Avoid Princess Insurance if any independent arrangements

[Barb0617]

Heads up! In the definitions section of the full-text policy: “

Land/Sea Arrangements means pre-paid land and/or sea arrangements made by the Travel Supplier.”

A couple of pages later in definitions: “Travel Supplier means Princess Cruises and/or Princess Tours.” 

Here’s what I DID read:

“Covered Expenses:
(a) Any prepaid, unused, non-refundable land and water accommodations;
Lesson learned. I’d skimmed through the entire policy  but ignored the the definitions section after reading a few that seemed so obvious. I’d even booked independent insurance for the two weeks in New Zealand after the cruise to cover anything that might happen on our independent travel before our Princess EZair flight home.

 I have ALWAYS booked travel insurance, regardless of type of travel. I’ve chosen Princess insurance for our cruises because I’m platinum and get bumped up coverage. Never had to make a Princess claim till now. Fabulous price with EZair, business class Newark to San Fran to Sydney. Here’s what happened. Weather problems in SF delayed our departure from EWR. We arrived 3 hours late and missed our connection to Sydney and arrived a day late in Sydney. (Didn’t have to do a thing to rebook. Called EZair enroute support and they explained that the airline would reschedule, that they had entire department set up for that purpose. And they did. We flew to LAX late afternoon and left for SYD at 11pm. I’d prepaid hotel for 3 nights for a 40% discount.  (Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour which we LOVED!) So we lost the first night, about $160US. Filed the claim when I returned home and learned that insurance would not reimburse because Princess had not booked and paid. Barb the travel booker is not covered. That’s when I searched the policy. How did I miss where it said self-booked is excluded? It doesn’t. You had to read the definitions. 

Of course we’d have paid way more for the two nights we WERE in Sydney, had we booked with Princess. But we’re still ahead! because the airline is sending a check for $300 for the inconvenience of 14 hrs in the airport (we decided just to stay because of the hour and not knowing the city and not knowing when we’d be rebooked.) 

Everything else was fabulous, start to finish. Booked on Sip and Sail, upsell from forward balcony to midship mini-suite $129 each for a 12-day cruise. No complaints! But - lesson learned and thought I should share.

[Alaskanb]

In this case would a credit card provide coverage for that night? 

[Colo Cruiser]

Sorry you had to deal with a messed up trip. I know how it is really tough when things get messed up like that.

I did not think about private arrangements but I would never expect Princess insurance to cover my private arrangements.

[Ombud]

Am I understanding this? Princess Insurance will cover:

- EZ Air from home to port city transfer to ship (unless  hotel in between) then ship to transfer to flight home

- Cruise itself

 

I'm responsible for pre-cruise / post-cruuse nights in a hotel that I don't get thru Princess

Edited April 4, 2019 by Ombud

[Colo Cruiser]

7 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Am I understanding this? Princess Insurance will cover:

- EZ Air from home to port city transfer to ship (unless hotel in between) then ship to transfer to flight home

- Cruise itself

 

I'm responsible for pre-cruise / post-cruuse nights in a hotel that I don't get thru Princess

Yup.

[Coral]

In my situation, 3rd party insurance always works better for me. There are too many limitations with Princess's insurance. I do read the fine print.

 

I hope credit card insurance covers  your one night.

[Barb0617]

Thank you, Coral and Alaskanb. I posted as a service to other cruisers and received your great advice about the credit card insurance! I’ll work on that over the weekend!

[Coral]

1 minute ago, Barb0617 said:

Thank you, Coral and Alaskanb. I posted as a service to other cruisers and received your great advice about the credit card insurance! I’ll work on that over the weekend!

I am glad you posted it. You pointed out a limitation that many don't think about and are now thinking about.

 

I think a lot of people take Princess insurance because it is easy and very few read the fine print. I had a unique situation that required me to read the fine print on insurance policies. If it wasn't for that situation - I wouldn't read the fine print either.

[BoopTennis]

Interesting. So what if during the cruise, i am in a port and have a medical emergency of some sort. Will my Princess insurance cover that? (Up to the maximum $$ limitations)?

[TravelingEA]

This is one of the many reasons we do not purchase Princess insurance. We purchase through a 3rd party insurance that covers the entire trip, not just what was booked through Princess.

[riffatsea]

Our credit card covers for all travel booked with that card.

We have separate medical travel insurance for the rest.

[happy cruzer]

3 hours ago, BoopTennis said:

Interesting. So what if during the cruise, i am in a port and have a medical emergency of some sort. Will my Princess insurance cover that? (Up to the maximum $$ limitations)?

