Do you all buy trip insurance?

[Dakota731]

if so through whom and the approximate cost? Now our parents are getting older and the vacations are so expensive I'm starting to consider it

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Depends on the trip, our situation and how I pay.

Last year we took a Disney Cruise to Alaska. In total, our trip cost was about $12,000. However, this was when gift card churning was available and I saved about 35% on the Disney portion. But yes, I insured it through insure my trip . com I can't remember the exact company we used but it cost about $350 total for my family. Prices will vary depending on many factors so keep that in mind.

Also last year, we flew out to South Dakota for a family reunion. Flights were not cheap. I just purchased the insurance option offered by the airline (around $150?) My husband's grandma's health (who we were going to see in SD) had been declining. My fear was we'd have to go out sooner for her funeral so insurance was necessary.

Most recently I booked a trip for our family of 4 to Denver for another family reunion. I didn't purchase insurance but used my Marriott Visa Signature credit card with many trip insurance benefits. I don't foresee any circumstances not allowing us to go and it wasn't very expensive so I'll go with the credit card insurance this time.

Buying trip insurance isn't really straight forward. Every circumstance and trip is different so what one person pays for their trip will be completely different for someone else. Definitely check what your credit cards offer first and then try a site like I had mentioned earlier that I used for my Alaska trip.

 

[Daniela Rose]

Yes, always.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Never but I don't travel with older people or take very expensive trips. Recently I got the Chase Sapphire Reserve which comes with all sorts of travel insurance and I'm really liking the safety net it provides. If you do credit cards you might want to look into one that offers trip insurance.

 

[MillauFr]

I never buy it. I just rely on the insurance I get from charging on my credit card

 

[prprincess]

Went on a cruise ages ago. Airline lost my luggage. Thankfully, I'd bought insurance and they paid for us to purchase $75 worth of clothing per day for the duration of the cruise. Ever since then, I always buy it! You just never know.

 

[Shanti]

if so through whom and the approximate cost? Now our parents are getting older and the vacations are so expensive I'm starting to consider it

For the cruises, I absolutely buy insurance, primarily to get overseas medical & evacuation coverage, & partly because it's an all-inclusive trip that was paid for in advance.

For WDW trips, I don't bother with insurance, mostly because for us these trips are less expensive than cruises. I book room only, buy tickets separately & pay for dining out of pocket, and usually fly SWA, so I'm really only out the cost of the first night's resort room rate if I were to have to cancel at the last minute.

Yet another reason why booking room-only beats booking a package...

 

[loves to dive]

Nope, not even on dive trips to the Carribean during hurricane season, we like to live on the edge. I think it would depend on the type of insurance you get, you really have to read the fine print very close.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

The one time I didn't buy insurance we got screwed. I buy it now through insuremytrip dot com

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Disney World/Disneyland vacation definitely not.
Cruise/overseas vacation definitely yes.
I just used whatever company was suggested by the TA when I got it for my European vacation.
It came in handy too since I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroiditis 3 days prior to the trip and was told I could not go until I saw an Endocrinologist and get the ok so I went 6 weeks later.

 

[kymom99]

I bought it one time when I took a delta vacation to Vegas. I probably wouldn't again

 

[ICF]

Nope...never have, even when leaving the country.

 

[rockawaybeachgirl]

We also utilize the insurance from premium credit cards. The Citi Prestige card, for example, provides insurance up to $500 per person if your trip is delayed more than 3 hours (very generous!) and the full cost if your trip is cancelled outright. They also provide insurance against baggage delay, damage or loss.

We went to Miami the second week in March (from NY). Being mid-March, and the fact that we had a mild winter, I never would have considered buying separate insurance. Lo and behold, the Northeast gets hit with the biggest storm of the season, and we were 'stuck' for 2 extra nights. Because there were 3 of us, we were covered up to $1500, making the extra nights basically free.

Generally, the premium cards carry a higher annual fee, but the related perks and services make it worth it to us!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I didn't when I was younger. We started buying it a few years ago. I used to think nothing would stop me from taking this trip. Then I realized there's a lot of things. Once we started cruising, paying in full a few months in advance, got me thinking about it. Another cruise I slipped and twisted my knee as I climbed back into a boat on an excursion. I wasn't seriously hurt but if I had been it could be expensive to treat, not to mention the rest of our cruise ruined. Insurance would cover not only the medical costs but trip interruption too.
My TA said if people need emergency medical evacuation off a ship, it can bankrupt a family. I got to thinking about dh's family history of heart disease and decided I just need peace of mind. So now I buy it on all cruises and very expensive trips, as pp mentioned an Alaskan cruise. Not for our typical Disney trips since they are usually short these days.

Last year we were doing a 2 nt stay at WDW then a 3 nt cruise. "Cheap" by DCL standards so I didn't bother with ins. Didn't a tree fall on our house the morning after we arrived! We flew down after school, went to bed woke up and went to our ADR at Ohana and that's when we got the call from our neighbor. Once we saw pics we knew we could not cruise with our house like that and just ignore it. Plus ds19 (not with us) having to evacuate to my parents.
We were so relieved we hadnt yet boarded the ship.
Anyway, turned out to be a very expensive breakfast with Mickey.

Right before another cruise, my MIL had a heart attack the day we were due to fly (1 day before the cruise).

Now I buy it every single time.

 

[AnnaS]

We do for cruises and when leaving the country.

 

[kathy884]

When going out of the country or on a cruise I buy medical and medical evacuation. I buy from GeoBlue. For around 1 million in coverage pp for a week it runs about $10 if you are 21, $35 if you are in your 50s, etc. They have a great reputation for claims payment too.

It is prohibitively expensive for older adults, though. My parents who are healthy 80 years olds bought insurance through the cruise ship and more than just the medical.

I only buy insurance for things I can't afford to self insure.

 

[mousehockey37]

if so through whom and the approximate cost? Now our parents are getting older and the vacations are so expensive I'm starting to consider it

Interesting this came up because I posted something about trip insurance in a thread about hurricane season.

Most places allow you to get trip insurance within 24 hours of you leaving for your trip. So while it's not a necessity, it's nice to know that should something go wrong up to 24 hours prior that I'm able to get it and have it cover things.

 

[Dakota731]

i don't travel with older people

Lol. I didn't mean I travel with older people, I meant if my mother got sick and we had to come home then we would lose our dining plan money, airfare, and hotel expense. So wondered if insurance would be beneficial.

 

[BLAZEY]

Only trip medical insurance. We don't put a toe over the border without it.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Lol. I didn't mean I travel with older people, I meant if my mother got sick and we had to come home then we would lose our dining plan money, airfare, and hotel expense. So wondered if insurance would be beneficial.

The easiest way to evaluate is to get an estimate and then ask yourself: are you able and willing to lose the money from your vacation in order to prevent paying this amount of $$$ right now? If not pay for the insurance/peace of mind. In you are willing to risk it accept that decision & move on about life.

I will reinterate what others have said: READ THE FINE PRINT. Make sure you're insured for what you want (a medical emergency of family member not traveling with you). Fine print is a sticky situation, make sure you can cross t's and dot i's because they will want proof of everything. (For instance- It was your parent? Prove it.)