Is there any benefit to buying cruise insurance prior to your PIF?

[squirk]

I think I've asked this question before, but it's been a while, and I don't want to necro an old thread:

Air travel is never a factor in our cruising because we live close enough to PC to drive. So setting plane tickets aside, is there any benefit to buying cruise insurance prior to your PIF?

In the past, I just purchased the insurance somewhere in-between my booking and my PIF. I never compared quotes over time to see if there was an appreciable price difference in booking earlier vs. later.

Is there a more-than-nominal difference over time? Or are you generally OK booking right before your PIF?

 

[AquaDame]

If you have a preexisting condition then yes, you typically need to buy within the first 14 days after you put down your first deposit for a trip. There are some exceptions out there, but in my limited searching they were more expensive if they didn't have that clause.

 

[squirk]

If you have a preexisting condition then yes, you typically need to buy within the first 14 days after you put down your first deposit for a trip. There are some exceptions out there, but in my limited searching they were more expensive if they didn't have that clause.

Thanks. To clarify my question - no pre-existing conditions, extenuating circumstances or special situations.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks. To clarify my question - no pre-existing conditions, extenuating circumstances or special situations.

I haven't checked it out, but I believe that the closer you are to the travel (start) date of a trip, the cost is higher. I know it's higher if you purchase after PIF.

 

[Cheburashka]

I think I've asked this question before, but it's been a while, and I don't want to necro an old thread:

Air travel is never a factor in our cruising because we live close enough to PC to drive. So setting plane tickets aside, is there any benefit to buying cruise insurance prior to your PIF?

In the past, I just purchased the insurance somewhere in-between my booking and my PIF. I never compared quotes over time to see if there was an appreciable price difference in booking earlier vs. later.

Is there a more-than-nominal difference over time? Or are you generally OK booking right before your PIF?

If you want to get cancel for any reason coverage, you have to buy that within a certain number of weeks of making your initial deposit. The same is true for preexisting conditions coverage.

PIF is not always an issue with insurance. It is if you're buying through DCL- they'll only sell before you pay in full. But the insurance I use is not concerned about PIF and never asks about it. They just want to know the initial deposit date.

 

[squirk]

I haven't checked it out, but I believe that the closer you are to the travel (start) date of a trip, the cost is higher. I know it's higher if you purchase after PIF.

Right. I figured it would be higher after PIF because that’s when you’d be forfeiting money to cancel. That’s when you’d start needing to file a claim

But setting aside the aforementioned requirements for pre-existing conditions and “cancel-for-any-reason” coverage, until PIF, what do you really need insurance for? In terms of cruise fare, you have no risk; you can cancel for any reason or no reason whatsoever and get all of your money back.

So I wonder if the price is relatively level until PIF, and then spikes, or if it’s a constant graduated upward curve from booking to sail date (or as close to sail that that you can buy coverage).

 

[PrincessShmoo]

you can cancel for any reason or no reason whatsoever and get all of your money back.

IF you cancel before the PIF date. After that date, there's a scale of how much you'd forfeit by how long before departure date you cancel.

Cancel for any reason would cover those losses.

Added to that, even though it's not necessary for you, there are others who might lose money on canceled/moved air flights.

And those who, while they are in "the best of health", have family that aren't and might have to cancel due to that. There are insurance coverages that will cover someone having to cancel a trip due to mother/father/sister/daughter/etc being ill.

It can also cover, any delays/ trip shortening once the trip has started.

 

[squirk]

IF you cancel before the PIF date. After that date, there's a scale of how much you'd forfeit by how long before departure date you cancel.

Cancel for any reason would cover those losses.

Added to that, even though it's not necessary for you, there are others who might lose money on canceled/moved air flights.

And those who, while they are in "the best of health", have family that aren't and might have to cancel due to that. There are insurance coverages that will cover someone having to cancel a trip due to mother/father/sister/daughter/etc being ill.

It can also cover, any delays/ trip shortening once the trip has started.

C’mon. You know this isn’t my first trip to the rodeo.

I know refunds after PIF are graduated. I know what insurance covers, and what situations might require a special rider. And I already acknowledged the airfare issue.

My question is simply “Does the cost of coverage go up as you get closer to PIF?”

 

[PrincessShmoo]

C’mon. You know this isn’t my first trip to the rodeo.

I know refunds after PIF are graduated. I know what insurance covers, and what situations might require a special rider. And I already acknowledged the airfare issue.

My question is simply “Does the cost of coverage go up as you get closer to PIF?”

I was responding to your comment,

But setting aside the aforementioned requirements for pre-existing conditions and “cancel-for-any-reason” coverage, until PIF, what do you really need insurance for?

Sorry, I thought it might be helpful to others who wondered the same thing.

 

[LAX]

C’mon. You know this isn’t my first trip to the rodeo.

I know refunds after PIF are graduated. I know what insurance covers, and what situations might require a special rider. And I already acknowledged the airfare issue.

