Carnival’s New Vacation Protection Plan Provisions - Good Enough?

How could I even ask such a question? Aren't new features almost always good? Not if they don't go far enough toward covering what YOU need.

Carnival announced today that they are adding job loss assurance and severe weather watch/warning protection to their Cruise Vacation Protection Plan offered on Carnival cruises.

The severe weather watch/warning protection provides reimbursement in the event the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and/or National Weather Service issues or maintains a severe weather watch or warning within 48 hours of a cruise departure. Should the watch or warning affect either the cruise departure city or the guest's route to that city, the plan will allow for cancellation and reimbursement up to the full amount of the cruise cost.

Another new weather protection feature provides that if a guest is traveling to the cruise departure port via a common carrier (airplane, bus, train, etc.) and inclement weather ultimately causes the guest to miss 50 percent or more of the cruise vacation, the guest may receive reimbursement up to the total cost of the cruise.

The new job loss plan will provide reimbursement up to the total cruise cost if individuals who have booked a cruise and purchased the plan are subsequently terminated by their employer and have worked for that employer for at least one continuous year.

These two additions definitely have value, and could be important to some travelers. However, like most cruiseline-offered policies, they may not be the right solution for you or provide as comprehensive insurance as do independent policies.

I make no secret that in most situations, I'm not a fan of the policies offered by cruise lines. There are several reasons for this: they don't cover any arrangements you book independently, such as airfare, hotels or excursions; they usually don't cover pre-existing conditions; many don't offer refunds but instead offer future cruise credits if you cancel under their "any reason" provisions; they don't protect against supplier default; their coverage limits aren't terribly generous with regard to medical and evacuation coverages; and sometimes limit coverage for illness to non-traveling family members.

Carnival's policy isn't bad, it just doesn't provide comprehensive coverage. It does refund in cash if you need to cancel for a medical reason. It does allow cancellation for the illness of a non-traveling immediate family member. The job loss and weather additions are nice bonuses. But the medical limit is $10,000, and evacuation is only $30,000, neither of which is adequate in this day and age, especially for those covered under Medicare which doesn't allow claims for treatment outside the US. In addition, there is no waiver for pre-existing medical conditions, though if you do need to cancel for a pre-existing condition, they will give you a future cruise credit. And of course there's no provision for coverage for any other aspects of your cruise vacation which weren't booked through Carnival.

I applaud Carnival's enhancements, but as always, I recommend you discuss with your travel advisor your particular needs and what coverage might best suit your situation. In most cases, I feel that independent coverage offers superior protection, often at or close to the same cost as that offered through the cruises. There are exceptions, always, and it's important to look at your specific situation and decide based on that what form of coverage is best for you.

Exciting News! “CruiseAssurance” Trip Protection!

You might have noticed several companies recently offering "job protection" offers on everything from new car purchases to vacations. Recently, Carnival and NCL announced offers of their own for people booking cruises. I've watched with interest these offers, particularly as you can imagine the offers from the cruise lines, but I wasn't too excited about them. In most cases, trip insurance from the cruise lines themselves don't offer enough coverage in my opinion, and these offers didn't go far enough.

So when my company, Cruises Inc., announced to us today that our Travel Guard TravelCompanion policies were being expanded to offer protection in the event of a job loss, I finally had something to get excited about. Especially since there's no increase in the premiums for this additional coverage!

I've been speaking with a lot of my clients recently about adding "cancel for any reason" protection to their Travel Guard policies on their bookings, partially to receive this coverage. But that's no longer necessary... at least not for that reason. (Cancel for any reason can still be beneficial if you're concerned about a pet, have children with uncertain schedules, job issues other than layoffs, etc.) This is a huge value, and exciting to be able to offer to my clients.

Here are the details from our press release:

CRUISES INC. UNVEILS GROUNDBREAKING NEW JOB LOSS INSURANCE, COVERING TRAVEL
ON EVERY CRUISE LINE

Nation’s Largest Cruise Retailer Now Offering “CruiseAssurance” Upgrade (At No Additional Charge) on Bookings March 1-May 2, Raising the Bar by Insuring All Cruise Travelers

Fort Lauderdale, FL – February 27, 2009 – Consumers might be concerned about losing their jobs, but they no longer need to worry about a pink slip ruining their vacation plans. Cruises Inc., the nation’s largest cruise retailer as part of World Travel Holdings, today unveiled the first-ever comprehensive job loss travel insurance policy covering travel on all cruise lines. The new
“CruiseAssurance” initiative is an exclusive benefit to consumers booking through one of more than 450 Cruises Inc. agents nationwide, even if they have to cancel their trip at the last minute because of an unexpected layoff.

