Need cancellation help - one person did not sail; other person did

[sacteach]

Last November, my friend and I booked a quick weekend cruise to Mexico. We both paid the insurance. The day before the cruise, my friend was sick and took the day off work. I called Carnival to ask about options if she did not go on the cruise. I was told that we could both cancel (cancel the room entirely), I could pay $100 to swap her with another person, or I could go on my own and she could file a claim for her portion (minus the $49 insurance).
 

The next morning, she was still sick, so I went without her. After I checked in, I went to the guest services desk (still in the terminal, not on the ship) and told them she wasn't coming and asked what we needed to do. They stated that they would remove her from the roster. I again asked about the insurance and they said she could file a claim.

 

For the last two months she's been trying to get a refund for her portion. She is getting back $100 from the insurance company and was told the rest would have to come from Carnival. They are saying that because she was a "no show" and I still went, that she doesn't get anything back. She asked for the written policy and they couldn't provide anything and I can't find anything about one person sailing and the other guest in the room not sailing.

Has anyone had this experience? Is there another route we should pursue? And if she can't get a refund, do I pay back what she paid me and basically the cruise cost me double than I planned? 

 

[Illbcruzn4life]

1 hour ago, sacteach said:

Last November, my friend and I booked a quick weekend cruise to Mexico. We both paid the insurance. The day before the cruise, my friend was sick and took the day off work. I called Carnival to ask about options if she did not go on the cruise. I was told that we could both cancel (cancel the room entirely), I could pay $100 to swap her with another person, or I could go on my own and she could file a claim for her portion (minus the $49 insurance).
 

The next morning, she was still sick, so I went without her. After I checked in, I went to the guest services desk (still in the terminal, not on the ship) and told them she wasn't coming and asked what we needed to do. They stated that they would remove her from the roster. I again asked about the insurance and they said she could file a claim.

 

For the last two months she's been trying to get a refund for her portion. She is getting back $100 from the insurance company and was told the rest would have to come from Carnival. They are saying that because she was a "no show" and I still went, that she doesn't get anything back. She asked for the written policy and they couldn't provide anything and I can't find anything about one person sailing and the other guest in the room not sailing.

Has anyone had this experience? Is there another route we should pursue? And if she can't get a refund, do I pay back what she paid me and basically the cruise cost me double than I planned? 

 

Usually when somebody who has insurance can't go you need to call the insurance company as soon as you know you can't go.

 

Good luck 

[lazydayz]

Unfortunately, the person with insurance needs to cancel before the cruise.  When in this situation, it is best to make the first call to the insurance carrier and follow their advice step by step.  

[sacteach]

10 minutes ago, lazydayz said:

Unfortunately, the person with insurance needs to cancel before the cruise.  When in this situation, it is best to make the first call to the insurance carrier and follow their advice step by step.  

Sadly that is not the information that we were told. She did call the insurance company on the departure date because they sent the medical form she needed to get completed by her doctor. She's still trying to resolve it and I'm not sure what our next steps. I paid in full and she paid me, so if she gets nothing back from Carnival, do I pay her back and then my trip ended up costing double? Do I have any recourse? This whole thing is just really frustrating.

[n6uqqq]

Since she didn't go, the port fees and taxes as well as any prepaid gratuities should have already been refunded. Combine that with the $100 she is getting back from the insurance and you shouldn't be too far off from the total for a weekend type cruise. It may be way more of a headache to get back whatever was paid in addition to the above. 

[Tnlynch81]

5 hours ago, sacteach said:

I paid in full and she paid me, so if she gets nothing back from Carnival, do I pay her back and then my trip ended up costing double? Do I have any recourse? This whole thing is just really frustrating.

At the end of the day "her" money ended up with Carnival, not with you. You were just the middleman. She shouldn't expect you to refund her because she is the one who couldn't make the cruise because she was sick. You should give her the amount you received for port fees, and gratuities but anything more is her responsibility to figure out. If she is truly a  friend she should understand this.

[Jasonsterling]

I'm assuming you were the person the room was booked under so ultimately you are responsible for the full amount due for the room- very nearly all rooms are priced for two people even when only one person is sailing in it. Since the room was used by you that's why the insurance company is balking at paying for half of it- because you did use it and there was never an option not to pay half to go alone from the cruise company.

 

In case that's hard to understand here's something of an example. I want to take a cruise and go alone but the ship charges for two people in the room, even when I'm sailing solo. So, I book a friend there knowing that right before the trip she can "get sick" go to a minor emergency place and get a note and then I can file to get half the room costs back via insurance and thereby only have to pay for myself in the room instead of two people. I'm not saying that's what happened here, just that it could if insurance paid half the room costs when one person dropped out but the other person traveled. It's this scenario the insurance guards against. They only refund the full booking amount when the entire booking is cancelled for a covered reason- You can't cancel half a booking and since you didn't cancel the entire thing and went on the trip then they refund nothing. If you had cancelled the entire booking when she got sick and rebooked to go alone then you would have had to pay double your half to go without her on the new booking because that's how rooms are charged. She would have gotten her half back though. 

