to communicate with doctors and nurses possibly in a different language.
  • Whether or not proper aftercare can be provided in the country where the procedure is taking place, and if so for how long.
  • How aftercare can be provided in the individual’s own country of residence
  • The risks of air travel back to the country of residence after the procedure
  • How any complications can be managed and dealt with if needed once the person has returned home.

Whilst this may seem a long list of potential problems, these concerns are based on many people’s experiences of seeking medical treatment overseas.

Medical tourism is, generally speaking, not something that should be undertaken lightly and should only be done with the utmost care and consideration.

Government is provide a lot of valuable sources of information, below are links to the CDC and the UK government’s advice on medical tourism.

Also are several articles that highlight the risks and benefits of medical tourism which can act as a useful guide for anyone considering going down this route.

See Also :

What is Health Insurance

What is Personal Accident Insurance

 

Medical Tourism Articles

MS Treatment in Mexico

Mexico Safety Concerns

mexicoQuestions are often raised about how safe Mexico is, questions that in many ways are very difficult to answer properly.

There is a lot of press about gangs, drugs and cartels and where they operate, alongside numerous reports about how certain areas of Mexico are untouched and perfectly safe to visit.

Below are a number of articles and resources that should help anyone plan a trip to Mexico with a high degree of confidence as to their personal safety.

CNBC  Article 

 

 

Mexico and Medical Tourism

Medical tourism has become big business in Mexico, especially for residents of the USA. Most treatments are considerably cheaper than similar options in other countries, and the standard of care is generally pretty high.

There are risks however, and a thorough amount of detailed planning and research should be carried out before any decisions are made about going to Mexico or any other country for planned or elective medical treatment.

Below are a number of articles related to medical tourism in Mexico

Medical Tourism and MS Treatment in Mexico