Babr

Sorry about the medical scare. Try not to worry. It happens to lots of women when there is nothing wrong. The doctors just want more or different views to be sure. As to insurance, you have missed the window for a pre-existing conditions waiver because you have already made final payment regardless of the official date. You can buy insurance; however, the mammogram falls in the look-back period even though there is no diagnosis so if anything associated with the test causes you to cancel, it will be considered a pre-existing condition. Best wishes. You’ll be able to sail in April.

Perhaps in the UK. Not so much in US policies. In this case, I am confident that Viking will take care of its guests.

No. Itinerary change post-departure. Nationwide has some cruise-specific policies that reimburse non-refundable shore excursions. I’m not sure even that would apply here. Insurance would probably see this as a maintenance issue which is the responsibility of the cruise line.

What kind of claim would insurance cover in this instance? I can’t think of which provision would cover snail infestation.

CFAR in a third-party policy has a time limit of at least 48 hours prior to departure, depending on the policy. That is no help for a last-minute flight cancellation like the ones that happened over Christmas. Cruise line policies generally allow cancellation up to departure though I have not checked the Princess policy recently. Same-day cancellation requires quick action to notify the cruise line and the insurance administrator of intent to cancel in order to be on record before the ship sails. Otherwise, you are a no-show unless you can convince the insurance people that it was impossible to contact them in time.

Air/sea rescue is performed only by highly trained and equipped coast guard/military units of the nearest country capable of providing the service. It depends on where in the world you are. In any event, there is no cost. You are responsible for the cost of medical care on the ship as well as medical care on land once you are in the hands of the civilian health care system. There are policies that cover medical only. These policies include evacuation, but that means transport from hospital to hospital if you need a higher level of care. Transportation home is usually by commercial air after recovery. MedJet is a membership association that provides transportation to the hospital of your choice after initially being admitted elsewhere. If you don’t want/need coverage for cancellation and other travel risks, investigate these options. For professional help sorting through it all, contact Trip Insurance Store.

The price of third-party policies is based on age, amount insured, length of trip, and levels of coverage. CFAR requires an additional premium. Cruise line insurance is a percentage of the cruise fare without regard to age. There may be differences in cost between the two because of the pricing structure, but all policies are regulated by the laws of the states where they are sold so the cost of a third-party policy with be similar for similar coverage. The price is not affected by where you buy it.

Actually, there is a scenario where the claim could be denied. It depends on the documented reason for cancellation. Indeed some of the early cancellations were the direct result of weather. In that case, there is likely a claim. However, if the cancellation was caused by equipment or staffing problems, it is not covered. Policies cover Common Carrier delay for hazards such as strike, mechanical failure, and weather. If any covered hazards result in cessation of operations for X number of hours or airport closure, then other provisions of the policy are triggered if the policyholder misses X percentage of his trip. It is not certain if or how the OP’s parents will be reimbursed because too many details are missing.

There are time limits. Depending on the policy, it could be 72 or 48 hours prior to sailing. Even if it allowed cancellation up to departure, those folks may have been too upset (or poorly informed) to think of making the call. Once the ship sails, it is too late for even the most generous terms. Standard cancellation is out of the question. Failure to provide required documentation is not a covered reason.

It likely depends on the documented reason for cancellation. If it sates weather as the cause, the cardholder may have a claim; however, if the cancellation was the result of equipment or staffing shortages, probably not. The same is true for any other travel policy. It depends on wording in the policy and the stated reason for cancellation.

If your policies had such coverage it would be a line-item in the schedule of benefits. Nationwide has some cruise-specific polices that cover itinerary changes but only if they occur after departure, and coverage is only for missed prepaid nonrefundable shore excursions. I don’t think any travel insurance will reimburse for a visa that turns out to be unneccessary.

