Beware Carnivals Travel Insurance AON

[skrufy]

2 minutes ago, skrufy said:

Can you tell me how CFAR works. Do I contact someone? Paid at final payment time. 

My understanding is AON provides the CFAR policy

[happy cruzer]

4 hours ago, skrufy said:

Can you tell me how CFAR works. Do I contact someone? Paid at final payment time. 

Found this link to a form to submit; hope it is current.

 

https://www.carnival.com/request-forms/reimbursement-form.aspx

[skrufy]

46 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

Found this link to a form to submit; hope it is current.

 

https://www.carnival.com/request-forms/reimbursement-form.aspx

Thanks for the link, happy cruzer

[1kaper]

18 hours ago, wemjam said:

Right?  Got me thinking too.  Often I will add it much later as well.

 

However if you add it at the start (within like 14 days as someone else quoted), but don't PAY for it until later does this exempt them from payment based on preexisting conditions?  Or, if you don't add it until later does that exclude things as well.  Or any such factors?  I actually printed the policy once so I have it, but who has the time to sit and read 80 pages (and better yet completely 100% understand them all)?  I do remember going through and reading much of the key points just to determine coverages, etc.

 

@ninjacat123

 

From my own personal experience, I would book and pay for it as soon as you book the cruise.  If you happen to be diagnosed with something between the time of booking and sailing, anything related to that will not be covered. 
I booked a cruise on a credit card I thought had travel insurance.  I have medical travel through work but wanted trip cancellation insurance.  Ended up being diagnosed with something that would have been covered only to find out I didn't have the insurance I thought on that credit card, it was another one. 
Now my condition has to be stable for 6 months before I can get cancellation insurance that will cover it.  If I travel, I'm ok because I had the travel medical prior to the diagnosis but any new insurance purchased would not cover it. 

[pjhootch]

OP I hope you get your claim refiled and processed correctly.

 

I tend to use AIG or another similar company- and generally purchase through insuremytravel.

 

I have filed claims a time or two for travel related difficulties.  I recall being reimbursed for a hotel, meals and buying a clean sweatshirt and odds and ends when we got stuck overnight in Atlanta one time.  Our luggage had already been flown home.  Not us.  

 

Since I have been cruising very cheaply on casino offers for several months, my major concern is medical and evacuation.  I purchased a year long policy this year.  Everyone should read the terms before they purchase any travel insurance closely.  For instance, most policies are only secondary for medical and will "reimburse" you for medical expenses incurred.  If you don't have a solid amount of cash or credit available to pay a hospital in Mexico or further afield, you want to look for a policy that pays medical a "primary" benefit.  

 

Travel insurance shopping is a pain to find a good fit- but it really is necessary to have the right company with a good reputation for processing claims.  AIG, Generali and Travelguard have all been pretty decent, in my experience.

 

Also- pay close attention to the requirements for CFAR reimbursement.  As far as I know, all policies require you to purchase your policy within a short period of time of putting down your initial deposit.  Some of the policies I have seen require insurance to be purchased within 24 hours of deposit on your cruise for the CFAR to be valid.

 

Edited April 27, 2023 by pjhootch

[mjkacmom]

I think the issue is that the insurance wasn’t actually purchased until final payment, after the diagnosis. I believe if you canceled your cruise before final payment the insurance wouldn’t have been purchased.

[skrufy]

Just now, mjkacmom said:

I think the issue is that the insurance wasn’t actually purchased until final payment, after the diagnosis. I believe if you canceled your cruise before final payment the insurance wouldn’t have been purchased.

I’m leaning towards a pre existing condition now. Waiting for AON to confirm this. Have learned a lot about travel insurance in the last few days. Next cruise we will shop around and buy a policy that covers all our needs. This was an expensive lesson to learn.

[Jersey42]

14 minutes ago, skrufy said:

I’m leaning towards a pre existing condition now. Waiting for AON to confirm this. Have learned a lot about travel insurance in the last few days. Next cruise we will shop around and buy a policy that covers all our needs. This was an expensive lesson to learn.

