Options if we can't go on our cruise?

[SuzCruise]

My husband and I are scheduled to be on the Shadow from Anchorage on May 20th. My father is having some health problems that may make me uncomfortable being on vacation at that time. Obviously, we are hoping for him to improve and the trip to go on as planned. But what are my options if we don't go? Has anyone had experience with having to cancel a cruise vacation at the last minute?

 

According to the TA I booked with, there is no possibility for a refund from Silversea. But could I sell my booking or give it to a friend? It certainly seems if it is treated more as show tickets than an airline booking, that the cabin is mine and I can do with it as I please. What I mean by that is, with an airline booking you can cancel and change reservations and just pay change fees and the price difference for a different or later trip. With show tickets, you bought the seats and the theater or performer really doesn't care if you go or not, you are stuck with the tickets. But you can also sell those tickets to recoup your money or certainly give them to anyone you wish.

 

I would really appreciate hearing from someone else who has been in a similar situation.

 

Thanks

[Emtbsam]

Sorry to hear about your father's illl health. Unfortunately, If you didn't take out trip insurance, your alternatives are probably limited.

 

I hope that he will recover sufficiently so that you are comfortable going away.

[RachelG]

If you don't go, at this late date, you lose. No refund, and no, you can't sell to someone else. After final payment, you are obligated to take the cruise or lose your money in most cases unless you have taken out insurance to cover this. I am not a person who buys trip insurance, as we have never ever cancelled a trips out of the 100s we have taken. Then gamble is worth it to me. But I know there is a risk of losing my money.

[Wellseasoned]

SuzCruise, I'm also sorry about your father, but I'm afraid Emtbsam is right. You are within 30 days of cruise date, so you receive no refund or other option if you don't have trip insurance. That's why we always buy trip insurance. Hope things improve with your father's health.

[newlondon]

Trip insurance is imo one of the big gambles in the travel sector. DW and I are like Rachel, we never take it. We are so far ahead of the insurance total that a current disaster would still not change our minds. That being said we're semi-retired and work can not impinge on our plans.

All our relatives know when we're travelling and though it may be hard hearted are aware that their care is their own responsibility.

One can choose that route or be more solicitous.

[WesW]

First/foremost, very sorry to hear of your Dad's health concerns--do hope he gets better soonest. If so, also hope you get to enjoy your cruise.

 

Second, we are also somewhat like Rachel and Bill, up to the moment we leave home. We "self-insure" up to this point (both being retired, and our immediate families are healthy (i.e, parents, siblings) so we have the flexibility to only insure our trip as we leave home until we return. We buy an annual trip insurance plan(covers 2-3 cruises, 1-2 land trips per year) for less than 1% of our annual travel costs (vs 4-7% cost per cruise or per land trip).

[wripro]

Travel insurance covers more than health issues of relatives. What if something happens to you while you're away? Medical evacuation can cost $100000. Personally, I never travel without it just as I would not give up fire or burglary insurance on my home.

[UKCruiseJeff]

First/foremost, very sorry to hear of your Dad's health concerns--do hope he gets better soonest. If so, also hope you get to enjoy your cruise.

 

Second, we are also somewhat like Rachel and Bill, up to the moment we leave home. We "self-insure" up to this point (both being retired, and our immediate families are healthy (i.e, parents, siblings) so we have the flexibility to only insure our trip as we leave home until we return. We buy an annual trip insurance plan(covers 2-3 cruises, 1-2 land trips per year) for less than 1% of our annual travel costs (vs 4-7% cost per cruise or per land trip).

 

Wes, respectfully, in my view you are taking a risk that most people should not take and placing yourself in the situation the OP has found themselves in. Obviously you realise this but you cannot buy insurance for a known risk once it has emerged. So if between the time you book your first cruise and when you travel you are not only not insured ( self insured ) for any health issue that emerges for yourself but for also for any family member who has become ill within that time that would normally make you consider not travelling. This will prevent you being covered for both the immediate trip and all subsequent trips ie you will be uncovered for that single risk for the rest of your cruises for the rest of that year. Personally not a risk I'd take just for saving a month or two insurance premiums.

