When do you buy trip insurance?

[DCLCrazy64622]

For those of you who normally buy trip insurance, do you wait till the final payment is due for the cruise and then call the insurance agent or do you purchase it right when you make the reservation? I’m not asking about the insurance the cruise offers you. Just those that buy insurance outside of the cruise line.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

For those of you who normally buy trip insurance, do you wait till the final payment is due for the cruise and then call the insurance agent or do you purchase it right when you make the reservation? I’m not asking about the insurance the cruise offers you. Just those that buy insurance outside of the cruise line.

Depending on what you want to cover, you can purchase at any time. Generally, for coverage of pre-existing conditions, you must buy within a short time frame from initial payment of a trip (14-21 days). If you're not concerned with that coverage, then you can purchase anytime before final payment.

Since we typically only purchase medical/evacuation coverage, we need to buy pretty much right away.

 

[Geomom]

As we don't have pre-existing health conditions (yet), I tend to wait until I've purchased non-refundable items like airfare/hotel and do it before the final cruise payment. For anyone with pre-existing conditions I think it needs to be done within 15-30 days of the first payment--depends on the insurance.

 

[fredandkell]

Immediately. Within 7-10 days of first payment/deposit. This is how you can elect a) cancel for any reason insurance and b) pre-existing coverages waiver. The waiver for pre-existing can also apply to other people not traveling with you, so if you have elderly or tenuous health family members that may cause you not to go on a trip, this would insure against that. You say you don't have any pre-existing conditions...but what if you develop some before you buy travel insurance? This can include "conditions" like becoming pregnant, losing mobility, etc. They look back in your health insurance for 3-9 months depending on company, and if you file any kind of medical reimbursement or medical cancellation, if it's for something related to a condition you've been treated for during that time period, then it's not covered...unless you buy fast and choose pre-existing coverage waiver. IMHO it's not worth it to buy travel insurance unless you do it right at the beginning because there are so many loopholes, "ifs" etc. that it's really hard to get anything covered.

 

[dskib]

Once I've booked something non refundable.

 

[bumbershoot]

If I buy it I buy it immediately, as my MIL has just about every pre existing condition out there and we are her medical power of attorney.

 

[Shanti]

For those of you who normally buy trip insurance, do you wait till the final payment is due for the cruise and then call the insurance agent or do you purchase it right when you make the reservation? I’m not asking about the insurance the cruise offers you. Just those that buy insurance outside of the cruise line.

I buy asap, because if I buy the insurance within 30 days of the initial deposit, I can get better terms from the insurance company.

My biggest concern with buying an expensive vacation like a cruise is someone becoming ill at the last minute and being unable to travel. I have an immune system disorder and am also an elementary school teacher (exposed to lots of germs through work), and my S.O. has serious longstanding health problems related to his previous leukemia, so that is a real threat. And my son could always come down with something or get injured- you just never know. Buying solid insurance coverage that won't hassle us about pre-existing conditions if something goes wrong before the trip is essential imo.

 

[Rabb it]

When we make the reservation

 

[Meriweather]

We buy when we make the reservation. Just started buying it in the last year......after DH cut his finger tip off 6 days before a trip
Now we do it for all trips.....

 

[Disney_Princess83]

We tend to wait until we have started to put down nonrefundable payments such as flights, the cruise paid in full ect.

 

[ilovebassets]

We tend to wait until we have started to put down nonrefundable payments such as flights, the cruise paid in full ect.

If you're pretty healthy and don't need to worry about coverage for pre-existing conditions, this is the way to do it. Why bother with trip insurance if everything is still completely refundable otherwise?

 

[Disney_Princess83]

If you're pretty healthy and don't need to worry about coverage for pre-existing conditions, this is the way to do it. Why bother with trip insurance if everything is still completely refundable otherwise?

Yes and because we are international, we usually start putting down non refundable deposits down 4-5 months before the trip.

