Allianz trip insurance

[fairytalelover]

So it seems like most people like Allianz insurance over the disney cruise line insurance. Am I right or do you have another insurance company you prefer?

 

[jtba]

So it seems like most people like Allianz insurance over the disney cruise line insurance. Am I right or do you have another insurance company you prefer?

My well-travel friends all seem to like TravelGuard.com.

 

[LisaT91403]

So it seems like most people like Allianz insurance over the disney cruise line insurance. Am I right or do you have another insurance company you prefer?

I don't think there is an easy answer to this question. It depends on many factors, such as which aspects of the insurance are most important to you, the cost of the trip, the ages of those traveling, etc. Some people want the DCL policy because of the "cancel for any reason" coverage. That wasn't important to me -- I wanted more medical & evacuation coverage.

I researched several companies, including Allianz. We went with Travel Insured because the premiums were lower and the coverage amounts for medical and evacuation were much better than Allianz.

You really have to price it out on your own to find out what's best for your family.

 

[tee11]

I don't think there is an easy answer to this question. It depends on many factors, such as which aspects of the insurance are most important to you, the cost of the trip, the ages of those traveling, etc. Some people want the DCL policy because of the "cancel for any reason" coverage. That wasn't important to me -- I wanted more medical & evacuation coverage.

I researched several companies, including Allianz. We went with Travel Insured because the premiums were lower and the coverage amounts for medical and evacuation were much better than Allianz.

You really have to price it out on your own to find out what's best for your family.

We did, too! They had great reviews on their claim handling, and they included "Severe Weather/Hurricane" insurance, which Allianz did not offer.

 

[Reidhome]

Thanks for the info! We bought our cruise thru Costco - can't book insurance until we plan our exact dates for pre-cruise DW and buy airfare... Which won't be for several months...

 

[jtba]

Thanks for the info! We bought our cruise thru Costco - can't book insurance until we plan our exact dates for pre-cruise DW and buy airfare... Which won't be for several months...

Actually you should be able to pick up travel insurance now, to cover the cruise portion, then add the DW and airfare parts when they are booked; the insurance companies can adjust the premiums later, if needed. This is esp. critical if you or a traveling companion has a pre-existing medical condition you want covered. Most companies will not cover these medical conditions unless you buy the policy within a certain period of time after paying the initial payment, typically within 14-21 days, depending on the policy. You might be able to buy extra coverage for the PE med condition later, but usually at a substantially higher amount.

 

[koukla1975]

We used Travel Guard and really was not happy. All of these travel insurances say cancel any time but in reality it is not true. Read the fine print. Preconditions are not part of canceling, if someone passes away, they need the last 2 years of medical records from all doctors. Everything goes through an underwriting department and their medical team and they make that choice whether or not you get that money back. I have heard from Disney though that with their travel insurance which they use Berkley and so does NCL, Disney will no matter what give you a cruise credit. That is good.

My mother in law passed away 1 month before our cruise, although it was with a different cruise line, we ended up having to go on our cruise during that horrible time in our lives because travel guard said that it could take months to see our money or maybe not see it at all.

So to make a long story short, Just read the fine print.

 

[su_A_ve]

DCL changed their insurance provider recently. The new insurance has a 'cancel for any reason' provision however it only covers 75% and the credit now must be used within a year.

 

[lanejudy]

... All of these travel insurances say cancel any time but in reality it is not true. ...

While it may initially sound like symantics -- there is a vast difference between "cancel at any TIME" and "cancel for any REASON." Yes, all insurances will allow you to "cancel at any time" but the insurance only kicks in if it's for a covered reason. Coverage with "cancel for any reason" or for pre-existing conditions typically must be stated specifically and purchased shortly after deposit is made.

Good reminder about reading the fine print, regardless of what you "think" you are purchasing.

My condolences on your loss. I hope your family was able to put aside the sadness and enjoy your cruise.

 

[fairytalelover]

Well it looks like Allianz is out for us then because Severe Weather /Hurricanes is a big possibility and we want an insurance company that covers that. Also our son has type 1 diabetes so we need pre-existing coverage.

 

[LisaT91403]

We used Travel Guard and really was not happy. All of these travel insurances say cancel any time but in reality it is not true. Read the fine print. Preconditions are not part of canceling, if someone passes away, they need the last 2 years of medical records from all doctors. Everything goes through an underwriting department and their medical team and they make that choice whether or not you get that money back. I have heard from Disney though that with their travel insurance which they use Berkley and so does NCL, Disney will no matter what give you a cruise credit. That is good.

My mother in law passed away 1 month before our cruise, although it was with a different cruise line, we ended up having to go on our cruise during that horrible time in our lives because travel guard said that it could take months to see our money or maybe not see it at all.

So to make a long story short, Just read the fine print.

You can cancel at any time as long as it's for a covered reason (and a death in the family would be a covered reason). If you want to cancel for any reason, that's different...and costs A LOT more money to get this type of coverage.

