DCL travel insurance

Hi everyone!

I'm new to DCL (have cruised on carnival and RC several times) and am in the very early planning stages of a November trip. I'm hoping all the knowledgeable CC members can help me with what I'm sure are the first of many questions I will have.

-if one person wants trip insurance, does everyone in the group need to purchase it? There are 5 of us and a few would be more comfortable having it and some want to go without.

-is the insurance available through DCL good coverage and is it considered expensive?

-would it be better to buy it through another company?

Thanks in advance for answers!

I purchase private insurance. It is cheaper and better coverage. OK--private purchased within 21 days (some companies are 14 days) of booking will provide "pre-existing" coverage. This is not just a pre-existing condition in YOU. What if a parent or grandparent has heart disease and takes a turn for the worst? In addition, many private companies provide a free child's policy with purchase of a parent or grandparent policy. Also, coverage thru DCL will include only those things purchased thru DCL. If you do air on your own, it won't be covered by DCL insurance.

DCL coverage does have one good provision that no other has. If their insurance doesn't cover a cancelation for any reason (you submit to their carrier and get a rejection), DCL will allocate 75% of the cruise fare portion of the ticket toward a future cruise for that person which can be used within 2 years. It is non-transferable and time limited. NOTE--this is not 75% of your costs as it does not include the cost of the insurance or any taxes or fees that were not refunded.

The reason I purchase is that my health insurance will not cover outside of the US. I could afford to lose the cost of the cruise, but the cost of a major medical problem could be huge.

Generally, third party insurance is less expensive. In my experience, they only cover those who you choose to insure. I'm not sure why you would want to not cover some people. The chances of someone needing the insurance is small but the costs that they cover are large. Most people can't afford to pay to repatriate a sick person by private jet.

Check insuremytrip.com. They have a large variety of plans from many companies and a very nice comparison tool.

1. Yes, you can insure some of the travelers on the cruise booking

2. Go direct to travel insurance company, not via the cruise line. If you have a claim, you will be dealing directly with the insurance company. Direct is usually less expensive, and offers better variations of coverages.

3. Reviews site for top 10 travel insurance companies: We used CSA on a DCL cruise last summer. It was a good experience.

http://travel-insurance-review.toptenreviews.com/

Thanks for the replies everyone! Insurance is something that I always have when I travel and prefer to keep it that way. The rest of my group is trying to keep costs as low as possible (not that I'm not doing the same) and insurance is an extra expense that they can spend somewhere else. It's a personal preference I guess.

I purchase private insurance. It is cheaper and better coverage. OK--private purchased within 21 days (some companies are 14 days) of booking will provide "pre-existing" coverage. This is not just a pre-existing condition in YOU. What if a parent or grandparent has heart disease and takes a turn for the worst? In addition' date=' many private companies provide a free child's policy with purchase of a parent or grandparent policy. Also, coverage thru DCL will include only those things purchased thru DCL. If you do air on your own, it won't be covered by DCL insurance.

 

DCL coverage does have one good provision that no other has. If their insurance doesn't cover a cancelation for any reason (you submit to their carrier and get a rejection), DCL will allocate 75% of the cruise fare portion of the ticket toward a future cruise for that person which can be used within 2 years. It is non-transferable and time limited. NOTE--this is not 75% of your costs as it does not include the cost of the insurance or any taxes or fees that were not refunded.

 

The reason I purchase is that my health insurance will not cover outside of the US. I could afford to lose the cost of the cruise, but the cost of a major medical problem could be huge.[/quote']

 

moki'smommy- I wish there was a way to private message you to ask this but I can't seem to find it. Which company do you go with? I have realized with all our past cruises what a major mistake I was making just buying cruise line insurance and that if we had a major emergency (almost happened in Haiti a few years ago) we could never have afforded the bill to be air evac'd out to Miami. I don't want to be caught in this situation again. I realize I will need both a policy covering visits out of the US AND a rider for air evac but any other info? Company you like and trust? I called when I booked our Aug cruise and was told I need not worry about the pre-existing because my son is under constant medical care for his condition and wouldn't really qualify no matter what and that is why I need the riders but I had to pick one before final payment which is next month. Any advice for people in a special needs/constant care situation?

