Cruising during COVID pandemic: Does it take a COVID pandemic to test and reveal the integrity of a company?

[phoenix87]

More than two years of the COVID 19 pandemic featured some of the greatest changes in life style that most humans have ever experienced. It brought restriction or elimination of most mass events and travel, isolation at home, and remote virtual electronic contact and communication including work and schooling.

 

For several years before the pandemic of 2020 my husband and I had cruised many oceans and river systems. Before the pandemic, family members and friends had called me a bonafide cruise lover and a solid advocate for a specific cruise line. I was always proud to get my family members and friends to cruise by themselves or with me on my favorite cruise line on which I had cruised more than 30 times!

 

Now, in the summer of 2022, if I were to be asked if I recommend cruising or that one cruise line I would instead tell them of our latest experience and let them make their own decision.

 

Preview

 

After little over two years into the pandemic, cruising started to reopen in 2022. One can only imagine how eager I was to return to cruising in April this year. When my favorite line was offering a “cruise with confidence” guarantee – CWC, we jumped on it. I had great faith in the cruise line and thought that there would be nothing to lose as we would be completely covered with the purchase of cruise line protection insurance together with the “CWC”. What I did not anticipate was that our trip would end after catching COVID while on board and experiencing traumatic treatment and a nightmare aftermath at the hands of our once-favorite cruise line. Our experience was certainly not what we bargained for.

 

When we booked the cruise the indoor masking policy was still in effect. However, it was removed just one month before our boarding. Despite the change we always wore masks anywhere on the ship and at all port stops for an additional sense of security. We also made it a point to avoid areas where there was a greater concentration of people. In spite of our extra measures, we still caught the virus.

 

In addition, little did I know it would take months to get our out-of-pocket expenses refunded if we got COVID and required quarantine on shore. I had to spend loads of time to check/communicate/follow-up with each area/department ensuring correct information was received. I originally thought the potential financial component would be a non-issue according to the “CWC” along with our cruise line insurance coverage.

 

All of which made me wonder - what happened to the golden business principle of integrity and accountability? It is true that our experience below is with just one specific cruise line but could it also happen to other lines within the industry?

 

What happened?

 

My husband and I tested positive two days before disembarking from a Princess cruise in Copenhagen. Luckily I was symptom free and my husband had very minor symptoms. We were instructed to move to a quarantine deck the same day to wait for disembarkation. We were then “shipped” to a quarantine hotel in Malmo, Sweden prearranged by the cruise line, with a group of 35+ passengers.

 

Throughout the unpleasant ordeal, we received conflicting information/empty promises and avoidable anxiety. We found ourselves running in circles when trying to understand what to expect from days of quarantine required on shore, what we needed to do for us to return home, and the convoluted claim process.

 

Once home, we even filed an official complaint with the top of the company for the disorganized handling of the COVID case.

 

 

 

On-Shore Quarantine nightmare

 

Whoever made the arrangement changed the hotel without notifying anyone onboard the transport bus, including the driver. The bus dropped us off at the original hotel without a room waiting nor having anyone with the cruise line to assist us. The bus was gone. Later, someone from the group found out the name and location of the new hotel which was 3 blocks away.

 

On our bus, many were older and apparently experiencing more severe symptoms. We all had N95/KN95 masks on, and each of us had to drag our luggage and other items down the narrow, crowded cobblestone street past various unmasked sidewalk diners at some restaurants set between the 2 hotels. A number of diners murmured protests at our passing…. I felt like being put on a display as a group of “SICK” cruisers parading down the Malmo sidewalk café. Words cannot do justice to how humiliating and impotent one feels to be in the situation that we and our fellow passengers were, struggling with our belongings through the streets while suffering the effects of COVID. It made my heartache not being able to extend our hand to others but having to manage our own bags across the seemingly never ending three block walk… After years of loyalty and support of the PRINCESS line we felt we were treated like stowaways….

 

When we returned home in early May, we sent an official complaint letter regarding our sad experience to the CEO of the cruise line, followed with emails to three of the top executive team members. I resent the same twice after no response in over 3 weeks. After the third resend, we got a voicemail from the resolution department seemingly wanting to help but leaving only the general contact number. If anyone ever has tried to reach the customer resolution or relationship department, you would know that it takes a long hold to actually be able to talk to anyone in the department.

 

I bit the bullet and dedicated my day to calling that number. After being on hold for 4+ hours, I finally got one of the leads in the department who was apologetic and sounded emphatic with our daunting episode. She volunteered to take over the case immediately and posted our account for the two days of equivalent future cruise credit for being quarantined onboard, along with some goodwill credits. She also inquired about our claim status with AON and offered to assist after returning from vacation. She gave me her direct contact information for me to send all claim information that we submitted to AON. At that time, I truly felt the urge to rebuild my confidence with our number one line, but things took a turn.

