Close to booking Sept Fantasy, so DCL insurance, or private? Help Please :)

[Mommb]

I may have mis-understood the DCL insurance legalize... i thought they ONLY offered to apply the value of your cruise to another cruise... is this true? If because of bad weather/hurricane they cancel would they reimburse full cash value or just offer a future credit?

If the cruise is cancelled entirely, you will get a full refund of your fare from Disney Cruise Line. This is true whether or not you have insurance. DCL often will provide an discount for a future cruise within a certain amount of time (maybe 1 year), which is also independent of the insurance.

If you have insurance booked through DCL and need to cancel for a covered reason described in the policy (such as medical issue in a traveler or immediate family member that came up after you purchased the insurance, airline flights cancelled for at least 24 hours due to weather, or lay-off from job you've had for 3 years or more) you can get a full refund of the cruise cancellation fee.

If you have insurance booked through DCL and need to cancel for a reason not covered by the insurance (such as pet care issues, missing a flight due to traffic, or pre-existing medical condition flaring up) you need to submit a claim and having it rejected by the insurance company. You can then get a credit for up to 75% of the cancellation fee to be used on another Disney cruise within the next year.

 

[Racer X]

(sorry crossed posts - you answered my question above thanks!)

Thanks! Dumb question but if they cancel a cruise at all for any reason (mechanical, weather) are you entitled to a full refund anyway even w/o trip insurance? Or does the cruise contract state that you are only entitled to a future cruise credit? If so, the value of trip insurance maybe just for medical or cancel for any reason purposes.

 

[lanejudy]

(sorry crossed posts - you answered my question above thanks!)

Thanks! Dumb question but if they cancel a cruise at all for any reason (mechanical, weather) are you entitled to a full refund anyway even w/o trip insurance? Or does the cruise contract state that you are only entitled to a future cruise credit? If so, the value of trip insurance maybe just for medical or cancel for any reason purposes.

If DCL cancels, they'll determine the compensation offered. It likely is a full refund, could be a 150% credit if you leave the funds with DCL, or other variations. Anybody is entitled to this regardless of trip insurance or not.

Just keep in mind that the chances of DCL outright canceling are quite low. It's more common the guest has difficulty getting to the cruise port in which case insurance would help (depending on coverage).

If you have insurance booked through DCL and need to cancel for a covered reason described in the policy (such as medical issue in a traveler or immediate family member that came up after you purchased the insurance, airline flights cancelled for at least 24 hours due to weather, or lay-off from job you've had for 3 years or more) you can get a full refund of the cruise cancellation fee.

Regarding the bolded, I believe the DCL insurance only covers flight issues if the airfare was also booked through DCL.

 

[Mommb]

Regarding the bolded, I believe the DCL insurance only covers flight issues if the airfare was also booked through DCL.

You may be right about that. I was pulling from this section of the insurance coverage that discusses covered events:

Natural disasters or bad weather resulting in the complete cessation of services by the airline, the tour operator or the cruise line for at least 24 consecutive hours.

But I now see the reference to "airline" could be interpreted to cover only airfair booked along with the cruise.

 

[Mommb]

Thanks! Dumb question but if they cancel a cruise at all for any reason (mechanical, weather) are you entitled to a full refund anyway even w/o trip insurance? Or does the cruise contract state that you are only entitled to a future cruise credit? If so, the value of trip insurance maybe just for medical or cancel for any reason purposes.

As lanejudy said, if DCL cancels the cruise for any reason, they will issue a refund without going through insurance. If you can't take the cruise but the cruise does sail, that's when insurance would be beneficial.

I see insurance as covering these possibilities:
Something happens that prevents me from taking the cruise -- insurance could reimburse me for non-refundable costs
Something happens during the cruise that requires medical treatment -- insurance could reimburse me for costs my health insurance doesn't cover
Something happens during the cruise that requires special transportation home (serious medical issue) -- insurance could reimburse me for medical evacuation or transportation following extended hospitalization
Something happens during the cruise that requires me to disembark early -- insurance could reimburse me for the part of the cruise I miss and possibly for costs to get home

These are unlikely situations, but if they do happen, they would be far more expensive than the insurance.

 

[lanejudy]

Sometimes insurance will reimburse if you are sick and quarantined onboard.
It may cover missed ports.
It may cover post- cruise change in plans, such as the cruise is extended due to weather, return port change, or flights cancelled causing a post-cruise hotel, etc.
It will cover if your bags take a swim at embarkation, or may cover if your bags never make it to the ship.

There are lots of potential scenarios. Whether any given one is reason to purchase insurance is a personal decision.

 

[SeanSD]

I have used Squaremouth to shop insurance and it compares policy options, benefits, costs and has reviews.

 

[mjkacmom]

I may have mis-understood the DCL insurance legalize... i thought they ONLY offered to apply the value of your cruise to another cruise... is this true? If because of bad weather/hurricane they cancel would they reimburse full cash value or just offer a future credit?

The insurance refunds your fare if you cancel for a covered reason, if the cruise line cancels they refund you the fare.