Travel Insurance Exclusions

[RayWitt001]

Hi all,

We have just paid our deposit for our first cruise, so travel insurance is on my mind. This question probably belongs under the first cruisers or insurance threads but as travel insurance is more localised I thought this was a good place to ask.

What worries me most is the exclusions - if I am paying for insurance I want to be sure I am covered no matter what happens.

We are a family of 4 - 2 adults, 2 children (6, 10)

On all the policies I have seen so far there is an exclusion for 'directly or indirectly' using alcohol. Considering this is a cruise, and my husband and I enjoy a glass or 2 on occasion, is this a loop hole for refusing to pay out if say we tripped going up or down stairs despite not being drunk? Would this exclusion only come into affect if a person was visibly under the influence or is it for any thing that happens after any consumption at all?

Also, while I'm asking, what is the difference between General travel insurance and Cruise insurance as far as cover/exclusions?

Thanks.

[mummyrose]

Recently we discovered If you miss ports because of whatever reason.....A cruising policy could cover that....Some others may not. ...every policy is different and you need to do what you are doing and read and choose carefully......Some cover different excursions too....have fun

 

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[GUT2407]

Hi all,

We have just paid our deposit for our first cruise, so travel insurance is on my mind. This question probably belongs under the first cruisers or insurance threads but as travel insurance is more localised I thought this was a good place to ask.

What worries me most is the exclusions - if I am paying for insurance I want to be sure I am covered no matter what happens.

We are a family of 4 - 2 adults, 2 children (6, 10)

On all the policies I have seen so far there is an exclusion for 'directly or indirectly' using alcohol. Considering this is a cruise, and my husband and I enjoy a glass or 2 on occasion, is this a loop hole for refusing to pay out if say we tripped going up or down stairs despite not being drunk? Would this exclusion only come into affect if a person was visibly under the influence or is it for any thing that happens after any consumption at all?

Also, while I'm asking, what is the difference between General travel insurance and Cruise insurance as far as cover/exclusions?

Thanks.

 

 

Every policy is different so read carefully.

 

I suspect, without perusing the policy in question, that alcohol would have to be a contributing factor to the incident for the exclusion to kick in, ie alcohol poisoning, falling over dead drunk (or even a Blood alcohol over .05)

 

General and cruise would normally have similar exclusions rom the same company.

[dizzy1948]

Hi all,

We have just paid our deposit for our first cruise, so travel insurance is on my mind. This question probably belongs under the first cruisers or insurance threads but as travel insurance is more localised I thought this was a good place to ask.

What worries me most is the exclusions - if I am paying for insurance I want to be sure I am covered no matter what happens.

We are a family of 4 - 2 adults, 2 children (6, 10)

On all the policies I have seen so far there is an exclusion for 'directly or indirectly' using alcohol. Considering this is a cruise, and my husband and I enjoy a glass or 2 on occasion, is this a loop hole for refusing to pay out if say we tripped going up or down stairs despite not being drunk? Would this exclusion only come into affect if a person was visibly under the influence or is it for any thing that happens after any consumption at all?

Also, while I'm asking, what is the difference between General travel insurance and Cruise insurance as far as cover/exclusions?

Thanks.

 

I suppose the drinking one is a bit like your car insurance - any drink over the legal limit - Insurance null and void. I am guessing of course. Never looked at that on a policy. As for the difference between general and cruise policies, well, my main one to worry about would be illness/emergency on a cruise where you have to be air lifted off - or the ship has to detour to another port. That is my main concern for a cruise. Usually in the Terms and conditions of a cruise - the missing ports is included, so I don't know if missing a port would be an acceptable insurance claim. Good topic though.

Edited May 6, 2015 by dizzy1948

[chrisb74]

It's not like car insurance because there is no legal line in the sand. It is not reasonable for an insurance company to assume you will consume no alcohol while on holiday. That's crazy and they'd likely lose. They would have to prove that through your drinking you knowingly put yourself in an unusually dangerous position. A few drinks a day isn't going to do that. If you have history as an alcoholic then maybe they'd have a case otherwise enjoy.

 

 

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[Kiwi Kruzer]

If you had a medical claim from a fall or a trip on board , you would have probably seen the Ships Doctor and it would be his letter/report you would use to make your claim.

Falls and trips, especially on wet decks, can easily happen on a cruise and are not usually related to alcohol.

