Holland America Insurance FAIL

I've just spent over three hours on the phone with Holland America. When my travel companion's son called to cancel her reservation because she is in Intensive Care, he was told that my reservation has to be canceled also OR that I have to pay for her cruise since I'd be alone.

We had bought the most comprehensive insurance from Holland America (Platinum) at the time we booked but that has no bearing when one person has to cancel.

As a last resort I was told that if she cancels her air now and waits until 24 hours before sailing time (Buenos Aires time) and cancels the cruise then, I could still sail and not have to pay for her share. The fact that she is in Intensive Care and may be unable to do that does not concern them. They will not give that in writing so I would have to take my chances on one agent's word, fly to Buenos Aires and HOPE that I would still have a cruise reservation and HOPE that I would not be charged for her cruise. That leaves too much to chance.

So I see no alternative but to cancel my own reservation entirely. HA will give back only 90% of what was paid and I will lose the hotel I had prepaid and tours I had prepaid. I'm angry with HA because we were never told that if one person had to cancel, the other person would be penalized.

Lesson learned: paying for their premium policy does not give protection to a travel companion if one person has to cancel

Evidently the person you spoke to didn't explain that if there was only one sailing in the cabin you would need to pay a "single supplement" which is normally 100%.

You would need to pay this, then get your friends refund which would cover 90% of the single supplement fare.

Then my friend would be out the cost of her cruise. Insurance is supposed to cover a loss. We both paid for insurance so neither of us should suffer the loss.

I'm sorry that this policy does not fit your needs . I guess most people travel as a couple which is not your situation . Did you and your travel companion buy the policy together ?

I hope it works out for you . Good luck .

Then my friend would be out the cost of her cruise. Insurance is supposed to cover a loss. We both paid for insurance so neither of us should suffer the loss.

Are you trying to cancel also?

As I understand it, your friend will get a refund. But you don't get to stay in the room for a solo rate, as a single.

Then my friend would be out the cost of her cruise. Insurance is supposed to cover a loss. We both paid for insurance so neither of us should suffer the loss.

First of all, thanks for trying to bring this to everyone's attention since it could affect others.

Insurance only pays for "covered losses", ie, specified losses. Having to pay a single's supplement is not covered by your policy, hence no payment. You possibly could get such coverage if you shopped around but it would probably double the price of your policy.

Did you insure your pre-paid hotels and excursions?

Something is not right here. Either you misunderstood, or someone gave you incorrect information.

If you both cancel, you would have to pay one fare, since the other would be covered by the insurance. If one of you cancel because of health, then the insurance should cover that cancelation. You should not have to pay the single traveler supplement, since your companion's fare will be paid by the insurance. If you had to pay the single traveler supplement, HAL would be getting 3 full fares from one cabin - your double fare plus the fare paid by the insurance.

I have never had an insurance claim, so I am no expert, but you should not have to pay anything extra because your insured companion cancels for health reasons.

I would call again and ask for a supervisor.

Without being offensive, if the HAL policy did not exist, many solo passengers would use a similar strategy to avoid paying the single supplement. In my opinion this is a very logic policy.

 

You would need to pay this, then get your friends refund which would cover 90% of the single supplement fare.

That would be the case IF the friend Gave her refund to You. The friend would then be stuck with paying for a cruise, buying insurance and getting nothing back when she had to cancel.

Any time 1 person sails alone in a cabin they must pay the single supplement, whatever the supplement on that cabin may be.

That would be the case IF the friend Gave her refund to You. The friend would then be stuck with paying for a cruise, buying insurance and getting nothing back when she had to cancel.

 

Any time 1 person sails alone in a cabin they must pay the single supplement, whatever the supplement on that cabin may be.

Thank you for providing the correct advice/information.

Something is not right here. Either you misunderstood, or someone gave you incorrect information.

If you both cancel, you would have to pay one fare, since the other would be covered by the insurance. If one of you cancel because of health, then the insurance should cover that cancelation. You should not have to pay the single traveler supplement, since your companion's fare will be paid by the insurance. If you had to pay the single traveler supplement, HAL would be getting 3 full fares from one cabin - your double fare plus the fare paid by the insurance.

I have never had an insurance claim, so I am no expert, but you should not have to pay anything extra because your insured companion cancels for health reasons.

I would call again and ask for a supervisor.

The insurance would be paid to the person who had to cancel, not to HAL. HAL would only get the fare for 1 person plus whatever the single supplement was. Most often the single supplement is 100% so HAL would get the same amount as if 2 people sailed.

Without being offensive, if the HAL policy did not exist, many solo passengers would use a similar strategy to avoid paying the single supplement. In my opinion this is a very logic policy.

Makes sense to me.

We went through this with my father and his GF. We knew she would not be able to go on the trip, so we bought the platinum insurance. They told us over and over, be SURE to call TWENTY FOUR hours before the cruise starts and my father wouldn't have to pay the single supplement, and we would ONLY be out the 10% for the girlfriend.

We called when we got to Seattle and 24 hours before the cruise...and she was canceled with no issues and my father was able to cruise without paying anything extra.

