Insurance/Dummy Date

[officereg]

We booked a second cruise while on board, and declined the Disney insurance. It is my understanding that you only have 14 days after signing to book insurance if you want it to include preexisting? We are not positive that the date we booked will be the date we want to go, do you purchase insurance on your dummy date?

 

[Wadekind]

When we cruised DCL insurance did not not offer preexisting no matter when you purchased it. That is why we went to insuremytrip.com and found one that did. We also saved some money over DCL insurance.
The 14 day window was typical but some insurances were as low as 5 days. The insurance we bought did allow you to change dates but I could not find anything in the contract about the preexisting coverage moving as well.
I would suggest calling customer service for the company you decide to purchase from. This may also give you an idea of what they would be like if you needed to file a claim.

 

[insureman]

Some companies require purchase within so many days of initial deposit whether you change your cruise date or not to cover pre existing conditions. I found this out with AAA. I ended up going with USAA travel insurance.

 

[insureman]

When we cruised DCL insurance did not not offer preexisting no matter when you purchased it. That is why we went to insuremytrip.com and found one that did. We also saved some money over DCL insurance.
The 14 day window was typical but some insurances were as low as 5 days. The insurance we bought did allow you to change dates but I could not find anything in the contract about the preexisting coverage moving as well.
I would suggest calling customer service for the company you decide to purchase from. This may also give you an idea of what they would be like if you needed to file a claim.

Correct , DCL insurance (Access America) does not have a pre existing waiver. You are much better off shopping online and comparing policies. Don't forget that "pre existing" usually applies to all family members, including people that aren't traveling with you. What that means is if you can't travel because a family member not cruising with you has a medical condition that isn't stable the travel insurance carrier may not have to pay if you can't travel unless you have the waiver.

 

[zealandsmom]

Break it down....I rebook onboard and opt to NOT get insurance. We chose another date after we book....what happens? Isn't all deposits given back if you cancel trip 90 days before?

 

[lbgraves]

Break it down....I rebook onboard and opt to NOT get insurance. We chose another date after we book....what happens? Isn't all deposits given back if you cancel trip 90 days before?

Yes, that is true. However, things happen. If you need/want insurance that covers pre-existing conditions, then you need to get insurance for it within 14 days after you place your deposit on the initial reservation for most companies. If you transfer your dummy date, just contact the insurance company with the new date and coverage amount needed.

 

[insureman]

Break it down....I rebook onboard and opt to NOT get insurance. We chose another date after we book....what happens? Isn't all deposits given back if you cancel trip 90 days before?

If you choose another date DCL keeps your deposit and applies it to the new cruise. If you cancel that new cruise you do get your deposit back if it is before 90 days. It's after that 90 day mark that you really need the insurance if for some reason ( weather , medical or some other covered issue) you can't make the cruise. Also some special cruises and concierge have different cancellation policies.

 

[zealandsmom]

Thanks! That's what I thought but it sounded like if you swapped your dummy date without insurance that you lost your deposit

We like to ride in the wild side and go no-insurance! Not a thing in the workd could keep us away!

 

[insureman]

Thanks! That's what I thought but it sounded like if you swapped your dummy date without insurance that you lost your deposit

We like to ride in the wild side and go no-insurance! Not a thing in the workd could keep us away!

I'm not so concerned with the trip cancellation as I am with medical or medical evacuation insurance that comes with most policies.. My late father-in-law had a medical emergency in Florida and could only go back to RI by air ambulance (Cessna Citation), the cost of that was almost $20,000! They did not have travel insurance and had to secure payment before they would take off. If you have to be evacuated from a foreign country you can double or triple that amount.

 

[tow-mater-1]

Our last cruise we went on was from a booking on board from our previous cruise. When I went to pick up our docs from our TA and I had to sign that I had refused insurance. I was dumbfounded as I would never book a trip without insurance but it was overlooked since I didn't physically call her to book it. My husband actually has a pre-existing condition that HAD been in remission for 10 years but had an acute attack this past summer. We kept saying that at least we had insurance if we had to cancel! Thankfully he was well enough to go but I was stressed. My parents were supposed to go with us for our first cruise but had to cancel only 6 days before as my dad had ended up in emerge with an infection. 2 years later they were able to make it but again he had some heart issues weeks before where cancellation was a possibility. You never know what can happen.

