Warning: Do Not buy the Allianz insurance through DCL!

[danfromca]

May I ask who you buy the second policy from please?

It depends on the trip and what my needs are. Usually it's TravelGuard or Access America. I did have occasion to file a relatively small medical claim with TravelGuard and it was quite straightforward. I have also had occasion to use the cruise credit on DCL insurance after a claim was denied - this was also straightforward, but not quick, as it required going through the process of first having the insurance claim denied, then applying for the credit with DCL.

 

[annabug]

Thank you for posting your experience. I am sorry that you had, and continue to have such a rough time. Especially when your little one was sick, so stressful

I had no idea about what was covered via DCL insurance. I always add it on to my trip, and I did think it would just cover everything. Not good.

I plan on looking into this further. Thanks again

 

[MikeAndNick]

This is one more reason to use a good Travel Agent. The first time I booked a Disney Cruise my Travel Agent explained all of this to me and booked travel insurance outside of Disney. You can book a cruise without a TA but do you know the problems you could have and have someone to call when you have trouble? My TA even helped me file a claim when I needed to collect on the Insurance for a sick child.

 

[lizabu]

There's one thing that is essential to remember about DCL insurance that hasn't been mentioned here yet - and is the reason I always get DCL insurance.

That is - if your insurance claim is denied, DCL will apply all non-refundable money towards a future cruise.

In other words, if the day before a cruise, you just decide not to go - you can file a claim, have it denied, and get a full credit towards a future cruise. It's essentially "cancel for any reason" insurance.

What I routinely do is get the DCL policy, and then get a second policy that covers the entire duration of my trip and is priced to cover air-fare and any other pre-paid expenses but not the cruise, and has good medical and emergency evac coverage. Because the cruise isn't included (typically the most expensive part of the trip) the policy usually isn't all that expensive.

I was going to start a thread asking if people do this. After reading all these experiences it seemed like a logical thing to do. I wondered if people actually did it. I think this is the way I will go too.

 

[KingRichard]

Did you pay with a CC? You may have some overlapping coverage and they may cover some expenses?

 

[favDisney]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I am confused with insurance policy and thought going with Disney would be the best. It was great that I read your post and will look into other insurance options for my upcoming trip.

Hope things will work out for you.

 

[TDC Nala]

I personally have used the Disney insurance a couple of times and I never thought it was meant to cover anything but the cruise and anything else purchased or operated through DCL.

If you want hotel stays, flight changes (not booked through DCL) or other options covered, there are insurance policies you can purchase that will cover those. I understand some of the hotel expenses might have been covered had the daughter been admitted to the hospital, but she was not.

I wouldn't say "never buy DCL insurance," just know what it is you are buying. DCL insurance has a great out for anyone who wants to cancel the cruise, and only the cruise. Not for anything else, really.

 

[Brynnie]

wow! I cannot believe this! I did not comment on the posts about you being stuck with your daughter while she was sick but I followed the whole thing and I cannot believe the outcome!! I remember reading that you DID contact the insurance company and they told you it was all set! I would fight this decision big time since it sounds like you were misinformed from the company. You may have made different decisions if you were better informed but I do recall you were so upset and desperate AND you were alone with her! That is so tough!

THANK YOU for trying to save/warn people from the same fate. I think it's nice that you took the time to post to warn people who might not be aware of these issues. DH and I ALWAYS buy our insurance from insuremytrip.com (we book with Travelex). We have never had to file a claim, but I know that we would be all set if anything went wrong....we cover the trip from the time we leave our house until we get home. I WOULD NOT know this information if it wasn't for people like you and these boards!

I wish you the best of luck with your battle and thank you again! I am just glad that your daughter ended up being ok....I don't even know you and I was worried about her!

 

[su_A_ve]

This is one more reason to use a good Travel Agent. The first time I booked a Disney Cruise my Travel Agent explained all of this to me and booked travel insurance outside of Disney. You can book a cruise without a TA but do you know the problems you could have and have someone to call when you have trouble? My TA even helped me file a claim when I needed to collect on the Insurance for a sick child.

The TA is making a commission from selling you another insurance company. That's why they will 'recommend' another product. The TA will never recommend something they are not making a commission, unless you personally own the TA.

And lately, TAs are not even getting into the game as they are the first ones being targeted if the insurance company refuses to pay.

