Are travel insurances covering the hurricane?

[kath00]

We always book travel insurance but through a 3rd party usually, not the cruise line. Currently we have 2 cruises booked with Access America as the insurance company, which I know many of you CC folks also use.

 

There is an "act of god" clause in our package, I noticed today. Does that mean they don't have to cover missing the ship due to the hurricane and evacuations...? Just curious. We are not sailing this week, thank goodness, but I figured this would be really important to clarify.

 

Katherine

[PaulMCO]

Most policies treat hurricanes as weather. They are not acts of God.

[jrljel]

All I can tell you is that we missed Grandeur in Bermuda because they left due to a tropical storm coming in which we had no knowledge of at 10:30 AM instead of 4 PM. Since we were at the lighthouse, RCI could not find us in time and the ship left without us. However, everything was wonderful because RCI packed up everything in our stateroom and shipped us home on the next plane out so we would avoid a hurricane. They covered all the costs, even the cost of the cruise, as we had insurance.

[ali3pt14]

I can't speak for your insurance company, but I purchased Travel Guard, and there is a specific section listed for hurricanes/weather. I would think yours covers you as well.

[wreckem2013]

Hurricanes fall under foreseeable natural acts. As opposed to unforeseeable natural acts like volcano eruptions, tornados, earthquakes which are considered acts of god.

 

Most insurance companies do not call hurricanes acts of god.

[Sue L]

It is treated in many policies as trip delay and trip interruption.

[kath00]

Well, that's good to know. So earthquake related delays would not fall under the policy?

 

Thanks! Katherine (in California earthquake central)

[cruiseco]

We always book travel insurance but through a 3rd party usually, not the cruise line. Currently we have 2 cruises booked with Access America as the insurance company, which I know many of you CC folks also use.

 

There is an "act of god" clause in our package, I noticed today. Does that mean they don't have to cover missing the ship due to the hurricane and evacuations...? Just curious. We are not sailing this week, thank goodness, but I figured this would be really important to clarify.

 

Katherine

 

I just read through the wording of Access America's three most popular plans (Basic, Classic, and Deluxe) and "Act of God" doesn't appear anywhere. Which policy do you have? In fact, off hand I can't think of any US-based plan that includes that term, although I believe many UK-based insurers do.

 

Almost every insurer will cover hurricane-caused trip cancellation in one manner or another (as long as the policy is purchased before NOAA becomes aware of the developing storm). And most will cover in two circumstances -- #1 your house is damaged by the hurricane or you are forced to evacuate your home, or #2 a travel supplier cancels your trip arrangements. Here's some examples of what they will cover:

 

Here's from TravelSafe:

 

"t) a cancellation of Your Trip within 24 hours of Your Scheduled Departure Date and time if Your Trip destination is under a hurricane warning issued by the NOAA National Hurricane Center, provided the cancellation of Your Trip occurs more than 15 days following Your Effective Date of coverage for the Trip Cancellation Benefits; "

 

Travelex:

 

"(i) Weather that causes complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier for at least twenty-four (24) consecutive hours. "

 

If I'm traveling to the Caribbean in hurricane season the TravelSafe wording is much better. All that is required is that the destination be under a hurricane warning 34 hours prior to my departure. Given how hurricanes can change course at a moment's notice this is much more flexible than requiring an actual shutdown of my travel supplier. Since cruise lines offer substitute itineraries it's not as important for the cruise passenger but for someone staying in a land-based resort the difference could be huge.

[jerseygal15]

I annually purchase Travelguard insurance with all of our vacations, with land or sea. We have elderly parents and we would rather spend a little rather than have a unplanned "covered" event arise, and be "out of luck financially":(

 

So, with all of this Hurricane coverage and impact, I haven't had the chance to call Travelguard and ask the question. I even purchase an upgraded Travelguard package to include coverage while jet skiing, just in case of an accident. I try to cover by bases, but who knows???

 

Anyway, I am quite "surprised" and "disturbed" that various cruise lines were allowed to depart in major Hurricane conditions with major airports closed, bridges closed, hundeds of thousands of people without power,

states along the eastern seaboard issuing state of emergencies etc.

 

With Irene, since this was not an unexpected hurricane which just cropped up, I feel that cruise lines should have issued warning to guests and given guests 2 options.

1. Accept "consequences" and go on ship.

2. Receive credit for exact itiniary for up to 1 yr of date of sailing.

 

As I've stated, I am happier knowing that since I purchased travel insurance, I would have had the option of cancelling and receiving reimbursement. But, for those that didn't the cruise lines should have acted responsibly and gave the above two options!:mad:

 

A dear friend is on the Explorer which I believe left 1 hr early out of Bayonne on Saturday in the midst of the destruction of Irene to Bermuda.

I don't know if she had trip insurance or not but I will find out when they

returned.

