Dilemma

[Warthog01]

 

Dilemma

My wife and I have been looking forward to our 50th Anniversary Queens Grill cruise on the Queen Mary ever since I booked it over a year ago. We’re due to sail from Southampton on 15th December for 26 days aboard.

On the 30th of May, all our hopes and dreams were dealt a cruel blow when my wife suffered a stroke at our home. She’s receiving excellent care, I’m an optimist and she’s a fighter, so we hope the scenario I’m about to discuss won’t come about. Nevertheless, it’s early days and I’m seeking advice to be as well prepared as possible.

We paid a deposit when we booked and the balance is due in September. We haven’t booked our insurance yet—who would expect a stroke seven months prior to sailing? That’s my first question—who will insure is after this event? I’m 76 and my wife is 73.

As I mentioned, I’m an optimist. My wife is making progress daily and we are hopeful she’ll be ready to go in December: No problem!

But what if she isn’t? I have a £20k cruise balance due in September which I intend to pay, but I’m not a wealthy man and I have no idea what my options might be at that point. Does Cunard have limits on levels of disabilities and are these negotiable? If she cannot travel (verified by a Doctor) can I recover any or all of my expenditure. Does Cunard maintain a waiting list for this kind of situation and would they return my deposits if the booking can be resold?

Apologies if this post has been disjointed. I’m still trying to get my head around y wife’s condition and I’m sure many more uncertainties will surface as we go along. Thanks in advance for any advice or assistance or fellow cruisers can provide.

 

[LHT28]

I am not sure how it works in the UK   but usually insurance will only pay out  if you had it before your wife had the stroke 

I would start checking now if you can get insurance for what is now a preexisting condition 

 

 I think in the UK you cannot get your deposit back if you cancel  before  the final payment  like here in N.A. but I would confirm that with who you booked with

 

I would wait until closer to final payment then see how your wife is progressing  but if not fit to travel I would not pay the final payment

if something were to happen  after that  then you will usually lose your payment without insurance coverage

JMO

[Flatbush Flyer]

31 minutes ago, Warthog01 said:

 

Dilemma

My wife and I have been looking forward to our 50th Anniversary Queens Grill cruise on the Queen Mary ever since I booked it over a year ago. We’re due to sail from Southampton on 15th December for 26 days aboard.

On the 30th of May, all our hopes and dreams were dealt a cruel blow when my wife suffered a stroke at our home. She’s receiving excellent care, I’m an optimist and she’s a fighter, so we hope the scenario I’m about to discuss won’t come about. Nevertheless, it’s early days and I’m seeking advice to be as well prepared as possible.

We paid a deposit when we booked and the balance is due in September. We haven’t booked our insurance yet—who would expect a stroke seven months prior to sailing? That’s my first question—who will insure is after this event? I’m 76 and my wife is 73.

As I mentioned, I’m an optimist. My wife is making progress daily and we are hopeful she’ll be ready to go in December: No problem!

But what if she isn’t? I have a £20k cruise balance due in September which I intend to pay, but I’m not a wealthy man and I have no idea what my options might be at that point. Does Cunard have limits on levels of disabilities and are these negotiable? If she cannot travel (verified by a Doctor) can I recover any or all of my expenditure. Does Cunard maintain a waiting list for this kind of situation and would they return my deposits if the booking can be resold?

Apologies if this post has been disjointed. I’m still trying to get my head around y wife’s condition and I’m sure many more uncertainties will surface as we go along. Thanks in advance for any advice or assistance or fellow cruisers can provide.

 

Sorry for your spouse’s health issue.

This is a somewhat complicated issue, particularly since you’re not in the US.

In general, because this happened recently, you may be subject to what’s called a “look-back” period. And if the issue occurred during that look-back period (X days [usually 3-6 months] prior to the purchase of your insurance policy), you cannot claim anything related to that “pre-existing condition” unless you have secured a PEC waiver (which requires policy purchase ranging from within several weeks of your paying your cruise deposit all the way up to the day of final payment).

From what you describe, your wife now has what most insurers would consider that PEC. So you need a PEC waiver policy that is allowed for purchase up to final payment date. I’m not sure about outside of the US but, the cost here (at your ages) would easily be at least 10% of the cost of the trip. 
As regards that PEC waiver: If anything changes (diagnosis, meds, treatment, etc) regarding her issue within the lookback period and you don’t have a PEC waiver, you’re S.O.L. on making a claim. 

