Insurance?

[Seamama]

I've been studying the opening day pricing thread and noticed a lot of people don't get insurance. Is this b/c you get other insurance (such as through airlines if you fly to the port) or is this b/c you just don't bother w/ insurance? I'm not a big risk taker so I want to get insurance, and it seems easiest to me just to get it through DCL- is there a reason I shouldn't do it that way? Thanks!

 

[JohnDS]

I've been studying the opening day pricing thread and noticed a lot of people don't get insurance. Is this b/c you get other insurance (such as through airlines if you fly to the port) or is this b/c you just don't bother w/ insurance? I'm not a big risk taker so I want to get insurance, and it seems easiest to me just to get it through DCL- is there a reason I shouldn't do it that way? Thanks!

We bought it through insuremytrip.com better insurance and better price.

 

[plannermom]

I think people choose to buy it elsewhere for better coverage and pricing. I chose to buy through Costco.

 

[lanejudy]

Shop around and see what fits your needs. DCL offers insurance, but it only covers those portions of your vacation that are booked directly through DCL -- so if you do your own airfare and pre/post-cruise hotels or something, it won't be covered. Many third party insurances may be less expensive. Basically, be aware of your needs (cancel-or-any-reason, pre-existing condition, medical evac, any medical, land travel, etc.) so you are comparing apples-to-apples and not oranges. While DCL insurance can be added up until PIF, some others (specifically PEC waivers) must be done shortly after the deposit is paid even if more than a year ahead.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Ravenne]

We bought it through insuremytrip.com better insurance and better price.

 

[Seamama]

Thanks, everyone. Hearing that I may be able to get more coverage (i.e., for the other travel portions) and that it I may be able to get it for cheaper is enough for me to shop around. Thanks, also, for the tip to book it asap after booking my trip since some companies require that.

 

[thinkoflaura]

For the past 2 DCL cruises, we used TravelGuard. Happy with their prices and customer care (though, fortunately we didn't need to "use" the policy...). If you want the "cancel for any reason" option, it will cost a little more AND you have to lock in a policy within 7-12 days after booking the trip. Since a lot can happen between now and these 2015 trips, we always felt this option was worth the added expense.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I think people choose to buy it elsewhere for better coverage and pricing. I chose to buy through Costco.

We also love the TravelGuard insurance purchased through Costco. Between the Disney Visa that means I don't have to actually pay the deposit for 6 months and the Costco insurance that covers pre-existing conditions if purchased by PIF, booking on opening day is a lot easier.

Now, if only DCL had not changed the OBB window to 18 months. We booked a cruise 18 months and 1 day after our last DCL cruise. I feel a lot like secret Agent Maxwell Smart: "missed it by that much". Suzanne

 

[jxtai]

We also love the TravelGuard insurance purchased through Costco. Between the Disney Visa that means I don't have to actually pay the deposit for 6 months and the Costco insurance that covers pre-existing conditions if purchased by PIF, booking on opening day is a lot easier.

Now, if only DCL had not changed the OBB window to 18 months. We booked a cruise 18 months and 1 day after our last DCL cruise. I feel a lot like secret Agent Maxwell Smart: "missed it by that much". Suzanne

can you tell me what is PIF? thanks and when do you start purchase the insurance? If I cancel my trip later on, will my insurance be refund?

thanks

 

[lanejudy]

can you tell me what is PIF? thanks and when do you start purchase the insurance? If I cancel my trip later on, will my insurance be refund?

thanks

PIF is pay-in-full.

DCL insurance can be purchased up until you PIF. Some other insurances can be purchased after you PIF, but it may be a higher rate and/or limited coverage. Some insurances require you to purchase within 1-2 weeks of making initial deposit.

Generally speaking, travel insurance is non-refundable. Since DCL's policy doesn't take effect until you are PIF, any payment made to DCL prior to the PIF date is refundable. Some policies may allow you to transfer it if you change your travel dates.

You'll have to do your homework to decide what fits yours needs best.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[jxtai]

PIF is pay-in-full.

DCL insurance can be purchased up until you PIF. Some other insurances can be purchased after you PIF, but it may be a higher rate and/or limited coverage. Some insurances require you to purchase within 1-2 weeks of making initial deposit.

Generally speaking, travel insurance is non-refundable. Since DCL's policy doesn't take effect until you are PIF, any payment made to DCL prior to the PIF date is refundable. Some policies may allow you to transfer it if you change your travel dates.

You'll have to do your homework to decide what fits yours needs best.

