Travel Insurance Not Worth The Cost?

[stones902]

Thought I would relate our experience with Princess Travel Insurance. Please feel free to chime in with your comments. This is not intended to be an endorsement or indictment of purchasing the insurance - just something to consider for your cruise.

 

Earlier this year, our family of 8 persons decided to cruise on the Caribbean Princess this June. Since my folks and Aunt where three of the 8 and are getting up there in age, we decided that it would be a good idea to purchase insurance through Princess. As it turns out, a medical issue did indeed crop up with my Aunt and her Doctor has advised her not to cruise with us. So here's the dilemma, the Aunt was sharing a cabin with our daughter (we have 2 in each cabin) and now the daughter is in a cabin by herself and is being charged the single rate.

 

We have a cabin that can accomodate 3 (and would certainly be willing) to have the daughter stay in our cabin. The problem is we are 3 weeks out from sailing and the ship is "at capacity". Princess will not allow a third person in the cabin.

 

So the bottom line is even though we have the travel insurance, the single traveler would be charged the double rate so the net savings would be negligible at best. I am told that even port charges are doubled for singles. I therefore don't see any advantage in cancelling the Aunt's reservation and filing a claim. Please tell me if I am missing something but that's the way I see it.

 

Again, travel insurance makes perfect sense in many situations, maybe not so much sense in others. I am not blaming Princess for this situation. But consider your own travel plans when making the decision to buy travel insurance.

[claud925]

"You are also covered for the single supplement upgrade when Your Traveling Companion cancels or interrupts a Covered Trip for a covered reason and You do not."

 

I found this sentence under the "Trip Cancellation" coverage provided in my policy ... I did NOT purchase it through the cruiseline, however - but at insuremytrip.com ...

 

Are you sure you don't have a similar provision? Read the fine print and check under "Trip Cancellation", as well as "Trip Interruption".

 

Good luck!

[peterv]

Looking at Princesses brochure, you are covered for this cost as noted in the excerpt from the brochure.

 

a) Trip Cancellation. Non-refundable cancellation charges imposed by Princess Cruises and/or Princess Tours and/or airfare cancellation charges for flights (booked through Princess) joining or departing Your Sea/Land Arrangements; or the additional costs You may incur as a result of a change in the per-person occupancy rate of prepaid travel arrangements if a Traveling Companion cancels his/her Cruise/Cruisetour Vacation for a covered reason and You do not cancel.

Cheers,

Peter

[cherylandtk]

I therefore don't see any advantage in cancelling the Aunt's reservation and filing a claim. Please tell me if I am missing something but that's the way I see it.

 

Both your Aunt's loss AND your daughter's increased costs are covered; they each have to file the claim under their own insurance. But as everyone has pointed out, you do not have a loss and it is not a wash.

[stones902]

Thanks for your information. I am checking on our coverage now. We are a bit unsure because it has never been necessary for us to file a claim before. Thanks for all your helpful info.

[cruiseco]

Thanks for your information. I am checking on our coverage now. We are a bit unsure because it has never been necessary for us to file a claim before. Thanks for all your helpful info.

 

Here's an example: Three people sharing a cabin:

 

Passenger A: $1000

Passenger B: $1000

Passenger C: $500

 

Passenger A gets sick and has to cancel (we'll assume it's at the last minute with 100% penalty. What's the total loss?

 

Passenger A has lost $1000 and files a claim for that amount.

 

Passenger B has no loss -- the fare remains the same.

 

Passenger C now has to pay the double occupancy fare instead of getting the reduced third-passenger rate. Loss of the $500 difference between the two fares. Passenger C also files a claim to recover this loss under the "occupancy adjustment" provision.