 

[sayhello]

We booked a second cruise while on board, and declined the Disney insurance. It is my understanding that you only have 14 days after signing to book insurance if you want it to include preexisting? We are not positive that the date we booked will be the date we want to go, do you purchase insurance on your dummy date?

If you want to get the pre-existing condition waiver, then you need to purchase the insurance on your dummy date in most cases (there is one policy, and I always forget the company, that will give you the waiver if you buy it within a day of final payment.) The pre-existing condition waivers are all based on the date of your *first* payment, so the date you put down money on the dummy date is what they go by. If you change dates, most insurance will allow you to change the date on the policy at least once.

And the others are right, DCL insurance never includes a pre-existing condition waiver, no matter when you buy it.

Sayhello

 

[princesscinderella]

We book through costo and get the travel guard insurance which is customized just for Costco which includes pre-existing conditions and has a generous family illness clause too. It includes the preexisting as long as it is purchased within 24hrs of final payment.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Correct , DCL insurance (Access America) does not have a pre existing waiver. You are much better off shopping online and comparing policies. Don't forget that "pre existing" usually applies to all family members, including people that aren't traveling with you. What that means is if you can't travel because a family member not cruising with you has a medical condition that isn't stable the travel insurance carrier may not have to pay if you can't travel unless you have the waiver.

Yes, but not because it's Access America. It's because DCL doesn't purchase it until after final payment due date, thus automatically excluding pre existing conditions. AA is offered through insuremytrip.com and they do cover PEC if bought within their 14 day or so window from 1st deposit.

Thanks! That's what I thought but it sounded like if you swapped your dummy date without insurance that you lost your deposit

We like to ride in the wild side and go no-insurance! Not a thing in the workd could keep us away!

Ummm... yes there are lots of things: your child/spouse admitted in the hospital or like our last cruise, your MIL could have a heart attack the morning you're due to fly to FL. I was prepared to cancel but by early afternoon they put 2 stents in her arteries and was doing great, awake & getting out of bed. They all insisted to dh that we don't cancel. If it were my mother there's no way I would have left. You only get 1 mom.

I'm not so concerned with the trip cancellation as I am with medical or medical evacuation insurance that comes with most policies.. My late father-in-law had a medical emergency in Florida and could only go back to RI by air ambulance (Cessna Citation), the cost of that was almost $20,000! They did not have travel insurance and had to secure payment before they would take off. If you have to be evacuated from a foreign country you can double or triple that amount.

My TA says it can cost close to $100,000 if you need medical helicopter evacuation from a ship back to USA. She said it bankrupts people.
Sheesh, all because they didn't want to spend an extra $150.


After working in xray in a large university hospital & trauma center for 20 yrs, just when you think you've seen it all, there's always something else. You just never know. Stuff happens and it's usually unexpected. Who needs the added stress of financial worry at a time when your'e already devastated? I would want my family to get the best medical care & quickly.

 

[insureman]

Yes, but not because it's Access America. It's because DCL doesn't purchase it until after final payment due date, thus automatically excluding pre existing conditions. AA is offered through insuremytrip.com and they do cover PEC if bought within their 14 day or so window from 1st deposit.

Actually it is a combination of both, Access America and DCL. If you look at AA contract it was designed for DCL, other insurance carriers carriers do the same thing for different affinity groups, such as USAA. If DCL wanted they could get a contract with a carrier that would have a pre-existing waiver, however DCL wouldn't make as much money from that since the cost of the insurance contract would be higher with that waiver.

 

[WhoDat]

I ended up going with USAA travel insurance.

Did you have to book your cruise through USAA in order to get the travel insurance through them? I have USAA insurance but I used an outside TA to book my cruise and went online to insure.

 

[insureman]

Did you have to book your cruise through USAA in order to get the travel insurance through them? I have USAA insurance but I used an outside TA to book my cruise and went online to insure.

No, I only have a credit card with them. You can go online with USAA and book the travel insurance with them.