What if we can’t get travel insurance

[jeanlyon]

3 hours ago, boogybaby said:

Hi, I have just booked an annual policy with Avanti for 15 months including Usa and it’s only increased by £100  we are happy, now I just need the ships to sail 

Yes but did you ask if it covered Covid-19 or SARS or MERS?  2 companies I looked at won't even offer cover because the Foreign Office advises against travel.  I just read their website and can find no information about whether they will cover this virus.  The Government is still advising against cruising for anyone over 70.

 

Having said that, and I would have to ask them about Covid and being over 70, I just did a quote and we have 3 medical conditions between us and it was only £477, which although quite a bit more than last year with a difference company, it's at least affordable.

Edited April 28, 2020 by jeanlyon

[jeanlyon]

Just found this on the Avanti site

 

"Please note, that as COVID-19 is no longer an unforeseen event, we won’t be able to cover you for anything caused by or related to it."

 

So what happens if you get Covid on board and are really ill.  Are you not covered for treatment?  I shall have to ask.

[himan]

This is some info I copied from travel insurer site and poster in thread titled "Cruising in October". If you go to that thread you will see all the info on it.

 

If I travel, will I be covered for coronavirus under medical costs in my travel insurance policy?

If you are not travelling against the advice of the Foreigh & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and if you catch coronavirus while on holiday and require medical treatment, then yes, cover will be in place for emergency and necessary treatment. Customers should be aware that our policies are travel insurance policies and not private medical insurance, meaning that there is no cover for any medical expenses incurred in private medical facilities if we have confirmed that medically capable public facilities are available.

×

 

Please contact our Assistance Team if you require medical treatment on 0203 829 6745

Coronavirus and repatriation

If you are not travelling against the advice of the Foreigh & Commonwealth Office (FCO) our policies will provide cover for repatriation (bringing you home) that is medically necessary. Our Assistance Team will liaise with your treating doctor(s) about your treatment plan and if required obtain a 'fit to fly' certificate. We also liaise with you and advise on, and put in place, suitable repatriation plans to get you home as soon as it is medically safe to do so in order to achieve your optimal recovery. Our team are unable to make arrangements to repatriate you where it is against local advice, where travel is restricted or where you would pose a risk to other passengers.

Each and every 'assistance case' will be dealt with on it's own merits.

 

[jeanlyon]

Yes I saw that on the other thread, but if a Travel insurance company says "please note Covid 19 is not an unforeseen event so you won't be covered for anything related to it" - does that mean you won't get medical care if you are ill?

[himan]

16 minutes ago, himan said:

If you are not travelling against the advice of the Foreigh & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and if you catch coronavirus while on holiday and require medical treatment, then yes, cover will be in place for emergency and necessary treatment

 

Jean, I think the section I have quoted above confirms that as long as there are no travel restrictions in place you are fully insured for any Coronavirus problems.

19 minutes ago, himan said:

If you are not travelling against the advice of the Foreigh & Commonwealth Office (FCO) our policies will provide cover for repatriation (bringing you home) that is medically necessary. Our Assistance Team will liaise with your treating doctor(s) about your treatment plan and if required obtain a 'fit to fly' certificate

 

The section above also states that if necessary any ill policyholder will be repatriated, so I think these two statements remove any doubt for me about the insurance side of things and this is from a P&O recommended insurer, I don't know what the cost of the insurance is though so that may come as either a surprise or a shock.

Only other doubt I have is do I want to take the risk of travelling so close to the initial pandemic, I think we will be cancelling and booking for next summer.

[jeanlyon]

Yes I won't be doing any travelling for a year at least, but I will check with Avanti what is actually means.  I need to understand it.

[zap99]

3 hours ago, pete14 said:

Just got an online quote from them and it does not include Covid. Maybe this is just for new customers.

That's a shame. I would think that someway down the road, once one starts offering others will follow. My insurance expires late January. Time will tell.

[boogybaby]

I don’t think there is cover for the C virus, but there won’t be sailings until the cruise lines believe the risk is small. We will make decisions on each of our booked cruises nearer the time but we must have insurance in place in case either of us are unable to travel due to any illness newly diagnosed 

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Yes I saw that on the other thread, but if a Travel insurance company says "please note Covid 19 is not an unforeseen event so you won't be covered for anything related to it" - does that mean you won't get medical care if you are ill?

I would want to see at least the level of cover shown in the extract quoted, if not, like you, I would assume there would be no medical or repatriation cover.

