Help - No insurance - Heart attack

[Blessedwith10]

I am looking for some advice please. Bob, any thoughts? I always appreciate your wisdom.

 

We have a cruise booked for Jan. Some older friends decided to join us.

 

We had final payment on Oct 20. Since we were on another cruise at that time, we made our payment early, on Oct 16th.

 

We always get insurance because of older parents and young children at home. I was planning to purchase insurance this week after we were back from our cruise.

 

Here's the problem: over the weekend our friend had a heart attack, thankfully he is doing ok. But obviously he will have a recovery period. He has had heart conditions in the past but nothing recently.

 

I feel terrible, since I did not get the insurance purchased yet.

 

I have been on insure my trip, but I am not sure what I should be looking for. I don't totally understand the look back period, or waiver conditions with insurance.

 

 

Is there a policy that would still cover him?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Please no flaming, it is intimidating sometimes, posting on this forum.

 

Thank you for your help.

[Clarea]

I don't think there is a policy that would cover someone who already had the medical problem. However, if you have your friend call Royal and explain the situation, they sometimes will let them move to a future cruise, without penalty. It's not a sure thing, but I think it's the best bet now.

 

I would start with the Crown & Anchor people, if your friend is a member.

Edited October 26, 2015 by clarea

[conandrob240]

Just because you made your final payment early doesn't mean you are in final payment. What is the date of the cruise? Are you 75 days out? If so, you can still cancel at full refund. If you are 74-58 days away, all they will lose is their deposit ( the required deposit)

 

If I understand correctly from above, final payment was due 10/20? If that's the case, they can cancel and lose only the original deodorant- probably what insurance would have cost them anyway if it makes you feel better!

Edited October 26, 2015 by conandrob240

[kernow]

Definitely get your friend to call RCL and explain the situation and ask if there is anything they can do. Not a heart attack but my dad was in a similar situation a couple of months ago and they let him transfer the cruise to another date next year when hopefully he will have made a full recovery. They required a letter from his doctor saying he was unfit to travel and were extremely helpful.

 

Julie

[marci22]

Call Royal as soon as possible. Even if they can't move their cruise, they may only be liable for the deposit as penalty. I think that's a pretty good deal as you probably would have paid as much for the policy to begin with.

[Homosassa]

I doubt there would be any travel insurance available at this point that would cover your friend.

 

We have always purchased cancel for any reason, but that insurance needs to be purchased within a set period from the first booking of the cruise and all the policies we have seen include an exclusion for a pre-existing condition. The pre-existing definition is a condition that has not needed a change in medical treatment (medication, surgery, etc) for the six months before the scheduled cruise departure.

[SheehanDJ]

Are you sure they can't go? Talk to the doctor.

 

Depending on severity and type of heart attack, exercise is usually towards the top of the recovery list. Walking around the promenade deck is much more enjoyable than walking around the block.

[alfaeric]

+1 to call.

 

For this kind of emergency- many will at least give you some kind of option to move the date- from airlines to cruises. They do understand medical emergencies.

 

Good luck, and sorry to hear about your friend.

[tlbutler33]

If your final payment was just 10/20, then cancelling now would only be a $250 penalty. Probably close to what the insurance would cost you.

[marci22]

We have always purchased cancel for any reason, but that insurance needs to be purchased within a set period from the first booking of the cruise and all the policies we have seen include an exclusion for a pre-existing condition.

 

Some policies will waive pre existing conditions for an increased price, even within 24 hours of final payment. Use insuremytrip.com to compare policies.

[cruisinfanatic]

If your final payment was just 10/20, then cancelling now would only be a $250 penalty. Probably close to what the insurance would cost you.

you lose the deposit. Probably $250pp on 7 nighter

[shellunderwater]

If your final payment was just 10/20, then cancelling now would only be a $250 penalty. Probably close to what the insurance would cost you.

 

That is probably true and an option.

 

First, check with Doctor. Maybe it will be ok. Maybe not.

 

Then Call RCL if they don't want to cruise. I can undersrand they just may decide they dont want to go regardless.

 

If no luck with RCL, I would cancel and cut the losses. Insurance I've bought cost around $200. So they will only be out $50 to $100, net.

[Mom.to.2]

Have you talked with the friend, and asked if they want to go ahead as scheduled vs. change the date to further out vs. cancel altogether? Seems to me that's the 1st step, determine your 1st choice outcome.

 

For health coverage, the look-back period & preexisting conditions coverage vary greatly by the company and policy. Once you've determined that you aren't canceling the trip outright, call insuremytrip dot com and talk to an agent (don't just try to figure the policies out online yourself.) They can tell you exactly what trip health/evac insurance will best fit your situation.

 

However, if you're asking what travel insurance would cover the cost of canceling the trip, I doubt companies would cover this since you're after final payment date. You're likely at the mercy of RCL's cancellation policy & will simply lose the deposit if you cancel today.

[Blessedwith10]

Thank you for your advice.

 

I will talk to our friends to determine what they want to do.

 

Continue forward with this cruise, move the cruise or cancel. Then I will call RCCL.