So get with a travel insurance broker ASAP to discuss best strategies. I recommend InsureMyTrip.com but do’t know if they can sell to non-US folks.

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by Flatbush Flyer

[ldubs]

29 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

I am not sure how it works in the UK   but usually insurance will only pay out  if you had it before your wife had the stroke 

I would start checking now if you can get insurance for what is now a preexisting condition 

 

 I think in the UK you cannot get your deposit back if you cancel  before  the final payment  like here in N.A. but I would confirm that with who you booked with

 

I would wait until closer to final payment then see how your wife is progressing  but if not fit to travel I would not pay the final payment

if something were to happen  after that  then you will usually lose your payment without insurance coverage

JMO

 

Op, I'm happy to hear your wife is making progress.  Hearty wishes she gets well and makes the cruise. 

 

I think LHT28 makes a good suggestion to wait and see how things progress closer to the final payment.   In the meantime checking insurance options would be worthwhile.  

[Host Hattie]

I think you would lose your deposit if you cancel but there are flexible transfer options which might help -

 

[PORT ROYAL]

1 hour ago, Warthog01 said:

 

Dilemma

My wife and I have been looking forward to our 50th Anniversary Queens Grill cruise on the Queen Mary ever since I booked it over a year ago. We’re due to sail from Southampton on 15th December for 26 days aboard.

On the 30th of May, all our hopes and dreams were dealt a cruel blow when my wife suffered a stroke at our home. She’s receiving excellent care, I’m an optimist and she’s a fighter, so we hope the scenario I’m about to discuss won’t come about. Nevertheless, it’s early days and I’m seeking advice to be as well prepared as possible.

We paid a deposit when we booked and the balance is due in September. We haven’t booked our insurance yet—who would expect a stroke seven months prior to sailing? That’s my first question—who will insure is after this event? I’m 76 and my wife is 73.

As I mentioned, I’m an optimist. My wife is making progress daily and we are hopeful she’ll be ready to go in December: No problem!

But what if she isn’t? I have a £20k cruise balance due in September which I intend to pay, but I’m not a wealthy man and I have no idea what my options might be at that point. Does Cunard have limits on levels of disabilities and are these negotiable? If she cannot travel (verified by a Doctor) can I recover any or all of my expenditure. Does Cunard maintain a waiting list for this kind of situation and would they return my deposits if the booking can be resold?

Apologies if this post has been disjointed. I’m still trying to get my head around y wife’s condition and I’m sure many more uncertainties will surface as we go along. Thanks in advance for any advice or assistance or fellow cruisers can provide.

 

Sympathy is sent.

Speak with Cunard, you’ll find them understanding and supportive with your situation and the potential moving (back) of the booked cruise, or the cancellation. Cunard will look to work with you.   
 

[Jack E Dawson]

47 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

So get with a travel insurance broker ASAP to discuss best strategies. I recommend InsureMyTrip.com but do’t know if they can sell to non-US folks.

 

Considering all that is involved, in addition to a significant amount of money, Flatbush Flyer is exactly right. Get with a professional insurance broker and get it in writing. We have used InsureMyTrip and had to file a claim. They came through like champs. 

All the best to you and your wife.

Jack

[Chunky2219]

Firsty, huge sympathy on your wife's condition and fingers crossed that she can get back to, or close to, her previous self.

 

Now - the practical stuff as far as I understand it.  Being in the UK not the US, it's highly likely that Cunard will pocket your deposit if you wish to cancel, regardless of reason.  Their argument would be that you should have had insurance from the date of booking.  We've long had worse conditions regarding deposits than our chums across the pond.

 

However, if you want to switch to an alternative, later  voyage they might be sympathetic.  I've had a similar conversation with another upscale cruise line only this week.  That was for a previously re-arranged voyage we were originally due to take last year but ......  Covid; we now don't really want to take the voyage we hasitly re-booked when it all blew up.     Some lines seem to be being very flexible at present and of course, they'll probably now be able to sell the room at a higher price than your original booking.  Also, you'll likely pay more for your replacement booking so it's win, win, win for them.

