Trip Insurance/Protection with Disney Visa Card?

[jenhelgren]

Does the Disney Visa card offer any trip insurance/protection when you pay the full cruise balance with the card? I know my Chase Freedom card does offer some type of trip insurance but I do not know how good it is and have no idea what I am looking for as far as good vs bad. My deposit is due tonight and I am trying to make the best decision as far as which credit card or Disney gifts cards I should use. Any advice is much appreciated!!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Good question. I used my Disney Rewards CC to pay for our cruises, all the time, but I still got third party travel insurance.

 

[jenhelgren]

I really don't even know what to look for or what is worth paying for. I also have a Chase Freedom Visa which I know offers some protection also but I have never bought third party insurance so I have no idea what I am doing! Hopefully someone with a ton of experience can help me out because I need to pay my deposit today and don't want to regret the card I used!

 

[condorthb]

bumptastic

 

[lanejudy]

No, to my knowledge the Disney Visa offers no travel insurance or extra coverage that some other credit cards offer.

As to what to look for in travel insurance...it depends on your family's circumstances. Consider the following:

• Pre- and/or post-cruise travel plans (air, train, ground, hotel, meals, etc.) -- DCL will not cover this unless booked directly through DCL
• Medical -- many 3rd party insurances (even the major companies) do not include coverage for foreign travel, or if they do it may be considered out-of-network and include a separate deductible and lower reimbursement; check your private insurance (as a note, the ship's medical office accepts no medical insurance and will require you to pay upfront then deal with reimbursement)
• Medical evacuation -- in the event of emergency to be flown off the ship and/or from a foreign country back to the U.S.
• Pre-existing conditions (PEC) -- do you or any family members have pre-existing medical diagnoses? If so, you likely should purchase travel insurance within a week or 2 of the deposit otherwise any delay or cancellation related to such condition will not be covered (this may also pertain to non-traveling family members such as elderly relatives at home if you would need to cancel or return home for them)
• work issues that might impact your ability to take time off

We do not typically purchase insurance for land-based vacations but we do for cruises because of the earlier PIF date and higher non-refundable expense. Your risk tolerance may be different.

If you are purchasing insurance from a 3rd party, you can go ahead and make your deposit now then get the insurance within a couple of weeks (or later if not needed for PEC).

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I know its risky but I refuse to buy it. I'll either be on the ship or in the morgue, so either way, I won't need it...

 

[jenhelgren]

I just got off the phone with Chase Freedom Visa benefits and they do offer trip protection for cruises. From what I understand it is comparable to the third party insurance that you pay extra for. The trip is fully refundable if cancelled due to illness or weather by either ourselves or DCL. They do not cover pre-existing conditions but that should not be an issue for our family. The only downside I can see is you are only covered for the amount you charge to the card so I would not be able to pay with any Disney gift cards from Target to save the extra 5% like I wanted to. Can anyone experiences with cruising and trip insurance chime in or has anyone every used Chase benefits? I certainly don't want to pay for third party insurance if I get the same thing for free with my Signature card-just need to figure this all out today..ahhhh!!

 

[lanejudy]

... I certainly don't want to pay for third party insurance if I get the same thing for free with my Signature card-just need to figure this all out today..ahhhh!!

I'm not sure anyone can give you an exact answer for your situation...you'll need to weigh the value of the free travel protection through your CC versus the savings of the gift cards and/or points earned by using any other kind of CC (Disney Visa or other). You should be able to find out the cost of a comparable travel insurance policy (including all aspects you would cover with your Chase Freedom card - cruise, transportation, etc.) and compare to what you estimate you'd save with a different payment method.

You may find you'd save more paying with the gift cards than it will cost to purchase the travel insurance, resulting in net savings in your pocket.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[DahliaRW]

The other issue is there is no medical coverage if something happens when you're outside of the USA. Fwiw, the $120 I used to insure our 7 day Fantasy cruise was worth the peace of mind that if something happened and one of us needed medical evacuation, I wouldn't have to fine at least 50K to pay for it, since my insurance here would not cover it.

 

[darkwing818]

The other issue is there is no medical coverage if something happens when you're outside of the USA. Fwiw, the $120 I used to insure our 7 day Fantasy cruise was worth the peace of mind that if something happened and one of us needed medical evacuation, I wouldn't have to fine at least 50K to pay for it, since my insurance here would not cover it.

For us Medical insurance is an absolute must.
I had a medical emergency a couple of years back; luckily it occurred just as we were leaving the ship. Fortunately our car was parked at the terminal & my DW was able to get us to the hospital where I had an emergency lithotripsy procedure that afternoon.
Not sure what the costs (etc.) might have been in a foreign port or at sea.

 

[su_A_ve]

My issue is trying to pick one up... I know what I want or need, just no idea on how to judge the different options.

I looked up at insure my trip but recently that was being banned here for no reason, even though that's the same site that my DU agent gave me when I asked.