Covid on Iona

[Megabear2]

Is that on Iona FB? I cant find any references anywhere to either that or the Marella one.  Ss a non FB user I'm clearly out of the loop!

[Swanseasailor]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

Is that on Iona FB? I cant find any references anywhere to either that or the Marella one.  Ss a non FB user I'm clearly out of the loop!

Yes FB I don't do FB but wife does, having read all posts regarding insurance many are confused/ in denial/ but mostly positive in grasping how confusing  and possibly downright devious P and O are claiming sail with confidence. While championing insurance that does not do what its supposed to do. But the fact that passengers were allowed to remain on board (in isolation) because stay sure did not cover a negative test disembarkation shows P and O are well aware of the situation. 

[Daedalus50]

On 10/22/2021 at 4:01 PM, watsonbeau said:

Daedalus that’s interesting. I take it your travelling companion has own separate insurance from yours going by  what you say. Is that correct ? Am just wondering the situation if you were both on same policy that’s all - with your insurer ?  Thank you 

Yes you are correct in your assumptions. She has her own separate insurance. If she was also on my insurance policy then we would both be covered by their +1 clause which allows a companion to accompany you to hospital

 

 

 

[Megabear2]

Could I just ask is that also for a quarantine hotel, not just the hospital?  Hopefully your travelling companion if positive wouldn't need the hospital but you would both be in a hotel.

 

In light of the Staysure question arising again I wrote to their head office for clarification.  I am now told the travelling companion who was not positive would be paid out if applicable under the cancellation/abandonment clause to a maximum of £5,000 pp and this is what would cover quarantine, food, testing and repatriation.

 

Using our 28 day Cunard cruise as an example, my trip is £4,200 so my cover at Day 1 would be that amount. My daily rate is therefore £150 per day.  Every day I am on board will therefore reduce my level of cover for abandonment by £150, so on day 7 my abandonment cover will have reduced by £1,050 to £3,150, on day 14 to £2,100, on day 21 to £1,050 and day 28 would be zero.  

 

Therefore if I was offloaded in Madeira on 18th my cover would be £3,450, in Barbados £2,100 and in Tenerife £600.

 

The catch however is that this would only come into play if my travelling companion was the one testing positive, not if it was a contact not in my travelling party.

 

Looking at Swanseasailor's story of the family I would guess if they were near the end of their cruise they quite simply would have no money in the abandonment pot.  On a "normal" 14 day Med cruise costing say £1400pp the cover would be £100 per day. The people would have very small amounts of cover accordingly.

[Megabear2]

This sounds quite promising:

 

Quote

 

Thank you for your further email and your ongoing patience.

This is at the highest level as we speak but as you can imagine I am extremely sorry that I have yet to get a comprehensive answer for you to put you at ease.

Please do not worry about making your final payment, if you decide to cancel it would of course be FOC no matter if we are under the 90 days for you and all your travelling companions.

As I said please rest assured I am doing all to get this clarified and our policy amended.

Warmest regards

 

Unquote 

[Marmaduke]

Does anyone know if the Travel Insurance provided by a bank is the same for all customers of that bank regardless of their account  eg.   Silver, Gold, Platinum ?

 I guess that the more prestigious accounts may have extra benefits eg.  cover for winter sports insurance, a higher amount for baggage loss etc but is the basic terms and conditions the same for everyone?

[Megabear2]

The travel insurance is normally attached to an account you pay for monthly.  Some of the banks do sell standalone but you would need to read the full policy to check cover.

 

Direct Line and Churchill sell insurance which is basically Natwest/RBS.  Barclays policy is apparently a market leader (well according to Which?).

[free from work]

29 minutes ago, Marmaduke said:

Does anyone know if the Travel Insurance provided by a bank is the same for all customers of that bank regardless of their account  eg.   Silver, Gold, Platinum ?

 I guess that the more prestigious accounts may have extra benefits eg.  cover for winter sports insurance, a higher amount for baggage loss etc but is the basic terms and conditions the same for everyone?

Our M&S CC provides paid for travel insurance. We receive higher benefits than newer CC holders, possibly at a higher price, due to legacy T's&C's. 

 

As Mb2 suggests, we all need to read our policies and query any ambiguity or lack of personal understanding. My understanding of a policy may not be the same as the claim handlers. A few "what ifs" before travelling should give some peace of mind. 

 

Jim 

 

 

[watsonbeau]

I have had the conversation with RBS Platinum today.  I did double check (as I do every year) that it does cover international cruises including emergency evacuations off ship and medical cover to £10 million.  

 

Point to note here - their confirmation letter of cover that you need to provide at check in, you can download off your account login - but do check it !  Mine was uploaded in June from when my policy renewed - no mention of international cover in it, only UK seacations  - they have uploaded me a new one which still mentions them but also mentions international travel as well, both to £10m.