Unfortunately this is probably what happened.  Carnival's Vacation Protection Plan will not pay most benefits (including cancelation, interruption, medical and evac) if it was due to a pre-existing condition.  Unlike many third party plans, Carnival does not offer a waiver of the pre-existing conditions clause if you purchase within XX days of your first deposit.  Here is Carnival's definition.  It is similar to the generic one provided by another poster (#21) who really understands this stuff:

 

Pre-Existing Condition means any injury, sickness or condition of Yours, Your Traveling Companion and/or Your Family Member booked to travel with You for which within the sixty (60) day period prior to the Effective Date of Trip Cancellation coverage under this Policy (a) first manifested itself or exhibited symptoms which would have caused one to seek diagnosis, care or treatment; (b) required taking prescribed drugs or medicine, unless the condition for which the prescribed drug or medicine is taken remains controlled without any change in the required prescription; or (c) required medical treatment or treatment was recommended by a Physician.

 

The good news is assuming you followed the procedures for canceling your trip, you most likely will qualify for CFAR (75% future cruise credit) for the non-refundable (taxes and fees) portion of your cruise fare.  Here are specifics:

 

Vacation Protection “ANY REASON” Cruise Credits......Up to 75% of the non-refundable prepaid Cruise Vacation Cost

 

Provided by Carnival Cruise Line

In the event that you choose to cancel for a reason not authorized above or for a reason that is otherwise restricted, at any time up until departure, and you have purchased Vacation Protection, Carnival Cruise Line will provide you a cruise credit equal to 75% of the non-refundable value of your cruise vacation prepaid to Carnival Cruise Line, for your use toward a future cruise. This additional enhancement is offered by Carnival Cruise Line as a special service to guests that purchase this ticket contract Cancellation Fee Waiver Program Addendum and is available only if purchased prior to final payment (for the cruise vacation). Certain restrictions on the use of these cruise credits (such as blackout periods) may apply. To be eligible for credits, notification of cancellation must be given to Carnival Cruise Line prior to the ship’s departure. Once you’ve cancelled with Carnival Cruise Line, please contact the Program Administrator at 1-800-331-2796 regarding cruise credits.

 

Here is a link to download a sample policy:

https://affinitytravelcert.com/document/pdfs/CCL_Landing.html

 

Scroll down to the bottom and select your state.  Then click on the Download button.

 

[1kaper]

48 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I think the issue is that the insurance wasn’t actually purchased until final payment, after the diagnosis. I believe if you canceled your cruise before final payment the insurance wouldn’t have been purchased.

 

Whenever I have added Carnival's insurance, it was paid for at the time I added it.  I have bought it twice when I put the deposit down and I paid the deposit plus the cost of insurance.  My cruise was not paid in full. 

[GeezerCouple]

On 4/26/2023 at 9:58 AM, klfrodo said:

tripinsurancestore.com

They have 9 companies they work with to help find a policy that covers what you are most concerned about.

Yes, TIS.

We have used them for almost 10 years since learning about them here on CC.

And we have had several claims, ALL paid without any nonsense.

 

Also, the folks at TIS (Steve, mentioned here often, is the owner) will help you if there is any difficulty with a claim.  For our first claim, I sent our claim form to him for proofing before submitting it.  He made one editing change.  We sent the form in, and in about 2 weeks, we had a check for the full payment for the last minute cancellation of a big trip.

 

But CALL them. Don't just read the online policy summaries.  There is too much "fine print", and each person's needs are likely to be slightly different.  Let them help you select the policy that fits *your* needs best.  (And no extra charge for using their services.)

 

GC

[mjkacmom]

28 minutes ago, 1kaper said:

 

Whenever I have added Carnival's insurance, it was paid for at the time I added it.  I have bought it twice when I put the deposit down and I paid the deposit plus the cost of insurance.  My cruise was not paid in full. 

But the OP says the insurance wasn’t paid for until final payment.

