Covid on Iona

[bbtablet]

Mega: "The guy warned me quarantine in Barbados is very, very expensive."

 

Hmmmm.

So the QM2 to the Caribbean, leaving Southampton on Jan 14th 2002, will take 6 sea-days to get from Madeira to Barbados so will probably have plenty of ripe passengers by then to dump half-way round the world at the "very, very expensive" delight of Barbados!

 

Still plan to be on it, but there is a new meaning to the slightly adapted phrase: "You've got to be in it to get it."

[Megabear2]

3 hours ago, Manx buoy said:

Got this from our bank today who use Allianz, 

Well that's me covered too from November 21st.  Just need to find someone who reciprocates for my husband as Allianz wont cover his medical conditions.

[Megabear2]

3 minutes ago, bbtablet said:

Mega: "The guy warned me quarantine in Barbados is very, very expensive."

 

Hmmmm.

So the QM2 to the Caribbean, leaving Southampton on Jan 14th 2002, will take 6 sea-days to get from Madeira to Barbados so will probably have plenty of ripe passengers by then to dump half-way round the world at the "very, very expensive" delight of Barbados!

 

Still plan to be on it, but there is a new meaning to the slightly adapted phrase: "You've got to be in it to get it."

The very cruise I'm on and the exact itinerary I've been using as my example.  I had hardly got the word Barbados out of my mouth and he leapt on me because he'd land based clients with big problems there apparently.

[Interestedcruisefan]

3 hours ago, Manx buoy said:

Got this from our bank today who use Allianz, 

Does anybody know if medical officers are insisting non positive partners to disembark when their partner tests positive and they don't?

 

That appears to be vital in terms of insurance

 

Or are they given personal choice?

 

 

[watsonbeau]

So to summarise, does this mean that any policy underwritten by Allianz might be an option if no pre existing conditions ?

 

It doesn't help me I don't think as would have minor condition to declare so sounds like a non starter for me.  I had a look at the one's on Daedalus post for Justcover but I am still not totally convinced as I'm not great at understanding policy wording as find it very confusing !  They are open Monday so might contact them for some info.

Edited October 23, 2021 by watsonbeau

[Megabear2]

No, I'm afraid not. I've just checked with Allianz via Lloyds/Halifax as they are taking over my policy in November. My contact is looking into it but pointed out to me that the OP of the Allianz supported bank policy is based in the Isle of Man with different laws and rules.  He's coming back to me when he's investigated.

 

Allianz support a lot of UK banks now including Virgin, Natwest and RBS and the ones above.  If we can get confirmation that this IOM cover is available to all of the bank customers we may be on to something.

 

Meantime I agree the "medical adviser" is going to be the key and it will revert in those circumstances to case by case.

 

Whilst this might be good for couples there's still no comfort for those travelling on different insurance policies, ie the two friends mentioned a few posts back, auntie and I, or singles who might have the misfortune to share a table with a positive person.

 

So while working on the insurance side may bring a handful of results, what is really needed is for P&O et al to adopt a policy the same as RCI group.  Looking at the list of insurance companies we've discussed there are quite a few, should I say, dodgy characters on there.  A quick look at the review sites show an alarming number of cases where Bill's haven't been paid, claims rejected out of hand etc.

 

There are still a large number of companies being underwritten by some very strange companies. Since the partial demise of the dreaded TIF Group there's be an interesting surge in Bulgarian underwriters. They may be very good but Reevo etc are full of 1 star reviews for companies using them. No smoke without fire I fear.

 

[Megabear2]

23 minutes ago, watsonbeau said:

post for Justcover but I am still not totally convinced as I'm not great at understanding policy wording as find it very confusin

Be very careful. Justcover use a lot of providers for their policies and some of them are the ones I've just posted about. Daedalus has a specific insurer on her policy, not Justcover. Research the company ...

[watsonbeau]

I have RBS Platinum via bank and will messsge them.

 

justcover chat yesterday - see below. Not sure on it though.

[watsonbeau]

Interesting - my RBS platinum via bank account, so not cruise specific, is covered by UK Insurance. Looking on UK Ins website FAQs they are saying I would be covered as negative testing if I had to quarantine. The positive person under Medical. 
https://u-k-insurance.co.uk/covid.html

 

I will be contacting RBS direct to check it’s the same as those FAQS on UK ins site so need to check they still apply if insured via RBS bank account. Sorry think have posted duplicate screenshot but can’t remove !

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by watsonbeau
Add text

[Megabear2]

I though RBS/Natwest were Allianz after the appalling situation with UK Insurance which the Sunday Times brought to light. Perhaps like Lloyds/Halifax they havent changed yet?