Hopefully someone with a claim will respond.

 

The way I read the medical coverage it starts the day you start your trip and ends at the end of trip.  It does not exclude time off of a Princess booked item.  But remember it is secondary and pays after you have filed a claim with primary, etc..

[BoopTennis]

no problem on it being secondary. But what if you are not on a princess excursion?  maybe just got off the ship to walk around the port?  

[NavyVeteran]

5 hours ago, BoopTennis said:

no problem on it being secondary. But what if you are not on a princess excursion?  maybe just got off the ship to walk around the port?  

Medical coverage and cancellation coverage are completely separate things. Medical coverage is insurance provided by another company through Princess. Unless you live in New York, cancellation coverage is provided directly by Princess.

 

The medical insurance covers anything between the start and end dates as defined in the policy. The start and end dates of coverage definitely cover the entire cruise. IT covers pre-cruise and post-cruise days in a hotel booked through Princess. If you fly with Princess EZAir, then it may cover the pre-cruise and post-cruise days - the policy was not clear to me.

 

If you have a medical coverage on shore on your own during the cruise, the Princess medical coverage does cover you. 

 

Cancellation coverage clearly only covers items purchased through Princess. It does not cover any nonrefundable air fares or nonrefundable excursions not purchased through Princess.

[BoopTennis]

Thank you for all the helpful info

[paradiselivin1]

Thanks for the post. Lesson for us all that count on travel insurance to cover the unforeseen.

[land lover]

Have a tip as well, make sure the person you are traveling with knows you have insurance and give them info about the policy.

 

Several years ago when deciding to do a land trip with a person I had never met in person but had conversed with extensively on CC. It hit me...... all the years purchasing trip insurance for my family and  I never told my DH...he would have been clueless even finding the paper work if I became incapacitated.

 

So when I traveled with this lady we both had copies and contact numbers for each other.

Always let your travel mate know where this info is and if traveling solo make sure someone at home has the info....

 

 

Edited April 5, 2019 by land lover

[LoriPhil]

We use Princess insurance for the cruise and check the box offering trip insurance when we book our flights on-line directly with the airlines.  Slight hassle-factor with submitting two claims but we received full flight and cruise refunds on a timely basis twice in the last 10-years.  Hate having to use it but huge relief to know you’re not out thousands when you need to focus on other critical priorities.

 

comment - we pay for the Princess insurance immediately when we book the cruise so preexisting conditions are covered. 

[NavyVeteran]

1 hour ago, LoriPhil said:

comment - we pay for the Princess insurance immediately when we book the cruise so preexisting conditions are covered. 

Many third-party insurance policies cover pre-existing conditions if you purchase it within a short time of the initial deposit, but Princess Vacation Protection does not. When I purchase one of these policies, I always purchase it within the applicable number of days of the initial deposit to obtain the pre-existing conditions waiver.

 

I repeat. Princess Vacation Protection does not cover pre-existing conditions no matter when you purchase the policy.

 

However, Princess Vacation Protection has a specific definition of pre-existing conditions. See page 6 in the PVPDETAIL.PDF file that you received by email (or that you can download) for the exact details - do not rely on this summary. The definition of pre-existing conditions and a 60-day lookback period for diagnosis or treatment and "does not apply to a condition which is treated or controlled solely through the taking of prescription drugs or medicine and remains treated or controlled without any adjustment or change in the required prescription throughout the 60-day period before coverage is effective under this Policy."

 

I usually purchase Princess Vacation Protection soon after making my initial deposit, but it depends on DW's and my health. I wait for a 60-day period to pass when neither of us has any medical diagnoses, exams, treatment, or changes in medication and then I purchase the Princess Vacation Protection. That may be when I pay the deposit or, if we have had any changes in the preceding 60 days, it may be several months after paying the deposit.

 

The main thing with Princess Vacation Protection or with any other insurance is: Read the policy. Read all of the fine print. Do not make any assumptions or rely on any comments from me or anyone else on Cruise Critic. Use the comments on Cruise Critic as a guide to know what to look for in the policies, but please read your own policy.

[cruisequeen4ever]

I usually book independent travel insurance for this reason unless we are using EZ-Air and all hotels and excursion are refundable. When everything is booked through Princess, their insurance insurance works well. 