[1kaper]

5 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

But the OP says the insurance wasn’t paid for until final payment.

No, OP said "We have always chosen the insurance when we book . But we never pay off the cruise until final payment comes around."

OP bought insurance at the time of booking.  People wondered if maybe it wasn't paid for in full.  I'm saying it was. You can't add insurance at the time of booking without paying for it.  

 

That is what I do.  I book, pay deposit and cost of insurance, then pay off the cruise later.  

Just to be sure, I just did a mock booking and my deposit would be $198 without Carnival Protection.  With Carnival Protection added, deposit would be $328 (insurance is $65 pp on this cruise).

[Jersey42]

1 hour ago, Jersey42 said:

Unfortunately this is probably what happened.  Carnival's Vacation Protection Plan will not pay most benefits (including cancelation, interruption, medical and evac) if it was due to a pre-existing condition. . .

If indeed you booked and paid for the Carnival Protection Plan in advance of your symptoms/diagnosis AND you had nothing else that would meet the definition of pre-existing condition when you purchased the plan, please ignore my previous post.  You need to continue to pursue/fight with AON to at least get a reason for the small reimbursement.  If the denial is indeed accurate, they should still provide the CFAR benefit.

 

@skrufy You originally said you submitted a "medical claim".  I have assumed you submitted a "trip cancelation claim" for medical reasons.  If not, please explain and maybe you will get some additional advice.  Good luck.  

[skrufy]

28 minutes ago, Jersey42 said:

If indeed you booked and paid for the Carnival Protection Plan in advance of your symptoms/diagnosis AND you had nothing else that would meet the definition of pre-existing condition when you purchased the plan, please ignore my previous post.  You need to continue to pursue/fight with AON to at least get a reason for the small reimbursement.  If the denial is indeed accurate, they should still provide the CFAR benefit.

 

@skrufy You originally said you submitted a "medical claim".  I have assumed you submitted a "trip cancelation claim" for medical reasons.  If not, please explain and maybe you will get some additional advice.  Good luck.  

Yes, I filed a cancelation claim. I have learned a lot I think I was denied due to paying the for the insurance after my diagnoses. Expensive lesson learned. Thanks for your help. Will check for CFAR

[1kaper]

3 minutes ago, skrufy said:

Yes, I filed a cancelation claim. I have learned a lot I think I was denied due to paying the for the insurance after my diagnoses. Expensive lesson learned. Thanks for your help. Will check for CFAR

 

I'm confused. You said you selected the insurance when you booked which means you would have paid for it when you booked.  You said you were diagnosed long after you booked. 

 

Also - I'm in the same boat.  That is what happened to me.  Booked 3 cruises, one with Carnival and their insurance, and was diagnosed.  I was supposed to be going on one in 10 days but my surgery is scheduled for 12 days from now.  We ended up moving one to another time and will just cancel our Carnival one because we won't do two that close together. I haven't paid the full cost of the Carnival one yet, I am going to try to use the CFAR for our deposit though. 

[skrufy]

22 minutes ago, 1kaper said:

 

I'm confused. You said you selected the insurance when you booked which means you would have paid for it when you booked.  You said you were diagnosed long after you booked. 

 

Also - I'm in the same boat.  That is what happened to me.  Booked 3 cruises, one with Carnival and their insurance, and was diagnosed.  I was supposed to be going on one in 10 days but my surgery is scheduled for 12 days from now.  We ended up moving one to another time and will just cancel our Carnival one because we won't do two that close together. I haven't paid the full cost of the Carnival one yet, I am going to try to use the CFAR for our deposit though. 

Yes, when we book a cruise we select gratuities and insurance. But the feedback I am getting you must pay the insurance at time of booking.

[1kaper]

10 minutes ago, skrufy said:

Yes, when we book a cruise we select gratuities and insurance. But the feedback I am getting you must pay the insurance at time of booking.

 

did you see my post above? 
 

If you select the insurance it is added on to your deposit.  You can not opt in for the insurance without paying for it. So if you selected it, you paid for it. 
gratuities will be added on to the final payment cost but the cost of the insurance is added to your deposit. 

