Travel Insurance Are YOU COVERED

[Calpespain]

Sun Princess Cancelled Cruise 20th August Singapore: Australian Travel Insurance WILL NOT COVER YOU for any loss whatsoever.

 

Are you aware that Travel insurance issued in Australia (even Allianz Global) does not cover you for any transport carrier who delays/cancels or changes your trips schedule nor if an operator or agent goes into liquidation or suffers any financial loss/hardship.

 

This, therefore makes any claim you make if you were on the ill fated Sun Princess sailing out of Singapore 20th August, completely useless and unable to make any claim whatsoever, even if you can prove you are substantially out of pocket.

 

America and the UK’s Travel Insurance however, will cover, why are we penalized in Australia. Also have you compared the costs of Travel Insurance in Australia, for example a couples annual cover of no more than 37-60 day travel at a time, in Australia cost from $423(Worldcare) to over $1,000 and yet the same in the UK cost from $100, again why is our insurance offering lower cover yet at the very least 4 times the price. Something is wrong with Australian Travel insurance both the cover and the cost.

 

Any ideas to get cancellation cost covered even if the operator cancels the tour/servcie? Apart from the generosity of Princess, which as we know, still puts some well out of pocket due to the inward flight and accommodation costs, it is these costs which I am trying to secure insurance against, which in Australia is currently impossible.

[klfrodo]

America and the UK’s Travel Insurance however, will cover, why are we penalized in Australia.

 

Any ideas to get cancellation cost covered even if the operator cancels the tour/servcie? Apart from the generosity of Princess, which as we know, still puts some well out of pocket due to the inward flight and accommodation costs, it is these costs which I am trying to secure insurance against, which in Australia is currently impossible.

 

Why are you penalized? You're not penalized. It just is what it is.

Because that's the way your Government (the people of Australia) want things to be as part of your consumer protection laws.

All of these laws vary from country to country (and in the US,, from State to State)

In some countries it's mandatory that you purchase travel insurance. Some countries, it's not.

 

I would take a wild guess here that Princess is going to reimburse generously for any lost money since they are the ones cancelling.

[NMLady]

When cruise lines cancel a cruise they refund the money to the passengers.

No insurance claim needed for that.

[Calpespain]

Why are you penalized? You're not penalized. It just is what it is.

Because that's the way your Government (the people of Australia) want things to be as part of your consumer protection laws.

All of these laws vary from country to country (and in the US,, from State to State)

In some countries it's mandatory that you purchase travel insurance. Some countries, it's not.

 

I would take a wild guess here that Princess is going to reimburse generously for any lost money since they are the ones cancelling.

 

I don't feel you are understanding the situation: You cannot BUY in Australia insurance to cover your loss if an HOLIDAY PROVIDER cancels a holiday as you can in America or the UK. Nor have Princess made up your loss totally, simple I'm out over $6,000 and look to prevent this happening again. Australian insurers stopped last year from providing cancellation cover called cancellation for any reason, they even have a clause not to pay, if any transport breaks down or the operator changes the schedule or simply cancels it as Princess did on this occasion.

 

Why, because I paid for travel to Singapore which incidentally cost more than the price of the cruise and if I had insurance like of which is available in the US and UK I could have made a claim for my loss of using a flight which was used for the sole purpose of getting to the cruise and having to take one nights accommodation which now I have used unnecessarily. With a free cruise that may cover most with the loss of their outward bound flight but some like me, it does not put you in the same position had you not take the cruise or as in some cases better than. That's why I take out insurance, to insure against any risk of loss which was unforeseen or unavoidable. As others have said on previous post on Cruise Critic we did not go there for a shopping trip or to buy a pair of shoes but to precisely take this cruise and board the ship bound for Australia and in this instance we have lost the flight cost to Singapore, the accommodation costs and the onward flight costs from Australian port of Perth to our home port. Those cost's in my case are more than the cost of the cruise, so I am well out of pocket and hence looking for insurance that covers all eventualities for the future and to make others aware that Australian Travel Insurance although expensive does not cover for a HIGH number or events that do happen frequently in the travel trade. Hope this is now more clearer for you to appreciate the predicament of Australian travelers in general.

[Calpespain]

When cruise lines cancel a cruise they refund the money to the passengers.

No insurance claim needed for that.

 

Please read my full reply and this will give you a fuller understanding of the situation. I agree Princess have agreed to a refund and a cruise to the same amount. Sounds good but if your travel cost to to the original port were greater than the cruise cost and the cost home from another port which always have to be prepaid and again greater than the cruise costs , this means you are well out of pocket, hence you need good insurance which is not available in Australia. You have to understand the whole situation to appreciate the position I and other find ourselves in.

[Keith1010]

There is a special board for Australia/New Zealand cruisers and since this one seems to be specific to someone from Australia and not from other areas you may want to consider posting it there to get suggestions on what other Aussies do.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=712

 

Keith

[Calpespain]

There is a special board for Australia/New Zealand cruisers and since this one seems to be specific to someone from Australia and not from other areas you may want to consider posting it there to get suggestions on what other Aussies do.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=712

 

Keith

 

Thanks...Have now done so.....

[Keith1010]

You are very welcome.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hope you get everything straightened out.

[Tiggertastic]

Just to add, if a cruse we booked was cancelled and we had booked separate flights in the UK, our insurance would not cover the cost of the flights either if the reason for cancelling the holiday was that a portion of th trip had been cancelled.