 

[dizzy1948]

If you had a medical claim from a fall or a trip on board , you would have probably seen the Ships Doctor and it would be his letter/report you would use to make your claim.

Falls and trips, especially on wet decks, can easily happen on a cruise and are not usually related to alcohol.

 

 

I'll drink to that :D (sorry - couldn't help it :p)

[RayWitt001]

It's not like car insurance because there is no legal line in the sand. It is not reasonable for an insurance company to assume you will consume no alcohol while on holiday. That's crazy and they'd likely lose. They would have to prove that through your drinking you knowingly put yourself in an unusually dangerous position.

 

I agree, but it seems a bit ambiguous in the fine print - it's not like saying you cannot be over 0.05 or have some benchmark.

The exact wording from the Budget Direct PDS Exclusion #5

"Any claim arising directly or indirectly from using alcohol or drugs (unless the drugs have been prescribed by your doctor) or where you are affected by Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS related complex (ARC) or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)."

I am by no means a legal expert but the fact that it includes 'indirectly' indictates any consumption not just excessive consumption. I agree this doesn't seem reasonable but it is in their fine print.

I also agree, a slip or fall can happen for any number of reasons (and I'm probably obsessing over this a little too much) but I wonder if they would jump to the conclusion that if you have consumed alcohol then that was the cause, so no medical or liability cover?

Leaving it up to a doctors discretion seems a bit vague too, so hopefully the ship doctor would be reasonable in determining the cause of an incident.

Thanks for the advice re: medical evacuation from the ship - that is definitely something I want covered.

[Aussieflyer]

From memory every travel insurance policy I have investigated recently has the exclusion for claims for injury/events caused by alcohol use

One

We do not insure you for any event that is caused by or arises from:

– you being under the influence of liquor or drugs; or

your involvement in illegal activities, fraud or abuse;

 

Another

14. claims involving Your suicide, attempted suicide, self- inflicted injury or condition, stress, travel exhaustion, any conduct engaged in whilst under the influence or effect of alcohol or drugs, the effect of or chronic use of alcohol or drugs or the transmission of any sexually transmittable disease or ....

 

It would appear if you fall down the stairs under the influence, you will not be covered. If you fall down the stairs when sober, you will. Lesson - take the lift if drunk.:D

[The_Big_M]

The exact wording from the Budget Direct PDS Exclusion #5

"Any claim arising directly or indirectly from using alcohol or drugs (unless the drugs have been prescribed by your doctor) or where you are affected by Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS related complex (ARC) or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)."

I am by no means a legal expert but the fact that it includes 'indirectly' indictates any consumption not just excessive consumption. I agree this doesn't seem reasonable but it is in their fine print.

 

I don't think that interpretation would apply.

 

By "direct or indirect" usage, it's about the usage rather than the result. i.e. direct usage cause would be at its extreme alcohol poisoning. On the other hand, a claim being indirectly caused would be for example you're claiming that you had to buy a flight back from a remote port. This arose because the ship put you off. However, this was because you got in a fight after drinking too much. So your claim that you missed the return flight isn't because you drank, but arose indirectly because of it.

[The_Big_M]

It would appear if you fall down the stairs under the influence, you will not be covered. If you fall down the stairs when sober, you will. Lesson - take the lift if drunk.:D

 

Yes, it's not about measuring how drunk you are. :D

 

But just about whether that was a cause of whatever you're claiming for.

[LuckiePuris]

For travel insurance, something super important to look for when it comes to compare policies is helicopter medi evacuation from the ship in the event of an emergency. Whichever provider you go with, this is something I personally would want to make sure I'm covered for, as it can be a matter of life and death.

 

A fellow TA had a client that had insurance that didn't include helicopter medi evacuation. He had a heart attack onboard. As they were sailing to a main city to get further medical assistance, he died. With helicopter medi evacuation, he may have been able to access help on land quicker.

[RayWitt001]

I decided to email Southern Cross Travel Insurance, who happened to be the cheapest quote I could find.

The response about using alcohol in relation to the exclusions was answered to my satisfaction.

Basically in the response email they stated that they are reasonable and expect that most will consume alcohol while away on holiday.

Each claim is individually assessed and usually any medical staff will state their findings if there is a significant amount of alcohol that has been consumed.

They consider the circumstances relating to the events being claimed for and consider if the situation was a result of the alcohol or if such a situation would simply be unexpected and have occurred anyway.

