Insurance

[DisneeRunner]

We are currently booked on the August 3 Alaskan cruise on the Wonder. If Disney cancels due to COVID we will get a refund, but I'm thinking about cancelled flights (if cruise is cancelled) and/or cancelled ports/excursions (if we book excursions through outside companies).

I see Nationwide has a cruise plan that will cover cancelled excursions due to cancelled ports. Any others you recommend?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are currently booked on the August 3 Alaskan cruise on the Wonder. If Disney cancels due to COVID we will get a refund, but I'm thinking about cancelled flights (if cruise is cancelled) and/or cancelled ports/excursions (if we book excursions through outside companies).

I see Nationwide has a cruise plan that will cover cancelled excursions due to cancelled ports. Any others you recommend?

I believe that Nationwide plan only covers cancelled port while on a cruise. Not cancelled ports due to the whole trip being cancelled.

You can purchase travel insurance to cover any non-refundable costs. There are several trip insurance comparison sites that you can put in your parameters of what you want covered and they will show you different policies from different companies that meet your critieria.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If any of them are even selling for cruises right now.

 

[harriet2]

Look closely at the small print. Our insurance is normally very generous, but they wouldn't pay our hotel after an event was canceled, because they don't cover pandemics (which I knew, but I thought having the event canceled would trump that, it didn't)

 

[lorimay]

Our insurance won't cover our flights for our TA cruise next month.

 

[daedelus]

We've always used TravelGuard through Costco. You can buy a regular cruise package through them, but it's a little cheaper via Costco. They do cover your flights, disruption, luggage, etc. depending on the level of plan you choose.

Now, due to the plague, things may have changed, so it's always wise to read the fine print and maybe call them. But we've never had to claim against the insurance so I can't speak to that end of it. I know people who have and they've had no issues.

 

[vegs1]

Make sure you ask specifically if you will be covered. This pandemic has become a “pre existing condition” for many insurance companies. Without calling and asking for your situation, you won’t know. And make note of who you speak with and the time of the call in case you have issues afterwards.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I purchased my insurance way before COVID19 and my policy said it excludes pandemics. Read the exclusions very carefully. Most places will give you 24 hours to carefully read your policy after purchase and issue you a refund of the policy if you decide you want to cancel it.

 

[lanejudy]

This pandemic has become a “pre existing condition” for many insurance companies.

Just to add some clarity here. It’s not a “pre-existing condition.” The pandemic is an “exclusion” to the coverage - and this is not necessarily new as many policies have excluded epidemic/pandemic for years. Exclusions are things specifically not covered by the policy. Pretty much every policy will have some fine print documenting exclusions.

A pre-existing condition (PEC) refers to a medical diagnosis on an individual’s healthcare records. COVID-19 may be a PEC if one has previously been diagnosed and/or treated for it, recovered, and then sailed. Insurance companies will have a “lookback” period of usually 60-90 days prior to purchase of that insurance policy to determine PEC status.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[vegs1]

Just to add some clarity here. It’s not a “pre-existing condition.” The pandemic is an “exclusion” to the coverage - and this is not necessarily new as many policies have excluded epidemic/pandemic for years. Exclusions are things specifically not covered by the policy. Pretty much every policy will have some fine print documenting exclusions.

A pre-existing condition (PEC) refers to a medical diagnosis on an individual’s healthcare records. COVID-19 may be a PEC if one has previously been diagnosed and/or treated for it, recovered, and then sailed. Insurance companies will have a “lookback” period of usually 60-90 days prior to purchase of that insurance policy to determine PEC status.

Enjoy your cruise!

I’m sorry I wasn’t clear. I did not mean it is a pre existing condition in the true sense....hence the quotes. I simply meant that once the insurance company knows it’s there, coverage ceases. That’s why it is so important to check.

Thank you for clarifying.

 

[DisneeRunner]

I believe that Nationwide plan only covers cancelled port while on a cruise. Not cancelled ports due to the whole trip being cancelled.

I'm most worried about ports being cancelled while on the cruise, as we could cancel ourselves for a refund if the entire trip were to be cancelled. The flights are a bigger concern for me.

You can purchase travel insurance to cover any non-refundable costs. There are several trip insurance comparison sites that you can put in your parameters of what you want covered and they will show you different policies from different companies that meet your critieria.

Thanks. I've used the insurance search sites, but so far have only found Nationwide to have a cruise specific plan. I imagine there have to be others out there.