My advice? Call within 24 hours and you'll get 90% (or whatever it is) of her payment back. It stinks, but if you follow the rules you can get your money back.

It sounds like you are cancelling one person and HAL is rebooking you as a single (which becomes subject to single occupancy fare).

There have been several discussions about this pop up occasionally, as it has happened to others. It seems it's usually when 2 non-spouses book double occupancy. Several years ago a lady came to the boards with this. She was part of a senior citizens group and booked with a travel agent who was putting a group together. The lady she was supposed to room with cancelled and got her share back (- fees and uncovered percent). The lady who went found out she was subject to the single supplement. IIRC this was a surprise to the TA also. There was lots of conversation generated about this.

HAL's policy is good coverage for some in some circumstances. It is also lacking in many others. (Look at medical and evacuation losses). I do not believe HALs options specifically cover the SS to allow one person to go.

Hope you can get this settled to your satisfaction. Perhaps it might be of use to see what the cruise is currently selling at, if it is still being sold. You might be able to use that to negotiate.

The insurance would be paid to the person who had to cancel, not to HAL. HAL would only get the fare for 1 person plus whatever the single supplement was. Most often the single supplement is 100% so HAL would get the same amount as if 2 people sailed.

This still adds up to HAL getting 3 fares for one cabin.

The companion pays her fare. Then she gets a refund from the insurance. HAL still has the money she originally paid. Now HAL wants a single traveler supplement too? Since the supplement is double the regular fare, that means HAL gets 3 fares for that cabin. The OP double fare plus the amount they received from her companion.

That can't be right.

If my wife is sick on my next cruise and simply doesn't show up at embarkation, I would end up in the room by myself. So, I would then have to pay a single traveler supplement even though we already paid for double occupancy?

I noticed that you mentioned hotel and excursions.

Did you book your own hotel and pre-paid it?

Did you book your own excursions and pre-paid them?

There have been several discussions about this pop up occasionally, as it has happened to others. It seems it's usually when 2 non-spouses book double occupancy. Several years ago a lady came to the boards with this. She was part of a senior citizens group and booked with a travel agent who was putting a group together. The lady she was supposed to room with cancelled and got her share back (- fees and uncovered percent). The lady who went found out she was subject to the single supplement. IIRC this was a surprise to the TA also. There was lots of conversation generated about this.

I am now convinced. HAL's insurance is worthless, and I will never purchase it.

I am now convinced. HAL's insurance is worthless, and I will never purchase it.

Gee, the canceling party gets their money back. And that makes it worthless?

And do you think if the OP had insurance through any other vender it would somehow be different?

I do not know of any insurance that covers the single supplement if one person cancels and the other continues with the cruise.

Susan

Gee, the canceling party gets their money back. And that makes it worthless?

 

 

And do you think if the OP had insurance through any other vender it would somehow be different?

The canceling party gets their money back, but now the OP has to pay double, that makes the insurance worthless. No, I doubt if another insurance company is any better. I would just think it is better to have no insurance than to pay extra for something that has no value.

Gee, the canceling party gets their money back. And that makes it worthless?

 

 

And do you think if the OP had insurance through any other vender it would somehow be different?

If my wife is sick on my next cruise and simply doesn't show up at embarkation, I would end up in the room by myself. So, I would then have to pay a single traveler supplement even though we already paid for double occupancy?

I noticed that you mentioned hotel and excursions.

 

Did you book your own hotel and pre-paid it?

 

Did you book your own excursions and pre-paid them?

I've never bought a cruise line's insurance, so I only know how "outside" insurance policies work. If I insure the cost of my cruise, and later book prepaid hotels and/or excursions, I can increase my policy to cover those extras. (Increases the insurance cost, but it gives me more coverage)

If I insure my cruise with HAL's insurance, can I tack on coverage for pre- and post-cruise items not booked through HAL? Or will they insure only their own "product?"

Exactly !

 

You would go on the cruise without your wife ? Then you might really need that insurance.

I have heard it going both ways. Sometimes if one person checks in and boards and the other never shows up, there have been times the cruiser was charged the single supplement and times they were not. Hit or miss, it seems.

Exactly !

 

You would go on the cruise without your wife ? Then you might really need that insurance.

No I would not go on a cruise without my wife, that was just a hypothetical example to show how ridiculous HAL's policy is.

But I now realize, it is not HAL's insurance that is at fault, it is their Single Traveler policy. The single traveler supplement should not be enforced when both fares are already paid.

It has been many years since we stopped purchasing HAL insurance and I am curious about one of the reasons we stopped insuring for cancellation.

When you purchase HAL's Platinum, the premium is based upon the price of the cruise, correct?

If that is accurate, what do they use as the price of the cruise? The amount you are actually paying or the full brochure price?

When we first started cruising HAL, the insurance was very, very low and we added it for our first few cruises. We always booked "S" cabins as Neptune Suites were then called. At some point, they started charging premium based upon full brochure price of the cruise and we chose to start self-insuring given the price of our cabins was high and the premiums jumped considerably. In our case, it was a great choice as we never had to cancel during penalty phase for any of our many cruises and saved literally tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid premiums.

(We had other evacuation and medical coverage out of country.)