We use Travel Insured International Worldwide Trip Protector. I've also used Travel Guard (recommended by a different TA.). Both give a free child policy with purchase of an adult policy AND cover pre-existing conditions at no extra charge if purchased within 21 days of the initial payment on the cruise. I've had 2 small claims--one medical, one trip delay due to an emergency with the ship (couldn't port due to fog). In each case, very little hassle and they covered everything I thought they should.

A thought...has the price of your cruise changed since you booked? If not, can you cancel it and re-purchase it in order to buy the insurance within 21 days of the initial payment and get your son's pre-existings covered? Just a thought.

Most insurance companies sell multiple levels of policies. Don't buy the lowest one. Usually going one notch up gives you a LOT more protection for a very small premium increase. You can compare policies at insuremytrip.com. You can purchase thru them, your TA, or the company directly.

Unfortunately for this situation the price has only gone up so rebooking isn't an option. I found a plan through InsureMyTrip that will cover pre-existing with a 60 day look back and plan to get documentation tomorrow that he is able to travel and book it on that day! Thanks for your help. I will be MUCH smarter about this in the future.

Yeah, there are no good answers...if you buy insurance when you book the trip and then change/cancel, you might lose your money from the insurance. Some companies allow one date change. But if you wait to buy insurance, you either pay more for pre-existing coverage or lose it all together.

For the look back....it is up to the terms of the policy, but most companies look to the last time there was a change in treatment, not the last doc visit, check up, or whatever. We buy specifically for the medical coverage because my medical insurance will not cover anything outside the US...and my daughter has a chronic situation that they wouldn't be able to treat on the ship. What fun...

 

For the look back....it is up to the terms of the policy' date=' but most companies look to the last time there was a change in treatment, not the last doc visit, check up, or whatever. We buy specifically for the medical coverage because my medical insurance will not cover anything outside the US...and my daughter has a chronic situation that they wouldn't be able to treat on the ship. What fun...[/quote']

 

Yes. They did tell me that. We are lucky there because treatment hardly ever changes. I travel with most things he could surgically need changed as I don't trust a hospital outside the US to have the equipment on hand. That said, while I am a freak about being prepared we have only once had a situation happen while traveling. That was enough for me though realizing how in trouble we would have been if on a small island. It's honestly why we did Alaska last year and stuck closer to the US :) We were all rattled by it.

 

We just happen to have a clinic appointment tomorrow so I thought we might as well document he is able to travel and I will just buy it in the afternoon.

 

Thanks again!

Med Jet Assist is another one that I see mentioned a lot. It's a subscription based program that will transport you anywhere you are (US or abroad) back home.

I'm hesitant to purchase this myself as its not designed really for immediate medical emergencies (i.e. Medivac from the ship) but more for when you are stable and need to go back home.

If you are cruising in the Caribbean, most medical transports would be handled by the US Coast Guard at no cost. If private transfer is needed (or non-emergency re-patriation after hospital care), the travel insurance would handle that.

With a chronic disease situation....we just do the best we can, be as safe as possible, and hope for the best. I've had to accept that we spent 4 days in a hotel room at Disney World because she "crashed" 4 hours after we arrived. We hadn't even made it to a park. Just far enough for me to buy the tickets. But she recovered enough that we were able to cruise on that vacation. The next WDW trip, she did great. And I've learned how many hidden costs there are to a chronic situation. Good luck...hope you have a great trip.

That first paragraph is not true and people need to stop spending it.

That first paragraph is not true and people need to stop spending it.

Not sure which part of the paragraph is not true. I did say "most." I have been on a ship in the Caribbean 3 times when there was an evacuation. 2 were DCL, one was another line. In each case, the helicopter that came had USCG markings. It was actually quite interesting to watch. While this sounds like a large number, it represents fewer than 10% of my cruises.

Every private policy I've seen (other than medical only) has an evacuation provision, thus the statement that private transportation would be covered by such a policy.

Not sure which part of the paragraph is not true. I did say "most." I have been on a ship in the Caribbean 3 times when there was an evacuation. 2 were DCL' date=' one was another line. In each case, the helicopter that came had USCG markings. It was actually quite interesting to watch. While this sounds like a large number, it represents fewer than 10% of my cruises.