[skrufy]

12 minutes ago, 1kaper said:

 

did you see my post above? 
 

If you select the insurance it is added on to your deposit.  You can not opt in for the insurance without paying for it. So if you selected it, you paid for it. 
gratuities will be added on to the final payment cost but the cost of the insurance is added to your deposit. 

Thank you for your input, I am going to check on the info you gave me.

[skrufy]

Mystery solved. Did some investigating. The insurance was not selected at time of booking, wether I did not select or my wife did not, we didn’t have it until we added it at time of final payment. I’m now positive I was considered a pre existing condition. Never make this mistake again, will purchase at booking. Most likely by a company that customizes your plan. Thank you all for your input.

[jclinard]

It's worth noting that AON is NOT accredited with the Better Business Bureau.  That alone should make anybody nervous about buying a policy from them.

 

I'd run the math on CFAR before buying.  How much are you putting up, and if you have to use it, what do you really get back?  It's especially important because without it your losses are limited to the amount of pre-paid items (hotel, airfare, cruise, etc.).   In addition, I think you can't cancel within 48 hours, so with a last minute issue you're stuck with both having paid for the policy and for the non-refundable portions.  

 

 

 

 

 

[skrufy]

7 hours ago, jclinard said:

It's worth noting that AON is NOT accredited with the Better Business Bureau.  That alone should make anybody nervous about buying a policy from them.

 

I'd run the math on CFAR before buying.  How much are you putting up, and if you have to use it, what do you really get back?  It's especially important because without it your losses are limited to the amount of pre-paid items (hotel, airfare, cruise, etc.).   In addition, I think you can't cancel within 48 hours, so with a last minute issue you're stuck with both having paid for the policy and for the non-refundable portions.  

 

Thanks, will keep it in mind

 

 

7 hours ago, jclinard said:

 

 

 

 

[skrufy]

Can any of you guys tell me how to find the AON policy. I would like to see what it says.

[Jersey42]

18 minutes ago, skrufy said:

Can any of you guys tell me how to find the AON policy. I would like to see what it says.

I put a link in post 51.  Again, this is a policy underwritten by Nationwide with some non-insurance benefits provided by Carnival.  Aon Affinity is the administrator for both parts of the plan.  The distinction may or may not matter in your case, but if you need to get your state insurance commission involved, they will usually not touch the non-insurance portion.

 

https://affinitytravelcert.com/document/pdfs/CCL_Landing.html

 

Scroll down to the bottom and select your state.  Then click on the Download button.

[skrufy]

44 minutes ago, Jersey42 said:

I put a link in post 51.  Again, this is a policy underwritten by Nationwide with some non-insurance benefits provided by Carnival.  Aon Affinity is the administrator for both parts of the plan.  The distinction may or may not matter in your case, but if you need to get your state insurance commission involved, they will usually not touch the non-insurance portion.

 

https://affinitytravelcert.com/document/pdfs/CCL_Landing.html

 

Scroll down to the bottom and select your state.  Then click on the Download button.

 

44 minutes ago, Jersey42 said:

I put a link in post 51.  Again, this is a policy underwritten by Nationwide with some non-insurance benefits provided by Carnival.  Aon Affinity is the administrator for both parts of the plan.  The distinction may or may not matter in your case, but if you need to get your state insurance commission involved, they will usually not touch the non-insurance portion.

 

https://affinitytravelcert.com/document/pdfs/CCL_Landing.html

 

Scroll down to the bottom and select your state.  Then click on the Download button.

Thanks jersey42, missed it while scrolling through the posts.

[skrufy]

For all you wonderful Cruise Critic members who made comments on my insurance claim problem, I want to thank you all.I was able to get a full refund from AON. Making it short, with all the caps in my life the last few months, I did not cancel the cruise with Carnival. After talking with them they sent me an e-mail cancelling the cruise. Then basically AON reopened the claim with the new documents and approved the claim tonight by e-mail.