 

Re +ve passenger and negative companion being debarked - they said that if +ve person is just quarantined in a hotel, along with the other person in a quarantine hotel, they would both be covered under Curtailment/Abandonment - mine is £ 5000 per person - as Megabear says from this you would then have to deduct any claim you might make for the unused days of the cruise (unless the cruise line might like to pay !).  I am not totally convinced on this as I would have thought the +ve person would come under Medical cover irrespective ?  However he then went on to say that if the +ve person is hospitalised then their bit would come under the Medical section with the companion still under Curtailment/Abandonment.  They would want some proof of reason for disembarkation - though they didn't say if this had to be from a medical person.  For a positive person you would have the + ve test result as proof.  In this situation I would be belt and braces and get anything I could from ship's doctor/cruiseline/port authority as well as the test result, in writing.

 

I also posed the question as to what would happen if you both test negative but are told to disembark as being a close contact of someone else who was +ve on board (not your room mate), for example from being onboard a coach travelling on a ship's excursion and someone on it tests +ve a day or so later since the cruise line would know who everyone was on the tour.  I was told that wasn't covered - so beware !  In that situation I would hope that the cruise line would just expect you to isolate onboard and keep testing ?  

[Megabear2]

It would, I think from research, depend on where you are, which line you are on, and most importantly the next country on the itinerary.  I think the people allowed to stay on Britannia at Gibraltar dodged the bullet because it technically wasn't a foreign country and a very short run to UK.

 

Those in Cadiz, Madeira and Rhodes were by all accounts near the beginning or middle of their trips and the ports insisted.  If you think about it logically quarantine on board for people who may develop the disease when you're sailing further away from home and in foreign waters is neither logical or sensible. People can go from negative to positive in a matter of hours and from development to critical shortly afterwards in some cases.  I can see the cruise lines would want to avoid possible airlift, cross contamination etc.  

 

Using the 28 day Caribbean Cunard cruise as our example again, if someone tested positive after Madeira the required PCR for Barbados would mean the whole ship possibly being delayed, barred and fined for a whole host of islands.  I cannot blame the cruise line for wanting those passengers off their hands with more than a fortnight to go. Offloading would seem inevitable in those circumstances.

 

If you read the Seabourn Rhodes saga you will note that at least two were hospitalized within a day or so of being offloaded and it was touch and go for the poster's wife at one stage.

 

The insurance is such a grey issue it is at the moment a matter of personal choice if you feel you can take the risk and are comfortable with your insurance.

 

To be fair the latest reply from CEO office does indicate they are on the case and I believe at the end of the day that is where peace of mind has to come from.

 

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by Megabear2
Spelling

[jeanlyon]

For me it's a no-no.  Just not prepared to take that risk, being left in a foreign port and having to fly home, possibly not being covered by insurance.   Not worth the aggravation.

[Electra 7]

5 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

It would, I think from research, depend on where you are, which line you are on, and most importantly the next country on the itinerary.  I think the people allowed to stay on Britannia at Gibraltar dodged the bullet because it technically wasn't a foreign country and a very short run to UK.

 

Those in Cadiz, Madeira and Rhodes were by all accounts near the beginning or middle of their trips and the ports insisted.  If you think about it logically quarantine on board for people who may develop the disease when you're sailing further away from home and in foreign waters is neither logical or sensible. People can go from negative to positive in a matter of hours and from development to critical shortly afterwards in some cases.  I can see the cruise lines would want to avoid possible airlift, cross contamination etc.  

 

Using the 28 day Caribbean Cunard cruise as our example again, if someone tested positive after Madeira the required PCR for Barbados would mean the whole ship possibly being delayed, barred and fined for a whole host of islands.  I cannot blame the cruise line for wanting those passengers off their hands with more than a fortnight to go. Offloading would seem inevitable in those circumstances.

 

If you read the Seabourn Rhodes saga you will note that at least two were hospitalized within a day or so of being offloaded and it was touch and go for the poster's wife at one stage.

 

The insurance is such a grey issue it is at the moment a matter of personal choice if you feel you can take the risk and are comfortable with your insurance.

 

To be fair the latest reply from CEO office does indicate they are on the case and I believe at the end of the day that is where peace of mind has to come from.

 

 

Took out insurance with staysure 14 day cooling off is Thursday called today got someone  not so helpful said defo no

looked in to Nationwide flexi plus and they said defo YES

[Megabear2]

I think most people would think twice if they understood the real risks.  

