Reverse charge phone call

[kon000]

Can you make reverse charge phone call from the ship?

If I get injured or sick, I want to contact travel insurance company using reverse charge.

[nana541]

No you can make a call to anywhere in the world and the ship will bill your onboard account.... No collect calls!

 

 

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[cruisestitch]

I see you are from Sydney, where insurance issues are likely different than in the US. But for most travelers, their insurance, even travel insurance, from home does not cover expenses incurred while cruising. Or at least, not immediately. In some cases, you can present the bill from the ship's doctor and be reimbursed, but that will vary by policy. If you are seriously injured, or seriously ill, you may find that the ship will allow you or your family to make a phone call from the Guest Relations desk. They will try to be as helpful as they can in serious cases.

 

For instance, I have known of passengers who lost credit cards, and the Guest Relations staff put through a call to the credit card company for them. When Eclipse's itinerary was altered due to weather, the Guest Relations staff again came through to help passengers get ahold of their family members who had planned to meet the ship in New York and Bermuda. A friend never received his suitcase a few years ago when coming off a flight landing in Newark, and the Concierge helped him put through phone calls to the airline in an attempt to track the lost suitcase. So talking to Guest Relations is always worth a try. But you probably won't be able to use your own phone to make a reverse-charge telephone call.

[Lsimon]

The charges from the ship involve special satellite connection costs so they don't fit into the normal system of phone charges. That's why you can not reverse charges.

 

However, you can have someone call you on the satellite system and pay the charges from their end by providing a credit card to complete the call to the ship. Charges either way run around $8/minute.

 

A cheaper way to call is via mobile cell phone - if your cell phone is compatible with the ship. Your caller pay's their local rates for calling your phone as if you were home. But you pay the at-sea rate both for calls received or made. The rates vary and are billed through your wireless phone company so you'll have to call them for rates. ATT in USA charges around $2.50/min for calls made on ships they provide service to.

Edited December 25, 2014 by Lsimon

[nana541]

Why are you so concerned about getting sick or injured???? While these things do happen, as they do at home, it is unlikely to happen to you.

 

 

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[daisy-mae]

Why are you so concerned about getting sick or injured???? While these things do happen, as they do at home, it is unlikely to happen to you.

 

 

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There is nothing wrong with being prepared, and many travel insurance providers require the policy holder to call first (when possible) for treatment authorization, or face a reduction in the amount that will be covered.

 

The best way to avoid problems is to plan for any and all possibilities, however remote....

[thinfool]

Can you make reverse charge phone call from the ship?

If I get injured or sick, I want to contact travel insurance company using reverse charge.

 

Unless things are way different in Oz, this would mostly be a waste of time.

 

Travel insurance companies, for most claims, only want receipts that support whatever loss you have experienced.

 

They accept claims for a policy-specified period of time after your loss, or after your trip is over.

 

If the loss is catastrophic, major illness or injury, it would be wise to inform your insurance sooner rather than later, AND may be necessary if hospitalization and/or transport involving land based facilities are involved.

[Lsimon]

Unless things are way different in Oz, this would mostly be a waste of time.

 

Travel insurance companies, for most claims, only want receipts that support whatever loss you have experienced.

 

They accept claims for a policy-specified period of time after your loss, or after your trip is over.

 

If the loss is catastrophic, major illness or injury, it would be wise to inform your insurance sooner rather than later, AND may be necessary if hospitalization and/or transport involving land based facilities are involved.

 

You may be right, but if I were the OP I'd read the policy terms to see what is required. The only thing that governs whether a call is required or not are the terms of the policy. It should speak for itself and if unclear then clarification should be obtained from the issuer - preferably in writing.

[daisy-mae]

Could it be that the OP DID read the terms and learned that a phone call IS required before treatment, and that is the reason for the thread?

[Suzy Smith]

Unless things are way different in Oz, this would mostly be a waste of time.

 

Travel insurance companies, for most claims, only want receipts that support whatever loss you have experienced.

 

They accept claims for a policy-specified period of time after your loss, or after your trip is over..

 

That may be true for US policies, but for UK policies (and perhaps also Australian) you have to inform your travel insurance company as soon as you become ill, or the insurance company will not pay out. I became ill on a cruise a couple of years ago and the Celebrity medical centre were only geared up for US-type policies where you just submit receipts, but our insurance company required written confirmation of when I became ill, the diagnosis made by the ship's doctor, details of the treatment given and any medication prescribed, before they would assist. We had great difficulty getting this, as the Celebrity medical staff didn't understand the UK system and just kept assuring us we would get receipts for everything, but our insurance company would not do anything for us until we could provide the documentation they required. When we finally got this, the insurance company took care of everything - they arranged our return flights, hotels and medical assistance, but if we had just tried to claim when we returned home, we would have got nothing.

Edited December 26, 2014 by Suzy Smith

[pcur]

That may be true for US policies, but for UK policies (and perhaps also Australian) you have to inform your travel insurance company as soon as you become ill, or the insurance company will not pay out. I became ill on a cruise a couple of years ago and the Celebrity medical centre were only geared up for US-type policies where you just submit receipts, but our insurance company required written confirmation of when I became ill, the diagnosis made by the ship's doctor, details of the treatment given and any medication prescribed, before they would assist. We had great difficulty getting this, as the Celebrity medical staff didn't understand the UK system and just kept assuring us we would get receipts for everything, but our insurance company would not do anything for us until we could provide the documentation they required. When we finally got this, the insurance company took care of everything - they arranged our return flights, hotels and medical assistance, but if we had just tried to claim when we returned home, we would have got nothing.

 

This is also true for anyone in the US who is covered by an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), like Kaiser. They usually have a toll free number to call, but I don't think that's applicable from the ship. Also, they will reimburse the cost of calls to coordinate benefits and treatment. The OP should check to see if this is true with his insurance.

[blindrid]

Can you make reverse charge phone call from the ship?

If I get injured or sick, I want to contact travel insurance company using reverse charge.

 

I suppose, technically, the cost would be reimbursed by insurance. I think the call from land is minimal in the big picture. Onboard treatment is added to the room - claim to be submitted later. Relax.

[kon000]

I got pneumonia when I went to vietnam holiday and insurance company requested me to contact as soon as possible. I made reverse charge call from my hotel and they booked international SOS hospital for the treatment.

They have toll free numbers for reverse charge call from most of the countries in the world.

From my experience, It would be much easier to get properly covered when I make phone call to them.

We bring small children and prefer to be prepared before something happen.

Hopefully nothing going to happen, but you never know these things.

 

I will contact my insurance company for cruise case and ask them how we contact with them when event happen.

 

Thank you very much for your advices and good to know situation differ in US

[phoenix_dream]

Nothing wrong with asking the question, but I know for me if I was sick or injured enough to need to call, $20 or $30 in phone charges would likely be the least of my worries.

[nana541]

Nothing wrong with asking the question, but I know for me if I was sick or injured enough to need to call, $20 or $30 in phone charges would likely be the least of my worries.

 

 

Ditto!

 

 

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