Insurance for Winter Storm/Blizzard

[WorkingForOBC]

Hello

 

We are considering a winter cruise leaving out of the NYC/NJ area.

We live within ~3hrs hours driving distance of these ports. We plan on driving the night before, or embarkation morning to the port. The proximity to our home and not having to take extra time to fly is the main reason we are picking these ports to cruise from.

 

Our primary concern is if there's a winter storm or blizzard that prevents us from getting to the port, but it doesn't delay or affect the cruise departure in any way.

Would you recommend "cancel for any reason" insurance, or is there another coverage feature that I should look out for?

 

Thank you.

[Babr]

Insurance that allows for cancellation due to inclement weather requires that public roadways be closed by official order. If you just don’t want to make the drive because of treacherous road conditions even though they remain open, you will not be covered.

 

In that case, CFAR is the only option. Cruise line insurance usually offers this with FCC reimbursement rather than cash. It may be a cost- effective choice if all other provisions and coverage are acceptable to you. Consider comparing the cruise line policy and third-party insurance. You’ll pay extra for CFAR, and it is a time sensitive purchase, but you’ll be reimbursed in cash albeit at a reduced rate.

 

Talk to the folks at Trip Insurance Store. They may have a better suggestion. 

 

 

[WorkingForOBC]

Thank you very much for the information. You've certainly helped to confirm my assumptions.

 

I'll reach out the Trip Insurance Store to see if they can recommend a plan for our situation.

 

Thanks!

[GeezerCouple]

2 hours ago, WorkingForOBC said:

Thank you very much for the information. You've certainly helped to confirm my assumptions.

 

I'll reach out the Trip Insurance Store to see if they can recommend a plan for our situation.

 

Thanks!

 

I'm sure the TIS folks will tell you this, but in many cases (most? all?) the CFAR coverage requires that the cancellation be done at least 48 hours before the planned departure time/date.  So that wouldn't cover a last minute problem like a sudden weather event.

 

When weather is more likely to be a problem (e.g., winter!), we tend to fly out at least 2 days in advance.   If there is a big storm headed our way (it happened once), we'll quickly change plans and "leave town early". 😉 

We've also sometimes made additional plans beyond that.

 

GC

[WorkingForOBC]

15 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

I'm sure the TIS folks will tell you this, but in many cases (most? all?) the CFAR coverage requires that the cancellation be done at least 48 hours before the planned departure time/date.  So that wouldn't cover a last minute problem like a sudden weather event.

 

When weather is more likely to be a problem (e.g., winter!), we tend to fly out at least 2 days in advance.   If there is a big storm headed our way (it happened once), we'll quickly change plans and "leave town early". 😉 

We've also sometimes made additional plans beyond that.

 

GC

We are very much looking forward to the days when we can leave a few days early (or return late), but with a school-age child, and a school teacher spouse, those days are still a decade or two away. Unfortunately, we're beholden to the school schedules, and have to squeeze as much into the allotted vacation times as we can.

 

We really love cruising, and hope to be able to getaway during the winter. We definitely understand there are risks involved, but we're hoping we can find the best way to insure against those risks.

Thanks for all your insight :⁠-⁠)

[Jersey42]

22 hours ago, WorkingForOBC said:

Our primary concern is if there's a winter storm or blizzard that prevents us from getting to the port, but it doesn't delay or affect the cruise departure in any way.

Would you recommend "cancel for any reason" insurance, or is there another coverage feature that I should look out for?

 

17 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

I'm sure the TIS folks will tell you this, but in many cases (most? all?) the CFAR coverage requires that the cancellation be done at least 48 hours before the planned departure time/date.  So that wouldn't cover a last minute problem like a sudden weather event.

Most (if not all) third party CFAR insurance policies work the way GC describes.  Most (if not all) cruise line CFAR policies let you cancel up until scheduled departure. So keep this in mind if you can't find another policy that will treat your weather scenario as a covered reason.

 

Unfortunately most cruise line policies have a lot more "holes" that you need to be aware of.  These typically include:

• Very limited medical.  I would never recommend a cruise line policy unless you had other good medical coverage outside of the US.
• CFAR is normally in the form of a future cruise credit (FCC) that usually expires within a year.  The FCCs are usually 75-100% of the non refundable cruise fare.  Taxes/fees and some prepaids are refunded in cash with/or without insurance
• No waiver of pre-existing conditions for medical or other coverage. CFAR is not subject to this clause.
• Only covers cruise cost or in some cases also includes other costs paid to the cruise line. May not be a big deal for your situation as you have no airfare and the hotel might have a generous cancelation policy.

 

Good luck and let us know what you end up doing.

Edited October 29, 2022 by Jersey42

[WorkingForOBC]

Hello, OP here.

 

Thanks again to all your insight. I really do appreciate hearing from people with experience, which is why I enjoy these boards.

 

I spoke with Steve over the weekend. He corroborated your advice that the CFAR is good up to 48 hours before cruising.

We found a policy with quality coverage, from a "Trip Insurance Store approved provider" that includes free CFAR for our child cruiser, and so this brings the cost down considerably in comparison to other equivalent policies. 

 

The price for the independent insurance policy w/CFAR, is similiar to the price of the policy offered by RCI. RCI's "Enhanced cancellation policy" is valid up to the ship's scheduled departure time, and is as follows:

"Cancellation Penalty Waiver: up to 100% of cash back for Royal Caribbean cancellation fees if you cancel for a specified reason

Cancel For Any Reason Cruise Vacation Enhancement: up to 90% of Royal Caribbean cancellation fees in the form of a future cruise credit if you cancel for any other reason"

 

FCC wouldn't be the end of the world, as we would hope to be able to rebook the cruise, but our flexibility is limited, so cash would always be preferable. I suppose we still need to weigh the 90% in FCC vs 75% in cash. And also discuss whether we think we'd be comfortable making a weather related decision 48 hours before the cruise.

 

Thankfully pre-existing conditions aren't a concern for us, but we certainly want to make sure we have adequate insurance for unanticipated medical emergencies.

 

Thank you all again!