 

You could ask for a long-dated credit note rather than a specific sailing but unless things have changed recently I suspect you will draw a blank on that one.

 

I'm long term disabled myself and Cunard can accept many health problems, so long as you are not going to be relying on them in any way for support or care.  They are very good at accomodating people with difficulties and will ensure they have a plan for individual support in the case of things like a ship wide emergency.   There may be some restrictions at individual ports, for example tender ports or those with a big tidal range where the angle of the gang plank can change a lot whilst in port.

 

You will still need to have travel/health insurance cover and this will be more expensive than it would have been before your wife's event but in principle, if you can get insurance you can probably cruise.

 

So just ask.  If you have a good travel agent this will be a major help and and of course, it all depends on the current medical advice and prognosis from your own doctor(s).  I can't speak specifically about stroke but with many neurological events they often advise that you won't know the full extent of recovery for 24 months.

 

Good luck.

 

.

 

[jsn55]

What awful news, I am so sorry.  I agree about finding travel insurance that will cover the pre-existing condition.  Use a broker to get the best coverage.  How about travel insurance that comes with a top-end credit card?   Worth investigating.  Apologies to Cunard, but I would never believe anything a phone agent told me about this kind of issue.  I'm sure you can find some coverage, but be very cautious with that final payment date.  I sincerely hope that August will find you ready to travel with some adjustments for her safety and comfort.  We'll be sending good thoughts, so please let us know how things go.

[jimdee3636]

@Warthog01

Others may disagree, but I would wait until close to the final payment date before doing anything. Your wife's condition may well improve markedly by then, in which case you could feel confident in going forward. But if it doesn't, you can cancel the booking with little (if any) penalty, and hang on to your money until she makes a more-complete recovery.

 

As others have correctly pointed out, the pre-existing condition exclusion will render meaningless most travel insurance policies---at least as far as your wife's condition is concerned. I hate to sound negative, but as a lawyer I dealt with insurance claims people for many years and I know that the first thing they do when a claim is made is try to find some way to deny it. And an "exclusion" is the easiest way---they'll say it's right there in black-and-white language.

 

If you don't mind waiting between now and September, try to put all of this out of your mind and focus on your wife's recovery. But if you're torturing yourself, cancel the cruise, get your deposit back, and look forward to less-stressful travel when your wife's condition permits it.

 

Good luck!

 

Jim

[Warthog01]

Many thanks, Jim

 

I tend to agree with you. This cruise is our Golden Anniversary/Bucket list venture and delaying or cancelling it pematurely woud take a lot of the shine off it. It's early days and I think we can hack it together, so I can be patient--to a point.

 

What do you think about others' suggestions to contact a professional insurance broker or Cunard to test the water temperature at this point?

 

Best

 

Steve

[Victoria2]

I am so sorry to hear of your wife's health issue. If you won't mind me saying, a salutary lesson to the rest of us, insure when you book as you never know what's around the corner.

 

To your predicament. 

I would start exploring insurance now. It doesn't mean you have to buy any at the moment but if you find your wife is uninsurable, that solves that bit of the equation. You might find the cost is too high, especially as the US is involved  and that too  will also sort that out.

 

If you can insure and you get the go-ahead to travel when you come to buy the insurance, great. You'll have a wonderful time and as long as you bear in mind Cunard staff will not be available for any 'caring' duties, you'll find them helpful and sympathetic. So saying, we had a waiter on one t4ip who insisted on cutting up the food for a fellow table mate instead of leaving it to her husband, Kind just wasn't a good enough word for that man. The crew will assist embarkation and disembarkation on port visits [carrying wheelchairs of required, with passenger in it, obviously] but tender ports might be a problem. There will be an 'assistance' meeting early on to decide if a passenger will be 'tender ready'.

 

If you can travel, your wife might need some aids and whilst Cunard will provide things like shower stools etc [ask early on] their wheelchairs are for emergency use. May I suggest you visit the 'Mobility at Sea' website. They have a multitude of aids available for rent. They will make sure anything rented is in your cabin ready for when you board and will collect it at the end of the cruise. Southampton has a great disabled assistance programme and as long as you register for it, they will wheel on and off board. There will be more advice here so just ask.

