Trip Insurance Questions

[wdwfan]

I'm looking to purchase trip insurance for my upcoming Alaskan cruise on DCL in August. My balance is due on April 8, so I'm looking to purchase insurance now. My question is if I had to cancel my cruise after I've paid it in full, and if I canceled it would be due to my husband getting a new job (things can change so quickly in life), what are my options? Would I be able to rebook another DCL cruise for 2018? Would I receive a full refund? I'd actually be fine with just being able to rebook for another cruise... Does anyone know the answer?

 

[NS8VN]

You will need coverage that includes "cancel for any reason". You will have to check whether the individual policy reduces the payout depending on the reason for cancelling. As for DCL after PIF the refund is reduced to 80% and drops from there until it becomes non-refundable at 2 weeks (the specifics of your cruise will be in your paperwork). Even if you rebook only the refund you are entitled to will be applied to the new booking.

 

[LAX]

You will need coverage that includes "cancel for any reason". You will have to check whether the individual policy reduces the payout depending on the reason for cancelling. As for DCL after PIF the refund is reduced to 80% and drops from there until it becomes non-refundable at 2 weeks (the specifics of your cruise will be in your paperwork). Even if you rebook only the refund you are entitled to will be applied to the new booking.

One needs to be careful when looking for policies that include "cancel for any reason." Most of them (if not all) don't reimburse 100% if cancellation is not due to one of those legitimate reasons (ie: health, natural disasters, etc.). Not to mention that they are typically pretty expensive. I have seen policies that give you optional add-ons that include protection against "cancel for work-related reason" (or some language to that effect), which is not as broad a coverage as "any reason", but usually less expensive if it suits your needs.

LAX

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

It depends on your situation, but definitely look into the various options.

In our case, one in our party (two families together) had a very demanding job, and the possibility of him having to cancel even on the last day was very real. We called the insurance company (did not use DCL insurance) directly and they gave us all of the coverage choices. Indeed some things were covered at 100%, others at 80%, but even 80% is better than nothing. I forget for our coverage, which one work-related was. Also, our policy gave us the choice of cancelling all 9 of us or just some of us, depending on who couldn't go (or why), so that it was left up to us to choose under the circumstances whether some of us wanted to proceed with the trip or for all of us to postpone. This was very helpful to us as well.

In the end, we all went, so it was a moot point (and an extra expense) but to us, it was worth the piece of mind. The cost was like 2-3% of the trip. Is that a lot? Not to us. It also included international medical coverage too.

 

[Sleepyluke]

I dont remember the exact details, but are looking just for the rebooking portion and this close to PIF date, you may actually look at DCLs coverage. You can add at any point and all it is good for is to put toward another cruise.

 

[lanejudy]

I'm looking to purchase trip insurance for my upcoming Alaskan cruise on DCL in August. My balance is due on April 8, so I'm looking to purchase insurance now. My question is if I had to cancel my cruise after I've paid it in full, and if I canceled it would be due to my husband getting a new job (things can change so quickly in life), what are my options? Would I be able to rebook another DCL cruise for 2018? Would I receive a full refund? I'd actually be fine with just being able to rebook for another cruise... Does anyone know the answer?

What you are able to do will depend on the insurance you purchase and how close it is to the cruise date.

• If you don't purchase insurance, once you hit the PIF date you will lose at a minimum the deposit amount (or 20%). The penalty is greater the closer you get to the sail date. DCL rarely waives the penalty and will not give you a full refund even if you wish to rebook for a later date.
• If you purchase insurance through DCL, work-related cancellation is not officially covered. But there is the added benefit that when the insurance denies the claim, DCL will give you a credit (I think it's 75%?) towards another cruise (maybe within one year). It's not full reimbursement, but a partial credit and must be used in the time period designated.
• If you purchase third party insurance -- find out what is covered. Assuming you booked a while ago, it may be pricey to get a "cancel for any reason" policy. When you are researching, call the agent directly and ask specific questions (i.e., what if I lose my job, what if my husband changes jobs, what if vacation time is rescinded, whatever issues you anticipate). Some policies may cover "any reason" but most don't.
• In the future, to get "cancel for any reason" coverage you should purchase within a few days of making the initial deposit (usually 10-21 days depending on the insurance agency).

You are welcome to put whatever value you receive from insurance back towards a future cruise. Be aware that you will be booking at current prices, which may be higher than your refund.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[wdwfan]

Thank you all for all the wonderful information. Very helpful!!

 

[reimero]

A side note on canceling for work-related reasons: the policies I've seen require one year of continuous employment with the company before that clause kicks in, so a new job would not be eligible for CFWR