The key issue to think about with travel insurance is what you want to insure. Think about any non-refundable arrangements you have made that you might need to cancel due to a storm. This might include transportation to the cruise city (such as airfare), transportation to the port (such as a rental car or car service), hotels before or after the cruise, and private excursions. The total cost of these arrangements, plus the cost of the cruise, is the amount that you can insure. Travel insurance booked through
Disney Cruise Line will cover only costs booked through
DCL, so if you have pre- or post-cruise plans, you may want to investigate other travel insurance that will cover you from departure from home to return.
If a
Disney cruise is cancelled due to a storm, your fare will be fully refunded whether or not you have insurance. If your cruise is extended, you won't have to pay extra to stay onboard. However, unless you booked your other travel arrangements through DCL, those will not be automatically refunded unless those providers also cancel.
For example, if the ship sails as scheduled but weather delays result in the cancellation of your flight and can't get to the port, trip insurance may reimburse you for your cruise or the cost of transportation to catch up with the ship at a later port. If the ship arrives back to port late and you can't make your flight home, trip insurance may reimburse you for the cost of changing your flight.
If your arrangements are refundable, you don't need to include them in the trip cost for insurance. If there is a cancellation penalty that kicks in a certain number of days before travel, it's up to you when to include the cost or just eat the cost if you have a late cancellation.
I have 1 example of using insurance for a cruise cancelled for medical reasons, and 1 example of a cruise cancelled due to weather for which I didn't need to use insurance.
In 2011, I had a medical condition that arose after I made my final cruise payment. My doctor advised me not to travel, so I canceled the cruise about 3 weeks in advance. At that point DCL reimbursed 25% of my fare and travel insurance reimbursed me the rest. I was far enough in advance to cancel the pre- and post-cruise hotels without penalty. I was also able to reschedule my airfare, though that may have been a courtesy from the airline and not a guarantee.
I was booked on a Disney Dream cruise to the Bahamas in October 2016 that was cancelled 2 days before the scheduled sailing due to a hurricane expected to hit Port Canaveral and Orlando. At the time DCL cancelled my flight was still scheduled, but it was cancelled the next day. I then was able to cancel my pre-cruise hotel and car service to the port without penalty, since they had a 24-hour cancellation policy and I was more than 24 hours away from arrival. In severe weather situations, it is possible that travel providers would waive cancellation fees, but that is not guaranteed.
Think about what could happen to you or to your plans, what you'd be willing to pay for yourself if necessary, and what you would want to use insurance to cover if necessary.