 

If you decide, or it's decided for you, to cancel, get in touch with Cunard. We had to cancel a world cruise a few years ago as we found out [after booking of course] my husband could not have a Yellow Fever jab.  In those days it was cancel and lose deposit or transfer deposit to a cruise of the same, or higher value.

There was NO way we could transfer to a cruise of higher value as it was a Q3 World Cruise booking. Cunard were brilliant. They let us split the deposit to utilise on a couple of cruises. Their only stipulation was the cruises had to be booked at the same time. Now of course, their booking regs. at the moment are very fluid. How long they will remain so, is anyone's guess.

 

I would say your first port of call is to investigate if you can get insured and I would start your preliminary research asap. Nothing needs to be bought and Cunard do not need to be involved at this stage.

We have a rolling annual travel insurance with our bank so can't help you there but many CC members will be able to advise on which companies are great with health issues.

 

Good luck and my fingers are crossed for you. Any more questions, just ask. There's a pool of great advice on this board to tap into. 🙂

Edited June 12, 2022 by Victoria2

[fabnfortysomething]

10 hours ago, Warthog01 said:

 

Dilemma

My wife and I have been looking forward to our 50th Anniversary Queens Grill cruise on the Queen Mary ever since I booked it over a year ago. We’re due to sail from Southampton on 15th December for 26 days aboard.

On the 30th of May, all our hopes and dreams were dealt a cruel blow when my wife suffered a stroke at our home. She’s receiving excellent care, I’m an optimist and she’s a fighter, so we hope the scenario I’m about to discuss won’t come about. Nevertheless, it’s early days and I’m seeking advice to be as well prepared as possible.

We paid a deposit when we booked and the balance is due in September. We haven’t booked our insurance yet—who would expect a stroke seven months prior to sailing? That’s my first question—who will insure is after this event? I’m 76 and my wife is 73.

As I mentioned, I’m an optimist. My wife is making progress daily and we are hopeful she’ll be ready to go in December: No problem!

But what if she isn’t? I have a £20k cruise balance due in September which I intend to pay, but I’m not a wealthy man and I have no idea what my options might be at that point. Does Cunard have limits on levels of disabilities and are these negotiable? If she cannot travel (verified by a Doctor) can I recover any or all of my expenditure. Does Cunard maintain a waiting list for this kind of situation and would they return my deposits if the booking can be resold?

Apologies if this post has been disjointed. I’m still trying to get my head around y wife’s condition and I’m sure many more uncertainties will surface as we go along. Thanks in advance for any advice or assistance or fellow cruisers can provide.

 

Okay advice from a fellow Brit

yes the deposit will be forfeit if you cancel[UK conditions]

However you will need insurance for your trip especially for medical cover

As your wife now has a pre existing medical condition you will need specialist cover which of course costs a bit more

 

try Stay sure or Good to Go

 

we have had to have this type of insurance for several years as I have high blood presssure and my husband has inflammatory arthritis

Then he had a haemorragic stroke in 2019 and we found surprisingly the added premium wasnt that much higher once got past the 3 month mark which will bring up to final payment time

 

try the above companies[there are a few more I cant remember names ]

go through the medical assessment online and that will give you an idea  

[Warthog01]

Thank you so very much, Victoria 2.

So much to think about and you've laid it out beautifully.

 

[LadyL1]

This is indeed a very sad thread, and some excellent advice given. Certainly follow the UK threads as T & Cs are very different across the pond.

A couple of additions you might want to think about (and may be possible now) 

1. Are there any disabled cabins available to transfer to now. They sell quickly. You must keep a wheelchair in your room, and the set up could make travelling much easier.

2. When seeking insurance you must get worldwide cover and ensure cruising is covered: this is often an add on. 
3. It seems you are intending to go to the Caribbean, so again ensure you have cover for USA, which again is often a separate premium pymt even for worldwide cover for us from these shores.

I so hope you make your celebration voyage!

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

I am so sorry to hear of your wife's health issue. If you won't mind me saying, a salutary lesson to the rest of us, insure when you book as you never know what's around the corner.

 

To your predicament. 

I would start exploring insurance now. It doesn't mean you have to buy any at the moment but if you find your wife is uninsurable, that solves that bit of the equation. You might find the cost is too high, especially as the US is involved  and that too  will also sort that out.

