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Princess Cruise Travel Insurance - 2024 Review

Princess cruise travel insurance.

• Available at Check-Out
• Strong Insurance Partner
• Good Cancellation Benefits
• Very Poor Medical Protection
• Weak Emergency Evacuation Cover

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Offering cruise vacations to 380 destinations on 7 continents, Princess Cruises is one of the most well-known cruise companies in the world. Whether you are looking to drink-in the atmosphere of their award winning itineraries, sample exquisite regional daily fresh cuisine or simply looking to relax and sample the daily cocktail over a game of deck quoits, Princess has it all.

Princess Cruises offers their own branded travel insurance plan which they call Princess Vacation Protection . The Princess Vacation Protection plan is underwritten by Nationwide and administered by Aon. Both are well-known names in the insurance industry.

To review the strenghts and weakness of the Princess Vacation Protection plan, we need to go on a Princess Cruise. So sit back, relax and enjoy as Cruise Insurance 101 goes crusing with Princess.

Cruise Itinerary

For our cruise with Princess, we haven chosen a 10-day cruise for two travelers who are aged 55 and 60. Our cruise heads off from San Francisco in California and sails to the coast of Alaska leaving on April 30 to May 10, 2022. The price for our cruise is $1,798 per person which includes taxes and fees, giving a total cost of $4,246. Our cruise takes in several ports in Alaska and in Victoria, Canada. Note that we have not included the cost of airfare in our total trip cost as the pricing can vary greatly, so for this review we will use the cruise cost only.

When we get to the checkout for our cruise, we’re asked if we’d like to include the Princess Vacation Protection Plan to our trip. As mentioned, this is Princess Cruises’ own insurance.

The Princess Vacation Protection Plan comes in both ‘Standard’ and ‘Platinum’. Let’s see the differences between the two.

Princess Cruise Vacation Protection Insurance – Standard Protection Levels

• Cancellation – up to 100% of trip cost if you cancel for illness, injury, death, etc.
• Cancel Any Reason – 75% of cruise cost given in future cruise credits
• Accident or Illness Medical Expense - $10,000
• Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains - $50,000
• Pre-Existing Medical Condition Waiver: No
• Trip Interruption 150% of trip cost
• Baggage Delay - $500 per Trip
• Baggage/Personal Effects - $1,500 per Trip
• Trip Delay (en route to the Trip) - $500 per Trip*
• Trip Delay (returning from the Trip) - $1,500 per Trip*

*Not to exceed $1,500 in the event of both pre- and post-cruise vacation trip delays.

Princess Cruise Vacation Protection Insurance – Platinum Protection Levels

Listing of Benefits - Maximum Benefit

• Accident or Illness Medical Expense - $20,000
• Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains - $75,000
• Baggage/Personal Effects - $3,000 per Trip

Let’s take a look at the pricing difference between the two plans:

The cost of the Platinum Plan is $71.92 more than the Standard Plan and it doubles the medical sickness coverage to $20,000 total whilst also increasing the medical emergency evacuation coverage by $15,000 to $75,000 total.

The Accident Medical Expense and Emergency Evacuation coverage levels that Princess offer in its Platinum policy are marginally better than that offered in the Standard plan, we feel this coverage level is far too low. With one of our Cruise Insurance 101 team having personally witnessed the helicopter evacuation of a cruise passenger during a dark and very stormy evening in 2019, the only thing that could possibly add to the trauma of the event itself is the massive cost if you are under-insured. $20,000 for medical expenses and $75,000 for evacuation would not be enough. Cruise Insurance 101 recommends a minimum of $100,000 for medical insurance and $250,000 for medical evacuation.  

What Medical Insurance Benefits do I Need when Cruising?

Travel insurance is designed to cover the financial costs of an unforeseen event. Whether this is simply the frustration of lost luggage or a missed connection or other events that can be financially devastating, such as a medical emergency abroad or a medical evacuation back home.

For cruise travel insurance to be fit for purpose, the benefits of the travel protection plan you buy must cover the likely  worst-case scenario . At Cruise Insurance 101 we will never recommend that a traveler have any less than  $100,000 of Travel Medical Insurance protection . Whils this may seem like a lot of coverage, if the worst were to happen, this really is the minimum viable amount of coverage that we recommend. The question then is why do we recommend such a high level of coverage for our cruise customers? The simple reason is that a traumatic injury or illness can result in significant medical exposure if you are under-insured.

Consider if you will the cost of International private hospitals who often charge up to $3,000-$4,000 per day. The only time that we would consider less protection than this is if a traveler has an alternative medical insurance that will cover them when overseas. This option is rare.

Whilst many countries you may visit have universal healthcare for their citizens, as a tourist, you will not be entitled to use any state medical facilities that may exist. This means that if you have cause to use the medical facilities in a host country, you will be requried to pay full cost to use those local private health facilities. Additionally, the US State Department will not provide you with financial support to pay for overseas health care – your medical bill is solely your responsibility.

What Medical Evacuation Benefits Do I Need When Cruising?