 

Cruise with Confidence Promise (CWC)?

 

COVID-19 Protection Program — Cruise with Confidence - Princess Cruises

 

According to the published “CWC”, passengers with positive COVID onboard, or requiring shore side quarantine will be covered for related expenses. However, it does not tell you how long it would take to receive reimbursement for your out-of-pocket expenses. True, it does state the following as one of the key items for “Shoreside quarantine” –

 

The letter –

 

A letter will be provided at the pier or by our shipboard team prior to disembarkation. If isolation is required at the end port of the cruise, the ship Guest Services team will provide guests a list of hotels and internet access so impacted guests can make their own hotel arrangements. If denied boarding, shoreside staff will provide the list to guests for them to make their own hotel arrangements, instructions for requesting reimbursement of eligible expenses and contact information for assistance with onward flight arrangements.

 

However, our experience was different than the “letter”. There was no list to pick from. The ship arranged only one hotel. It was true that you can make your own arrangement while on board IF you have adequate internet access and can confirm with the desired hotel for the local COVID policy – such as if the hotel will accept positive COVID customers. In our case, the ship internet was down most of the time and we did not receive any help onboard for such an endeavor.

 

Another major surprise to us was that in order for us to fly back to the US, we must obtain a “COVID Recovery Letter” drafted by a local health authority and present it to the airline after the required 10 day quarantine from the date of positive test result. No one on the ship provided that information. We were told that a representative from “family assistance” will contact us via email once we arrived in Sweden. Yet none was received. We had to research all information and the local procedure on our own.

 

Now that the US is lifting the COVID test result requirement, all “shoreline” quarantine obviously will go away. But, what if the rule changes again due to another unexpected surge of COVID cases, or any other type of highly contagious virus?

 

Finance Protection?

 

We bought the Princess protection insurance with the thought that it would give us extra protection should anything happen. While this might be the case under normal circumstances, it is apparently not for COVID related coverage. I spent hours, days, weeks making calls, emailing, submitting and resubmitting documents, clarifying information, essentially playing a waiting game and getting the run around.

 

At the same time, I learned from fellow quarantine passengers that they had received most of their reimbursement from Princess and they had not bought Princess Protection insurance or any other travel insurance.

 

For two+ solid months, my AON claim was on review status and no one could give me a clear picture of what was going on except a run around. I learned that every time I called, they would run down a script where any information provided will take a standard of three weeks to process but assuring me that they have already received everything needed and it is currently under review by the adjuster. I was also advised to refrain from submitting our medical claim until the travel interruption claim was processed. Interestingly enough, when I demanded to have the adjuster contact me the next day to discuss the claim after almost three months since submission, I got a call. The assigned adjuster told me that she just got our claim and apparently needed time to review the details before rendering any decision.

 

One week later, out of the blue, the adjuster opened a medical claim for me and wanted to work that first. Luckily I already got the EOB showing a denial of claim from our primary insurance so I was able to provide the information immediately. Then I got part of our medical claim refunded in two weeks but the travel interruption claim, which was the bulk of our quarantine expenses, was still pending.

 

The game of waiting and running around heightened! My Princess advocate stated that nothing can be done on their side without the final decision made by AON while AON was waiting for confirmation from Princess. After sorting those out patiently one by one via numerous emails, calls, and tracking by me, the one stuck in the middle, which took another month. We finally got a majority of our out-of-pocket expenses reimbursed - To be exact, after 4 months and 3 days since our quarantine. I am drained out! At this point, I would be willing to forego the remaining expenses and write it off as a lesson learned with AON.

 

Food for thought

 

How does a long delayed cycle time for processing a claim benefit a company? I would think it does not, other than perhaps buying a little time to delay paying the claims. On the other hand, every call/email each employee needs to answer, however slowly, still constitutes paid work time, does it not?

 

Will I go back to cruising? Yes, I refuse to have this unfortunate saga stop me from cruising in the future but I will think twice as to where and which line to go with. For sure though, I will refrain from getting AON insurance until it is proven that the integrity has returned. Judging from our recent experience, it was clearly a total waste of money getting the so called “extra protection” which brought nothing but headache and stress for us.

 

I will, however, continue looking for companies who can maintain a consistent, standard, and positive service to their patrons while maintaining a high integrity and efficiency throughout the process.

[Muffinz]

Sorry to hear of your experience.... our cruise in April 2020 (on Celebrity) was cancelled due to the pandemic and it took us over 6 months to get the full refund from them through our TA... like you we were calling and e-mailing most weeks to little effect