[caradara]

We also never took out insurance however 5 days before our Galapagos trip my husband needed an emergency tonsillectomy! Who'd of guessed at 55. We lost the whole cruise amount although the airlines gave us a credit minus the change fee. We always take out insurance for expensive trips as our parents are quite elderly but anything can happen to anyone. Decide how much you can lose comfortably. For Antarctica it was mandated because of emergency evacuation.

[WesW]

Precisely why we insure our trip (cruise/land trip) once we leave home Wripro/Henry; our coverage includes $500K med. evac to our home health facility, 50K med expenses, lost luggage, delayed luggage, trip interruption, trip delay, et. al.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Precisely why we insure our trip (cruise/land trip) once we leave home Wripro/Henry; our coverage includes $500K med. evac to our home health facility, 50K med expenses, lost luggage, delayed luggage, trip interruption, trip delay, et. al.

 

But if someone very close to you including yourself or your wife becomes ill and prevents you from taking your cruise then you have lost the cruise. If you are called for jury service you are not covered.

 

I just don't understand why someone who can afford to spend a serious amount of cash for three cruises a year would risk not being covered if they or someone close to them becomes ill before they take out insurance to ave a trivial amount.

 

I'm interested - why do you consider that a sensible risk?

[UKCruiseJeff]

.......aren't you covered by your Amex Plat Card?

[SuzCruise]

We rarely take out trip insurance as we are young and healthy. We have taken out insurance a couple of times in the last few years because of worries with aging parents. Several months ago we were in a similar situation to the one we are in now, Dad was having problems with his heart that might make a risky procedure necessary. We were flying out for several weeks in Spain (land trip, not cruise). We had purchased insurance since this had been an ongoing worry. I called the insurance company to see what our options would be if we decided to take the trip and then had to rush back if something happened. We discovered that his health problems would not trigger coverage regardless of if something happened during the trip or caused us to cancel it before hand as his ongoing health problem made all heart issues a pre existing condition. This is the reason we didn't buy insurance when we bought this cruise a couple of months ago. I would recommend checking the details on your trip insurance to see if it will cover the most likely threat to your trip.

[UKCruiseJeff]

We rarely take out trip insurance as we are young and healthy. We have taken out insurance a couple of times in the last few years because of worries with aging parents. Several months ago we were in a similar situation to the one we are in now, Dad was having problems with his heart that might make a risky procedure necessary. We were flying out for several weeks in Spain (land trip, not cruise). We had purchased insurance since this had been an ongoing worry. I called the insurance company to see what our options would be if we decided to take the trip and then had to rush back if something happened. We discovered that his health problems would not trigger coverage regardless of if something happened during the trip or caused us to cancel it before hand as his ongoing health problem made all heart issues a pre existing condition. This is the reason we didn't buy insurance when we bought this cruise a couple of months ago. I would recommend checking the details on your trip insurance to see if it will cover the most likely threat to your trip.

 

Sadly, you said it all in your post. If you purchase insurance for an ongoing worry it is a declarable pre-existing condition which they may or may not be prepared to cover you for, although it is unlikely that merely being worried could trigger a viable claim. You certainly wouldn't be covered by any policy if it wasn't discussed in advance. Also sadly you cannot find insurance for being simply uncomfortable about your father's situation.

 

I am "over covered" insurance-wise - I just don't like surprises and do everything I can reasonably do to avoid them.

 

Each to their own view about these things. I hope your father's situation resolves itself well.

[Emtbsam]

The trip insurance that we buy covers pre-existing conditions so long as we purchase the insurance before the final payment is made.

[Wellseasoned]

The trip insurance that we buy covers pre-existing conditions so long as we purchase the insurance before the final payment is made.

 

We do the same.

[UKCruiseJeff]

The trip insurance that we buy covers pre-existing conditions so long as we purchase the insurance before the final payment is made.

