Trip Insurance

[b0m5jgr]

Question to all, made our reservations about 2 months ago, but still haven't purchased trip insurance, our cruise is about 1 yr away, is it a good idea to purchase sooner than later, looking for opinions. Thanks....

 

[Geomom]

I booked mine once I paid for airfare and the hotel. The insurance I went with is free for kids under 18...so I needed to book it before mid-Feb. when my oldest turns 18. (I wasn't sure if it was going to work, but I inputted birthdates, dates of the trip, etc, and she came up free.) Even without 'pre existing condition' insurance, there is a 60 day look back from when you buy the insurance, so if some illness occurs 60 days before you buy the insurance that causes you not to take your trip, it wouldn't cover you.

For our first cruise, I waited until shortly before we were PIF, as the cruise is the biggest expense.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

We purchase insurance within 14 days of making our deposit, we need the pre-existing condition clause. Anyway, we buy insurance to cover the deposit and then add to the insurance as we add air fare, etc. You don't have to wait until you've booked everything to get your insurance.

 

[Mommb]

Insurance will cover only actual costs. Since your deposit is refundable up until final payment (unless you are sailing Concierge), you wouldn't have any cruise-related costs for insurance to reimburse you for now. If you have made non-refundable payments for airfare, hotels, or other plans, then you might want to get insurance now.

Another advantage to buying insurance now is to cover the results of any diagnoses that occur between now and the cruise. Without a pre-existing condition waiver, trip insurance will typically not cover cancellations or expenses (such as medical treatment or evacuation) due to conditions that you knew about when you purchased the insurance.

Purchasing insurance within a few days of final payment may provide a pre-existing condition waiver, so check what the insurance you intend to buy will cover, and decide whether to wait until you have reimbursable expenses before you purchase the insurance. (If, for example, you or someone in your family is diagnosed in 9 months with a condition prevents you from taking the cruise, you wouldn't need the insurance, because you wouldn't be out any money.)

 

[b0m5jgr]

Thanks for info, so I guess it's between now and before final payment is due.

 

[JWG]

Read the terms of the policies. Some benefits require insurance be purchased 15-21 days following initial payment, others only prior to final payment in full.

Also, some policies will do a 60 day look back from the insurance purchase date for any conditions that then may not be covered. Just have to read the terms of each policy you're looking at.

 

[pittchick17]

Following

 

[bobbiwoz]

We book and buy insurance together because we need to cover pre existing conditions. Recently we needed to send in claims, not related to pre-existing, and we were happy with our experience, both for DCL’s insurance and in an unrelated to that cruise incident, with Jet Blues insurance.

 

[lanejudy]

We book and buy insurance together because we need to cover pre existing conditions. Recently we needed to send in claims, not related to pre-existing, and we were happy with our experience, both for DCL’s insurance and in an unrelated to that cruise incident, with Jet Blues insurance.

Even if you opt-in at booking, the DCL policy isn’t purchased until PIF. And to my knowledge, DCL’s insurance does not directly cover pre-existing conditions. That would fall into the secondary coverage where DCL gives a 70% credit towards a future cruise within a specified period of time. Not direct reimbursement. You might want to research to see what else is available to suit your needs.

Enjoy your cruise!