DVC Travel Isurance for trips paid with points and cash

[dwg]

I originally posted this as a response to a question posted in the DCL forum but thought I was posting under DVC. I think this post is more useful if directed towards DVC members so I am posting here for anyone using a combination of points and cash to book through DVC and is interested in travel insurance.

I just got off the phone with Travelex and got some clarifications on how the insurance works. We purchased Travel insurance through DVC last year that covered our upcoming Disney Wish Cruise in November which falls in my 2022 use year. DVC Travel insurance coverage is by use year not trip so several trips in the same use year would be covered. The only caveat to this is the Insurance is based on the use year of the points not the use year the trip is in. For instance if you use banked points for the trip you would have to purchase trip insurance for the original use year of those points.

I paid for part of the cruise in points and cash. For my Wish cruise in November I purchased the travel insurance in 2021and the cash portion is not covered so in regards to cancelling the cruise in advance I would not receive any of the cash portion paid back. Only some cash equivelant of the points used. As of January 7, 2022 Travelex explained to me that any policies purchased after that date would include the cash portion paid. In either case if an emergency happened while on the trip the primary insured and up to seven additional travelers are covered by the insurance.

In regards to pre-existing conditions if you purchase the policy within three days of the first payment of the maintenance charge for that use year the pre-existing condition is waived. I was also told that there is only a 60 day look back when determining pre-existing conditions from the date the policy is purchase.

 

[Narcoossee11]

Yes, what you were told us correct.
It is tricky , you need to have different policies for each use year (could be 3 if using 3 use year points) then another policy for cash.
Depending on the amount of points for a certain year, maybe better to loss those few points. Less than 20ishbanked or borrowed points may not be financial worth the cost if insurance.

 

[dwg]

Based on what Travelex told me the cash portion of the trip is now covered for policies purchased after January 7, 2022. Yes you do need to purchase a policy for each use year when the points used for the trip are from different use years. What we didn't get into is which use year policy would need to be purchased in order to ensure the cash portion of the trip was covered. Either way this is an improvement. For past trips using points and cash I couldn't find an independent travel insurance company to give me insurance for the cash portion so I was just out of luck if I didn't get a refund of the cash portion.

 

[deerh]

So, I have some questions for you experts in travel insurance. DW and I are planning on going on the DVC Member Cruise 2023. If we have 1 person pay points and the other pay cash, how do we get Cruise insurance on both of us? Contact DVC and Travelex? Do a "split insurance"?

We for sure we get the insurance, but not familiar to the DVC point insurance. Like, will it cover for accidents/emergency situations? I know Travelex/allantz has that. OR, is DVC only including point loss? (If something happens 1st day at sea, we get points back for cruise)... Just want to have the "Full coverage" of falls/accidents/etc as we are not as young as we used to be, and confused on what all is covered.....

THANKS!!!!!

 

[dwg]

Hi deerh, We are planning on going on the 2023 member cruise as well. That is what started me talking to Travelex and posting my understanding of how the current policy works. If you go to the DVC website and click on my DVC o the right and than Travel Insurance under My Vacation heading it will take you to information on the Travel Insurance. From there scroll down to a link just below PLEAS NOTE. The link will take you a page to select your state and than to a page to see the full policy or contact info. Selecting full policy will take you to phone numbers and a copy of the full policy. You should verify answers to your questions with DVC member services or Travelex. The policy should cover all of your traveling companions who are on the trip with you regardless of paying points or cash. We are taking a Disney cruise this November and purchased the Insurance through DVC for the trip. We are paying 1 person on points and 1 person cash. Both are covered under the policy with one exception. Because we purchased the policy in 2021 the policy would not reimburse for the cash portion if we cancelled the trip. It would reimburse for the points based on the portion of the maintenance fees for those points. If we had purchased the Travelex insurance after January 7, 2022 based on my conversation with Travelex the cash portion would be covered. Please verify this on your own with Travelex. When I asked member services about this change they would only refer me back to Travelex.