I got a giggle out of the scenario they provided, so to quote:

"For example, if you’re on holiday by the pool, trip and break your ankle but you’ve had a couple of margaritas, we’d simply say that’s just what people do on holiday and should be considered an ‘unexpected event’. But if someone had consumed 10 margaritas, climbed out of a high-rise hotel window in the early hours and fell, the response is likely to be different."

 

This response put me at ease as neither of us are heavy drinkers and by no means are we risk-takers either. Their response seems to indicate they will be reasonable to deal with, although like any insurance, you never know until you have to claim.

We might just take the lifts anyway :D

[MMDown Under]

"I got a giggle out of the scenario they provided, so to quote:

"For example, if you’re on holiday by the pool, trip and break your ankle but you’ve had a couple of margaritas, we’d simply say that’s just what people do on holiday and should be considered an ‘unexpected event’. But if someone had consumed 10 margaritas, climbed out of a high-rise hotel window in the early hours and fell, the response is likely to be different."

 

This response put me at ease as neither of us are heavy drinkers and by no means are we risk-takers either. Their response seems to indicate they will be reasonable to deal with, although like any insurance, you never know until you have to claim.

We might just take the lifts anyway."

 

Just keep that scenario with the insurance policy, in case you have a few and don't take the lifts. :)

 

I like their sense of humour and explanation. Trouble is, if you really read the fine print in detail, you'd never cruise.

 

Always a good idea to contact the Insurance Company direct for clarification.

Edited May 8, 2015 by MMDown Under

[Pushka]

Unlike driving there is no legal consumption measure. The cruise line would also need to have taken a blood test for alcohol consumption on the spot and not later. I'm betting they wouldn't do that as they know it complicates payment.

Edited May 8, 2015 by Pushka

[The_Big_M]

I'd expect each insurer would give a 'reasonable' response and be that way in respect of their coverage.

[Tara Jane]

RayWitt001 - Just a warning about southern cross. I insured with them 4 years ago when I booked a european trip. A couple of months after I bought the airfares and paid insurance, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Consequently I had to cancel the trip and put in a claim for cancellation. They tried to get out of paying saying it was pre existing. I had always had my mammogram when due with an all clear. It took a long time, I am thinking about 8 months to finally sort out after my GP went in and fought for me. Not something I should have had to battle when I was battling for my life through chemo etc.

Edited May 8, 2015 by Tara Jane

[MMDown Under]

RayWitt001 - Just a warning about southern cross. I insured with them 4 years ago when I booked a european trip. A couple of months after I bought the airfares and paid insurance, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Consequently I had to cancel the trip and put in a claim for cancellation. They tried to get out of paying saying it was pre existing. I had always had my mammogram when due with an all clear. It took a long time, I am thinking about 8 months to finally sort out after my GP went in and fought for me. Not something I should have had to battle when I was battling for my life through chemo etc.

 

I am sorry that you had trouble obtaining a payout on your insurance policy, after you had to cancel your planned European trip. I hope you are well now.

 

8 months to settlement of your claim is unsatisfactory. Just checking that you know that you can contact the Insurance Ombudsman or Office of Fair Trading to assist, once a reasonable period has passed. It helps if you send a registered letter advising you will be contacting the Insurance Ombudsman/Office of Fair Trading.

[Tara Jane]

Thanks MM for your concern. Yes I am in remission now and making the most of every opportunity to travel. Unfortunately I just did not have the energy to fight at the time, every day was a struggle and it all just went in the "too hard basket" which is exactly what southern cross wanted i am sure. they would have been hoping I would give up. In the end it was sorted and I received the payment which in travel insurance terms was not a huge amount, by memory something like $1200 all up as hotels were mostly able to be cancelled without penalty.

[RayWitt001]

RayWitt001 - Just a warning about southern cross. I insured with them 4 years ago when I booked a european trip. A couple of months after I bought the airfares and paid insurance, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Consequently I had to cancel the trip and put in a claim for cancellation. They tried to get out of paying saying it was pre existing. I had always had my mammogram when due with an all clear. It took a long time, I am thinking about 8 months to finally sort out after my GP went in and fought for me. Not something I should have had to battle when I was battling for my life through chemo etc.

 

Sorry that you had to go through that Tara Jane. I guess every insurance will try to get out of paying if they think they can. Hopefully none of us get sick and we don't have to make any claims. FWIW they get the highest rating on productreview.com so perhaps they have changed their policy since your bad experience.