A TA will treat you better if you are booking concierge in a 7n sailing on Xmas, vs a 3n in September. Unless you've sailed first on a 7n and then book a 3n - since you are potential big spender, they'll treat you good. It's all in the numbers.

My .02...

 

[mgpan]

It costs more through Disney because they are a middle man..there wouldnt be a need for them to sell it if they don't make a profit. So they charge more to make a profit. SImple business 101

That's why it's usually not a good deal to buy the insurance through a cruiseline, and many times not through a travel agency when they offer it. There are exceptions to this of course, but it's the same reason you can book most excursions on your own for less, the cruiseline isn't taking a cut for the sale. Go to Insuremytrip or another site and compare apples to apples before purchasing.

 

[sayhello]

So moral of the story for everyone - learn from me. READ THAT POLICY. Buy from insuremytrip.com or elsewhere and see what is covered. If you or your child gets ill and causes you to completely miss your trip, are you covered for that ON TOP of your cruise expense?
Allianz DCL insurance will ONLY cover up to the cruise expense. Not a penny more for any reason.

Expensive lesson, but hopefully my lesson saves you $$$

Thanks for sharing your unfortunate experience. I really hope people pay attention. I try to always encourage folks to READ THE POLICY. Policies vary so much as to what they do & don't cover, even within the same company. I'm sorry you had to learn this the hard way.

Agreed. The title of this thread makes it sound like they are ripping people off and that's not the case. It really should be a warning about being careful and making sure you know what you are buying. There are many negatives to insurance through DCL, but there are positives too. I went with them because I know that if we cant make our cruise and insurance declines, we will get a credit. For my needs, that was most important.

I'm sorry about your vacation though. I followed your other thread and it's very sad that everything had to suck so much. I've been planning my trip for years. I think I would lose my mind.

Amen to this. It seems obvious, but a lot of us make assumptions. It's usually after we've been burned that we learn.

So, what is the best insurance to buy? I want something that covers it all, door to door if my MIL (heaven forbid) dies 2 days before we leave? Or I have a medical emergency and need to be air-lifted off the ship in Alaska (yup, nearly happened to me)?

Call www.insuremytrip.com or www.tripinsurancestore.com and describe your exact situation to them, and what you want covered, and they will help you select a policy that meets your needs.

I've gone back through now on insuremytrip.com to see if there are any policies that would have covered you in your situation.

There are some. But mostly, they are up to a set amount per day depending on the plan level (125-200) and I've seen none that give more than 5 days.

Granted, even THAT would've been better than a big fat nothing.

Folks, this is a great lesson. People worry more about passports (another subject entirely) .. but you need to GET TRAVEL INSURANCE and READ YOUR POLICY.

The OP has unfortunately learned an expensive lesson. Thank goodness it didn't require evacuation or emergency treatment while actually ON the cruise. That can be so expensive it can financially devastate a family.

So sorry this has happened to you.

I totally agree with this!

Yeah, I too may have it wrong after all this deep thought.
But that's an interesting thought, to checkin.
Wait. Then it would have been a PEC and not covered

I do know only her cruise was covered.

But after reading some of these policies, It make you wonder what is covered.

No, actually a PEC only refers to a condition you have before *buying the policy* not before going on your cruise. The flu is rarely a PEC.

Here is the line in the policy I want to purchase that disturbs me.

The following exclusions apply to Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption:
Benefits will not be provided for any loss resulting (in whole or in part) from:
(a) travel arrangements canceled by an airline, cruise line, or tour operator, except as provided elsewhere in the plan;

from;http://www.insuremytrip.com/certificate/TGG/all.html?quoteId=yMoHZBgNZndR&rev=5

Unfortunately, that is a *very* common clause in trip insurance. They expect the airline or the cruise line, etc, to make good for your loss if they're the ones that cancel. Otherwise, a tour operator would feel free to cancel a cruise any time for any reason, because they'd suffer no financial loss if the insurance took care of it.

Did you pay with a CC? You may have some overlapping coverage and they may cover some expenses?

Most CC's (not all) only cover stuff like lost luggage and Death and Dismemberment. They don't usually cover missed trips, trip interruption, etc. Definitely check with your CC, but don't expect much.