 

If you can insure and you get the go-ahead to travel when you come to buy the insurance, great. You'll have a wonderful time and as long as you bear in mind Cunard staff will not be available for any 'caring' duties, you'll find them helpful and sympathetic. So saying, we had a waiter on one t4ip who insisted on cutting up the food for a fellow table mate instead of leaving it to her husband, Kind just wasn't a good enough word for that man. The crew will assist embarkation and disembarkation on port visits [carrying wheelchairs of required, with passenger in it, obviously] but tender ports might be a problem. There will be an 'assistance' meeting early on to decide if a passenger will be 'tender ready'.

 

If you can travel, your wife might need some aids and whilst Cunard will provide things like shower stools etc [ask early on] their wheelchairs are for emergency use. May I suggest you visit the 'Mobility at Sea' website. They have a multitude of aids available for rent. They will make sure anything rented is in your cabin ready for when you board and will collect it at the end of the cruise. Southampton has a great disabled assistance programme and as long as you register for it, they will wheel on and off board. There will be more advice here so just ask.

 

If you decide, or it's decided for you, to cancel, get in touch with Cunard. We had to cancel a world cruise a few years ago as we found out [after booking of course] my husband could not have a Yellow Fever jab.  In those days it was cancel and lose deposit or transfer deposit to a cruise of the same, or higher value.

There was NO way we could transfer to a cruise of higher value as it was a Q3 World Cruise booking. Cunard were brilliant. They let us split the deposit to utilise on a couple of cruises. Their only stipulation was the cruises had to be booked at the same time. Now of course, their booking regs. at the moment are very fluid. How long they will remain so, is anyone's guess.

 

I would say your first port of call is to investigate if you can get insured and I would start your preliminary research asap. Nothing needs to be bought and Cunard do not need to be involved at this stage.

We have a rolling annual travel insurance with our bank so can't help you there but many CC members will be able to advise on which companies are great with health issues.

 

Good luck and my fingers are crossed for you. Any more questions, just ask. There's a pool of great advice on this board to tap into. 🙂

Very wise words about getting travel insurance cover for anyone as soon as you book a holiday. Also very good reasons and information given to help you and wish your wife a speedy recovery.

 

[sandancer]

8 hours ago, jsn55 said:

What awful news, I am so sorry.  I agree about finding travel insurance that will cover the pre-existing condition.  Use a broker to get the best coverage.  How about travel insurance that comes with a top-end credit card?   Worth investigating.  Apologies to Cunard, but I would never believe anything a phone agent told me about this kind of issue.  I'm sure you can find some coverage, but be very cautious with that final payment date.  I sincerely hope that August will find you ready to travel with some adjustments for her safety and comfort.  We'll be sending good thoughts, so please let us know how things go.

Travel insurance provided by a credit card here in the UK is usually only very basic cover. I know this because we use it. If the OP can obtain insurance using this option it won’t cover the USA, existing medical problems or cancellation due to Covid (not relevant in this instance hopefully).  All of these can be obtained by purchasing extra cover, but, in our case, the condition or illness has to occur after the holiday has been booked using an Annual policy.
 My advice to the OP would be, as others have said to call Cunard, get a clear picture of the options available. It may be worth contacting the Stroke Association to see if they have a list of insurers who have policies that would cover this situation. 

Edited June 12, 2022 by sandancer

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, sandancer said:

Travel insurance provided by a credit card here in the UK is usually only very basic cover. I know this because we use it. If the OP can obtain insurance using this option it won’t cover the USA, existing medical problems or cancellation due to Covid (not relevant in this instance hopefully).  All of these can be obtained by purchasing extra cover, but, in our case, the condition or illness has to occur after the holiday has been booked using an Annual policy.
 My advice to the OP would be, as others have said to call Cunard, get a clear picture of the options available. It may be worth contacting the Stroke Association to see if they have a list of insurers who have policies that would cover this situation. 

 I wouldn't bother with Cunard at the moment. They are not insurance advisors and realistically, they will most likely give three options. Insure, transfer or forfeit deposit.

I think your Stroke Association advice is excellent and I would make it my first port of call when asking advice. Then, I would explore any companies mentioned, there or on here and make a dummy booking assuming the stroke is three months on, which it would be come time to insure then pay the balance. 