My question is simply “Does the cost of coverage go up as you get closer to PIF?”

FWIW, based on my admittedly limited experience, I haven't seen it go up until after PIF.

LAX

 

[squirk]

I was responding to your comment,

Sorry, I thought it might be helpful to others who wondered the same thing.

I thought I was being pretty clear, but maybe not so much. Please allow me to re-state:

Not "What do you need insurance for?" in a general sense, but in the context of my original question - "In terms of cruise fare, why would you need insurance prior to PIF when none of your money is at risk?"

FWIW, based on my admittedly limited experience, I haven't seen it go up until after PIF.

LAX

Thanks. That was my suspicion.

In the past, I've always just bought the insurance concurrent with my booking, and never thought twice about it. But (again, barring special situations that require early purchase) if the price stays flat, there doesn't seem to be any sense in giving your money to the insurance company for it to sit idle for a year or more with no benefit to you in return.

 

[AquaDame]

Thanks. To clarify my question - no pre-existing conditions, extenuating circumstances or special situations.

Cool, in that case I don't *think* it matters. I've done it both ways and its always been about the same cost - only once had I added it after PIF but I also needed cancel for any reason so it was more expensive out the gate that time. In 2017 my parents went on the same cruise as us and bought their insurance months later and saw only a nominal difference... I had assumed it was the difference in our ages.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I thought I was being pretty clear, but maybe not so much. Please allow me to re-state:

Not "What do you need insurance for?" in a general sense, but in the context of my original question - "In terms of cruise fare, why would you need insurance prior to PIF when none of your money is at risk?"

Well, I guess the only time would be if you've got a concierge reservation and your deposit would be forfeited if you cancel.

 

[LAX]

Well, I guess the only time would be if you've got a concierge reservation and your deposit would be forfeited if you cancel.

What if you don't cancel the concierge reservation until after your PIF date, after which you purchase the insurance to include the deposit in total value of coverage? If it's for a covered reason and prior to certain cut-offs, wouldn't the deposit still be reimbursed?

LAX

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What if you don't cancel the concierge reservation until after your PIF date, after which you purchase the insurance to include the deposit in total value of coverage? If it's for a covered reason and prior to certain cut-offs, wouldn't the deposit still be reimbursed?

LAX

Concierge deposits are non-refundable, by DCL.

Are you saying first you cancel the Concierge reservation and THEN you buy insurance? I'm not sure that's possible.

 

[LAX]

Concierge deposits are non-refundable, by DCL.

Are you saying first you cancel the Concierge reservation and THEN you buy insurance? I'm not sure that's possible.

I know concierge deposit is not refundable. What I meant is let's say the deposit is $1,000 and the cost of the cruise is $9,000. I then purchase travel insurance on PIF date with the insured value of the trip at $10,000. I then cancel the trip for an entirely legitimate and entirely covered reason. For simplicity's sake, there is no deductible on the policy. I should still be reimbursed $10,000 by the insurance company even if I hadn't paid for insurance on the deposit until PIF. Does this sound right?

LAX

 

[lanejudy]

I should still be reimbursed $10,000 by the insurance company even if I hadn't paid for insurance on the deposit until PIF. Does this sound right?

Yes, if you cancel after PIF for a covered reason the full amount (or non-refundable amount) should be reimbursed by insurance. But if you need to cancel prior to PIF and have not yet bought insurance the concierge deposit is lost.

 

[Mommb]

I have purchased trip insurance from the same company several times, and priced out insurance with a few others, and don't recall ever having to indicate when the Paid-in-full date is. The companies just asked for the date of the initial payment (along with cruise line, cruise date, primary destination, and ages of travelers). So, it seems unlikely that PIF date will directly affect the cost of insurance. It is possible, though, that costs will go up due to other factors as the sail date gets closer.

Just to throw out one possible reason to purchase insurance sooner than the paid-in-full date: You may not have a pre-existing condition when you book the cruise, but you (or a traveling companion or family member) could be diagnosed with a condition between the initial booking and the final payment date. If the condition isn't initially severe enough for you to cancel the cruise but worsens later, you might have trouble getting reimbursement if you need to cancel later or if you need medical treatment for the condition during the cruise. This is admittedly an unlikely situation if you have generally been in good health, but it explains why some people might want to purchase insurance before the paid-in-full date if they're confident they will be taking the cruise.

 

[Sleepyluke]

I cant remember ever actually putting in the PIF date to the insurance we have purchased. You have me curious, but I think you could just go to one of the insurance sites and keep all info the same except adjust the dates.

 

[Lilsia]

I buy travel insurance through Allianz Global. They don't care when your PIF date is, just the cost of the vacation. They have several plans to choose from. The reason that I buy insurance is not to get back the cost of the cruise, that is nominal, but in case something medical happens, especially out of the Country. If you have to be flown back to the States, those costs can bankrupt you. I get the plan that covers medical and transport back to the states. Travel insurance is a small price to pay for that peace of mind.