Sayhello

 

[Octoberbride03]

There's one thing that is essential to remember about DCL insurance that hasn't been mentioned here yet - and is the reason I always get DCL insurance.

That is - if your insurance claim is denied, DCL will apply all non-refundable money towards a future cruise.

In other words, if the day before a cruise, you just decide not to go - you can file a claim, have it denied, and get a full credit towards a future cruise. It's essentially "cancel for any reason" insurance.

What I routinely do is get the DCL policy, and then get a second policy that covers the entire duration of my trip and is priced to cover air-fare and any other pre-paid expenses but not the cruise, and has good medical and emergency evac coverage. Because the cruise isn't included (typically the most expensive part of the trip) the policy usually isn't all that expensive.

To me that's like paying twice for the same product. I never buy DCL insurance. I shop around and find a policy that covers everything and get that 1. It doesn't usually run me too much and policy prices are based on ages of insured. But I'm not going to buy 2 different policies. Just 1 for the whole shot. They are out there. Last time I used squaremouth.com I think to buy mine.

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

I did figure this could start a heated discussion but felt people needed to know.

We have rebooked for that amazing VGT rate on April 27th. DD doesn't know - she is not going to know until there is a wakeup call at the hotel before going to the airport - I plan big events for a living, and have a whole 'fake event' going on that weekend that we will be at a hotel for the night before - she will have no clue Her birthday is May 2nd, so she will be on the cruise for it. Her teachers are on board (no pun intended) and she is cleared from school, her boyfriend is changing her birthday get together to the following week without her knowing - I can't wait to surprise her.

The reason I thought hotel/food was covered is because in the past when I have traveled (non cruise), and I have had insurance I have had trip delays getting home with weather and put through the hotel and food receipts into insurance, and gotten my money back.
When I called Allianz to alert them in the 72 hour period I told them she was too ill to travel, but not hospitalized, but also with a super flu like this, being out and about around other people would be a really poor decision anyway, and there is no airline that would let her on a plane the way she was - not to mention she could barely sit up for a while - she laid there like a dishrag. I was told not to worry that I had 100-150 per person, per day, we were delayed/interuppted.
I do plan on fighting them about it, but I imagine their legal team would outwin me any day of the week anyway, and I am certainly not going to hire a lawyer for a $2000 expense.
It sucks, but in the big picture its $2000, and I have to look at it as a lovely bonding week in a princess room at riverside and getting some sunshine and not being at home in the rain. You just have to make lemonade on this one. Before I know it, she will be finishing high school and off on her own doing her own thing - and at least I can say I spent a solid week with her - not the ideal week - but a week uninterrupted with cell phones, emails, work calls, etc...

 

[lizabu]

I did figure this could start a heated discussion but felt people needed to know.

We have rebooked for that amazing VGT rate on April 27th. DD doesn't know - she is not going to know until there is a wakeup call at the hotel before going to the airport - I plan big events for a living, and have a whole 'fake event' going on that weekend that we will be at a hotel for the night before - she will have no clue Her birthday is May 2nd, so she will be on the cruise for it. Her teachers are on board (no pun intended) and she is cleared from school, her boyfriend is changing her birthday get together to the following week without her knowing - I can't wait to surprise her.

The reason I thought hotel/food was covered is because in the past when I have traveled (non cruise), and I have had insurance I have had trip delays getting home with weather and put through the hotel and food receipts into insurance, and gotten my money back.
When I called Allianz to alert them in the 72 hour period I told them she was too ill to travel, but not hospitalized, but also with a super flu like this, being out and about around other people would be a really poor decision anyway, and there is no airline that would let her on a plane the way she was - not to mention she could barely sit up for a while - she laid there like a dishrag. I was told not to worry that I had 100-150 per person, per day, we were delayed/interuppted.
I do plan on fighting them about it, but I imagine their legal team would outwin me any day of the week anyway, and I am certainly not going to hire a lawyer for a $2000 expense.
It sucks, but in the big picture its $2000, and I have to look at it as a lovely bonding week in a princess room at riverside and getting some sunshine and not being at home in the rain. You just have to make lemonade on this one. Before I know it, she will be finishing high school and off on her own doing her own thing - and at least I can say I spent a solid week with her - not the ideal week - but a week uninterrupted with cell phones, emails, work calls, etc...