Medical Evacuation is when you have an incident or illness and it is so serious that you need to be transported home or to a medical facility. This may simply mean getting on the next commercial flight, or it may require a private jet with medical staff onboard, or even a helicopter evacuation.

The costs of these emergency medical evacuation trips can be extraordinary. It is our recommendation that for those who are traveling within 3 to 4 hours of the USA should have $250,000 of Medical Evacuation coverage when they buy their cruise travel insurance. If you are venturing further afield, we recommend that $500,000 of medical emergency evacuation cover should be sufficient.

Comparison Quotes

Based on our sample couple who are aged 55 and 60, we created a comparison quote using  Cruise Insurance 101’s  travel insurance marketplace engine. The trip cost that we used for the comparison is the cruise cost for both of our travelers which is $1,798 per person plus taxes and fees of $650, giving us a total of $4,246.

As we mentioned above, when traveling outside the United States, we recommend a minimum coverage of $100k in Medical Insurance, $250k in Medical Evacuation (and more if traveling further afield from the US), and we strongly advise you seek out a Pre-existing Medical Condition Waiver in whichever policy you buy. We used these criteria to choose the selected quotes.

The least expensive plan which provides an adequate coverage level on our quote from Cruise Insurance 101 is the Trawick First Class . This plan would be comparable to the Princess Cruise Vacation Protection Standard Plan.

If you wished for the added protection afforded by a policy which contains a Cancel For Any Reason coverage, we would chose the  Trawick First Class (CFAR75%) , because it is the least expensive plan with Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) benefits and would be comparable to the Princess Cruise Vacation Protection Platinum Plan.

Next, so that we can easily compare and contrast the available options, we broke down the benefits of each policy in a side-by-side comparison.

Cost Comparison

To compare to Princess’ Standard Plan, our recommended plan is the Trawick Frist Class at $231.00. This plan provides $150,000 of medical coverage and $1 million of medical evacuation coverage and costs $56.68 LESS than Princess Cruises’ Standard Plan. The cover is also about FIVE TIMES more than Princess will provide!

To compare to Princess’ Platinum Plan, our recommended plan is the Trawick Frist Class (CFAR 75%), at $392.70. This plan provides is identical to the Trawick First Class but it also adds the Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) option discussed above. This plan also provides $150,000 of medical coverage and $1 million of medical evacuation cover and is $38.82 LESS than Princess Cruises’ Platinum Plan. Again the coverage is also about FIVE TIMES greater than what Princess will provide!

In our opinion, the Princess Cruises Standard Protection Plan and Protection Plan Plus have low coverage for travelers venturing away from home. The Platinum Plan does increase coverage over and above the Standard Plan, but not by much.

By shopping for cruise insurance through Cruise Insurance 101 , our two travelers can save between $37.82 to $56.58 which can be applied to other things like shopping, and get far superior travel insurance protection.

In the following sections of this review, we will discuss the main areas you should expect to see when shopping for travel insurance for your Princess cruise.

Trip Cancellation

Many travelers are concerned by the need to cover their trip against an unforseen event that causes you to have to cancel your trip. Trip Cancellation protects your vacation investment if you are taken ill or had an accidental injury prior to your departure date. If you were unfortunate to experience such an event, you may have to cancel your travel arrangements which may result in financial loss. While disappointing to have to cancel your trip, Trip Cancellation is even more painful without cancellation insurance.

The Princess Cruise Vacation Protection Plan do both provide for cancellation for the following reasons to receive a cash refund of the full trip cost:

• Unexpected injury, illness, or death of traveler or immediate family member
• Involvement in a traffic accident en route to your departure causing you to miss the cruise
• Called to jury duty or subpoena
• Residence made uninhabitable by natural disaster, fire, flood, hurricane etc.
• Called to active military duty to respond to a national disaster

If you need to cancel your trip for a reason that is not wihtin this limited list, Princess will provide a cruise credit of 75% of the total trip cost that is only good for one year. If for whatever reason you cannot use the cruise credit during that period, the cruise cost is lost. Also, Princess Vacation Protection Plans do NOT cover any travel arrangement which are made outside of Princess Cruises, such as your flights to your port.

Both the Trawick First Class policy and the Trawick First Class (CFAR75%) policy can cover ALL costs which are prepaid and non-refundable. In addition, both plans offer a 100% refund for Trip Cancellations for covered events, a 150% refund for Trip Interruptions for covered events, and a substantial list of covered reasons, including needing to cancel your trip due to having caught COVID. The Trawick First Class (CFAR 75%) will also pay a 75% refund in cash if you need to cancel your trip for any other reason that is not listed in the policy. This is a cash refund and not cruise credit like the Princess plans. At Cruise Insurance 101 we believe cash is always a better option than cruise credits which may or may not be used.

Trip Interruption

A  Trip Interruption  is a situation which occurs during your trip that causes you to need to miss some or the rest of your vacation. Trip Interruption cover is like Trip Cancellation but for eventw that occur during your trip.