 

 

 

Every private policy I've seen (other than medical only) has an evacuation provision, thus the statement that private transportation would be covered by such a policy.[/quote']

 

 

 

The coast guard has a sizable presence in San Juan with smaller stations in St Thomas and St Croix. While their main responsibilities cover San Juan and the Virgin Islands I'm sure they assist when called upon for areas outside those islands.

 

No charge for rescues either.

 

"In fact, the only time that the Coast Guard gets money back for rescues is when they are the victim of a hoax"

 

http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1892621,00.html

I believe with the DCL insurance you don't have to decide on coverage and pay until final payment is due. I don't know how the 3rd party insurances are. I always get insurance via DCL but I don't until final payment. No sense paying until you have to.

I believe with the DCL insurance you don't have to decide on coverage and pay until final payment is due. I don't know how the 3rd party insurances are. I always get insurance via DCL but I don't until final payment. No sense paying until you have to.

You are correct. DCL does not purchase a policy on your behalf until the PIF date.

Private insurance often has benefits to buying insurance as soon as the cruise is booked, but you technically don't have to purchase until you are ready to deart from your home. Obviously, coverage starts after you purchase...so it makes sense to purchase by the point where you would have a financial loss if you had to cancel--the penalty date.

We booked through USAA and their prices were almost half of what Disney wanted(kids were either free or $20 per kid). Also my TA said that Disney only will cover flights booked through them and we always book flights seperate.

We booked through USAA and their prices were almost half of what Disney wanted(kids were either free or $20 per kid). Also my TA said that Disney only will cover flights booked through them and we always book flights seperate.

This is correct--Insurance purchased thru DCL includes only those things which are booked thru DCL. And flights booked thru DCL are horrible, at least from my home airport. We always book our own flights after a couple of bad experiences booked thru DCL. Booking on your own means lower rates and better flights.

moki'smommy- I wish there was a way to private message you to ask this but I can't seem to find it.

Cruise Critic doesn't have private messaging.

I believe with the DCL insurance you don't have to decide on coverage and pay until final payment is due. I don't know how the 3rd party insurances are. I always get insurance via DCL but I don't until final payment. No sense paying until you have to.

A lot of policies allow cruise cancellation reimbursement for any reason but only if you purchase the insurance within a short time of booking your cruise.

Ok. I knew I had read somewhere about buying travel insurance very close to departure which covers you for the IN trip /cruise....Here it is: http://www.blog.csatravelprotection.com

I could not figure out how to book it on the CSA website so I called. Their Help Desk was very helpful in advising which travel insurance type to buy...

Check trip insurance benefits that come with your credit card. We have Chase Sapphire and it reimburses up to $10,000 p/p for the same issues that paid travel insurance does. When traveling outside U.S. we purchase a medical policy only. Does anyone know if the DCL insurance includes a "cancel for any reason"? One family member and possibly two may not go and our CC insurance would cover if it is a medical or family issue but not a personal choice.

Yes they do but it is 75% credit towards another cruise taken within a year.

Since posting this we have been very happy with Nationwide Luxury Cruise Policy (with the additional Cancel for Any Reason rider) for two cruises since and MedJet Membership. Of course we haven't had to use them yet so take us being happy with that grain of salt :) We bought through InsureMyTrip.

We also use our credit card insurance as a last line of defense :)

I just wanted to reinforce something already said, and add a few specifics.

Thought Insurance is great for cancellations, etc., what it is BEST for is medical coverage. A great many (most?) Medical insurance policies in the US don't cover international locations. And most cruise locations are international.

Plus, the costs are considerable.

On our recent trip, my 70-year-old mother wasn't feeling well, and considered going to the ship's medical facility (on the Fantasy) so we made a few quick inquiries. Visiting the doctor during open hours (about 6 hours a day, 3 in the morning, 3 in the evening) was $150, just for the consult. Any other time of day it was $300.

So then we called our trip insurance company. They said, "No problem." We would have to pay out of pocket first, but once we filed a claim, they would reimburse those fees 100%. Also, they would pay 100% of any medication the ship's doctor prescribed.

Fortunately, she felt better by the next day and never went to the doctor, but it was nice to know the Insurance was there. Plus, I know if her medical needs had been greater, the bills would have added up fast, so to me, medical coverage is the BEST reason to buy trip insurance.