I work in Customer Service for a hotel chain and we record most phone calls. If one of our agents for example misquote a room rate and a guest complains they go back and listen to the call. If one of our agents really did give the wrong rate we honour what was quoted. I would think this would work the same way. If their agent told you that you were covered for $150 per day the company would have to be responsible for what their representative told you.

I hope it all works out and hopefully they recorded the call and still have it.

 

[sabrecmc]

I wouldn't say "never buy DCL insurance," just know what it is you are buying. DCL insurance has a great out for anyone who wants to cancel the cruise, and only the cruise. Not for anything else, really.

Exactly! We are FL residents not too far from the port, so don't need coverage for flights, hotels, car rental, etc. Just the cruise. For which, DCL cruise insurance is perfect b/c it is cancel for any reason, which is better than most other options. So, it really just depends on what you are looking for. If you are wanting door-to-door full coverage, then it probably isn't right for you.

I do agree with the other poster that this is one good thing about a TA, to really explain the options and help you figure out what works best for YOU.

 

[MDennis28]

We are cruising Eastern Carib Sept 21, 2013. When is the best time to buy insurance? The all-inclusive no matter what kind? Complete coverage (MIL ailing and aged) most important -and cost is not. Don't want to buy it too late. Thank you. This has been a very helpful thread.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are cruising Eastern Carib Sept 21, 2013. When is the best time to buy insurance? The all-inclusive no matter what kind? Complete coverage (MIL ailing and aged) most important -and cost is not. Don't want to buy it too late. Thank you. This has been a very helpful thread.

Generally, most insurance that covers pre-existing conditions needs to be purchased within 14 days of initial payment for cruise.

We buy our insurance as soon as we know we're cruising. There's really no price break buying it later than sooner. And that way we're covered as soon as we have made any payments to cruise/hotel/airlines.

 

[southlake]

Thanks for your post. I was about to purchase trip insurance through DCL but decided to post here real quick before I did. Luckily, some members gave me the great advice that unless I was also booking our airfare and hotel through DCL, DCL's trip insurance wouldn't cover that portion of our "trip." I then booked Allianz outside of DCL and put in a dollar amt that would include our cruise and airfare. Phew!

I hope everything works out for you, OP!

 

[sayhello]

We are cruising Eastern Carib Sept 21, 2013. When is the best time to buy insurance? The all-inclusive no matter what kind? Complete coverage (MIL ailing and aged) most important -and cost is not. Don't want to buy it too late. Thank you. This has been a very helpful thread.

If it's been more than 14-21 days since you paid your first deposit, then look at the CSA Custom Luxe policy (check it out at www.insuremytrip.com). It gives you a pre-existing condition waiver if you purchase it within 24 hours of paying in full. It does cost a bit more, but it's worth it if you need the PEC.

Sayhello

 

[Green Tea]

I know you are frustrated, but you bought insurance for your cruise, not for you pre-cruise stay or travel. The premium for your insurance is based on the price of your trip, and for them your price was the cruise.

Some people book everything through Disney, and basically have door to door coverage because the cost of the entire trip is used in figuring out the premium for the insurance. Say a family decided to go to WDW for a week before the cruise and had airfare and a suite at the Contemporary and got sick before they even left home. Would it be fair for the insurance company to cover those costs when another family booked the same cabin on the cruise, paid the same insurance premium (for the cruise only), but lived in Florida so only cancelled the actual cruise?

If you had booked insurance through another insurer, and you wanted the coverage from door to door, they would have based the premium on the entire cost of your vacation, not just on the cruise portion. You can buy trip insurance just from the airline for just the airfare, or you can book hotels with a cancellation policy you like (may have to pay a little more for the 'insurance' to be able to cancel). You bought cruise insurance, and that's what you got. They are refunding the cost of your cruise, correct? You weren't yet checked in to the cruise when your daughter got sick, so you weren't yet covered by the cruise insurance. Just like with auto insurance or health insurance, there is an effective time when the policy begins. If you are in an accident on the way to buy insurance, you aren't going to have coverage.

Nancy

If you have Costco as your agent, they base the insurance on the cost of the cruise only, but cover the flights and hotels as well. And you get preexisting coverage if bought within 24 hours of final payment. So, your scenario isn't always right. You just have to have the right policy.