The most common trip interruption would be an injury or illness sustained on your vacation but where you can continue traveling after treatment. Trip interruption will reimburse you for the unused portion of your trip, and also the cost to rejoin your trip in progress. This may be connecting flights to your next port to rejoin your ship.

Trip interruption also includes events that could occur to a family member who may have a sudden serious illness or who may have sadly passed away. If your covered situation requires that your trip is cut short and going home early, Trip Interruption reimburses you for the unused portion of the trip, plus the added cost of getting you home early.

In the Princess Vacation Protection travel insurance policy, Trip Interruption benefits include reimbursement of unused trip costs paid to Princess Cruises plus the added cost of transportation home. They will not reimburse for any travel arrangement made outside of Princess Cruises. If you therefore needed catch an earlier flight home at short notice, the additonal cost of that flight would not be covered by Princess.

Travel insurance plans like the Trawick First Class and Trawick First Class (CFAR 75%) also offer 150% of trip costs for interruption. Therefore, they cover up to 100% of the unused trip costs, plus up to an additional 50% to cover transportation costs to return home.

Cancel For Any Reason

Cancel For Any Reason  cruise insurance provides the highest level of flexibility and reimbursement in the Travel Insurance world, and provides cover if you must cancel your trip for any reason not covered by the policy.

If you cancel your Princess cruise for a reason  not  listed in the Princess policy, they will grant future credits for 75% of the prepaid, non-refundable cancellation fees paid to them, but as mentioned above, those credit will expire after one year. Also that are non-transferrable and not redeemable for cash. Princess, not their insurance policy, provides this part of the Vacation Protection Plan. When it comes to refunds, we always prefer cash since future credits may not be used.

Alternatively, travel insurance policies like Trawick First Class with Cancel For Any Reason included pay a 75% cash refund of all prepaid, non-refundable trip costs including arrangements made outside of Princess Cruises. This could include flights, hotels, rental cars, excursions, and transfers.

Cancel For Any Reason policies have several stipulations:

• Purchase the policy within 10 - 21 days (depending on policy), of your initial payment or deposit date and
• Insure 100% of the prepaid trip costs subject to cancellation penalties or restrictions. For additional prepaid non-refundable payments made after the purchase of the policy, insure within 10-21 days (depending on policy), of each subsequent payment added to your trip, and
• Cancel your trip 2 days or more before your scheduled departure date.

Medical Insurance for Emergency Treatment

One of the most crucial factors in selecting your travel insurance plan is ensuring it has adequate Medical Insurance  when you travel. Anything can happen when you are on vacation as it could when you are at home, including accidental injuries or sudden illness.

If you have a medical emergency when traveling and don’t have proper medical insurance coverage when overseas, you may find yourself with a substantial hospital bill to cover. Whereas many countries to provide universal health care for their citizens, many Americans mistakenly believe that those countries with universal health care will treat them for free. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Instead, as an American, if you fall ill whilst abroad you will receive treatment at a private hospital, not public, and you will be required to pay privately like anyone else. Whilst costs differ from country to country, admission for inpatient care can cost around $3,000-$4,000 per day, plus the cost of whatever treatment you may need, be it x-rays, surgeries or specialist procedures and consultations.

It is also worth remebering that MediCare will not pay for hopsitalization when you are overseas. sadly this a common misconception which can be very costly if you find yourself in a hospital abroad with only your MediCare card for support. Some Medicare supplements do cover overseas, but they have a lifetime limit and reduced benefits, and they pay for emergencies only. They can still require you to pay 20% of the costs. As a result, you could go on vacation and end up with medical bills in the thousands.

Cruise Insurance 101   urges overseas travelers to take travel medical insurance of at least $100,000 per person . In a medical emergency, $100,000 provides ample health care and helps protect your retirement savings from unexpected financial burdens.

Princess Vacation Protection Plan provides a $10,000 benefit for Medical Insurance on their Standard Plan and $20,000 for the Platinum Plan, which is far below our recommended minimum of $100,000. Both Trawick’s First Class policies includes $150,000 per person of Medical Insurance, so you can receive proper treatment without ending up in debt.

Emergency Medical Evacuation

Medical Insurance isn’t the only potentially expensive part of a trip.  Emergency Medical Evacuation  transports you from the place of injury or illness to the closest hospital. Once you’re stable enough for transport, Medical Evacuation brings you home via commercial flight or, if necessary, private medical jet with onboard Doctors and nurses to support you on the trip.

Medical flights can cost up to $25,000 per hour and regular health insurance will not cover it. In addition, it is worth remebering that the US State Department will not offer any medical treatment or evacuation assistance for US citizens. Cruise Insurance 101 advises travelers to get at least $250,000 Medical Evacuation  to assure there’s enough coverage to get them back home from almost anywhere if they experience a serious medical event.

Princess’ Vacation Protection Plan includes Medical Evacuation up to $50,000 per person on the Standard Plan and increases to $75,000 on the Platinum Plan.  The Trawick First Class policies provide $1,000,000 per person for Medical Evacuation, so you can feel secure knowing you have adequate coverage to transport you back home if needed.