 

[babycatsy]

For my upcoming cruise I purchased through Disney and my credit card (chase sapphire reward) had insurance also.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

For my upcoming cruise I purchased through Disney

Generally, you can get better/less expensive coverage by purchasing through a 3rd party than through a cruise line (not just DCL).

 

[disneyfan888]

I am curious. I always get the insurance offered by DCL and I understand it is basic coverage. For those of you who have used outside insurance companies, do you usually just get coverage from a third party and skip the DCL coverage or do both?
We are taking a longer cruise to Europe and are shopping around for insurance and already have the DCL one. Is it worth it to have both or does the insurance offered by AIG or Allianz for example better and worth skipping the DCL insurance? Many thanks.

 

[Andasibe]

I typically buy within a week of deposit so that I can cancel for any reason. I only get insurance outside of DCL as the majority of my costs are flights and things, not necessarily the cruise, so DCL insurance would not cover those costs. Also, I get insurance that is cancel for any reason or cancel for work related reasons, so it is less expensive the sooner i purchase.

 

[tvguy]

Only purchased for one of our cruises, and I bought it as soon as I booked the trip.
Bought it because it was the most expensive cruise we have ever taken (yes DCL), it was winter, and it was a peak holiday travel week.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am curious. I always get the insurance offered by DCL and I understand it is basic coverage. For those of you who have used outside insurance companies, do you usually just get coverage from a third party and skip the DCL coverage or do both?
We are taking a longer cruise to Europe and are shopping around for insurance and already have the DCL one. Is it worth it to have both or does the insurance offered by AIG or Allianz for example better and worth skipping the DCL insurance? Many thanks.

We've purchased cruise line insurance on a couple of our cruises(not DCL). Generally, we use a travel insurance comparison site to find different company's policies to compare and purchase that way. Only one or the other.

We find better coverage at a lower cost by purchasing independently.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

If you're pretty healthy and don't need to worry about coverage for pre-existing conditions, this is the way to do it. Why bother with trip insurance if everything is still completely refundable otherwise?

I'm not disputing your method, but to answer your question, one has to way that chance that something will come up that will BECOME a preexisting condition. If something happens before you buy the insurance, that then later causes you not to go, or have to delay, then it will be a pre-existing condition at that time and will be too late to buy the pre-existing condition insurance. Also, lots of people have pre-existing conditions that they don't think about but the insurance company might think it is related to your reason for cancellation. Previous injury acts up for the first time in years. Complications from Asthma, Diabetes, Arthritis, etc.

I'm not saying any of this applies to you, just something for each individual to think about for every member of their party. Of course, things that are refundable don't have to be covered at all, and we added on other things to our coverage later as we made more arrangements, but we covered the initial trip ASAP to get the pre-existing conditions coverage.

 

[lanejudy]

I am curious. I always get the insurance offered by DCL and I understand it is basic coverage. For those of you who have used outside insurance companies, do you usually just get coverage from a third party and skip the DCL coverage or do both?
We are taking a longer cruise to Europe and are shopping around for insurance and already have the DCL one. Is it worth it to have both or does the insurance offered by AIG or Allianz for example better and worth skipping the DCL insurance? Many thanks.

I see no particular value in double-dipping with 2 travel insurance policies. It can become a headache as to which is primary, which will cover what, and generally just a waste of funds. Buy 1 good policy that covers what you need.

One thing to keep in mind with DCL coverage is that it ONLY covers those portions of your vacation that are booked directly through DCL. If you book airfare, hotel, ground transportation on your own -- those items will not be covered by DCL's insurance. It sounds like you may be taking a transatlantic cruise, so depending on your other plans connected with the cruise, I'd definitely be researching insurance options. That's a big chunk of money all around - the cruise, the airfare, land-based plans -- and I'd want it all included. BTW... the DCL insurance isn't actually "purchased" until you PIF, you can cancel it before then.

Enjoy your cruise!