[Megabear2]

7 hours ago, watsonbeau said:

Re +ve passenger and negative companion being debarked - they said that if +ve person is just quarantined in a hotel, along with the other person in a quarantine hotel, they would both be covered under Curtailment/Abandonment - mine is £ 5000 per person - as Megabear says from this you would then have to deduct any claim you might make for the unused days of the cruise (unless the cruise line might like to pay !).  I am not totally convinced on this as I would have thought the +ve person would come under Medical cover irrespective ?  However he then went on to say that if the +ve person is hospitalised then their bit would come under the Medical section with the companion still under Curtailment/Abandonment.  They would want some proof of reason for disembarkation - though they didn't say if this had to be from a medical person.  For a positive person you would have the + ve test result as proof.  In this situation I would be belt and braces and get anything I could from ship's doctor/cruiseline/port authority as well as the test result, in writing.

 

I also posed the question as to what would happen if you both test negative but are told to disembark as being a close contact of someone else who was +ve on board (not your room mate), for example from being onboard a coach travelling on a ship's excursion and someone on it tests +ve a day or so later since the cruise line would know who everyone was on the tour.  I was told that wasn't covered - so beware !  In that situation I would hope that the cruise line would just expect you to isolate onboard and keep testing ?  

The Nationwide is an almost identical policy to the RBS one quoted by Watsonbeau.  See his points quoted as they will apply.  I assume you bank with Nationwide.

[Electra 7]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

The Nationwide is an almost identical policy to the RBS one quoted by Watsonbeau.  See his points quoted as they will apply.  I assume you bank with Nationwide.

No but do now

[Harry Peterson]

11 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I think most people would think twice if they understood the real risks.  

True, but only a tiny minority frequent forums such as this, most people get their news from social media, and the average cruise customer won’t have the faintest idea of the risk. And it’s that same ignorance of real world facts that’s contributing towards the spread of COVID.

[davecttr]

15 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

True, but only a tiny minority frequent forums such as this, most people get their news from social media, and the average cruise customer won’t have the faintest idea of the risk. And it’s that same ignorance of real world facts that’s contributing towards the spread of COVID.

remember this one

have you been on holiday?

yes, on a cruise

where did you go?

dunno, some islands?

what ship was it?

dunno , it was big and white

[terrierjohn]

18 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

True, but only a tiny minority frequent forums such as this, most people get their news from social media, and the average cruise customer won’t have the faintest idea of the risk. And it’s that same ignorance of real world facts that’s contributing towards the spread of COVID.

Harry, Ithere is even more chatter on social media about cruising and its problems than on here.

[Interestedcruisefan]

40 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

True, but only a tiny minority frequent forums such as this, most people get their news from social media, and the average cruise customer won’t have the faintest idea of the risk. And it’s that same ignorance of real world facts that’s contributing towards the spread of COVID.

So true

 

I only joined this forum myself a short time ago to weigh up the risks of booking a Caribbean cruise in January 

 

When I joined less than 2 months ago (I think it was) very experienced cruisers on here seemed oblivious to the risks and told me cruising was back to normal all over the world 

 

And to stop worrying etc

 

What I've learnt since then from asking a few questions and reading up elsewhere about cruising in the Covid world is that things are far from normal 

 

I won't be cruising anywhere til next summer earliest as a result. And even then being careful what I commit to

 

By the way 

 

Did you guys know that the Govt of Canada has removed all of its travel advisory warnings against Covid countries last week?

 

However they have retained their travel advisory warning against going on cruises.  Saying its not safe to cruise whilst Covid is prevalent

 

Thats obviously up for debate. But for sure Covid presents huge problems in so many ways for cruising.

 

But does that not mean any Canadian who chooses to still cruise will not be covered by their insurance to do so? And if so do most Canadians even realize that in this oh so complicated world of cruise insurance? 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan

[Interestedcruisefan]

23 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Harry, Ithere is even more chatter on social media about cruising and its problems than on here.

There may well be

 

But you have to go looking for it 

 

And the world of social media is vast

 

Theres chatter about everything you can imagine on social media if you go looking for it

[wowzz]

51 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

And it’s that same ignorance of real world facts that’s contributing towards the spread of COVID

The latest modeling forecasts, as reported on the BBC, indicates major drops in cases over the coming weeks.

[Megabear2]

50 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

There may well be

 

But you have to go looking for it 

 

And the world of social media is vast

 

Theres chatter about everything you can imagine on social media if you go looking for it

In fairness everyone should be aware of the problems with any travel insurance policies and the fact that they are notorious for not paying out. There are warnings everywhere and have been for years about reading the policy and small print.  I was surprised myself by the number of people who had not until prompted looked deep into their policies. 

 

However, in fairness, until international cruising from the UK resumed no one would know how things would pan out with Covid cases.  What has come as a shock is the removal of negative passengers alongside positive tests.  It is not the cruise lines' fault if none of us (me included) read the small print properly in our cruise terms and conditions and asked questions.  Because I am almost obsessive about reading agreements and policies of insurance I had asked the quarantine question of my insurer weeks before and was able to jump onboard immediately I heard of the first removals and realised we just might have a problem.

