Insurance Question

[EllenJ]

I just booked a last minute (5 weeks out) cruise using DVC points and cash.
I was given the phone number for Travel Guard. I called them today and was
told because I was in my "penalty period" I could not purchase the
insurance.
I spoke to a manager who was going to call Disney for an exception but what
do I do if they will not budge.
Do I have any options with other Insurance companies?
I've cruise several times before an bought the insurance and never needed
but I do not want to press my luck.
Any help is appreciated.
Ellen

 

[paulmc80]

Sure you can purchase travel insurance. Try www.insurmytrip.com. That website is more like a broker for several travel insurance comapnies. I have no doubt you'll be able to secure coverage.

 

[EllenJ]

Thank you Paul for the quick response but I thought that I read somewhere on these boards that Travel Guard (Disney's Company) is the only insurer that will quote a policy when you paid via points.

 

[suejmj]

The way that I understand booking with points/cash is that you can only insure the points through DVC and they use TravelGuard to insure the points. They will also insure the cash reservations. You should give them a call. The number is 1-866-690-6858 (for DVC members)
They will be helpful. I just booked through them and was able to book all of the cash reservations through them along with the points. It was cheaper to insure the cash reservations through DVC Travelguard than through insuremytrip.com (travelguard). They take the cash value x 5.15% = premium. For older individuals it is cheaper this way but for younger you may do better through insuremytrip.com for the cash reservations.
I am giving you more than you probably need as you may have an issue with the points due to timing.
I would give them a call. Also, you may find that it is not useful to insure the points but only insure the cash. There is no time limit to insuring the cash.
They take the number of points that you used for the trip x 5 = value x 5.15%.
For example if you used 200 points = 200 x 5 = 1,000 x 5.15% = $51.50.

 

[paulmc80]

Darn ... I missed that part about DVC points. Timeshare stuff can be tricky that's for sure. To me, if they sell you the cruise on points during that time frame they should be willing to issue a travel insurance policy.

Plus, you can try calling other travel insurers to verify they will not issue you a policy since you purchased on points. I know it can be difficult to assess the value of points, but I would hope something could be worked out.

Hope everything works out for you.

 

[EllenJ]

I just got a call back from supervisor at Travel Guard and she said that she spoke with her Disney rep and that, as she put it, I do not have a DVC reservation but a DCL reservation. She said that if it is a DCL reservation that I should be talking to Access America and not Travel Guard.
These people are so confused. I tried to explain to her that I booked with DVC on Points and did not speak with DCL directly. She said she would call them again in the morning and get back to me.
This is totally frustrating. I do not want to travel without insurance. I would rather go through Disney's perferred vendor and not have to make 20 calls to different carriers.
Can anyone who booked on points and bought the insurance, which carrier did you get the policy from, Travel Guard or Access America??

 

[paulmc80]

Oh my! The bureaucracy of it all.

All I know is that DCL does use Access America. And, if you ask me, which non one is .. lol ... seems less of a risk for them to insure you with less time left until you cruise. But I don't really know.

Just hoping they fix you up right.

 

[EllenJ]

Well after more phone calls to Travel Guard and DVC today I finally got it straightened out. What it boiled down to was that if I wanted to buy the insurance, I was supposed to call Travel Guard within 24 hours of booking my cruise because I was already in the penalty phase.
The DVC rep that I spoke to when I booked the cruise never told me this or I would have called as soon as I got off the phone with her.
The good news is they are going to make an exception and "let" me buy the insurance. Now, hopefully I won't need it.