The best part? Cruises Inc. is picking up the tab for “CruiseAssurance” for consumers purchasing their basic travel insurance. Combined with lower-than-ever prices, cruising is now the most affordable and worry-free vacation option.

“In today’s environment, it is crucial for businesses to step up to the plate showing we understand consumer challenges, and a handful of companies have recently done this with their
versions of job loss protection,” said Dwain Wall, General Manager of Cruises Inc. “Our ‘CruiseAssurance’ policy takes the concept of job loss insurance to a new level, easing the concerns of consumers at no charge and on any cruise line of their choice.”

Under the “CruiseAssurance” policy, travelers booking a cruise with Cruises Inc. can cancel their trip up to the day of departure, or even during the vacation. The only requirements are that
travelers purchase an entry-level travel insurance plan from their Cruises Inc. agent – administered by Travel Guard – and present their termination letter. One year of employment is required. “CruiseAssurance” applies to bookings made March 1 through May 2, 2009 and is offered in addition to an already comprehensive travel protection policy.

“We have our finger on the pulse of what is happening with consumers and travel, and we are
passionate about finding innovative ways to problem-solve, making cruise travel accessible and affordable for everyone,” said Wall.

So if you've been thinking about booking a cruise, but were waiting due to uncertain job situation, wait no longer! Contact me for more information or to book your cruise!

Good News on Trip Insurance!

My clients know that I've long recommended independent insurance rather than purchasing through the travel supplier - better coverage, lower cost, additional protection. However, the standard policy my company offered, a specifically-negotiated policy with TravelGuard, still had some purchase restrictions if you needed pre-existing coverage. I'm happy to announce that's no longer the case!

TravelGuard has long been my preferred supplier, even though I do represent other companies as well. I personally think that their top-rated traveler's assistance is the best in the business. I've liked the policy we had negotiated, but now I love it. As of this past Monday, you no longer need to purchase the insurance at time of booking (or shortly thereafter) in order to cover pre-existing conditions. You can now have pre-existing conditions waived as long as you purchase the insurance by the time of final payment!

While I still recommend purchasing the insurance when you incur your first non-refundable charge (such as purchasing your flight reservations), this gives passengers more flexibility in budgeting and paying for your cruise. You've always been able to schedule when you make payments for your cruise prior to final payment, now you can budget in and schedule your trip insurance purchase as well.

Remember, this provision is not offered in TravelGuard's other policies. It is specific to the policy my company has negotiated. It's one more way that we work to provide more benefit to you, a higher level of service, and the reason I'm affiliated with this particular company.

As always, we will discuss your specific needs, as sometimes a different policy may be better for your individual situation. But I have to say, this standard policy is going to cover most cruisers' needs quite well. I'm thrilled!

New Insurance Options

Insurance. It's one of those things we hope we don't need, especially in connection with a vacation. But more and more often, situations from medical to family to work interfere with our plans, and insurance becomes invaluable.

My clients know that I strongly recommend trip insurance. Not just for the pre-cruise cancellation benefits, but also possibly more importantly for medical treatment, evacuation or trip interruption benefits during your cruise. But there are several new provisions in insurance which may make insurance even more beneficial to you.

I'm generally not an advocate of insurance through the cruise lines. While I'm happy to offer it, in general (with some specific exceptions, such as Princess when you use Princess air), it's not the best coverage for most passengers. There are too many limitations and lower coverage than independent policies. Some of my clients have taken it, however, because of the cancel for any reason provisions which just weren't available in independent policies. Finally, that rider is now available through companies such as TravelGuard and CSA.

The Cruises Inc. TravelGuard policy now has an option to add cancel for any reason coverage. For a slight surcharge, it adds coverage which allows you to cancel up to 48 hours prior to departure for any reason, such as a work situation, pet emergency, or other non-covered event. The coverage will give you a 75% cash refund in this situation, while medical covered events would still be covered at 100%. It's a terrific option for those who have aging pets, uncertain work schedules or other life situations which don't fall into the traditional medical coverage.

There are also coverages available through TravelGuard and CSA which just cover cancellation for work situations. These are a lesser cost than the cancel for any reason provision, and for many cover the most likely scenario.

I am a licensed insurance agent and represent both TravelGuard and CSA. If you find that the general Cruises Inc. policy isn't the best fit for your situation, know that I can assist you with the purchase of any policy TravelGuard and CSA offers, as well as answer your questions on what policies might be best for your particular needs, including pre-existing conditions.

Insurance is confusing. I know. Fortunately there are new options out there which help make the decision easier to be covered for your specific coverage preferences and which address our changing lives. Talk with me about your insurance questions!