 

Examples here:

 

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/ukinsurance.net

[watsonbeau]

Looking at mine they updated 5 Jan 21.  I will call them tomorrow and see what they say.

[Lisashusband]

We have booked a Cunard cruise this afternoon for next May and the lady asked about insurance 

at which point I told her all about what was going on, she seemed quite surprised but told me it all made sense as she’d been shopping around for insurance for herself and family and phoned a company called Allclear who had offered her “companion” insurance to go with her cruise cover.

 

I’m sorry I can’t give you more information and I’m only quoting what the lady said.

[belgrano2]

On a recent cruise with princess to france and spain 3 weeks ago my wife accidently put on the electronic "do not disturb" on the cabin and forgot about it for a day, we were apprehended by a worried maid who it seems have been briefed to report passengers who "may have gone down with something" , but not officially reported it.

 

Why we carry a lateral flow test in the suitcase,  might be a hard choice if say you have very minor symptoms but then self test positive. (Do I declare it, or try to isolate in cabin).

 

Know we should all pick up the nearest blower to safe guard our fellow passengers.....just like they would...Lol. 

 

Even more if you know you might up on the nearest quayside as your ship sails home. At least you won't have to pack your own luggage, or queue to get off the ship.

[Interestedcruisefan]

8 minutes ago, belgrano2 said:

On a recent cruise with princess to france and spain 3 weeks ago my wife accidently put on the electronic "do not disturb" on the cabin and forgot about it for a day, we were apprehended by a worried maid who it seems have been briefed to report passengers who "may have gone down with something" , but not officially reported it.

 

Why we carry a lateral flow test in the suitcase,  might be a hard choice if say you have very minor symptoms but then self test positive. (Do I declare it, or try to isolate in cabin).

 

Know we should all pick up the nearest blower to safe guard our fellow passengers.....just like they would...Lol. 

 

Even more if you know you might up on the nearest quayside as your ship sails home. At least you won't have to pack your own luggage, or queue to get off the ship.

Interesting

[Megabear2]

14 hours ago, Lisashusband said:

We have booked a Cunard cruise this afternoon for next May and the lady asked about insurance 

at which point I told her all about what was going on, she seemed quite surprised but told me it all made sense as she’d been shopping around for insurance for herself and family and phoned a company called Allclear who had offered her “companion” insurance to go with her cruise cover.

 

I’m sorry I can’t give you more information and I’m only quoting what the lady said.

 

All Clear - No quarantine cover but Platinum policy would pay out maximum £2,000 for abandonment. 

 

I assume you were making your booking with a travel agent, interesting that you had to explain what's happening about offloading problem.

 

Congratulations on booking your cruise, I'm sure you will enjoy yourselves.

[Swanseasailor]

21 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

 

All Clear - No quarantine cover but Platinum policy would pay out maximum £2,000 for abandonment. 

 

I assume you were making your booking with a travel agent, interesting that you had to explain what's happening about offloading problem.

 

Congratulations on booking your cruise, I'm sure you will enjoy yourselves.

Cover for you section 2 Ruby Cover cancellation or curtailment.

We will pay you up to the amount shown in the schedule of benefits for
your proportion only of any irrecoverable unused travel and accommodation
costs and other pre-paid charges which you have paid or are contracted
to pay, together with your proportion only of any reasonable additional
travel expenses incurred if
a) cancellation of the trip is necessary and unavoidable or
b) the trip is curtailed before completion
as a result of any of the following events:
1. The death, bodily injury, illness, disease, or pregnancy complication of:
a) You
b) Any person who you are travelling or have arranged to travel with
c) Any person who you have arranged to stay with
d) Your close relative
e) Your close business associate.
2. Compulsory personal quarantine, jury service attendance or being
called as a witness at a Court of Law (other than in an advisory or professional
capacity) of you or your travelling companions.

 

Hi Meagabear2 my posting on face of IONA getting lots of comments with people confirming offloading on Marella Tui ship Barcelona describing Quarantine conditions as horrible. Also number passengers who were going to be removed P and O but when discovered Staysure insurance was not going to cover they were quarantined on board?. lot of confusion on what is covered by insurance and questions on why P and O who are aware of what's going on not informing passengers.

[watsonbeau]

The wording is almost identical to my RBS Platinum bank policy wording which has £5000 per person under Curtailment/Abandonment after trip has started. This is the one underwritten by UKIns. So it seems it covers the situation though will still contact them. Of course how good or willing they would be to actually cough up for a claim is anyone’s guess. Have never had to claim from them fortunately so can’t say about that 🙏

[Megabear2]

Watsonbeau: insist on a comfort letter in writing addressed to you personally. UK Ins are notorious to get to pay out on the travel insurance policies they underwrite.  When TIF pulled out of the market middle of this year UK Ins took over a huge array of providers.  A lot of specialist insurers weren't happy with them so are moving across to other underwriters like Great Lakes, Allianz etc.  It's currently a shrinking market for obvious reasons.