 

So, yes, the money issue is something your friend and you will have to resolve between yourselves.

[klfrodo]

That's why it's important to understand travel insurance.

Yes, you purchased the insurance from Carnival, but Carnival is not in the insurance business. They only sell the insurance administered by AON. (And make a healthy commission while at it). 

Since they make a commission on it (like TA's do), it would be nice if they helped you through the process, but sadly most of them know absolutely nothing about insurance, what the exact coverages are, or the process of how insurance works.

 

Your policies had a Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) rider which means that if you cancel for ANY reason up to scheduled sailing time, your friend could have received a future cruise credit for 75% of the cruise costs. However, it appears that you and your friend failed to "properly" cancel in allotted time frame and use proper communications.

 

Yes, one could easily place the blame on the TA, guest services, or the phone reps, but ultimately the responsibility lies with the guest.

[chengkp75]

The OP booked a room for two passengers, and paid for it.  When the second guest cancelled, the single supplement kicked in, and likely that is 100% of the second guest's fare, so yes, the OP paid double for going alone, as all singles do.

 

The agreement between the OP and friend about paying for the cruise is just that, an agreement between them.

 

The insurance company won't pay out for the friend's cruise, since there is no proof that she paid anything for the cruise.  That insurance was a waste of money.  The insurance company won't pay out for the OP's cruise, because she took the cruise, and the single supplement took up the friend's fare.

[Schoifmom]

8 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

The OP booked a room for two passengers, and paid for it.  When the second guest cancelled, the single supplement kicked in, and likely that is 100% of the second guest's fare, so yes, the OP paid double for going alone, as all singles do.

 

The agreement between the OP and friend about paying for the cruise is just that, an agreement between them.

 

The insurance company won't pay out for the friend's cruise, since there is no proof that she paid anything for the cruise.  That insurance was a waste of money.  The insurance company won't pay out for the OP's cruise, because she took the cruise, and the single supplement took up the friend's fare.

 

Agreed.  However, Carnival's policy does have a clause that reimburses the cabinmate for the single supplement when their cruise companion cannot sail for a covered reason.  It seems as though she needs a full, detailed accounting from Carnival to prove that she was charged a single supplement and then file a claim for that provision under the policy.

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

As mentioned, the taxes, port fees, and gratuities were probably refunded directly to you while on board or to your card. The $100 that is being refunded is probably that actual "cruise rate" for the friend that is left to be refunded. Insurance is NOT going to pay any amounts that were already refunded.

[lazydayz]

When I had to cancel my mom from a two-person room, our insurance covered her full rate (but not taxes and fees, since those are reimbursed from Carnival).  I did not have to pay a single supplement. 

 

OP, if your friend paid you for the taxes and fees, you should return those to your friend.  But other than that, you don't owe your friend any compensation.  The rest is between her and her insurance carrier.  

[Tnlynch81]

You also may want to factor in things like hotel, parking, and any taxi's/ubers you paid for all by yourself since she wasn't able to come.

[sacteach]

How does the highlighted part of the cancellation insurance factor in. I understand that I traveled alone, but to me, the highlighted part is saying that if my travel companion cancels for a valid reason (illness), that I should NOT have to pay a single supplement.

 

[sacteach]

15 hours ago, Jasonsterling said:

I'm assuming you were the person the room was booked under so ultimately you are responsible for the full amount due for the room- very nearly all rooms are priced for two people even when only one person is sailing in it. Since the room was used by you that's why the insurance company is balking at paying for half of it- because you did use it and there was never an option not to pay half to go alone from the cruise company.

 

In case that's hard to understand here's something of an example. I want to take a cruise and go alone but the ship charges for two people in the room, even when I'm sailing solo. So, I book a friend there knowing that right before the trip she can "get sick" go to a minor emergency place and get a note and then I can file to get half the room costs back via insurance and thereby only have to pay for myself in the room instead of two people. I'm not saying that's what happened here, just that it could if insurance paid half the room costs when one person dropped out but the other person traveled. It's this scenario the insurance guards against. They only refund the full booking amount when the entire booking is cancelled for a covered reason- You can't cancel half a booking and since you didn't cancel the entire thing and went on the trip then they refund nothing. If you had cancelled the entire booking when she got sick and rebooked to go alone then you would have had to pay double your half to go without her on the new booking because that's how rooms are charged. She would have gotten her half back though. 

 

So, yes, the money issue is something your friend and you will have to resolve between yourselves.

I definitely understand that and wasn't trying to get a balcony room by myself (though it was nice). But, this is what it says in the policy which is what I found last night after doing more research. Wouldn't the highlighted part at the bottom mean that I *don't* have to pay a single supplement. Should I be the one seeking a refund then? 

