Recommended travel insurance 2023-24

I'm also wondering if it's the combination of my mum's age (91) and her myeloma that's causing the difficulties in getting insurance.

Hi Prue8

insurance underwriters take a lot of things into consideration that we may take as not relevant but ultimately they may have a very expensive claim to pay out. For us it’s emotional, we want to make memories and spend time relaxing with loved ones while we can. For them it is a pure business transaction. Factors that are always major considerations as well as health are age and where you are travelling too. Cover for a cruise is going to cost more than a land based holiday ( if a cruise ship has to be diverted or a helicopter used to medivac you are looking at thousands before you even start on medical treatment). Some places are more expensive generally for medical treatment, especially USA and parts of the Caribbean. In Europe cover for Spain and Greece is normally more expensive than for example France and Italy. These are all factors in premiums. 
You may struggle to find a cruise company that will accept your booking without insurance as I believe it’s industry standard that you have to have insurance. 
My experience of calling insurance companies has never involved being pressured to buy. Both Staysure and insurancewith have provided quote reference numbers and you call them back and activate the policy once you’ve booked the holiday. 
I really think you will get a better idea of how affordable and do-able the cruise will be if you ring and give detailed answers to the questions regarding cover. 
Good luck

Hi,

Does anyone know if I can just use the EHIC/GHIC card to cover cancer travel insurance in Europe? I have very recently been diagnosed with bowel cancer. The tumour has been surgically removed but I will need chemotherapy which will start after I return from holiday. The cancer travel insurance companies have all quoted in excess of £3500. Can I just take out regular travel insurance to cover loss of belongings/cancellations etc then rely on the EHIC/GHIC card to cover the cancer health insurance?

Hi there 

unfortunately this won’t be enough; you need to get bespoke cover. This for the large part around repatriation should, as a result of your condition, you need to be flown home. 
on the plus side, you’re not in active treatment at the moment as you’ve had surgery but chemo hasn’t started. That will help on the quote! 
In March I used insurancewith.com - I’m having palliative chemo for stage 4 lung cancer; I got a year’s policy (worldwide) for myself and my husband (who is not ill) for just over £500 - the best quote by miles. Yours should be much cheaper than that. 
Good luck with chemo and good luck with the quote. 

Thank you for your advice! I have spoken to a few insurance companies and they have said I am in the middle of treatment as surgery counted as part of the cancer treatment which is why the prices are sky high! The emergency surgery happened less than 1 month ago and the holiday is booked for 3 weeks time so I think all this is working against me. 

I don’t think it’s working against you sweet pea - you have options. 
it would be good to get a note from your surgeon to say that you’re perfectly fit to fly/travel. I did. 
it is INCREDIBLY unlikely you’d need treatment or repatriation- your surgeon can verify this, as the operation has been successful. 
If I was in your shoes I’d just go with my normal travel insurance/the international medical card. In our case we were travelling half way across the world to a place which would not have been able to treat me on their native shores. (Sensible eh??!!) 

Don’t give up yet; you need a pre chemo treat ️

Thank you lovely! ️ I've spoken to a few more companies and the cheapest is £1060 which, although much better, is still costing more than the holiday itself! I'd love to be brave and just go without but it's the constant 'what if..' at the back of my head in case something does happen! 

We have a note from the doctor to say he's fit to tavel but the insurance companies are classing him as awaiting treatment as he hasn't yet started chemo (seems silly that someone who is currently having chemo would get a cheaper price as surely that would be more risky with the side effects!).

I've been trying to contact insurancewith the last 2 days but with no luck! Keep being told someone will call me then they never do!

If it’s any help, I did mine online with insurancewith.com - please persevere, if I got worldwide for 2 people (which lasts a year) you surely must get it for less for one person to Europe  And you’re right about the chemo aspect - far more likely to have some kind of incident during that! On the form it will ask if you’re currently having treatment (= no); do you have treatment scheded (=yes). Give it a go!

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It won't give me a quote online and says I have to contact them. When I ring them and say chemotherapy is planned for after the holiday, they say it has to be classed as undergoing treatment (all of the companies I've rung have said this). Still no luck and with only about 3 weeks to go I don't think it's going to be doable