Pre-existing Medical Conditions

A significant concern for senior travelers can be pre-existing medical conditions. A Pre-Existing Medical Condition is one in which you’ve received medical treatment, testing, medication changes, added new medications, or received a recommendation for a treatment or test that hasn’t happened yet. Most travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing conditions unless you purchase the policy within the required time period from your initial trip deposit date (called the Time Sensitive Period). Otherwise, the insurer will look backward 60, 90, or 180 days (depending on the policy) from the date you purchased the insurance to see if there are any pre-existing medical conditions they won’t cover. This is called the Look Back Period. Any medical conditions older than this Look Back Period, unchanged or stabilized with no medication dosage changes are covered, as are any new conditions that arise after you purchase the policy.

If you must cancel, interrupt, or seek medical treatment for a medical condition while traveling, travel insurance policies typically exclude claims related to Pre-existing Medical Conditions. However, if you purchase the policy within a few days of your Initial Trip Payment or Deposit date, many policies add a Waiver to the policy that covers Pre-existing Conditions. As a result, there is no Look Back Period and Pre-existing Conditions are covered.

The Princess Vacation Protection Plan covers NOT cover Pre-Existing Medical Conditions. However, the Trawick First Class policies will cover Pre-existing Medical Conditions provided you purchase the policy within 14-days of your initial trip deposit or payment.

Price and Value

In our opinion, the Princess Vacation Protection Standard Plan and Platinum Plan carry minimal coverage levels which are unlikely to be sufficient if you find yourself in need of them, and are also more expensive than other available travel insurance options. The medical insurance coverage is at most $20,000, and $75,000 for medical evacuation when choosing the Platinum Plan, which may not be adequate for a serious illness or injury. Cancellation reasons are limited and the Cancel For Any Reason coverage only grants future cruise credits that expire after a year. Overall, the Princess Vacation Protection Plan offers limited value for the price.

In contrast, by comparison shopping, we found the Trawick First Class policy comes in at $231.00, ($56.68 LESS than Princess). It includes superior medical and evacuation benefits, 100% refund for trip costs, including those made outside of Princess Cruises, for covered cancellation, a 150% refund for a covered trip interruption, and a robust list of cancellation reasons.

Choosing the Vacation Protection Platinum Plan from Princess didn’t provide much better value. It carries the same benefits as their Standard Vacation Protection Plan and similarly, the Cancel For Any Reason option will only provide a 75% cruise credit for up to one year. Again, by comparison shopping, we found the Trawick First Class (CFAR 75%) for $392.70, ($38.82 LESS than Princess). It includes $150,000 medical insurance and $1,000,000 medical evacuation. Plus, it includes a Cancel For Any Reason provision that refunds 75% of trip costs back in cash, rather than future credit. It has superior coverage over Princess’ policy and costs less.

Princess Cruises Vacation Protection Plan insurance provides travelers with a minimal insurance policy for a high cost that could leave travelers unpleasantly surprised during an emergency. Medical coverage and medical evacuation limits are low, and there are a limited number of covered cancellation and interruption reasons, as well as insufficient trip cost reimbursement. Though they have a strong reputation for excellent cruise service, their insurance is rather weak. Overall, we rate it a 6 out of 10.

Travelers planning a Princess cruise vacation will find the best value for their money and peace of mind when they shop for travel insurance at Cruise Insurance 101 Travel Insurance Marketplace. There, you can review dozens of options and select the best policy to fit your needs.

To help you find the best policy, Cruise Insurance 101 recommends having at least $100,000 in travel medical coverage and $250,000 - $500,000 (depending on distance from the US) for emergency medical evacuation when traveling outside the US. And, if you purchase the policy within the 14-21 days of initial trip payment, please consider a travel insurance policy with the pre-existing condition waiver included to ensure the most coverage for your money.

If you are planning a Princess cruise in 2022, be sure to pack insurance before you travel. You never know when you may need it.

Have questions? Chat with us online, send us an email at  [email protected]  or alternatively call us at  +1(786) 751-2984 . We would love to hear from you.

Safe Travels!

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• Princess Cruises

Travel Insurance question: Is the Princess Vacation Protection enough or should I purchase additional travel insurance

By silvertear , June 8, 2023 in Princess Cruises

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Hello everyone,

As per the subject line, I'm wondering if the Princess Vacation Protection (platinum plan) is enough or should I look to purchase additional travel insurance from another provider?  I'm hoping I never have to use any sort of travel insurance but I figure I'd ask if I should get one, the other or both the princess and 3rd party insurance to make sure I've covered all bases.  Thanks in advance for any responses.

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It depends on where you are cruising and what your current health coverage is and what it covers.

My coverage outside of the US is not great and Princess's $20K limit on medical is very low. So I do buy something else. I recently bought a GeoBlue policy (just health coverage). I have also bought an Allianz policy.