 

 

I have never heard of any insurance you can purchase without disclosure that covers you for known, serious, pre-existing conditions, except travel health cover purchased from a company also providing the normal health annual cover where the provisions of the main policy apply whilst traveling. We have one of those in addition to our ann general travel cover. I'm puzzled why any insurance company would happily take on in some cases unknown but significant - and sometimes inevitable risks to themselves but significant known but indisclosed risks to the applicant.

 

In the UK the main reasons why disputes occur between travellers and insurance companies is a failure by the traveller to fully and accurately understand the policies, so I'd check it very carefully if I were you. :)

 

Out of interest is there a link to an insurance company specifically covering non-disclosed pre-existing conditions?

[UKCruiseJeff]

........... actually ... I think you meant that you receive cover as long as you declare it ... in which case that's the same as the cover provided by some UK companies.:)

[Herman The Cat]

I have never heard of any insurance you can purchase without disclosure that covers you for known, serious, pre-existing conditions, except travel health cover purchased from a company also providing the normal health annual cover where the provisions of the main policy apply whilst traveling. We have one of those in addition to our ann general travel cover. I'm puzzled why any insurance company would happily take on in some cases unknown but significant - and sometimes inevitable risks to themselves but significant known but indisclosed risks to the applicant.

 

In the UK the main reasons why disputes occur between travellers and insurance companies is a failure by the traveller to fully and accurately understand the policies, so I'd check it very carefully if I were you. :)

 

Out of interest is there a link to an insurance company specifically covering non-disclosed pre-existing conditions?

 

Travel insurance in the UK is very different from trip insurance in the US. It is not an apples to apples comparison.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Travel insurance in the UK is very different from trip insurance in the US. It is not an apples to apples comparison.

 

 

I may be wrong but I think that some posters are missing the po9int about buying insurance that covers pre-existing conditions and being covered under that policy if you knew that a medical condition was likely to give rise to a claim. An easier example to illustrate would be that you can buy cover for Jury Service but you cannot make a claim under that policy if you knew that you had been called for jury service when you bought the policy. The same is true for pre-existing condtions and that is where the cunning insurance companies avoid paying out.

 

Perhaps many people buying their policies at the last moment fully understand that.

 

edited:

 

If you take the extreme scenario of a couple having booked three forward cruises but leaves their annual cover until the last moment, then in the event of one of them going to meet their maker or having a permanently deliberating condition before the policy has been purchased and the spouse not wishing to cruise alone then the whole of that enormous sum is lost simply for a small premium.

[lucymorgan]

I always buy trip insurance as soon as I make a significant investment in the trip. For Aussies, our health costs are covered within Australia but if we travel overseas, especially to the US, the costs are not worth the risk. Travel insurance for travelling to the US is more expensive than most of the rest of the world for us.

[wripro]

UKCruise Jeff,

 

Fortunately, here (at least in California) having a nonrefundable trip planned is a valid reason for getting out of jury duty. Still, as I said earlier I never book a trip without simultaneously taking insurance.

[Emtbsam]

I am confident that I understand the terms of the travel insurance that we purchase and that it does cover pre-existing conditions. As another poster said, that insurance is probably not available in the UK due to the differences in health coverage in general.

 

E-mail me at emtbsam at yahoo.com if you want to read the policy.

[UKCruiseJeff]

I am confident that I understand the terms of the travel insurance that we purchase and that it does cover pre-existing conditions. As another poster said, that insurance is probably not available in the UK due to the differences in health coverage in general.

 

E-mail me at emtbsam at yahoo.com if you want to read the policy.

 

Yes, insurance for pre existing conditions is available in the UK. That wasn't the point. You can buy insurance for a pre existing condition but will be unable to claim if the specific event giving arise to the claim happened before you bought the policy.

[RachelG]

You definitely can reschedule jury duty in Oklahoma if you have a non refundable trip paid for. You will not be able to "get out" of it altogether, but they will let you pick an alternative time to do it.