[BIGADORF]

I am dealing right now with a cancellation of a 15 day Panama Canal Cruise a week prior to sailing. Aoninsurance company is the company that Princess is using right now for this. They have denied my claim for a refund even though my wife had to have brain surgery 2 weeks prior to the cruise. Because she was diagnosed within the 60 day period they are denying the claim. Yes we knew she had a brain tumor, but who can know when it will grow to the size where my neurosurgeon said he would not let her take the cruise without the surgery right now. They are saying the 60 day period does not begin till you make the final payment. I am arguing that the 60 day period should be the day you book the cruise. We will see what they say about my position.

Does this mean that if you have a diagnosed heart condition, that the policy is worthless if you have a heart attack before the cruise sails? Or what if you have a diagnosed bad back and your back goes out prior to the cruise?

Sounds like I am going to be out $10000.00.

I would love any feedback from anybody who has had a similar experience.

Thank you

 

[NavyVeteran]

13 hours ago, BIGADORF said:

I am dealing right now with a cancellation of a 15 day Panama Canal Cruise a week prior to sailing. Aoninsurance company is the company that Princess is using right now for this. They have denied my claim for a refund even though my wife had to have brain surgery 2 weeks prior to the cruise. Because she was diagnosed within the 60 day period they are denying the claim. Yes we knew she had a brain tumor, but who can know when it will grow to the size where my neurosurgeon said he would not let her take the cruise without the surgery right now. They are saying the 60 day period does not begin till you make the final payment. I am arguing that the 60 day period should be the day you book the cruise. We will see what they say about my position.

Does this mean that if you have a diagnosed heart condition, that the policy is worthless if you have a heart attack before the cruise sails? Or what if you have a diagnosed bad back and your back goes out prior to the cruise?

Sounds like I am going to be out $10000.00.

I would love any feedback from anybody who has had a similar experience.

Thank you

 

I'm sorry about your wife, but I believe they have made the correct decision according to the details in the PVPDETAIL.PDF file that they sent you.

 

As stated on page 6 of the PVPDETAIL.PDF file, the 60-day period is "the 60-day period immediately prior to your effective date".

 

As stated on page 9 of PVPDETAIL.PDF under Enrollment Procedure: "In order to quickly effect coverage and protect your Cruise Vacation deposit(s), make payment for the applicable plan cost to Princess Cruises and/or Princess Tours upon booking your Cruise Vacation." "Payment of the cruise deposit does not automatically activate enrollment in the plan. In order to activate enrollment, you must pay the appropriate plan cost in addition to the required cruise deposit amount."

 

If you had paid for the Princess Vacation Protection when you booked the cruise, then the 60-day period would have been from that date. That is why I always pay for Princess Vacation Protection when I make the deposit or as soon after that as DW and I have a 60-day period with no diagnosis or medication changes. You have nothing to lose by paying at that point, since Princess Vacation Protection is fully refundable until the penalty period begins (approximately at final payment).

 

If you don't pay for Princess Vacation Protection until final payment (which is the latest date you can purchase it), you are taking a risk. If a condition has changed within 60 days before that payment, then that condition is not covered.

 

You will receive a cruise credit for 100% of the non-refundable costs if you have Platinum Vacation Protection or for 75% of the non-refundable costs if you don't have Platinum. If you are able to book another cruise within the next year, then you won't lose the money. I hope your wife's surgery is successful and that you will be able to book and take another cruise before the cruise credit expires.

[LDVinNC]

Bigadorf, did you purchase the Princess Vacation Protection at initial deposit time?  I am confused about the 60 day lookback period and when it begins.

[LDVinNC]

Never mind - I just saw the other thread and it appears that the PVP was not purchased at initial payment time.

[BIGADORF]

Actually I am in the process of disagreeing with the insurance company right now. I paid $1800 deposit when I booked the cruise.  That was on June 5 2018. The cost of the Platinum plan was total of $630.00. I did not specifically designate a portion of the deposit for the Protection. However, I did receive an email from Princess that same day with a copy of the Protection Plan. Since I received the Protection description on the same day I made the deposit and did not receive any other documentation regarding the protection plan, I believed in good faith that the email attachment attachment of the protection plan meant that I had paid in full for the protection plan. The date that they are using for the 60 day period is October 2018. I have sent the documentation to the insurance company and have been told that they will get back to me shortly.

It seems the name of the game is pay for the protection plan when you dont have any doctors appointments, change in medications, etc and hope that 60 days goes by before you need to see a doctor or change your prescriptions. It seems like the policy from Princess is more for when you are on the cruise rather than having to cancel it for a medical emergency.

We will see what happens.