There is an insurance portion of CC which maybe a better place to ask this question.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/  

5 hours ago, silvertear said: Hello everyone,   As per the subject line, I'm wondering if the Princess Vacation Protection (platinum plan) is enough or should I look to purchase additional travel insurance from another provider?  I'm hoping I never have to use any sort of travel insurance but I figure I'd ask if I should get one, the other or both the princess and 3rd party insurance to make sure I've covered all bases.  Thanks in advance for any responses.

Welcome to Cruise Critic ;o)   For most people, the Princess coverage is quite limited and can "beaten" easily by other insurance products. The only benefit that is worth it for many is their Cancel For Any Reason clause, which will allow you cancel a trip for ANY reason up to just before you travel. You would then receive 100% of the non-refundable cruise fare back as an FCC, where most other insurers offering CFAR coverage only go to 75-80%.

Are you mostly concerned about coverage of the trip interruption/cancellation or health/medical evacuation coverage?   As already said the cancel for any reason is a huge plus of the Princess coverage which btw includes flight cost booked thru Princess Easy Air. Yes many feel their medical limits are low should you have a serious health challenge while away so many do buy additional or even alternative plans. We’ve used Geo Blue for many years (never had a claim with them) but they only cover you will traveling outside the USA. Their annual coverage plans offer reasonable coverage and reasonable rate depending on your age and essentially unlimited travel over 12 months. It’s a branch of blue cross blue shield insurance. There are several companies offering similar plans.   

More than likely your current medical insurance will offer limited (or no) coverage while out of the country but it’s worth verifying just in case.  

On a side note I will add that most if not all auto insurance companies in the USA will not cover you if you rent an auto outside the USA. Just something to be aware of. 

I didn't realize this was your first post - Welcome!

The one thing to be very careful about is pre-existing conditions. My TA has an Allianz policy that covers pre-existing conditions at final payment. Most you have to buy 3rd party policy at booking to cover pre-exiting conditions. Princess's policy has a 60 day look back window on pre-existing conditions.

This guy has been helpful and sells a variety of polices:  https://tripinsurancestore.com    - Steve is one of the main people there and he has helped me when I have had complicated trips and I am not sure how to cover it.

I agree - the benefit of Princess's insurance is that you can cancel for any reason and get future cruise credit (percentage depending on which policy you buy).

4 minutes ago, gottagocit said: As already said the cancel for any reason is a huge plus of the Princess coverage which btw includes flight cost booked thru Princess Easy Air. Yes many feel their medical limits are low should you have a serious health challenge while away so many do buy additional or even alternative plans. We’ve used Geo Blue for many years (never had a claim with them) but they only cover you will traveling outside the USA. Their annual coverage plans offer reasonable coverage and reasonable rate depending on your age and essentially unlimited travel over 12 months. It’s a branch of blue cross blue shield insurance. There are several companies offering similar plans. 

I recently bought GeoBlue for my Alaska trip as I spent several days in Canada before and Princess's insurance wouldn't cover my time before the cruise. It was quite affordable and worked out well for my situation. I also didn't file a claim but they have a good reputation.

For example - if you are going to Europe for a European cruise but decided to spend a week before touring on land and you buy Princess's insurance, Princess's insurance won't cover you for your land trip. GeoBlue is a great policy for that.

A lot depends on your current health insurance. Mine is awful outside of the US. Others have great policies.

1 hour ago, Coral said: A lot depends on your current health insurance. Mine is awful outside of the US. Others have great policies.

Remember too, that Medicare provides no coverage outside of the USA.  I'm not sure about Medicare supplemental plans, but I'd suspect the don't either.  So if your only US health insurance is some blend of Medicare and Medicare supplemental, you'd absolutely need travel insurance for medical.

  I thought I'd never need insurance coverage.  A slip and fall taking all of 2 seconds changed my mind about that once and for all.

LACruiser88

We always buy the Princess insurance and also a yearly Trekker plan from GeoBlue for international medical and evacuation coverage.

1 hour ago, DCThunder said: Remember too, that Medicare provides no coverage outside of the USA.  I'm not sure about Medicare supplemental plans, but I'd suspect the don't either.  So if your only US health insurance is some blend of Medicare and Medicare supplemental, you'd absolutely need travel insurance for medical.     I thought I'd never need insurance coverage.  A slip and fall taking all of 2 seconds changed my mind about that once and for all.

We have a Medicare Advantage plan and it does cover us outside the US.  Gives us peace of mind.

4 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said: We always buy the Princess insurance and also a yearly Trekker plan from GeoBlue for international medical and evacuation coverage.

I was looking at GeoBlue Trekker coverages.  One thing I noticed was that medical expense coverage dropped from $1M to $100K when you turn 70 up until age 94.  So you can't just look at the top line coverages, and not consider the fine print.

I'm no insurance expert, but I'd also wonder about the subrogation of the Princess coverage and then the GeoBlue coverage for a medical or medevac situation.

Rick&Jeannie

We have also purchased the GeoBlue Trekker.  That combined with the Princess Platinum and what little our Medicare Advantage plans give us seems like we should be well covered.  I also just subscribed to MedJet Assist for medical evacuation.  I thought it to be very well priced for what it does for you.

