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Mystery Cruises


lleynman
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NO. Spain is not in the same insurance group as most of Europe.

You must use a very unusual insurance company! Try another one maybe? Mine (Insure &Go) just says ‘Europe’. How long is your cruise? Is it long enough to get as far as Spain?

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A broad policy covering all of Europe is not too expensive.

 

Personally I would also check with Fred that you are not going to Morocco as that is within easy reach of Southampton even on a shortish cruise and a good way for ships to be out with the EU for tax purposes, duty free etc. I am sure they would confirm which continent you are going to as that would not spoil the mystery.

 

We just got a leaflet through today about the mystery cruises in October but I can’t say it appeals to the control freak in me. I like to read about where I am visiting, plan what I want to do etc.

 

It would be interesting to hear about it from anyone who does book though.

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You must use a very unusual insurance company! Try another one maybe? Mine (Insure &Go) just says ‘Europe’. How long is your cruise? Is it long enough to get as far as Spain?

 

Look at https://www.lovemoney.com/news/50671/european-travel-insurance-cover-spain-malta-turkey-cyprus-post-office

 

Quote from that - "Insure and Go says that policyholders who declare a medical condition are placed into two categories to establish how much they pay. Travellers to Spain, Cyprus, Turkey, and Malta are placed in Category A which is more expensive, the rest of Europe is put into category B."

 

Northern Spain is easily within short cruising distance from the UK. and who knows where you might go on a "mystery" cruise !

 

Having been hammered by an additional premium of over £2000 just because I had had a dubious diagnosis of angina just prior to leaving on the Balmoral cruise to New Orleans last year, I am rather wary of insurance companies small print.

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Look at https://www.lovemoney.com/news/50671/european-travel-insurance-cover-spain-malta-turkey-cyprus-post-office

 

Quote from that - "Insure and Go says that policyholders who declare a medical condition are placed into two categories to establish how much they pay. Travellers to Spain, Cyprus, Turkey, and Malta are placed in Category A which is more expensive, the rest of Europe is put into category B."

 

Northern Spain is easily within short cruising distance from the UK. and who knows where you might go on a "mystery" cruise !

 

Having been hammered by an additional premium of over £2000 just because I had had a dubious diagnosis of angina just prior to leaving on the Balmoral cruise to New Orleans last year, I am rather wary of insurance companies small print.

I apologise! I had no idea they did that. It isn’t obvious from their webpage which just says Europe. Our policy is worldwide so the question doesn’t arise.

 

If you think the cruise is long enough to get to Spain, you will have to either bite the bullet and pay the extra for Spain or else shop around. Or book a different cruise of course.

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Incidentally, I think the length of the cruise (and the departure port) is relevant. Our mystery cruise was only five days long, ex Dover, with only one sea day and I think it was therefore very unlikely to get as as far as northern Spain.

 

 

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Look at https://www.lovemoney.com/news/50671/european-travel-insurance-cover-spain-malta-turkey-cyprus-post-office

 

Quote from that - "Insure and Go says that policyholders who declare a medical condition are placed into two categories to establish how much they pay. Travellers to Spain, Cyprus, Turkey, and Malta are placed in Category A which is more expensive, the rest of Europe is put into category B."

 

Northern Spain is easily within short cruising distance from the UK. and who knows where you might go on a "mystery" cruise !

 

Having been hammered by an additional premium of over £2000 just because I had had a dubious diagnosis of angina just prior to leaving on the Balmoral cruise to New Orleans last year, I am rather wary of insurance companies small print.

 

That’s some additional premium. What is the point in taking out insurance in advance if they can then just just rack up the price like that. I always thought they had to honour the cover, but could exclude any new condition, just goes to show.

 

I am always very conscious of reading the small print as apparently insurers will use anything to knock back a claim if they can. You hear some horror stories about it on ships.

 

We have paid out thousands of pounds for cruise annual insurance over the years and thankfully never had the need to use it other than one case of noro. They charge for ever visit, needle, they even charge for the swabs!