However as I said earlier the main cost to an insurer in this case, once cruising re-starts, would be cancellation cover, because that would affect up to 3500-5200 passengers, medical cover claims per cruise are likely to be in the tens at the highest.

[Harry Peterson]

There's some useful information here on Coronavirus insurance, and which companies have withdrawn cover:

 

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/04/coronavirus-what-it-means-for-your-travel-insurance/

[himan]

I am happy to go with the insurance company that I have quoted above, as if they are saying you are covered you have to take it as being genuine. I will be obtaining a quote from them when the time comes and will phone them just to make sure everything is as black and white as it appears in their statement.

[himan]

I never enter in to any transaction, deal etc without checking all the small print and double checking anything where there may be elements of doubt or statements that could be misinterpreted so on that basis if the cost is ok and nothing changes with the insurer I will be going with them.

 

[jeanlyon]

I have just spoken to Avanti who confirm that if I got Covid 19 whilst on holiday I would not be covered for medical expenses, nor repatriation, which is just what I thought.  So I won't be going anywhere until that is covered.

[zap99]

6 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

I have just spoken to Avanti who confirm that if I got Covid 19 whilst on holiday I would not be covered for medical expenses, nor repatriation, which is just what I thought.  So I won't be going anywhere until that is covered.

Go on, take a chance. I do every time I park on double yellows in Salcombe. The cameras aren't switched on.😁.

[jeanlyon]

Not with my health or my bank balance.  Can you imagine what it would do to your bank balance if you caught this virus on board or ashore and were in the medical unit/evacuated.  Doesn't bear thinking about.

[indiana123]

Private evacuation from Rome by Learjet  £17,000 plus!!!!!

[jeanlyon]

Exactly.  When on the phone to Avanti, I asked 3 different questions.  1.  If I got ill with Covid before the trip.  Am I covered. 2.  If I got it on the trip and needed medical care or repatriation.  Am I covered? 3.  If someone else got it on the ship and we were quarantined and delayed, Am I covered.  Answer to all 3 - NO.

 

Now tell me who is going to buy a travel insurance that doesn't cover you.  Nobody if they have any sense.

[zap99]

38 minutes ago, indiana123 said:

Private evacuation from Rome by Learjet  £17,000 plus!!!!!

Try sneaking on easyJet. 30 euros.😷

[wowzz]

11 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Try sneaking on easyJet. 30 euros.😷

Not sure if you could sneak your ventilator plus 4 medical staff on as well at that price!

[indiana123]

Not sure if I meant repatriation.. hopefully it means the same or similar.

 

You have to have two pilots and two Doctors.  Brilliant service.. but not cheap!!!!!!!!!!

[Pentlands]

Nationwide on the cover with their cirrent accounts offer cover for any cruise booked before March 19 and if that is rescheduled will cover that too. If one has to buy an upgrade with them, cancellation cover is lost but medical and repatriation are covered. But not for new customers.

[jeanlyon]

But will they cover Covid 19.   No!

 

"

If you opened a new FlexPlus account or booked a trip after 18 March 2020, you will not be covered for Coronavirus related travel claims. This is because it is a known and anticipated risk.

If your trip was booked before 18 March 2020, you may be covered if you held a FlexPlus or FlexAccount.

Edited April 30, 2020 by jeanlyon

[Elaine0138]

Our Travel insurance is due for renewal at the end of the month so will see what they are offering when the renwal comes in. We have flights to the US booked for the end of September to visit family, so we need some cover incase we have to cancel the flights.

 

[grapau27]

On 4/24/2020 at 6:02 PM, silversurf said:

We booked a cruise over 12 months before sailing and none of the travel insurance companies will quote unless you are within 12 months of your cruise.

we are now within that time frame and have tries lots of insurance companies, but because of our ages and medical conditions they have said they are unable to quote.

As P and O say you are unable to travel without insurance, what would our position be regarding getting our deposit back and TA waiving their cancellation fee?

I would have thought that we would be refused boarding if we just turned up, which we, of course wouldn’t without the proper cover.

 

 

 

We got an email from our travel insurance company Allsure yesterday.

They have given us an additional 3 months free cover on our annual travel insurance we took out in February.

This is fantastic Customer Service.

Thank you Allsure Travel Insurance.

[jeanlyon]

3 hours ago, Elaine0138 said:

Our Travel insurance is due for renewal at the end of the month so will see what they are offering when the renwal comes in. We have flights to the US booked for the end of September to visit family, so we need some cover incase we have to cancel the flights.

 

Surely that won't be covered on renewal?   They are not covering Covid19 - any of them.