 

Most people don't have the time or understanding of complex legally binding terminology to even guess at what is in any policy they buy which is how social media is full of stories lambasting companies.  Very few follow the buyer beware rule.

 

What is important is to remember that P&O/Cunard appear to have been caught out by the non availability of an insurance policy to cover these events as much as we are.  Upon having it drawn to their attention they are, it seems, working on it and before tearing them to shreds via the media and social media it is in everyone's interest to keep this line of communication open.  

 

If they don't come through, well that's a different point altogether and only at that point is going for the jugular an option.  We all know the challenges Carnival group companies are having. It would be self defeating to try to destroy the restart. Once this offloading situation is sorted what will be needed is clarity in the protocol of what may happen and displayed in a prominent place for prospective cruisers and their agents to see.

 

With cruise companies being international they are trying to create a worldwide policy, something which is even in normal times nigh on impossible with different laws and consumer rights around the world.  

 

The North American consumers seem to be more on top of this than the UK ones, there do appear to be products available in their insurance market which cover these events, albeit at high cost. 

Edited October 26, 2021 by Megabear2
Missed words

[Interestedcruisefan]

7 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

In fairness everyone should be aware of the problems with any travel insurance policies and the fact that they are notorious for not paying out. There are warnings everywhere and have been for years about reading the policy and small print.  I was surprised myself by the number of people who had not until prompted looked deep into their policies. 

 

However, in fairness, until international cruising from the UK resumed no one would know how things would pan out with Covid cases.  What has come as a shock is the removal of negative passengers alongside positive tests.  It is not the cruise lines' fault if none of us (me included) read the small print properly in our cruise terms and conditions and asked questions.  Because I am almost obsessive about reading agreements and policies of insurance I had asked the quarantine question of my insurer weeks before and was able to jump onboard immediately I heard of the first removals and realised we just might have a problem.

 

Most people don't have the time or understanding of complex legally binding terminology to even guess at what is in any policy they buy which is how social media is full of stories lambasting companies.  Very few follow the buyer beware rule.

 

What is important is to remember that P&O/Cunard appear to have been caught out by the non availability of an insurance policy to cover these events as much as we are.  Upon having it drawn to their attention they are, it seems, working on it and before tearing them to shreds via the media and social media it is in everyone's interest to keep this line of communication open.  

 

If they don't come through, well that's a different point altogether and only at that point is going for the jugular an option.  We all know the challenges Carnival group companies are having. It would be self defeating to try to destroy the restart. Once this offloading situation is sorted what will be needed is clarity in the protocol of what may happen and displayed in a prominent place for prospective cruisers and their agents to see.

 

With cruise companies being international they are trying to create a worldwide policy, something which is even in normal times nigh on impossible with different laws and consumer rights around the world.  

 

The North American consumers seem to be more on top of this than the UK ones, there do appear to be products available in their insurance market which cover these events, albeit at high cost. 

The problem is the issues with Covid and cruising are very fluid. So many factors. Govts change policies overnight etc new testing rules in and out of countries etc. New govt advice etc

 

Within days or weeks that  they introduce new clauses to cover Covid issues there will be new factors to take account of

 

It's just a very messy time for cruises and cruise insurance

 

For my own part it's not about the money

 

I just don't want to be quarantined anywhere abroad. Regardless of who pays for that bleak situation

 

So any holidays I take will be based on minimising that risk

[Megabear2]

26 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

The problem is the issues with Covid and cruising are very fluid. So many factors. Govts change policies overnight etc new testing rules in and out of countries etc. New govt advice etc

 

Within days or weeks that  they introduce new clauses to cover Covid issues there will be new factors to take account of

 

It's just a very messy time for cruises and cruise insurance

 

For my own part it's not about the money

 

I just don't want to be quarantined anywhere abroad. Regardless of who pays for that bleak situation

 

So any holidays I take will be based on minimising that risk

Of course, that's your choice.  You have nothing booked so can observe and maybe offer information to those who have.  A lot of things you have posted in your short time here have been very helpful to me 

 

However there are thousands locked into cruises where they have moved them, taken FCC or paid in full before the situation became known.  Many are, as you said earlier, in ignorance and I will keep talking to the cruise lines to see if some comfort can be offered to us. If necessary I will walk away but as a long time cruiser I would like to have cruise ships to return to as and when I decide.

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

There may well be

 

But you have to go looking for it 

 

And the world of social media is vast

 

Theres chatter about everything you can imagine on social media if you go looking for it

If your interested in a topic most folk will join a group, and then the information comes looking for you.