Insurance for the points portion of the trip is based on the use year of the points used for the trip. For instance I have an August use year and the 2023 member cruise is in September 2023. If I use points banked from my 2022 use year than I would have to purchase insurance for the 2022 use year to cover the trip. If points were coming from multiple use years then I would have to purchase insurance to cover each of the use years. I am not sure the effect of paying cash in regards if cash payments mean that you much purchase the use year the trip falls under or something else.

So to summarize you should be able to purchase insurance through member services that will cover the points and the cash payment and would cover all members of your traveling party. you will be able to see what the policy covers by going the the DVC website. I am not sure if it is possible to purchase insurance outside of DVC. In my experience outside travel insurance companies will not sell you a policy to cover you because you are going through DVC and using points and cash. I verified with DCL that I could not purchase their insurance because I was booking through DVC. Ultimately you should contact Travelex for any insurance policy questions as my experience is other than selling the policy, member service does not know all of the details of the policy.

 

[CarolynFH]

If paying all cash for Member Cruise, would normal travel insurance cover, even though booked via DVC MS? It's the paying with DVC points that complicates matters, isn't it?

 

[dwg]

If paying all cash for Member Cruise, would normal travel insurance cover, even though booked via DVC MS? It's the paying with DVC points that complicates matters, isn't it?

You may be right but I am not sure. Paying 100% cash for member cruises is a special circumstance so the only experience I have is with points and cash. I would suggest that anyone who wants to pay for the entire member cruise with cash check out buying travel insurance through other companies besides DVC ahead of booking the member cruise so they have planned ahead and know what they can do when booking the member cruise. Trying to get my "ducks in order" prior to booking the member cruise is what got me started on this thread. It may be that with the change in policy by Travelex to cover the cash portion that you would still be able to buy the insurance through DVC and the outside Travel insurance companies still don't want to touch the trip because it was booked through DVC.

 

[deerh]

Hi deerh, We are planning on going on the 2023 member cruise as well. That is what started me talking to Travelex and posting my understanding of how the current policy works. If you go to the DVC website and click on my DVC o the right and than Travel Insurance under My Vacation heading it will take you to information on the Travel Insurance. From there scroll down to a link just below PLEAS NOTE. The link will take you a page to select your state and than to a page to see the full policy or contact info. Selecting full policy will take you to phone numbers and a copy of the full policy. You should verify answers to your questions with DVC member services or Travelex. The policy should cover all of your traveling companions who are on the trip with you regardless of paying points or cash. We are taking a Disney cruise this November and purchased the Insurance through DVC for the trip. We are paying 1 person on points and 1 person cash. Both are covered under the policy with one exception. Because we purchased the policy in 2021 the policy would not reimburse for the cash portion if we cancelled the trip. It would reimburse for the points based on the portion of the maintenance fees for those points. If we had purchased the Travelex insurance after January 7, 2022 based on my conversation with Travelex the cash portion would be covered. Please verify this on your own with Travelex. When I asked member services about this change they would only refer me back to Travelex.

Insurance for the points portion of the trip is based on the use year of the points used for the trip. For instance I have an August use year and the 2023 member cruise is in September 2023. If I use points banked from my 2022 use year than I would have to purchase insurance for the 2022 use year to cover the trip. If points were coming from multiple use years then I would have to purchase insurance to cover each of the use years. I am not sure the effect of paying cash in regards if cash payments mean that you much purchase the use year the trip falls under or something else.

So to summarize you should be able to purchase insurance through member services that will cover the points and the cash payment and would cover all members of your traveling party. you will be able to see what the policy covers by going the the DVC website. I am not sure if it is possible to purchase insurance outside of DVC. In my experience outside travel insurance companies will not sell you a policy to cover you because you are going through DVC and using points and cash. I verified with DCL that I could not purchase their insurance because I was booking through DVC. Ultimately you should contact Travelex for any insurance policy questions as my experience is other than selling the policy, member service does not know all of the details of the policy.

Well thanks for that explanation. I will explore the DVC site and Travelex and figure this out before hopefully booking the DVC Member Cruise. Sorry for my lack of understanding for the cruise. As you may see by my signature, it has been 22 years since I have been on a DCL vacation! So ready to go on another one! Been way to long!