Another travel insurance question

We have always bought travel insurance. This year we are flying to
Seattle, and then a cruise to Alaska.

It seems to me that since Alaska is still part of the USA (Sarah Palin's
husband did not get a chance to lead a secession movement lol), our Blue
Cross/Blue Shield (not an HMO) should be able to cover medical, the
major portion of any travel insurance premium, especially as your age
climbs. I can get insurance for the flight including trip delay from our
credit card company for under $30 for each of us (total under $60). Is
this a sensible alternative?

On Apr 7, 12:53*pm, (Jeff Gersten) wrote:
We have always bought travel insurance. This year we are flying to
Seattle, and then a cruise to Alaska.

It seems to me that since Alaska is still part of the USA (Sarah Palin's
husband did not get a chance to lead a secession movement lol), our Blue
Cross/Blue Shield (not an HMO) should be able to cover medical, the
major portion of any travel insurance premium, especially as your age
climbs. I can get insurance for the flight including trip delay from our
credit card company for under $30 for each of us (total under $60). Is
this a sensible alternative?

Jeff, I'm with you in thinking this is a pretty decent analysis, but
you know I'm no expert.

You may be bare for your brief time in Canada if BC/BS excludes
medical there, and along those lines, to be hyper-technical, there
could be a gap while in international waters, which will be limited to
the brief time you're off Canada vs. Alaska (easy to know when that's
happening--the few hours the casino's open!). Trip delay coverage
varies widely--if flights were screwed up and you had to catch up with
the ship in the first port of call, what would it do for you vs. how
much would you be out of pocket. I'm sure you've already built some
cushion for delay into your pre-cruise travel plans, and of course,
there's a lower risk of weather-induced air delay in summer.

Two coverage pieces travelers sometimes seek as supplements to medical
and flight coverage are medical evacuation and trip cancellation. If
you get any med evac benefit under your BC/BS policy or credit card,
the dollar amount may be low, although my knee jerk reaction is it's
probably enough considering relative distance to portside medical care
on an Alaskan cruise. There's also your personal risk factor for
needing evac, which is likely very low. Trip cancellation would
protect your investment in cruise fare, non-refundable deposits on
third-party excursions, air ticket change fees and any other prepaid
sums--but assuming your personal risk analysis on having to cancel is
low, you may be fine with rolling the dice. The primary reason we've
had occasion to buy it was when we had non-traveler family health
issues (and in those cases, they were pre-ex, so we needed to get that
coverage in place within the windows of time surrounding purchase or
final payment when waiver of the pre-ex exclusion is available).

Diana

On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 13:53:50 -0400, (Jeff
Gersten) wrote:

We have always bought travel insurance. This year we are flying to
Seattle, and then a cruise to Alaska.

It seems to me that since Alaska is still part of the USA (Sarah Palin's
husband did not get a chance to lead a secession movement lol), our Blue
Cross/Blue Shield (not an HMO) should be able to cover medical, the
major portion of any travel insurance premium, especially as your age
climbs. I can get insurance for the flight including trip delay from our
credit card company for under $30 for each of us (total under $60). Is
this a sensible alternative?

Does your BC/BS card have a suitcase on it? That means you will be
covered anywhere. I presume you will be stopping somewhere in Canada
on the cruise ship and there is also international waters.
When we on a Mediterranean cruise we checked on it.

On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 13:53:50 -0400, (Jeff
Gersten) wrote:

I can get insurance for the flight including trip delay from our
credit card company for under $30 for each of us (total under $60). Is
this a sensible alternative?

Hi Jeff,

Does this insurance cover your cruise fare loss in case you have to
cancel or your trip is interrupted?
--
Ray Goldenberg 800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
Lighthouse Travel http://www.lighthousetravel.com
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/lighthousetravl
Follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ray.goldenberg

(Ray*Goldenberg) wrote:

On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 13:53:50 -0400, (Jeff Gersten)
wrote:

**I can get insurance for the flight including
trip delay from our credit card company for
under $30 for each of us (total under $60). Is
this a sensible alternative?

Hi Jeff,

Does this insurance cover your cruise fare
loss in case you have to cancel or your trip is
interrupted?

Yes, it does cover trip interruption. I forgot to ask about
cancellation. I'll call back today. Actually. I'll ask about the flight.
I don't see how it could cover the cruise, but once we pay the final fee
in June, I consider that money gone.

In article ,
Ray Goldenberg wrote:

On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 13:53:50 -0400, (Jeff
Gersten) wrote:

I can get insurance for the flight including trip delay from our
credit card company for under $30 for each of us (total under $60). Is
this a sensible alternative?

Hi Jeff,

Does this insurance cover your cruise fare loss in case you have to
cancel or your trip is interrupted?
--

Or even flying you home if needed? Some don't cover that even within
the US

--
I get off on '57 Chevys
I get off on screamin' guitars
--Eric Clapton

I wrote:

(Ray*Goldenberg) wrote:
On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 13:53:50 -0400,

(Jeff Gersten) wrote:

**I can get insurance for the flight including
trip delay from our credit card company for
under $30 for each of us (total under $60).
Is this a sensible alternative?

Hi Jeff,

Does this insurance cover your cruise fare
loss in case you have to cancel or your trip is
interrupted?

Yes, it does cover trip interruption. I forgot to
ask about cancellation. I'll call back today.
Actually. I'll ask about the flight. I don't see
how it could cover the cruise, but once we pay
the final fee in June, I consider that money
gone.

I double checked, and there is coverage for missed connections, but not
any help getting to the next port. So, I guess this alternative is out.

They do cover having to cancel the flight due to illness, injury, etc.

On Thu, 8 Apr 2010 09:45:14 -0400, (Jeff
Gersten) wrote:

I double checked, and there is coverage for missed connections, but not
any help getting to the next port. So, I guess this alternative is out.

They do cover having to cancel the flight due to illness, injury, etc.

Hi Jeff,

One of the most mentioned reasons by clients to buy insurance is in
case they get sick or a family member gets sick or death in the family
and can not go on their cruise.
--
Ray Goldenberg 800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
Lighthouse Travel http://www.lighthousetravel.com
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/lighthousetravl
Follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ray.goldenberg

On Apr 7, 1:53*pm, (Jeff Gersten) wrote:
We have always bought travel insurance. This year we are flying to
Seattle, and then a cruise to Alaska.

It seems to me that since Alaska is still part of the USA (Sarah Palin's
husband did not get a chance to lead a secession movement lol), our Blue
Cross/Blue Shield (not an HMO) should be able to cover medical, the
major portion of any travel insurance premium, especially as your age
climbs. I can get insurance for the flight including trip delay from our
credit card company for under $30 for each of us (total under $60). Is
this a sensible alternative?

We have bought travel insurance through our auto insurance (AAA of
Michigan) on virtually all of our vacations. They provide complete
coverage for cancellations, medical air fare should you have to return
to your home town. Our policies begin coverage the day before our
scheduled departure and ends the day after our scheduled return home.

You may want to check with your auto insurer.