In the past I have used a Travel Insurance comparison website that allows you to filter in what sort of coverage you want and the amounts.  Such as Cancel for any reason, or Pre-existing conditions, or Medical only.  All of the companies that people are naming here are included in the tool.  Just do an internet search for a comparison website and I'm sure it will hit you right in the mouth.  Not sure I can share the name here.  

We purchased the Princess vacation protection because my husband has had some health issues over the past 6 months that would make him ineligible for any other plan other than very expensive cancel for any reason plans. Even plans that state that they cover pre-existing conditions limit that to stable medical conditions. If you have a pending medical test or surgery at the time you buy the insurance, the pre-existing condition waiver does not apply and you cannot get coverage. It's 95% likely that we'll be able to cruise as scheduled, but just in case it was worth it for us to get the Princess plan. Also, we are going to Alaska so our health insurance would cover us for that.

4 hours ago, DCThunder said: .  I'm not sure about Medicare supplemental plans, but I'd suspect the don't either

Ours did - 100%, no deductible - all but the $28 medical records copy fee - this was NON-COVID

6 hours ago, DCThunder said: Remember too, that Medicare provides no coverage outside of the USA.  I'm not sure about Medicare supplemental plans, but I'd suspect the don't either.

Many Medicare Supplement plans ( lettered Plans C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, M, and N)  offer foreign emergency travel coverage - with limitations.  They all cover 80% after a $250 annual deductible.  There is a lifetime limit of $50K.  It doesn't matter who your carrier is, thy all work the same.  The only exception is if you are a resident of MA, MN or WI. They all have state specific plans that are different from the other states.

1 hour ago, voljeep said: Ours did - 100%, no deductible - all but the $28 medical records copy fee - this was NON-COVID

If yours covered you completely, you must be a resident of Massachusetts (or possible Minnesota).  Otherwise you don't have a Medicare Supplement (aka Medigap) plan. Some Medicare Advantage plans will cover you fully outside of the US.  Some employer sponsored retiree plans (typically government or military) will also offer this kind of coverage.  

1 minute ago, Jersey42 said: Many Medicare Supplement plans ( lettered Plans C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, M, and N)  offer foreign emergency travel coverage - with limitations.  They all cover 80% after a $250 annual deductible.  There is a lifetime limit of $50K.  It doesn't matter who your carrier is, thy all work the same.  The only exception is if you are a resident of MA, MN or WI. They all have state specific plans that are different from the other states.   If yours covered you completely, you must be a resident of Massachusetts (or possible Minnesota).  Otherwise you don't have a Medicare Supplement (aka Medigap) plan. Some Medicare Advantage plans will cover you fully outside of the US.  Some employer sponsored retiree plans (typically government or military) will also offer this kind of coverage.  

Medicare Advantage - thanks for the correction

Wow, all the information in this thread is great to find out about.  There were a number of things that I didn't even consider about the insurance like the total medical cost, limitations on coverage and whatnot.  I suppose I don't need to worry too much as I'll be taking an Alaska cruise in September and I'm in fairly good health (no pre-existing conditions), but I will be picking up some additional insurance for medical coverage as the Princess plan's limits are on the low side.  Thank you to everyone who chimed.

1 hour ago, silvertear said: Wow, all the information in this thread is great to find out about.  There were a number of things that I didn't even consider about the insurance like the total medical cost, limitations on coverage and whatnot.  I suppose I don't need to worry too much as I'll be taking an Alaska cruise in September and I'm in fairly good health (no pre-existing conditions), but I will be picking up some additional insurance for medical coverage as the Princess plan's limits are on the low side.  Thank you to everyone who chimed.

I wasn't worried about limits on insurance for Alaska as my insurance would cover me there. I was more worried my days in Canada before the trip that was not covered by Princess's insurance and I don't have good coverage there with my employer policy.

• 1 month later...

Instead of starting a new thread, I am going to piggy back into this one.  We normally purchase supplemental insurance outside of Princess.  Mainly in case we need medical evacuation.  We have never purchased the Princess Platinum coverage.  I understand that the $20,000 medical coverage is considered low.  We do have great medical insurance which covers outside the US.  We are heading to going on a West Caribbean Cruise.  

My concerns are, not familiar with hospitals outside the US, do you have to pay upfront or do they accept payment through the insurance company.  Will the Princess Platinum coverage be enough?  Thank you

4 hours ago, dforeigner said: Instead of starting a new thread, I am going to piggy back into this one.  We normally purchase supplemental insurance outside of Princess.  Mainly in case we need medical evacuation.  We have never purchased the Princess Platinum coverage.  I understand that the $20,000 medical coverage is considered low.  We do have great medical insurance which covers outside the US.  We are heading to going on a West Caribbean Cruise.     My concerns are, not familiar with hospitals outside the US, do you have to pay upfront or do they accept payment through the insurance company.  Will the Princess Platinum coverage be enough?  Thank you

Outside the US you have to pay because they don't accept your insurance.  Have credit cards with high limits.  Princess Platinum is enough if your medical costs are less than $20,000.  If more than no.  Most people, including me, advise to get 3rd party insurance.  There is a forum here that deals strictly with travel insurance.  I suggest you read it.  Also, I would call Trip Insurance Store.  They are great.  There is currently a Q&A with the owner.   https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2648-qa-cruise-insurance-with-steve-dasseos-of-the-tripinsurancestorecom-summer-2023/

ChangeOrder

I don't get the Princess insurance. I buy a policy through CSA/Generali for each trip that covers everything. Cancel any reason, covers me from the moment I leave my house to begin the trip, reimbursement for the points I cashed in to buy the flights to Asia etc. The Princess policies are fairly limited when you want whole-trip coverage. 

