CFAR with Celebrity's Cruisecare

[twentyknots]

I’m not completely clear on the CFAR provision of Celebrity’s Cruisecare insurance.

 

Let me say first that I have a pre-existing condition that would likely be the reason if I had to cancel the cruise.  My condition is improving and we have 100 days before the cruise so I'm hopeful I'll be well enough to go.  I have GeoBlue to cover any medical costs while on the trip, so the Cruisecare insurance is not of interest to me.  It’s the CFAR cancellation enhancement that is included with the policy that I’m interested in.  Here is a portion of that enhancement that I want to be sure I understand:  “In the event that you choose to cancel for a reason not authorized above or for a reason that is otherwise restricted”.  Why dont they just say for any reason?

Let’s say I decide to cancel the cruise a week before sailing because my pre-existing condition has not improved enough for me to go on the cruise.  I know Cruisecare is not going to cover that because it’s pre-existing and would be restricted.  So can I just cancel the cruise and not cite the reason as medical?  Do I have to give a reason for the cancellation if I don’t want to try to have the penalty waived?

[klfrodo]

The only flaw I see is that when you purchase insurance, you must be medically fit to travel on the day it is purchased.

I don't know how that would fit into the CFAR rider of the insurance contract.

I only say that because, as we all know, insurance companies love to seek reasons for denial. Would that fall under CFAR? I don't know. Theoretically, I can see where the answer would be No.

The other question I would pose is, where do you live? There are some places in Canada and in the US where CFAR cannot be sold or be a part of the insurance policy.

Edited October 18, 2022 by klfrodo

[Babr]

It may be that they don’t just say “any reason” because they want to differentiate between those circumstances that are covered under the provisions of the policy and those that are not. Illness would be covered unless it is restricted by the pre-existing conditions clause. CFAR is for situations not covered in the first place or are otherwise restricted by limitations defined in the policy.
 

It is semantics, but wording is carefully chosen for a reason. The policy is divided between benefits provided by insurance and the extra protection of FCC provided by Celebrity, which is not insurance.
 

The process requires you to file a claim that will be denied by the insurance part of the policy, then Celebrity will grant FCC under the non-insurance provision. 

[twentyknots]

1 hour ago, klfrodo said:

The only flaw I see is that when you purchase insurance, you must be medically fit to travel on the day it is purchased.

I dont see that requirement in the terns and conditions.

 

[twentyknots]

53 minutes ago, Babr said:

The process requires you to file a claim that will be denied by the insurance part of the policy, then Celebrity will grant FCC under the non-insurance provision. 

I was afraid of that.   I will have to call them and ask the question directly.  I think it's unclear.  Probably by design.

 

[Babr]

Just now, twentyknots said:

I was afraid of that.   I will have to call them and ask the question directly.  I think it's unclear.  Probably by design.

 

It is always best to ask the insurer, but I don’t think it is anything to be alarmed about. That is the way CFAR works in cruise line sponsored policies. You are denied  a cash reimbursement by the insurance company because the claim is not for a covered reason. CFAR provided by the cruise line is for any other reason not covered by insurance. You just have to present the rejected claim in order to get the FCC.

 

The only truly CFAR is Holland America. All cancellations are treated the same - a 90% cash reimbursement regardless of the reason.