 

I am very concerned about my dear friend and her family.

 

So the moral of trip insurance for me is DON'T BE "PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH"!!!:):):);)

[kath00]

Jerseygal,

 

I totally agree with what you said. I know hurricane pricing of cruiseships is very cheap (for a reason) but I too was totally shocked that it was "business as usual" when major transportation was completely shut down in areas that had ships and ports. I find that almost irresponsible since in many places there wasn't even parking at the piers yet no public transportation to get to the pier.

 

I always get insurance and frankly in this case I would have cancelled whatever cruise I had scheduled. Then again, I really don't cruise during hurricane season anyway (but mostly due to the heat and busy schedules with the kids).

 

I have to say that I was SHOCKED by the way the cruiselines basically said they could care less about the passengers and how they got there or got off the ship. They were going to sail no matter what. I know on CC this is a controversial subject but frankly I think it's CRAZY.

 

Katherine

[jerseygal15]

Katherine, I'm "envious'!!! Went to Disneyland, Summer of 2009 combined with a 3 day San Diego Trip! Would live there in a "heartbeat", but all my family are on the east coast and could never leave! Stayed at the Marriott Coronado and had such an awesome time! Loved the climate..I'm a "warm weather girl" and hate the cold winters on the east coast!:p:(

 

I'm hoping in 7 years to have a second home in Florida to "snowbird" to for about 6 months!:)

 

Anyway, see that you have a Christmas, 2011 trip planned on DCL!

Wow, arent' you lucky!!! That should be awesome!

 

Loved, loved The Disney Dream trip we just returned from! First time on CC, "fell in love with that awesome piece of paradise"...

Hope that CC is not too badly damaged!

 

I will check with Travelguard regarding policies...As I've posted, we always take out travel insurance even when we travel to WDW in Florida.

I am concerned, however, because someone posted on another forum that he had insurance, but would have had to cancel the insurance 2 days from home; unfortunately, he said that he was at WDW in Florida pre-cruise...that is exactly what we did...we were at WDW as we are Disney Vacation Club members and were staying at the Wilderness Lodge Villas 3 nights prior to our Aug.12th on the Disney Dream...

 

All this trip insurance stuff is very detailed...I need to "get it right, without a doubt"..Cruises are way too expensive to have a problem..We loved loved our 1st family cruise on The Disney Dream and we re-booked for summer, 2012 so this is real pertinent info..

 

I am concerned about my good friend and her extended family who are celebrating their father's 80th birthday...I believe she left Saturday,Aug.27th on the RC Explorer of the Seas...Can't imagine, how???

Cannot believe any of these ships decided to head to Bermuda, Sat.Aug.27th with one of the worst hurricanes ever, Irene!!!!!!!!!!:confused::confused:

[6rugrats]

To respond to the last two poster's "conversation".

 

1. You cannot just cancel a cruise without a covered reason (i.e., illness) and expect to get reimbursed. Merely having a travel insurance policy does not guarantee you can "cancel whatever cruise I had scheduled" and get paid. You must have "cancel for any reason" coverage to do that, and even that will usually only reimburse you 75%, and has a time frame in which you must cancel (such as at least 48 hours before your departure).

 

 

2. Hurricane Irene was long gone from Bermuda on 27 August.

 

3. Cruise lines sail, usually no matter what the weather. Read your cruise contract; they always retain the right to change itineraries, etc. They do not sail into bad storms, they sail away from them.

 

4. Cruise lines do not "care less" about passengers. Do you think they made money when people did not make their sailings? Most revenue is not from the cruise fare; it's from all the onboard purchases. In San Juan, the cruise lines were ordered out of the port early, they had no choice.

[Host Caroline]

To respond to the last two poster's "conversation".

 

1. You cannot just cancel a cruise without a covered reason (i.e., illness) and expect to get reimbursed. Merely having a travel insurance policy does not guarantee you can "cancel whatever cruise I had scheduled" and get paid. You must have "cancel for any reason" coverage to do that, and even that will usually only reimburse you 75%, and has a time frame in which you must cancel (such as at least 48 hours before your departure).

 

 

2. Hurricane Irene was long gone from Bermuda on 27 August.

 

 

Jerseygal: Ship left NJ on August 27; hurricane was not in Bermuda and didn't even "hit" Bermuda although they prob. had some wave action and maybe wind (which we had 300 mis. inland all day Sat.). Seas were rough but ship left early and was not deemed in danger or they would not have departed.

[sirwired]

I just read through the wording of Access America's three most popular plans (Basic, Classic, and Deluxe) and "Act of God" doesn't appear anywhere. Which policy do you have? In fact, off hand I can't think of any US-based plan that includes that term, although I believe many UK-based insurers do.

 

 

I'm with you... I'd want to see the specific policy. I'm also not aware of any US policy that even has those words.