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Enjoy Even More Peace of Mind with Our New & Improved Princess Vacation Protection

Life can be unpredictable but you can rely on princess vacation protection.

One of the most common questions we hear from our guests is, ‘Should I buy travel protection?’ If you want to spend more time relaxing and less time worrying about the unexpected, the answer is ‘yes’. That’s why we offer Princess Vacation Protection (PVP), which provides a cancellation fee waiver1 plus travel insurance benefits2 and 24-hour worldwide CareFree™ Travel Assistance 3 . Help protect in the event of unforeseen illness, including COVID-19, trip delays, baggage issues and more. It’s a convenient way to help ease your worries before setting sail.

Your benefits just got better – and you can still enjoy low prices!

New improvements:.

• Increased benefits up to 150% of vacation cost for Trip Interruptions.
• Increased Emergency Evacuation benefits up to $50,000 for the standard plan and $75,000 for the platinum plan.*

Benefits at a Glance

Cancel for any reason 1.

Cancellation Fee Waiver 1  (Non-insurance features provided by Princess Cruises) Life is unpredictable… but you can rely on Princess Vacation Protection. If you need to cancel for specified reasons outlined in the Cancellation Fee Waiver section of the plan, you’ll receive a refund of your cancellation fees. If you need to cancel for any reason not listed in the plan, under the “Any Reason” Cancellation Enhancement feature, you’ll receive 75% of the cancellation fee amount in the form of future cruise credits under our Standard plan and 100% under the Platinum plan.

Trip Interruptions

If you need to interrupt your trip due to a covered reason such as an illness or injury, you are eligible for reimbursement of prepaid cruise/land arrangements made through Princess and/or the cost of one-way airfare to get you home.

Medical Evacuation

Princess Vacation Protection also provides coverage in case your medical condition requires emergency evacuation to an appropriate medical facility.

Medical Expenses

Most medical expenses are covered in case you become sick or injured during your trip.

Trip Delays

If you are delayed starting your trip or returning home, you may be reimbursed for expenses that were not arranged through Princess – including meals, hotel, and transportation.

Personal Belongings

Your baggage is also covered in the event it is damaged, lost, stolen, or delayed to your destination.

24/7 Support

Need help? You will have access to 24/7 worldwide assistance for travel, medical, and emergency services.

The plan terms, conditions and exclusions are available online:

Captain’s Circle Loyalty Benefit

Available in both a Standard and Platinum plan, choose the plan you want based on the coverage and plan price that works best for you. Captain’s Circle members who have achieved Ruby, Platinum or Elite status who elect to purchase Standard PVP automatically receive a complimentary upgrade to PVP Platinum; we’ll pay the difference in plan cost on your behalf.

3 Ways to Purchase Princess Vacation Protection

Princess Vacation Protection can be purchased at the time of booking or up until final payment. You are considered enrolled as soon as the plan cost has been paid.

• When you  Book your Cruise  on Princess.com
• Call 1-800-Princess or contact your Travel Advisor
• Already Booked Guests can purchase in  Cruise Personalizer

Product Details

Cancellation Fee Waiver 1 (Non-insurance features provided by Princess Cruises)

Life is unpredictable… but you can rely on Princess Vacation Protection. If you need to cancel for specified reasons outlined in the Cancellation Fee Waiver section of the plan you’ll receive a refund of your cancellation fees. If you need to cancel for any reason not listed in the plan, under the “Any Reason” Cancellation Enhancement feature, you’ll receive 75% of the cancellation fee amount in the form of future cruise credits under our Standard plan and 100% under the Platinum plan.

Travel Insurance Benefits 2 (Underwritten by Nationwide®)

Sail through your vacation with less to worry about.

Trip Interruption:  Up to 150% total trip cost reimbursement for missed, prepaid cruise arrangements and/or the cost of one-way airfare if you must start your vacation late or need to come home early due to illness, injury and more.

Trip Delay:  Up to $500 for any pre-cruise trip delay expenses and/or post-cruise trip delay expenses up to $1,500 (not to exceed $1,500 for both pre- and post-cruise delays) for meals, hotel and transportation.

Baggage Delay:  Up to $500 if your luggage is delayed during travel.

Baggage/Personal Effects:  Up to $1,500 ($3,000 with the Platinum plan) if your stuff is lost, stolen or damaged.

