What if....

[jamesnnb]

you are denied boarding due to an illness. Realizing it is important NOT to board if you are ill -- but does the cruise line offer anything in the way of a refund/alternate cruise and/or does the insurance cover such events? Just wondering -- I'm feeling fine and not cruising for several months :D But if you answer honestly on the health form and the ship's doctor says NO, what then? Anyone have this happen to them? I'm asking specifically being denied for health reasons, at the port.

[Cruise Junky]

Calm down guys, he's not ill. :rolleyes:

 

From what I understand the cruise line offers nothing. It's all on your insurance.

[rkmw]

you are denied boarding due to an illness. Realizing it is important NOT to board if you are ill -- but does the cruise line offer anything in the way of a refund/alternate cruise and/or does the insurance cover such events? Just wondering -- I'm feeling fine and not cruising for several months :D But if you answer honestly on the health form and the ship's doctor says NO, what then? Anyone have this happen to them? I'm asking specifically being denied for health reasons, at the port.

 

if you cant cruise because of health reasons you have to claim on your insurance, the cruise line wont refund if you pull out at the last minute

[KruzPrincess]

It's just a hypothetical question. To the OP, that is what insurance is for. I'm sure there are plenty of people who lie on the health form, but I hope people who are really sick stay home.

[CI66774]

Cruise line won't compensate/refund any money but if you have insurance, and your illness is covered under your policy (and you submit required documentation), you will get a refund. This happened to me once. I got the port and fell very ill. Had insurance and was refunded every penny.

[jamesnnb]

Thanks to those who had good responses. I think insurance is the answer -- and whether you take it upon yourself to not board or the doctor/nurse at the embarkation port denies your boarding, the ship has no responsibility to offer anything and it is then up to you to file with your insurance. Glad it worked for you CI66774.

I think I have my answer and, thanks for asking -- I'm feeling fine :D

[caribill]

It's just a hypothetical question. To the OP, that is what insurance is for. I'm sure there are plenty of people who lie on the health form, but I hope people who are really sick stay home.

 

 

And the cruise contract says

 

Carrier may without liability for refund, payment, compensation or credit, except as provided herein, disembark or refuse to embark You, confine You in a stateroom, quarantine You, restrain You, change Your accommodations or disembark You at any time if, in the sole opinion of Carrier, the Captain or any Doctor, You or any minor or other person in Your care during the Cruise are unfit for any reason for the Cruise, or Your presence might be detrimental to Your health, comfort or safety or that of any other person, or in the judgment of the Captain is advisable for any reason. Carrier reserves the right to request a letter from Your physician attesting to Your fitness to travel, but by requesting such letter does not waive its right to disembark or refuse to embark You as set forth in this Section. If You are required to remain on board the ship or elsewhere, due to injury, illness, or disability, or due to action of any government or authority, or for any other reason not the fault of Carrier, You must pay or reimburse Carrier for all resulting costs and expenses including for food, transportation, accommodation, medical and/or repatriation services for You or those accompanying You. Passengers who will enter the 24th week of pregnancy by the last day of the Cruise agree not to book the Cruise or to board the vessel. If You become unfit to travel for any reason during the Cruise and/or You disembark early, Carrier shall not be liable for any refund, payment, compensation, or credit of any kind.

[Pam in CA]

Thanks to those who had good responses. I think insurance is the answer -- and whether you take it upon yourself to not board or the doctor/nurse at the embarkation port denies your boarding, the ship has no responsibility to offer anything and it is then up to you to file with your insurance. Glad it worked for you CI66774.

I think I have my answer and, thanks for asking -- I'm feeling fine :D

Insurance is definitely the answer. :) It's a gamble against the unexpected, whether it's your health, a relative's, weather, who know's? If you knew something were going to prevent you from boarding or taking your cruise, then you wouldn't need insurance. Hope that you don't need it but thank god when you do and have it. Edited November 19, 2013 by Pam in CA

[hasekmpp]

It's all on your insurance.

[MauiLvrs]

I think insurance is the answer --

Yep... Never under estimate what may go wrong... We got lucky.

[paul929207]

Your travel insurance would cover the loss. This would include the cruise and transportation home. If you needed medical attention before getting home, it would cover any expenses not paid by other insurance

[jamesnnb]

I would have to say, unfortunately, if you did not have insurance and are at the end of a cold, you would tend to not honestly answer the health form. If you did honestly respond, that might leave it up to a nurse/doctor who could error on the side of caution and deny boarding. You feel fine and know it is the end of your cold and could possibly lose your vacation/money.

AGAIN, I'm not sick nor sailing anytime soon -- just tossing out the obvious.

I do recall (perhaps on this board quite some time ago) that a father had a 'bad hot dog' from a street vendor the night before boarding. His tummy was upset the next morning and he wished he didn't have that hot dog. At the terminal he threw up (maybe in the men's room and someone reported it -- I'm not sure). Anyway, he was pulled aside and he explained he knew he had a bad hot dog and either had food poisoning or a response to it and now that the hot dog was no longer in/with him, he felt fine. Still, he was denied thus his family of 4 didn't board. I have no idea if they had insurance at all.

Rest assured, I DO NOT want anyone on my cruise (including me) that is ill. It's a terrible situation for all concerned. But I can see people 'fudging' if they don't have insurance and see their cruise/$s sailing without them.

Note: We always take insurance.

[caribill]

I would have to say, unfortunately, if you did not have insurance and are at the end of a cold, you would tend to not honestly answer the health form. If you did honestly respond, that might leave it up to a nurse/doctor who could error on the side of caution and deny boarding. You feel fine and know it is the end of your cold and could possibly lose your vacation/money.

 

Princess is not worried about someone with a cold. They are concerned with people who have gastrointestinal illness symptoms (norovirus, for example).

 

In your example of a family of four that was denied boarding, if no insurance there would be great temptation to not reveal the temporary illness. And even if insurance did take care of the cruise costs, it cannot replace lost vacation time.

[jamesnnb]

Caribill: I think you are 100% correct. I don't think the poor-little-hot-dog-man revealed the temporary illness on purpose and I also think he felt much better once that hot dog was elsewhere. Sometimes things just happen.