We booked Disney's cruise around the British Isles for us, our daughter, and our grandchildren. I didn't buy Disney's Vacation Protection Plan; I preferred to find my own travel insurance. I sat down to do that yesterday and first checked to be sure all our nonrefundable costs really are nonrefundable if we were to have an unexpected hospitalization the day before we leave for London. I checked our latest Reservation Confirmation from Disney Cruise Line. The bottom of that document contains fine-print "Important Booking Information," and that has changed significantly as Disney has instituted Covid-related "temporary policies." I was stunned to find the following paragraph:
"The Guest has the right to cancel the Cruise or Cruise Package before the start of the Cruise or Cruise Package without paying any cancellation fee in the event of Unavoidable and Extraordinary Circumstances. In such circumstances, the Guest shall be entitled to a full refund or (sic) any payments made for the Cruise or Cruise Package, but shall not be entitled to additional compensation."
Does this really mean what it sounds like it means? Would Disney refund the full cruise fare if one member of our travel party is declared by a physician to be unfit to travel because of an unforeseen illness or injury? Or if there is an unforeseen hospitalization or death of a family member? If so, then I see no reason to include the cruise fare in the nonrefundable trip costs when I buy the travel insurance. But I'm reluctant to go that far until I know how Disney defines "Unavoidable and Extraordinary Circumstances." I would just ask them, but phone is the only means they offer for contacting them, and the wait time on their phone lines seems to be several hours.
I've checked, and this paragraph was absolutely not present on our original Reservation Confirmation. It has only appeared as that document has changed to reflect their temporary Covid-related policies.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