Accidental Medical Expense:  Up to $10,000 ($20,000 with the Platinum plan) if you become injured while traveling.

Sickness Medical Expense:  Up to $10,000 ($20,000 with the Platinum plan) if you become sick while traveling.

Emergency Medical Evacuation/Repatriation: Up to $50,000 ($75,000 with the Platinum Plan) in the event your medical condition requires emergency medical transportation to an appropriate medical facility or in the event of your death, provides coverage to transport your mortal remains.

24/7 Worldwide Travel Assistance Services 3 (Non-insurance services provided by LiveTravel)

Need help while you travel?  Assistance is there for you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, anywhere in the world.

Princess Vacation Protection can be purchased while booking your next cruise vacation on princess.com, by contacting your travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS, or on Cruise Personalizer. It is available for purchase up until final payment for your trip on all Princess Cruises, Princess Cruisetours, Princess Alaska Land Tours and Princess Canadian Rockies Land Tours, and is available at two levels: Standard or Platinum. Princess Vacation Protection is not in effect until the plan cost has been paid to Princess in addition to any required cruise deposits or payments.

1  Non-insurance feature provided by Princess. WA residents only, Trip Cancellation benefits are underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies, Columbus, Ohio (NAIC #23787).

2  Travel Insurance Benefits are underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies, Columbus, Ohio (NAIC #23787).

3  Travel Assistance services are non-insurance services provided by LiveTravel International.

This plan provides insurance coverage that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker.

Princess Vacation Protection – Standard  To obtain your state-specific Certificate of Insurance providing the terms, conditions and exclusions of the certificate, visit  PVP Standard .

Princess Vacation Protection – Platinum  To obtain your state-specific Certificate of Insurance providing the terms, conditions and exclusions of the certificate, visit  PVP Platinum .

Note that Princess Vacation Protection is not available to residents of the state of New York, British Columbia, Quebec, Puerto Rico, or Mexico.

Need to file a claim?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  What happens if I test positive for COVID-19 and need to cancel the day before my cruise? A:  Like with any illness diagnosed and treated by a medical professional, if you test positive for COVID-19 after purchasing the plan, you will be eligible to receive a refund to your original form of payment. If you do not have an official medical diagnosis, but feel unwell, you will receive a Future Cruise Credit.

Q:  What if my spouse gets COVID-19 right before the cruise and we can no longer sail? A:  You will be eligible to file a claim for a cash refund if you, your traveling companion or a member of your immediate family is diagnosed and treated for COVID-19, which causes you to cancel your cruise.

Q:  What if my mother, who isn’t sailing with us, gets COVID-19, and we may have been exposed? A:  Princess Vacation Protection has you covered! Even if they are not traveling with you, if someone in your immediate family is diagnosed and treated for an illness, you may request a refund to the original form of payment. If they are ill but are not diagnosed or treated, you may call us and receive a Future Cruise Credit for the cruise fare.

Q:  What if I find out I was exposed to someone either on my way to my cruise or during the cruise, and I end up being isolated in my cabin for part or all of the voyage? A:  PVP provides reimbursement for the days you are confined to your cabin if the confinement is ordered by a medical professional.

Q:  Does PVP cover my medical expenses if I get COVID-19 during my cruise? A:  Yes, PVP provides reimbursement for eligible medical expenses for any illness, including COVID-19.

Q:  What if I want to cancel my PVP coverage? How does that work? A:  PVP is refundable until final payment is due. For new bookings made within final payment, the PVP plan cost is only refundable within 10 days of purchase provided the person hasn't departed on the trip nor filed a claim.

Q:  Am I protected by my Princess Vacation Protection plan if my mother, who is not traveling with me, develops pneumonia and I have to cancel my trip to care for her? A:  Yes! Princess will refund the cancellation fees (up to the full value of the cruise vacation) if you have to cancel your trip because of a specified reason such as illness, injury or death of yourself, a traveling companion or either of your immediate family members.

Q:  If I have a heart condition and am on continuing medication, am I protected if my heart condition flares up during my vacation? A:  Yes! Princess Vacation Protection provides reimbursement for conditions that are stable during the 60-days prior to purchase, so if you have had no changes in your health (even if you are on continuous unchanged medication), you would be protected.

Q:  What if my condition did change prior to purchasing Princess Vacation Protection? A:  Rest assured, emergency evacuation benefits are still provided in the event of a medical emergency. Also, if you cancel your cruise vacation and do not qualify for cash reimbursement due to an unstable medical condition prior to purchase, you will have the benefit of cancel-for-any-reason protection from Princess.

Q:  If my pet becomes ill and I have to cancel my trip as a result, will Princess Vacation Protection reimburse me? A:  Although you would not qualify for cash reimbursement, as an added feature for purchasing Princess Vacation Protection, Princess will provide a credit toward a future cruise equal to 75% of the cancellation fees imposed (100% if Platinum Vacation Protection is purchased) if you choose to cancel for an ineligible reason. This benefit is provided by Princess Cruises and/or Princess Tours.