 

Since this cruise is a 12 nighter the cancellation is $450/person.

 

Thank you again. Stacey

[RocketMan275]

 

Please no flaming, it is intimidating sometimes, posting on this forum.

 

Thank you for your help.

 

This is not intended as a 'flame' but as a helpful comment. Sounds like you've been doing what I used to do which was wait until after final to purchase insurance. I've found that there is another option.

 

Many travel insurance companies recommend buying the insurance upon making a deposit. You do not insure the full amount of the cruise, only the deposit amount. Lot's of folks don't realize they can do this. Once you make final payment, call and increase the insurance amount to the full cost. The initial cost on the deposit will be very small. This process allows you to insure pre-existing conditions at a nominal price. (BTW, the cost of insurance is calculated in $500 increments. You pay the same amount to insure a trip costing $1501 as you would for a trip costing $1999.)

 

One other thing, if your companions do get the cruise line to move their reservation, do you want to move yours too? I would suggest getting that done at the same time.

[cb at sea]

In order to cover "pre-existing" conditions, you do have to buy the insurance when you book the cruise....

 

It's sort of like auto insurance...you can't insure your car AFTER you have the wreck and have it paid for!

[Mom.to.2]

In order to cover "pre-existing" conditions, you do have to buy the insurance when you book the cruise....

 

It's sort of like auto insurance...you can't insure your car AFTER you have the wreck and have it paid for!

 

I've actually been able to buy a policy that covered preexisting conditions and cancel for any reason, just before I made final payment (which was more than a year after I first booked the cruise.)

 

This was through insuremytrip dot com, and I found the policy talking to an agent (not just over the internet.) I believe it was with FrontierMedEx. It cost me more for the policy than if I had bought it at the time of booking, but at a year+ out, I wasn't sure we'd keep the booking and therefore didn't want to 'waste' an insurance premium until I was sure we'd go.

 

RocketMan's suggesting sounds interesting. I hadn't thought about insuring just the deposit. But, I tend to look at travel insurance as coverage for evac, medical & trip interruption. The cruise fare is a pittance next to what medical bills could be, and if need be we could swallow the cruise fare without being reimbursed. Of course we're booking balcony cabins, not high end suites.

[patreke]

This is not intended as a 'flame' but as a helpful comment. Sounds like you've been doing what I used to do which was wait until after final to purchase insurance. I've found that there is another option.

 

Many travel insurance companies recommend buying the insurance upon making a deposit. You do not insure the full amount of the cruise, only the deposit amount. Lot's of folks don't realize they can do this. Once you make final payment, call and increase the insurance amount to the full cost. The initial cost on the deposit will be very small. This process allows you to insure pre-existing conditions at a nominal price. (BTW, the cost of insurance is calculated in $500 increments. You pay the same amount to insure a trip costing $1501 as you would for a trip costing $1999.)

 

One other thing, if your companions do get the cruise line to move their reservation, do you want to move yours too? I would suggest getting that done at the same time.

 

This is what I tend to do. Only insure what I am on the hook for should I have to cancel. As things are booked & paid for I call my insurance person & have the amount increased.

[mek]

Some policies will waive pre existing conditions for an increased price, even within 24 hours of final payment. Use insuremytrip.com to compare policies.

 

But they usually require you to be able to travel at the time of purchase or you can't buy the waiver.

[RocketMan275]

 

RocketMan's suggesting sounds interesting. I hadn't thought about insuring just the deposit. But, I tend to look at travel insurance as coverage for evac, medical & trip interruption. The cruise fare is a pittance next to what medical bills could be, and if need be we could swallow the cruise fare without being reimbursed. Of course we're booking balcony cabins, not high end suites.

 

I can't take credit for that idea. I first read about that in the insurance forum on CC which prompted me to ask my insurance company. They did verify that it could be done and, in fact, it was what they recommended. I use Travel Insured which is affiliated with USAA. I understand from the insurance forum that almost all companies recommend this.

 

I have to admit that I have not done this since I've not booked a cruise since I learned this but I will do so when I book my next cruise.

[Blessedwith10]

Again, I thank you all for your advice.

 

Rocketman that is a great idea. I will keep that in mind for the next time:)

[Debitoo]

Thanks Rocketman. That was a GREAT idea! I knew I was able to increase the insurance amount when I bought my airfare but never realized I could just insure the initial deposit to start with. I just love the wisdom on CC.! :D

[Ourusualbeach]

I have read several people suggesting that you ask your friend and possibly take this cruise. I would be very wary of that option as he would not have been stable enough (no symptoms for 3-6 months) that he could get insurance for the trip. Best either to cancel entirely or move to a date in the future (assuming Royal will let you move the date.

 

 

If you are travelling in separate cabins Royal may only grant your friends the ability to move their cruise and not you as you are not family members.

[Pmorton3360]

Even though the cruise may be possible, flying can be a bigger problem. The lack of oxygen after a massive heart attack was a problem for several years.

[marci22]

But they usually require you to be able to travel at the time of purchase or you can't buy the waiver.

 

 

Yes, i know, I was commenting on a post that said you had to buy it within a certain time period.