The maneuver is performed by highly trained military/coast guard; nevertheless, there is a certain degree of danger in the hoisting process. That is why it is initiated only in life or death situations. I doubt that a companion would be allowed along for the ride. By the way, it is not exactly a trip insurance question because trip insurance is not involved until you are in the hands of the civilian medical system. If air/sea rescue is available, it is provided by specially trained units of government at no cost; but you are still responsible for costs of care on the ship, which is covered by trip insurance.

You’re right. It might have gone faster as a true CFAR because documentation is not required. In your case, the administrator had to verify the claim so that took longer. Your state insurance commission might have been able to intervene on your behalf if you had contacted them. I hope that the rest of the process goes smoothly and that your wife is well on her way to recovery.

Apparently Viking coverage operates differently. CFAR means you don’t have to provide documentation. You get reimbursed with vouchers regardless of the reason for cancellation. You had a medical claim which qualified for full cash reimbursement. I don’t really understand why people accept vouchers in place of cash even if some bonus FCC is awarded. Vouchers can be difficult to use and may still require new money or forfeiture of value depending on how they are applied. Plus, Viking will not insure vouchers used for the subsequent trip, and bonus FCC can’t be insured by third-party policies so any advantage is lost if the second cruise is cancelled.

The problem is that people are being told insurance does not cover “this situation” - whatever that means, and it is not just Viking passengers. One can’t protect oneself from the same fate without knowing why “this situation” falls outside the parameters of travel insurance.

Required or not, airlines routinely issue vouchers for cancelled flights. That is why it makes no sense to include the cost in the amount insured. Insurance will not pay once you’ve received a voucher as compensation. The problem is the missed cruise. It seems that other provisions of the policy should be triggered by a Common Carrier delay/cancellation resulting from inclement weather.

A standard comprehensive policy covers cancellation, trip delay, and trip interruption. The list of covered reasons vary, but it is common to include inclement weather. The people who posted about their experiences did not give enough details to explain what happened.

I’m curious about why the insurance company said it doesn’t cover “this situation.” I’ve read a couple of other threads in the last few days where others have encountered the same response from their insurance companies.

Be careful about relying on credit card insurance. You are playing with fire if you do not fully understand the pre-existing conditions exclusion, to whom it applies, and how to avoid the penalty.

Credit card coverage also requires that cancellation be for a covered reason. It is likely to have the same provisions and exclusions as any other travel insurance.

Seems that the insurance provider bears first responsibility. Whoever sold the policy to your parents should be assisting them. It may be that this could be covered under Trip Interruption rather than Trip Cancellation since there were no other flights, and the interruption in service caused them to miss their cruise. Trip Interruption can reimburse the unused portion of a trip. It is worth pursuing if Viking doesn’t offer a satisfactory solution.

It is not frivolous to lots of people who love their pets. You can actually buy a third-party policy that covers pet illness as a reason for cancellation with full reimbursement. Anyone who is interested can check IMG policies.

Your Travel Guard policy covers cancellation if your Travel Carrier can’t get you to your destination for 12 hours or more because of severe weather. If you could show the flight was cancelled by weather instead of a staffing problem, you might have a claim. You’d need documentation from the airline. I'm not sure what Big Box is sending, but it will be useful only if it documents a covered reason for cancellation. If it satisfies the requirement for proof of cancellation, you might be able to use the medical reason (broken hip). Otherwise, it will be hard to argue that you could not cancel in time since the injury occurred two weeks ago. No policy covers every scenario. Trip Delay, which pays for hotel and meals, usually applies to weather, strikes, or mechanical problems. Trip Interruption is governed by the same reasons as cancellation but can reimburse for unused cruise fare under defined circumstances. To avoid this kind of problem in the future, it helps to work with a professional who has knowledge of the workings of many policies. A good broker can match you to a policy that meets your needs and guide you through the claim process if necessary. A number of people across all CC forums recommend Trip Insurance Store.

Credit card coverage also requires that cancellation be for a covered reason. If the OP could show that the cancellation was caused by inclement weather instead of staffing shortage, he’d have a chance.

Many of the fee-based cards offer it - not just the premium ones.