 

Some of the exclusions or additional costs for certain areas of Europe do surprise people. Montenegro is another one that attracts an additional premium or is excluded from some policies (probably not one that a mystery cruise would get though) and I have no idea why.

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Incidentally, I think the length of the cruise (and the departure port) is relevant

 

When the offer arrived by post, 'er indoors first reaction was "what clothes would we need to pack ?" - if the cruise headed for Norway (for example) it would mean different kit from that if it were sailing south.

 

If, like us, you live on the uncivilised side of Hadrian's Wall a cruise from Rosyth is much more convenient than Southampton.

 

So, yes, duration and departure port are entirely relevant IMO.

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NO. Spain is not in the same insurance group as most of Europe.
I've never come across that before.

 

I expect the vast majority of major league insurance companies "Europe" cover means just that - some include certain North African countries that border the Med I believe.

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When the offer arrived by post, 'er indoors first reaction was "what clothes would we need to pack ?" - if the cruise headed for Norway (for example) it would mean different kit from that if it were sailing south.

 

If, like us, you live on the uncivilised side of Hadrian's Wall a cruise from Rosyth is much more convenient than Southampton.

 

So, yes, duration and departure port are entirely relevant IMO.

 

Yes packing would be a bit of a conundrum.

 

Just as an aside have you noticed that they are doing a lot less from Rosyth next year and that Greenock has vanished altogether.

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I expect the vast majority of major league insurance companies "Europe" cover means just that - some include certain North African countries that border the Med I believe.

 

That is what our insurance (AXA) classes as "Europe", i.e. the whole of Europe and also the other countries that have a border on the Med.

 

Insurance companies do vary in their definitions of all things though, so always best to read the policy and any additional definitions. I suspect one insurance company will run a number of policies, so they can vary from each other. For instance our policy is specific to Lloyds Bank.

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Just as an aside have you noticed that they are doing a lot less from Rosyth next year and that Greenock has vanished altogether.

 

I hadn't clocked that, thanks for the heads up.

 

Not thinking about next year yet, maybe it's about time to do so.

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  • 1 month later...

I did a mystery mini two nights on Black Watch departing from Harwich. Fred Sent a letter warning of the dangers of Zika virus on our cruise. Never found out if it was a mistake or somebody at Fred Olsen with a sense of humour. We went to Amsterdam. Some of our party were disappointed as they had guessed Hull. I think it was when it was City of Culture. Most had guessed Rotterdam or Zeebrugge.

 

It was a bit of fun for a short cruise. I would not book a longer cruise without knowing the itinerary. It is too much time and money for me to invest without the itinerary.

 

I think there was a bit in the news years back about a couple who went on a Saga mystery cruise. I think they drove from Cardiff to Dover to join the cruise only to find the cruise went to Cardiff. I think they had a cup of tea at home. The neighbors were a bit surprised too.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

 

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I was on holiday in Spain and booked a boat trip and barbecue. The pick-up point was at the hotel beach we were staying at.

 

 

They took us on a 2 hour bus trip, picking up others on the way, then onto a boat which sailed back to the beach we had just left.

 

Since we were all inclusive at the hotel I nipped into the hotel bar and get decent drinks rather than drink the free sangria on the boat.

 

At least it was a nice boat trip and I did go back on the boat and endured the 2 hour bus trip back to my hotel.

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I was on holiday in Spain and booked a boat trip and barbecue. The pick-up point was at the hotel beach we were staying at.

 

 

They took us on a 2 hour bus trip, picking up others on the way, then onto a boat which sailed back to the beach we had just left.

 

Since we were all inclusive at the hotel I nipped into the hotel bar and get decent drinks rather than drink the free sangria on the boat.

 

At least it was a nice boat trip and I did go back on the boat and endured the 2 hour bus trip back to my hotel.

 

 

 

Sorry. That did make me smile.

 

I do not think I would have got back on the boat.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

 

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