Cruise Insurance - When/Where to Buy?

[kidsmom]

I understand the importance of cruise insurance and personally wouldn't travel without it. I know there are other insurance carriers out there besides the one Disney uses and offer the same protection for a much lower rate. I'm wondering when the insurance needs to be purchased. Is it at the time of booking or can get be up until a certain time prior to the sail date? Also if one is booking through Dreams Unlimited do they offer alternate insurance?

I guess it all breaks down to when and how do I get the lowest rate on insurance?

 

[castlegazer]

Its within a few days of booking. I can't remember the specific time frame, but its deifnately not a siginificant amount of time between. I bought a few days after booking.

 

[ivanova]

some insurance can be purchased up to the day before you sail ... in order to get pre-existing medical condition waivers or "any reason cancellation" you normally need to purchase the travel insurance within 2 weeks of making your initial deposit.

 

[Colonial traveler]

Depends on who you buy the insurance from. I waited and bought our insurance about two weeks before departure - something like 7 months after booking. I did a google search for travel insurance and found a site that compared various insurance companies using the cost, number in your party, dates, etc of your trip. I ended up getting insurance for the three of us (2 adults and one 6 year old) for $104 total. I think if you purchase the insurance through Disney you have to purchase it within a few days of booking. The biggest difference I found was that if you bought the insurance after a set deadline, cancellation due to pre-existing conditions was not covered. Shop around, compare and then decide what is best for you and your situation.

 

[NancyIL]

www.insuremytrip.com

 

[fletchers]

I booked my WDW and DCL vacation a couple of months ago. I had decided then that I didn't want the insurance. After reading some posts on this site, I changed my mind and decided to buy the insurance. I called WDW and asked if I could add the insurance and was unable to. I bought my trip insurance yesterday through accessamerica. com. Paid $189 for the 4 of us (2 adults and 2 kids).

 

[Regina]

Hi Kidsmom. Dreams Unlimited will refer you to www.insuremytrip.com when asking about options.

If you look at that website you'll see the booking requirements for the different policies offered.

 

[two-foxes]

We booked our insurance about one month before our departure date for last years trip, and we had the cruises booked for well over a year. We used www.accessamerica.com and got a great rate, although when I was planning on using them for another cruise, the DCL rate was cheaper....it depends on the length of your trip and the different legs you have booked (do you want to insure a land portion, too?). We actually had to use them due to hurricane Jeanne and I was VERY pleased with their service.

 

[buster478]

I believe you can wait until you final payment is due with DCL (90 days?). Once that passes you can't get it with DCL. You will have to check. We have sailed once and got it the first but not the second. I think we are going to get it again this next time. We always go in Oct. and with hurricanes we want to play it safe.