[John Bull]

Just to add, if a cruse we booked was cancelled and we had booked separate flights in the UK, our insurance would not cover the cost of the flights either if the reason for cancelling the holiday was that a portion of th trip had been cancelled.

 

Yes, that's always a risk in the UK as well as in Aus, I don't know about the US.

A significant advantage of booking a fly-cruise package - if one element fouls the whole thing up (as happened to the OP), the package provider refunds both parts of the package. But if flights & cruise are booked as separate items - even from the same T/A - you're on your own, neither the provider who's failed you nor your insurer are liable are liable for the other element.

 

I've read on CC about being able to buy insurance in the US against "cancellation for any reason".

Now a comprehensive insurance policy to cover the sort of problem faced by the OP would be a good thing for the policy-holder.

But to be able to simply change your mind, and claim your costs against an insurer ???????????? Is that really how it works? With a reasonable premium? And is it really a sensible risk for an insurer to take?

 

The grass is always greener ........... ;)

 

JB :)

[sparks1093]

I don't feel you are understanding the situation: You cannot BUY in Australia insurance to cover your loss if an HOLIDAY PROVIDER cancels a holiday as you can in America or the UK. Nor have Princess made up your loss totally, simple I'm out over $6,000 and look to prevent this happening again. Australian insurers stopped last year from providing cancellation cover called cancellation for any reason, they even have a clause not to pay, if any transport breaks down or the operator changes the schedule or simply cancels it as Princess did on this occasion.

 

Why, because I paid for travel to Singapore which incidentally cost more than the price of the cruise and if I had insurance like of which is available in the US and UK I could have made a claim for my loss of using a flight which was used for the sole purpose of getting to the cruise and having to take one nights accommodation which now I have used unnecessarily. With a free cruise that may cover most with the loss of their outward bound flight but some like me, it does not put you in the same position had you not take the cruise or as in some cases better than. That's why I take out insurance, to insure against any risk of loss which was unforeseen or unavoidable. As others have said on previous post on Cruise Critic we did not go there for a shopping trip or to buy a pair of shoes but to precisely take this cruise and board the ship bound for Australia and in this instance we have lost the flight cost to Singapore, the accommodation costs and the onward flight costs from Australian port of Perth to our home port. Those cost's in my case are more than the cost of the cruise, so I am well out of pocket and hence looking for insurance that covers all eventualities for the future and to make others aware that Australian Travel Insurance although expensive does not cover for a HIGH number or events that do happen frequently in the travel trade. Hope this is now more clearer for you to appreciate the predicament of Australian travelers in general.

 

The insurance that I have through TravelGuard wouldn't pay for any cancellation by the carrier, either, because that is something that should be paid for by the carrier in the form of a refund. Even if I included the air fare as part of my covered trip (I have the benefit of living close enough to drive) I am not sure that the air fare would be a covered item if a cruise was cancelled because the flights still flew.

 

I am not familiar with why this cruise was cancelled (I am sure it is being discussed on the Princess board) but it is my understanding that when CCL had difficulty with their ship they did reimburse lost airfare for some passengers that could not obtain a refund of the airfare, so I would recommend seeing if this might be something Princess would cover with a bit of prodding. I do wish you luck.

[sparks1093]

Yes, that's always a risk in the UK as well as in Aus, I don't know about the US.

A significant advantage of booking a fly-cruise package - if one element fouls the whole thing up (as happened to the OP), the package provider refunds both parts of the package. But if flights & cruise are booked as separate items - even from the same T/A - you're on your own, neither the provider who's failed you nor your insurer are liable are liable for the other element.

 

I've read on CC about being able to buy insurance in the US against "cancellation for any reason".

Now a comprehensive insurance policy to cover the sort of problem faced by the OP would be a good thing for the policy-holder.

But to be able to simply change your mind, and claim your costs against an insurer ???????????? Is that really how it works? With a reasonable premium? And is it really a sensible risk for an insurer to take?

 

The grass is always greener ........... ;)

 

JB :)

 

I have perused a few "cancel for any reason" policies and there are some exclusions (aren't there always;)). You do tend to pay extra for them and if you file a claim most will only pay 75% of your insured non-refundable costs.

[John Bull]

I have perused a few "cancel for any reason" policies and there are some exclusions (aren't there always;)). You do tend to pay extra for them and if you file a claim most will only pay 75% of your insured non-refundable costs.

 

Thanks for that, Sparky.

So ditherers beware the limitations ;)

 

JB :)

[NMLady]

Please read my full reply and this will give you a fuller understanding of the situation. I agree Princess have agreed to a refund and a cruise to the same amount. Sounds good but if your travel cost to to the original port were greater than the cruise cost and the cost home from another port which always have to be prepaid and again greater than the cruise costs , this means you are well out of pocket, hence you need good insurance which is not available in Australia. You have to understand the whole situation to appreciate the position I and other find ourselves in.

 

If you are talking about airfare to get to the port our US cruise insurance does NOT cover that unless air was through cruise line which is rare. If you read threads about cancelled cruise in specific cruise forum you will see that biggest complaint is loss of non-refundable airfare.

Some cruisers, who buy non-cruise line insurance through third party insurer later have airfare added to insurance in addition to cruise insurance but these are separate entities.

Do you mean to tell me that there is no insurance company in Australia that sells insurance on air travel??