Enjoy your cruise!

thanks for the reply!! Just one more question.. if I want to buy thru Costco for insurance , should I do it right before I paid in full in my case will be Jan 2015? In case I want to made changes on my trip or even cancel. Thanks

 

[lanejudy]

thanks for the reply!! Just one more question.. if I want to buy thru Costco for insurance , should I do it right before I paid in full in my case will be Jan 2015? In case I want to made changes on my trip or even cancel. Thanks

I've never purchased insurance through Costco, so you'll want to confirm their rules. If they allow you to add it at any point up until PIF, then yes, you may as well wait. Just make a reminder to yourself to add the insurance so you don't forget!

 

[jxtai]

thank you so much!!

 

[thinkoflaura]

i just stumbled on an insurance issue that someone here may know the answer to...

this is my first time transferring an existing reservation (dummy booking) to the cruise I REALLY wanted, 6/6/15 norway, booked today.

in the past we've used TravelGuard and opted for the "cancel for any reason" coverage which you could get with the gold plan IF YOU BOUGHT THE INSURANCE WITHIN 15 DAYS OF FIRST BOOKING. I called Travel Guard and asked if they go by this "real" booking today or the "dummy date" from last summer. The rep said "it depends what Disney puts on your invoice as to the first day money was laid out." That makes me think it will be our OBB deposit last summer.

anyone else encounter this?

fortunately there are ways to purchase this coverage through other policies they offer, but it's a little more pricy.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I've never purchased insurance through Costco, so you'll want to confirm their rules. If they allow you to add it at any point up until PIF, then yes, you may as well wait. Just make a reminder to yourself to add the insurance so you don't forget!

You may already be aware of this, but the travel insurance through Costco is only available if you book using Costco travel as your TA. I think you need to transfer any reservation to Costco (or any other TA) within 30 days of booking.

The price of the Costco insurance is not based on the age of the people travelling. As a result, it is very reasonably priced for those of us who are older, but may not be as a good a deal for those who are younger. For example, my 84 YO Dad and 14 YO neice both paid the same.

If you would prefer to purchase insurance which covers pre-existing conditions at the time you are paid in full and Costco is not your TA (or you are not close to retirement), you should also compare the price and coverage of CSA Freestyle, available through tripinsurancestore.com.

-- Suzanne

 

[DahliaRW]

We use an outside company for insurance too (allianz was what we used last time). We'll be insuring our whole Europe trip, but no point in insuring the cruise portion until we PIF, since it's totally refundable now. We usually end up purchasing our insurance when we purchase airfare, and then add things on as they become non-refundable.

 

[lanejudy]

i just stumbled on an insurance issue that someone here may know the answer to...

this is my first time transferring an existing reservation (dummy booking) to the cruise I REALLY wanted, 6/6/15 norway, booked today.

in the past we've used TravelGuard and opted for the "cancel for any reason" coverage which you could get with the gold plan IF YOU BOUGHT THE INSURANCE WITHIN 15 DAYS OF FIRST BOOKING. I called Travel Guard and asked if they go by this "real" booking today or the "dummy date" from last summer. The rep said "it depends what Disney puts on your invoice as to the first day money was laid out." That makes me think it will be our OBB deposit last summer.

anyone else encounter this?

fortunately there are ways to purchase this coverage through other policies they offer, but it's a little more pricy.

While I have not used this particular travel insurance, yes I have heard that with an OBB you need to buy the CFAR insurance for the "dummy" date, but make sure they will allow you to shift it with the ressie if you change cruise dates. The original booking date is the day you made the OBB -- in your case, last summer. There may still be other policies offering similar coverage that you can pick up now, but ones that require you to purchase within X days of booking will count that original OBB date.

Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

 

[jxtai]

We use an outside company for insurance too (allianz was what we used last time). We'll be insuring our whole Europe trip, but no point in insuring the cruise portion until we PIF, since it's totally refundable now. We usually end up purchasing our insurance when we purchase airfare, and then add things on as they become non-refundable.

Good idea... now these days the airfare usually non refundable.. so when we buy the tickets we almost sure we are definitely going to go to the trip and buying insurance at that time is a right time!!

 

[Plutofan]

We bought our insurance through DCL. I am not sure if I am stating this correctly but I believe I was told that if we had to cancel in the penalty period for a reason not covered by medical then we would get a credit to use on a future DCL trip. You may want to check with them. Since we paid with Disney gift cards we our DCL insurance was 9% cheaper since we bought the Disney gift cards at Target with the discounts.

 

[SG101]

DCL insurance is expensive....only bought it on our first trip 10+ years ago and only covers the cruise.

Now I buy our insurance thru insuremytrip.com as it covers our flights, hotels, rental car, cruise, etc with very good coverage. I have called insuremytrip because 2 of the insurances had slight differences, and they were extremely professional and knowledgeable. I use them on every large vacation we take now.

Just a reminder - if you want pre-existing conditions covered, you have to buy within 14 - 21 days of initial payment/deposit. So glad you posted this because I completely forgot about trip insurance since I'm still making reservations for our Alaska cruise in a few months