Each insurance company has a "look back" period. That's the amount of time that they will look back in your medical records to determine if something is pre-existing or not. For example, Travel Insured has a 60-day look back. Allianz has a 120-day look back. Travel Guard has a 180-day look back.I've never heard of 2 years, though...that doesn't sound right to me.

I'm not sure it's really a matter of "fine print". I think it's simply doing your own due diligence when determining which policy is right for you. They are all different, and you need to look at the policy before purchasing.

 

[LisaT91403]

Well it looks like Allianz is out for us then because Severe Weather /Hurricanes is a big possibility and we want an insurance company that covers that. Also our son has type 1 diabetes so we need pre-existing coverage.

All of the different insurers offer coverage for pre-existing conditions. You have to purchase the insurance within xxx number of days of when you put a deposit down on your trip in order to get the pre-existing condition waiver. The number of days depends on the insurance company -- as I mentioned in a previous post, each company sets their own terms and conditions.

 

[lanejudy]

Well it looks like Allianz is out for us then because Severe Weather /Hurricanes is a big possibility and we want an insurance company that covers that. Also our son has type 1 diabetes so we need pre-existing coverage.

I can't speak specifically to Allianz -- but virtually no travel insurance will cover weather-related delays or cancellations once a storm is "named." So, it comes down to when you purchase the insurance; purchase early.

Most coverages for PEC need to be purchased within 2 weeks of the deposit. Sometimes you can get that coverage later, but it will cost a lot more.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[LoveToCruiseDisney]

We just book our second Disney cruise and bought the insurance through Disney. Was this a mistake?

 

[fairytalelover]

I can't speak specifically to Allianz -- but virtually no travel insurance will cover weather-related delays or cancellations once a storm is "named." So, it comes down to when you purchase the insurance; purchase early.

Most coverages for PEC need to be purchased within 2 weeks of the deposit. Sometimes you can get that coverage later, but it will cost a lot more.

Enjoy your cruise!

Do you mean as long as we buy it before the storm is named we are covered or do you mean that if the storm is named then we are not covered? Because all big storms/hurricanes are named.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We just book our second Disney cruise and bought the insurance through Disney. Was this a mistake?

Not a mistake. Just, maybe, not the best choice. Typically 3rd party insurance costs less and covers more than insurance purchased through a cruise line.

 

[lanejudy]

Do you mean as long as we buy it before the storm is named we are covered or do you mean that if the storm is named then we are not covered? Because all big storms/hurricanes are named.

Purchase insurance before there is a named storm for your travel dates. Depending on the coverage terms, as long as you had the policy in place before the storm gets named, you will be covered (to the extent outlined in your coverage document). Once the storm is named, you cannot purchase insurance that will cover weather delays. Many people make this mistake and try to look for insurance after a storm is identified and even named.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[lbgraves]

Allianz was the company DCL used for their insurance for years, it was called Access America before that. We booked directly with them for every cruise. The difference was that if you bought it through DCL the policy isn't actually purchased until the PIF date for your cruise, therefore it doesn't cover PECs. When you purchase it within 14 days of your original reservation date, PECs are covered and it does cover travel changes due to named storms. As lanejudy pointed out, it just has to be purchased prior to the disturbance forming. DS has been confined to the room two days in all our cruise -- strep and pink eye. We were reimbursed for the cost of a day for him and an adult. Be sure you keep all documentation for anything you will need to make a claim for.

Also, as long as you haven't passed your PIF date, you can cancel the DCL insurance...since it hasn't actually been paid for yet. The thing we liked about Allianz was that they offer a kids covered for free with a paid adult deal, as many companies do. This also makes it much cheaper than what DCL offers.

 

[LisaT91403]

The thing we liked about Allianz was that they offer a kids covered for free with a paid adult deal, as many companies do. This also makes it much cheaper than what DCL offers.

We like that too -- our son is covered for free with our Travel Insured policy. We booked our cruise through Costco, and they offer insurance (through a third party)...but you have to pay for each person, including kids. Same for DCL's policy, as you mentioned. This is one of the reasons why the third party insurance is so much more economical than through the cruise line.

 

[BalooHoo]

We previously booked insurance through other companies, but we now use Allianz exclusively. My parents recently had a very serious medical emergency while on a cruise in New Zealand, and Allianz could not have been more helpful. They were wonderful about not just paying the claim, but handling arrangements for international travel, connecting us by phone, providing constant information, arranging for the transfer of medical records from the hospital in New Zealand to the hospital in the US, etc. Allianz made a terrible situation better because of their great customer service.

From that moment on I decide we would always use Allianz, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that their premiums were the same or lower than other companies we had used for insurance in the past. Yes, I made sure that the coverage we were getting was comparable to the other plans from other companies (my job makes me very well equipped to do this). I very strongly recommend Allianz for cruise insurance.