Thread: DCL Insurance - Changes

As of Jan. 17, 2012, Disney Cruise Line will no longer automatically add insurance to their quotes. You will be given the option to add it at your discretion.

DCL has experimented through the years - first automatically added with option to opt out, then it was not added (You had to deliberately select it), then automatically selected again. I guess too many are choosing no insurance or obtain their own elsewhere, so DCL is going back to "You choose." So the quoted price will be WITHOUT insurance unless you add it.

There are several important changes occurring for vacation insurance plans purchased through Disney Cruise Line®.


• As of Dec. 22, 2011, vacation insurance will no longer be automatically added to a Disney Cruise Line vacation package. The change is in accordance with the U.S. Department of Transportation enhanced consumer protection regulations. When booking by phone or online, you’ll be asked whether or not you’d like to purchase vacation insurance.


• Effective immediately, the travel insurance product offered by Disney Cruise Line is available for residents of all states except Washington. If you have a booking paid on or before Dec. 20 with insurance, the insurance is protected. However, insurance will not be available to add to any bookings after Dec. 20, 2011 by Washington state residents.

Insurance is always a good thing to have when you cruise. You will probably not need it, but if you do it can save you $$$$. What Disney has done is interesting. I can see them making it mandatory since a lot of Disney cruisers are first time people who do not realize how important the insurance is and Disney does not want there to be anything that destroys the vacation. On the other hand, they also realize that their insurance might not be the best for any person and will be giving everyone the opportunity to best meet their needs.

I hope that the Disney sales agents make people aware how important it is.

I can now attest big time as to why having travel insurance is a necessity. Always bought it, but never needed it until two weeks ago. $140 investment in the insurance got me over $2000 in reimbursement for a cancelled trip.

BUT, almost always, it's better to purchase independent travel insurance than it is to purchase it through the cruise line, and Disney is no exception.

In ten years of selling cruises to thousands of clients, we've only sold the cruise line policy about 3 or 4 times and these were to seniors over 70. But even then, while they paid less, the coverage was not as good and they were taking a chance. For those under 70, it's cheaper going with independent insurance and you get better coverage.

When comparing policies, don't just look at prices; what they cover may be completely different. You not only need to look at the limits, such as how much coverage you have for baggage or medical evacuation, you also need to find out whether the policy will cover independent airfare. Some policies offered by the cruise lines will not cover your airfare unless you book the air through the cruise line. Plus, if you have to cancel, some of their policies will give you credit towards another cruise instead of putting the money back in your pocket.

Keep in mind that not all travel insurance is created equal. We use to sell insurance from 5 different companies, but had to fire a couple of well-known ones because of bad customer service, so big-name is not always best, either. And lastly, there is a big difference between travel insurance and travel protection, so make sure you know exactly what you're getting as you do not want travel protection.

Bottom line is that you should always buy travel insurance, but talk to your agent about your options, costs, and coverages. Do not automatically assume travel insurance offered by the cruise line is the best way to go as it could end up costing you more in the long run.

Pete

Buying insurance through DCL is not necessarily a great idea anyway. There are too many exclusions. I think it's best to buy good travel insurance separately and know exactly what you are getting. And yes - It's only when you find you need it and don't have it that you realize the value!