 

Swanseasailor:  is it confirmed Staysure have said no payment? They were the grey area and still telling people last week there would be cover on a case by case basis.  

 

Is this on a closed FB account for Iona?

 

Very worrying that there's confusion, surely to goodness the top brass would have spoken to the captains and senior crew to fill them in on what the situation is, particularly when the CEO office has had conversations with Holiday Extras their own recommended insurer.  They are the ones who are going to have to make these decisions on offloading, what are they supposed to do if confronted with a bunch of upset passengers faced with uncertainty?  If nothing else P&O must surely keep their onboard staff upto date. Imagine having a dozen people where only one or two are insured, the officer making the decision would need the wisdom of Solomon to sort it out.

 

 

 

 

[jake 26]

Someone has posted elsewhere that all on board Britannia are being PCR tested over the next 2 days. Seems like a sensible precaution as they can disembark (into quarantine) in Madeira any positive cases before the transatlantic leg to the Caribbean.

Edited October 24, 2021 by jake 26
Typo

[watsonbeau]

I am ringing RBS Platinum tomorrow as the customer service is closed Sunday.  Both me and OH are on same policy for info.

 

I will be asking them a few things !

 

First about the known issue of a positive person/room mate negative scenario and both are ejected from the ship - as to how their cover applies in respect of costs of the negative person.  Interestingly their policy wording under the Medical section does mention cover if you are quarantined, so possibly both parties could be covered under that or alternately if the +ve person is under Medical but the other falls under the Curtailment/Abandonment - we shall see.  

 

Following post from Swanseasailor, I will also ask what happens if both are negative but are deemed a close contact of someone else, eg from a bubble excursion, so are then ejected off the ship to quarantine ashore.

 

In both instances I will also ask what proof they would need in event of a claim to show who/why you were disembarked, by the ships dr/cruiseline policy/port authority requirements.

 

As a sceptic sadly who has little faith in insurance paying out, I will also be making a note of time/date I called, give them my email and request written confirmation as well as Megabear has suggested ! 

[jake 26]

30 minutes ago, watsonbeau said:

 

 

Following post from Swanseasailor, I will also ask what happens if both are negative but are deemed a close contact of someone else, eg from a bubble excursion, so are then ejected off the ship to quarantine ashore.

 

 

But if you have been double vaccinated and have tested negative you do not have to quarantine after being in close contact with positive case. UK track and trace rules.

[Dermotsgirl]

14 minutes ago, jake 26 said:

But if you have been double vaccinated and have tested negative you do not have to quarantine after being in close contact with positive case. UK track and trace rules.

It's cruise company rules that count. For example, recently on a Fred Olsen ship, somebody tested positive, and their whole 'dining bubble' were identified as close contacts, and were offloaded in Funchal, even though they tested negative. 

[Megabear2]

UK track and trace does not apply on cruise ships. They sail under special rules and are governed accordingly, hence face masks etc are compulsory.  There are people scattered around Europe who have been offloaded for exactly that.  There are people who were not allowed to board because their coach had someone infected, others who were bubbled on ships and tours as well.

 

You most certainly can be put into quarantine ashore.

Edited October 24, 2021 by Megabear2
Missed words

[watsonbeau]

34 minutes ago, jake 26 said:

But if you have been double vaccinated and have tested negative you do not have to quarantine after being in close contact with positive case. UK track and trace rules.

Sorry if I wasn't clear, I was meaning what would happen on board the ship if deemed close contact but testing negative - as I seem to remember a reply saying different rules for cruise ships to Test & Trace etc (reply was was 13 Sept) - see screenshot. So as Megabear and Dermotsgirl say that would likely be the case as cruise ships have different rules.  It was on an email I received from Cunard Customer services when I asked about someone testing positive on coach to Southampton and then all other coach passengers being denied boarding as deemed close contact (which as you say wouldn't normally apply if double jabbed). 

Edited October 24, 2021 by watsonbeau

[Swanseasailor]

I don't know if I have had my last post edited its disappeared. 

Reading a story elsewhere where a family of 6 were separated as 7 year old girl tested positive on IONA, Initially all were to be removed but it was confirmed stay sure would not cover quarantine of negative testers. So 7 year old and her father were offloaded Lanzarote (don't know if father who was negative is covered)

       Other 4 Gran, Grandad  Mother and baby were kept on board and isolated last seven days of voyage. Sorry do not have a date for this incident.