Do you buy Trip/Medical Insurance for Disney Cruises?

[PHILCT]

I know DVC has a new 79 dollar per usage year for some kind of travel insurance.

It seems weak, and I am not sure it insures EVERYONE on your vacation, especially the medical stuff. The medical amounts were very low for those who know how much medical care REALLY costs when disaster hits.

I don't need insurance for domestic travel, or if I go on a Disney WDW trip, I can afford to lose the value of the points.

What I really need to secure is medical coverage and evacuation medical coverage when abroad.

I am only planning this year to go to the Bahamas.

What kind of insurance do you get for you and your family when traveling out of the country for a Disney Cruise. Do you have some other kind of insurance that protects you when you travel? What dollar limits do you look for medical care, and medical evacuation in these policies, what is enough and not enough.

What do you think of the new DVC 79 dollar usage year insurance?
I also wonder why it is that price, regardless of how many points you can use in one year. Like 100 points versus 1000, why the same price?

Thanks for any advice.

Phil

 

[Vegaslover]

I got the Travel Guard Gold - evacuation $500K, and medical limit $25K.
Check your credit card benefits too. They sometimes offer travel insurance as well when you book your trip using their card. Keep in mind that other countries do not charge as much for medical care as the U.S, but some of them do want payment up front in cash. Make sure you have a credit card on you that will let you take out a large cash advance if needed.

It doesn't seem right does it? If a foreigner visited us on vacation and needed medical attention here we would treat them no questions asked.

.

 

[PHILCT]

I got the Travel Guard Gold - evacuation $500K, and medical limit $25K.
Check your credit card benefits too. They sometimes offer travel insurance as well when you book your trip using their card. Keep in mind that other countries do not charge as much for medical care as the U.S, but some of them do want payment up front in cash. Make sure you have a credit card on you that will let you take out a large cash advance if needed.

It doesn't seem right does it? If a foreigner visited us on vacation and needed medical attention here we would treat them no questions asked.

.

Thanks for the advice, I did get this trip with Disney Vacation Club Points, so there is no credit card purchase yet, just future air flights.

 

[Vegaslover]

I looked on the government travel website. They say air lift back to the U.S. can cost around $10K.

 

[tvguy]

I looked on the government travel website. They say air lift back to the U.S. can cost around $10K.

From where? If it's the Bahamas, it almost always is done by the U.S. Coast Guard if the ill person is a U.S. citizen, and there is no charge.

 

[NHdisneylover]

We have a policy we buy annually which covers us for up t o45 days of travel foreign travel (our insurance is German now--so for us that is anywhere outside of the EU--and it does include evacuation by helicopter from a cruise ship. When we lived in the US, i called our regular insurance provider and was pleased to learn they covered medical evacuation. I had them fax me a letter to confirm this.
Even if you have neither of these options, it is nearly always less expensive to get much better coverage from a third party than buying the insurance through DCL. Insuremytrip.com seems to be a great place to start (this is where we found policies for my in laws on several vacations).

It doesn't seem right does it? If a foreigner visited us on vacation and needed medical attention here we would treat them no questions asked.

.

We would stabilize them and then want payment ASAP and send lots of bills and not go over and beyond. At least, that is how my mother (who is a US citizen but did not live in the US at the time) was treated, and just getting simple treatment for the flu and strep throat required payment in advance for both of our (insured) exchange students who needed medical care. It was FAR from no questions asked.
On the other hand, my daughter landed in the ER in London this summer with a high fever and lung infection. She spent several hours being treated and them making sure her temp was staying down, had a lung x-ray and lab work done and left with antibiotics and pain medications. The policy was that foreigners are not charged anything for this care, Not one dime. We offered. Our insurance would have covered it. We were told not to worry about it--they take care of their visitors. Wow--we were blown away by that.

 

[makaylee]

We always call our credit card company and get insurance through them. It seems to be a bit cheaper ( for the same policy) that way.

 

[PHILCT]

I wonder how many Americans DO NOT get any protection for the 3 or 4 day Disney Cruises specifically for medical care or medical evacuation for an individual ?

I have heard about how well Americans are treated in the UK if they get sick there, and the lower charges or no charges they incur. (I'm not Michael Moore from the SICKO named movie).

I am more curious about individual medical evacuation for someone who gets sick in a foreign country like the Bahamas, not like some larger disaster where I know the home countries get involved.

Since I bought this trip on DVC points and not cash, a lot of the trip insurance plans mention deposit date waiver clauses for the medical care part. I have no cash deposit date, it is bought by points.

I am going to see if my American Express card has any affordable and decent coverage for Medical/Medical Evacuation care.

Has anyone done an analysis of the latest DVC trip insurance for 79 dollars a Usage year, versus other plans?

Thanks for any more advice.

 

[Gigi22]

Just adding my 2 cents worth here. DH and I were recently able to get an annual travel insurance policy that tops up the travel insurance we already have through our medical insurance. The cost for the two of us is less than $200 a year and covers unlimited trips under 40 days, medical, cancellation insurance, and baggage insurance. For our last trip to Disney and a 7 day cruise on the Magic, with airfare, our total insurance costs were **$900** for that trip alone! Moral--shop around!

 

[lovethedream]

For our two DCL cruises, we purchased it through DCL. However, for our upcoming cruise on Carnival, we purchased it through a company our TA recommended.