 

[Craigrlewis]

3 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

 I wouldn't bother with Cunard at the moment. They are not insurance advisors and realistically, they will most likely give three options. Insure, transfer or forfeit deposit.

I think your Stroke Association advice is excellent and I would make it my first port of call when asking advice. Then, I would explore any companies mentioned, there or on here and make a dummy booking assuming the stroke is three months on, which it would be come time to insure then pay the balance. 

 

Warthog01 sorry to hear of your wifes ailments
 

Victoria2 is giving some sound advice here.

Insurance is an absolute minefield for these sorts of things.

I have worked in insurance for 35 years and whilst no insurer will look to decline claims for no good reason it does boil down to black and white legalities.

 

We took my mother to the states a few years ago and her insurance ended up costing for than the trip itself. she had sustained a mini stroke that had left her with some complications. We spoke to a charity and they recommended researching Martin Lewis website money expert.

 

IMHO I would source insurance now so that its “done” and in place

 

Hope you can sort all this out.  Having a cruise to look forward to may also give your spouse a goal/something to aim for

 

[jsn55]

1 hour ago, Craigrlewis said:

Warthog01 sorry to hear of your wifes ailments
 

Victoria2 is giving some sound advice here.

Insurance is an absolute minefield for these sorts of things.

I have worked in insurance for 35 years and whilst no insurer will look to decline claims for no good reason it does boil down to black and white legalities.

 

We took my mother to the states a few years ago and her insurance ended up costing for than the trip itself. she had sustained a mini stroke that had left her with some complications. We spoke to a charity and they recommended researching Martin Lewis website money expert.

 

IMHO I would source insurance now so that its “done” and in place

 

Hope you can sort all this out.  Having a cruise to look forward to may also give your spouse a goal/something to aim for

 

Agree on the 'claims procedure'.  I've always assumed that the insurance company will concentrate first on finding a reason to deny a claim.  It's my job to be sure they can't find a reason and will get on with processing it.  Being meticulous at every turn is much easier with that mind-set.

[jimbo1683]

On 6/11/2022 at 10:02 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Sorry for your spouse’s health issue.

This is a somewhat complicated issue, particularly since you’re not in the US.

In general, because this happened recently, you may be subject to what’s called a “look-back” period. And if the issue occurred during that look-back period (X days [usually 3-6 months] prior to the purchase of your insurance policy), you cannot claim anything related to that “pre-existing condition” unless you have secured a PEC waiver (which requires policy purchase ranging from within several weeks of your paying your cruise deposit all the way up to the day of final payment).

From what you describe, your wife now has what most insurers would consider that PEC. So you need a PEC waiver policy that is allowed for purchase up to final payment date. I’m not sure about outside of the US but, the cost here (at your ages) would easily be at least 10% of the cost of the trip. 
As regards that PEC waiver: If anything changes (diagnosis, meds, treatment, etc) regarding her issue within the lookback period and you don’t have a PEC waiver, you’re S.O.L. on making a claim. 

So get with a travel insurance broker ASAP to discuss best strategies. I recommend InsureMyTrip.com but do’t know if they can sell to non-US folks.

 

I honestly dont think this is a relevant comment for UK insurance.

Edited June 12, 2022 by jimbo1683

[lissie]

If its any consolation - even if you had taken out travel insurance - you have a requirement to disclose to the insurer and they may well have cancelled your insurance cover (and refunded your premium). We had that happen to us. Had to scrabble around a week out from leaving, getting doctors to fill in forms, to try and find an alternative insurer. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 hours ago, jimbo1683 said:

I honestly dont think this is a relevant comment for UK insurance.

The different meaning of PECs as defined by healthcare versus the insurance industry is pretty much universal. And that is the bottom line issue for the OP. 

[Trevor Fountain]

Really sorry to hear of your situation. What I would do is go onto the Staysure website and get a quote. Just fill in all the details regarding pre-existing medical questions.

You will get a answer straight away.

Now it may be that it is too soon after your wife's stroke for them to consider insuring her, or very high premium, if that is the case, try another dummy run, and when asked how long ago the stroke was, give a longer time period. This may then give you the answer to how long you will need since your wife's stroke to obtain a suitable quote. 

[Warthog01]

Thanks very much, Trevor. Great advice and I'll give Staysure a shot.