 

[lazydayz]

It doesn’t sound like you were charged a single supplement.  You got what you paid for, with the bonus of having the cabin to yourself. You don’t owe your companion anything, other than the taxes and fees that Carnival returned to you.  Terrible she didn’t get to go, but it’s her insurance issue, not yours.  

[sacteach]

44 minutes ago, lazydayz said:

It doesn’t sound like you were charged a single supplement.  You got what you paid for, with the bonus of having the cabin to yourself. You don’t owe your companion anything, other than the taxes and fees that Carnival returned to you.  Terrible she didn’t get to go, but it’s her insurance issue, not yours.  

I'm just trying to help her out if I can. We can't seem to get any kind of straight answer on why she can't get a refund since it all seems to follow their policy. We are actually back on the same ship next weekend for the exact same cruise and might just try to talk to people there to see if anyone can help us figure out what happened. Ultimately, I'd like her to get her money back. 

[chengkp75]

6 hours ago, sacteach said:

I understand that I traveled alone, but to me, the highlighted part is saying that if my travel companion cancels for a valid reason (illness), that I should NOT have to pay a single supplement.

Maybe you didn't include this information in your previous posts, but the part about "sickness" being a covered excuse requires that the "sickness" be diagnosed and treated by a doctor.  Did your friend see a doctor, or just decide she was too sick to go?  And so, if she did not see a doctor, her illness is not covered under reason #1, and so the cancellation fee waiver is not applicable.

 

And, again, I believe that since she did not book a cabin, there is no proof that she paid anything towards this cruise, and her insurance is null for the cruise fare.  You would be entitled to a refund of her fare, if she visited a doctor prior to the cruises embarkation time and day.

Edited February 3, 2023 by chengkp75

[Jasonsterling]

9 hours ago, sacteach said:

I definitely understand that and wasn't trying to get a balcony room by myself (though it was nice). But, this is what it says in the policy which is what I found last night after doing more research. Wouldn't the highlighted part at the bottom mean that I *don't* have to pay a single supplement. Should I be the one seeking a refund then? 

 

Both of those are separate charges from the Room Fare. So, if you were charged those fees- which I doubt because the other passenger was a "no show" thereby saving those fees- you would have a reason for refund of those fees. Another way of putting it, if you had changed the booking before you traveled then you would have been (possibly-not always depending on the agent) assessed those fees which are typically 1-200 dollars I believe to remove their name and update the booking and then you could file for a refund of those charges but the full room fare still applies. 

[Pyrate13]

I don't usually get involved in post such as this but what the heck. I don't see you being charged a single supplement, you booked for two and were charged for two, but unfortunately, one did not show. She paid for her fare by paying it to you, you've lost nothing and were charged nothing extra (supplement). That person loses their part of the fare. It's not as if you booked for one person. 

 As I see it you owe her nothing and as she apparently did not follow the insurance rules, they owe her nothing as well, nor does the cruise line. I don't see how anyone on the next cruise could help with the situation either.

[mz-s]

Right, saying "well I'm sick" isn't good enough for insurance to pay out. You have to go to the doctor and get documentation.

[HardestyHouse]

On 2/2/2023 at 8:03 PM, sacteach said:

I definitely understand that and wasn't trying to get a balcony room by myself (though it was nice). But, this is what it says in the policy which is what I found last night after doing more research. Wouldn't the highlighted part at the bottom mean that I *don't* have to pay a single supplement. Should I be the one seeking a refund then? 

 

Hey sacteach... This beautiful clause in the Carnival Cancellation Program is SO UNKNOWN! Thank you for posting it because it really saved my bacon when I was forced to cancel and the cost of the cabin fell over to my two friends. I hope that you have been able to sort out some thing for yourself. In the future, for anyone traveling with friends, make sure each person pays their share directly to Carnival. They cancel and take a refund. The person left in the room pays the amount now due after Carnival figures out what that is. Single supplement is not usually a second full fare. Then the person still traveling CLAIMS that cost!! Of course, it has to be because of one of the eight reasons listed and AON (the claims administrators) are in charge of that determination. But if your friend gets sick, their house burns down, they get a subpoena, or whatever ... 

 

CRUISE FRIENDS -- print the fine print on the product you purchase for your vacation program. This print was easy to read and worth the effort. 

[Sgwscruiser]

On 2/2/2023 at 4:26 PM, Tnlynch81 said:

You also may want to factor in things like hotel, parking, and any taxi's/ubers you paid for all by yourself since she wasn't able to come.

[Sgwscruiser]

The poster sailed anyway. asking your friend to pay half these costs when she couldn’t go seems to me a very petty way to treat a friendship 

[Elaine5715]

On 2/2/2023 at 9:14 AM, Schoifmom said:

 

Agreed.  However, Carnival's policy does have a clause that reimburses the cabinmate for the single supplement when their cruise companion cannot sail for a covered reason.  It seems as though she needs a full, detailed accounting from Carnival to prove that she was charged a single supplement and then file a claim for that provision under the policy.

The non sailing guest didn't cancel.  They didn't show.