DAN Trip Cancellation Insurance

[Sendero]

I'm booked for a trip to Australia in November and I plan to do one of the Mike Ball liveaboard cruises. As part of their form they ask if I have trip cancellation insurance. I have the DAN preferred membership and I *think* I'm reading it correctly that I then have up to $5k lifetime coverage with a $250 deductible. Is there a reason to purchase insurance in addition to this?

My airfare is using airline miles and there is only a $150 cost to cancel that. The Mike Ball expedition is really the big cost at ~$3200 for the 7 day itinerary. The hotels I'm booking will be either on points or on Friend & Family discounts so I can cancel up to the day of arrival without any penalty.

Does it make sense to spend $297 for $4500 Trip Cancellation coverage (includes extra cost of $3k baggage & $40k medical coverage)? Are there other insurance providers that I should look at besides the DAN referred companies?

Thanks!

 

[Sendero]

Based on a recommendation from my LDS today, I also looked up a quote from Access America. Their Deluxe Comprehensive pkg is $341 for $4500 of coverage. They have lower baggage coverage of only $1k and Emergency Medical coverage of $25k.

If others can chime in with their experience with different providers and the quality of coverage/service I would appreciate it! Thanks.

 

[Damselfish]

Regular DAN dive insurance is centered around illness and dive accidents, even the travel coverage. The trip cancellation/interuption coverage that comes with DAN preferred is only for cancellations due to your injury/illness. So it wouldn't cover cancellations due to lots of things that might be covered on a regular travel insurance policy - sickness or deaths in your family, a hurricane, your house flooded before you left, problems with your airline carrier getting you there, failure of one of your travel providers (though you have to check if the liveaboard you are on is even covered by the insurance carrier.)

It's well worth analyzing what you would actually lose on a cancellation which you are doing, and then you have to decide if it's worth the price to cover the rest, or simply "self-insure." Sort of depends what you think of your personal odds for this particular trip.

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Excellent analysis Damselfish!!

 

[lmorin]

See this Travel Insurance Comparison website for more guidance.

 

[DandyDon]

DAn's dive insurance is not trip insurance as previously noted here, except that yeah - the top plan does offer some trip cancellation or interruption coverage: $10,000 Coverage for losses for dive trip canceled due to injury or illness before departure. $250 deductible and $5,000 Coverage for losses incurred for dive trip interrupted due to injury or illness after departure. $250 deductible. See http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/insurance/compare.asp

The top plan will also cover non-diving accidents outside of your home country to $10,000, and DAN membership also include TravelsAssist for up to $100,000 of evacuation assistance coverage arranged thru them only. DAN does also offer separate trip insurance but I was not impressed. I still like trip insurance when leaving the country, mostly for medical coverages but also various other features. Did you know that airlines have reduced luggage liabilities on international flights, as well as excluding scuba gear from damage liabilities?

I'm booked for a trip to Australia in November and I plan to do one of the Mike Ball liveaboard cruises. As part of their form they ask if I have trip cancellation insurance. I have the DAN preferred membership and I *think* I'm reading it correctly that I then have up to $5k lifetime coverage with a $250 deductible. Is there a reason to purchase insurance in addition to this?

My airfare is using airline miles and there is only a $150 cost to cancel that. The Mike Ball expedition is really the big cost at ~$3200 for the 7 day itinerary. The hotels I'm booking will be either on points or on Friend & Family discounts so I can cancel up to the day of arrival without any penalty.

Does it make sense to spend $297 for $4500 Trip Cancellation coverage (includes extra cost of $3k baggage & $40k medical coverage)? Are there other insurance providers that I should look at besides the DAN referred companies?

Thanks!

Depending on your age, that sounds high - and I like more medical coverage. I like Travel Safe Vacation plan with $100,000 medical, $1,000,000 Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation, $25,000 Non-Medical Emergency Evacuation, etc. and I think you'll find the rates competitive. The plan is limited to Baggage and Personal Effects of $2,500 with lots of exclusions and $300 per item limits I think it is, but it works for me. I insure all cameras & electronics that leave the house including my laptop an diver computers plus my BC and some other things thru State Farms PAP for complete and comprehensive coverage. see http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...t-find-better-camera-gear-insurance-than.html

See this Travel Insurance Comparison website for more guidance.

That site seems to only quote 4 choices.

This comparison site will try to get you to book thru them but their comparisons of a multitude of companies and plans is really very impressive I think. InsureMyTrip.com | Plans | All Plans | Compare You can plug in your info to get comparisons with rates.

 

[lmorin]

.......

That site seems to only quote 4 choices. ................

Did you click the "More Plans" button?

 

[DandyDon]

Didn't see that, thanks! Always looking for good sources...!

 

[bobfmdc]

I am a DAN member and also considered the trip insurance DAN promotes. I found it full of holes. You should read the "fine print" several times to determine if it covers what is most likely to cause you problems on your trip. For example, the Terms and Conditions say that the policy will pay cancellation or interruption costs incurred due to

"(b) Financial Default of an airline, cruise line, or tour operator provided the Financial Default occurs more than 14 days following an Insured's effective date for the Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption Benefits."

As I read the policy, these are the only terms that apply to cancellation of the trip by an operator for reasons other than weather. Again for example, it seems that if you miss a live-aboard trip because the operator just left without you and kept your money, the policy would not pay.

I initially considered this policy because DAN promoted it. I have a tight connection that, if missed due to an airline delay, could cost me a day off my trip. I found the policy to be worthless in that respect, but it took emails to the insurance company to get specific interpretations of the language in the Terms and Conditions. I have flights to Dominica with a 45 minute connection in San Juan, all booked by American Airlines. If American is delayed incoming, I have to spend the night in San Juan. DAN's promotional says that the policy has $500 "Missed Connection" coverage, but the policy says it only will pay for expenses,

"resulting from cancellation or delay of 3 or more hours of all regularly scheduled airline flights due to Inclement Weather or Common Carrier caused delay...."

Although you could read this provision differently, the company interpreted it to be that the policy will not pay for expenses resulting from delays of LESS than 3 hours due to weather OR any other causes (and note the "all" in the above language). So if you have a quite acceptable 2 hour connection, are delayed two and one half hours by weather or other airline excuses, and miss your flight, the policy will not pay. Further, you must get the airline to "certify" the delay to the insurance company. Ha! Fat chance of that happening.

 

[DandyDon]

At my age, I wondered if DAN trip insurance just might be worth another look since they charge all ages the same rates (you younger guys subsidize us old geezers) so I looked. $20,000 medical coverage is not enough Imo so I took the Umbrella option to double that - oh boy. On a $500 trip cancellation but for which I want good medical coverage....

DAN's vs Travel Safe

Trip Cancellation Tour Cost vs Tour Cost

Trip Interruption 150% of Tour Cost vs 150%

Trip Interruption/Return Air Only $750

Trip Delay $1,000 ($200 maximum per day) vs $150 Per Day/$750 Total

Missed Connection $500 vs $2,500

Baggage & Personal Effects $1,500 vs $2,500

Baggage Delay $300 vs $250

Medical Expense $40,000 vs $100,000

Accidental Death & Dismemberment $25,000 vs $25,000

Premium: $62.00 vs $57​

Without looking into detailed definitions and limits, they were competitive until I got to Medical coverage - the main reason I like trip insurance.

What if I was only 30 yrs old tho...?

DAN: $62 vs $44 at Travel Safe​

Or if I was 30 covering a $3,000 trip...?

DAN: $195 vs $120 at Travel Safe​

Eh, you can certainly do worse than DAN's trip ins, but you can do a lot better too...!!