HardestyHouse

Thanks! I'm not unhappy with the product I bought. It just wasn't in Carnival's best interest to explain it fully, was it?! Normally reading anything legal makes me queasy, but once I found and printed the plan (the Carnival Vacation Protection, NOT the insurance portion (with the medical, evac, etc.) it was ONLY TWO PAGES! Even I could see how it should have all gone down. Carnival had the opportunity to make this clear to me and they did not. Stinkers!

The refund which I was offered originally by Carnival but did not take was my portion of payment based. The records for the cabin showed who paid for what. In our case it was divided evenly between the three of us. In that same email it was explained that my two remaining friends then make up the cost of what I am refunded. In the end the fares had no bearing at all. Did I take the original refund? No. Because I very mistakenly assumed that I simply claimed for my loss and the my friends didn't have to pay more money at the last minute. I am coming back to explain that the ONLY way for everyone to be made whole is to take the cash refund offered, have your traveling companions pay and then THEY claim for the change which resulted in extra cost. Of course AON has the last word as they determine the legitimacy of the claim. I had no problem getting a doctor note!

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.

From reading I did on this forum, this particular method of refund is unique to Carnival. Read the fine print every time! It really wasn't that fine once I found it! Very straightforward.

UPDATE: From information gleaned thru reading the fine print, scrolling endlessly thru this forum, and long phone conversations with AON and Carnival I was able to discern what went wrong...AND I am very happy to report that the travel agency will be making up the difference for me 🙂 With CARNIVAL, when you must cancel a cruise, TAKE the refund offered. Claim the penalties from AON (claims processor). Your cabin mate(s) PAY the increased rate for change of occupancy right away. Then they claim the increased payment on the Carnival Vacation Protection. This also works for the increase in single supplement if your cruise buddy has to cancel. I mistakenly and without support (travel agent) did not take the refund thinking it would come thru the "insurance." My friends sailed on my share. It isn't in Carnival's best interest to tell you to take the refund and follow these steps because it's all IN HOUSE! God forbid they give up the dime. But because I didn't take the refund, my friends couldn't say they PAID EXTRA, therefore they have nothing to claim. Carnival ate my share. Of course, for all of this to work the cancellation must be based on one of eight reasons listed in the Program "fine print" which is found by clicking thru on the Carnival Vacation Protection Plan page on their website. It's a shame on CARNIVAL that it took three hours on the phone to find someone who could interpret and explain the product they sell the hell out of everyday. Not one single front-line customer service agent could explain the product fully. Two things: This was a giant cluster you-know-what made worse by not having my wits about me (hello, pain meds). And secondly, there are kind and worthy travel agencies out there who step-up when inexperience and confusion short changes a customer.

For certain on #1. For certain. Thanks for the info in #2.

Reading the terms of the "Carnival Vacation Protection Package" ... Carnival Cancellation Fee Waiver refunds are also provided if you are charged a change in occupancy/ single supplement charge as a result of your traveling companion’s cancellation due to one of the reasons cited above. My TA told me that if I were to ask for a full refund from Carnival, each of my friends would then have to pay about $400 each to Carnival. Had we done so, after reading the above statement, they could have then claimed this amount from insurance, correct? Is anyone else getting this result from reading and applying the terms. It is unfortunate that I did not have my wits about me in the days after the surgery, but who does! I relied on my TA.

Excellent information! Thank you.... Is this type of "insurance" unique to Carnival? I've only cruised twice. The other was Royal Caribbean and all went smoothly, so no claim.

AON

Thank you! I feel as though a more experienced travel agent would be aware. I missed the time with my friends from across the US 😞 I don't miss my appendix. Little devil.

Carnival refunded a small portion as well, but sadly, the scenario did roll out as klfrodo outlined. The third person fare was incredibly low. Of course, we split the full room cost between the three of us evenly.

As I suspected, the prudent choice when we knew from the outset we would be three to a room would have been to go with a third party insurance provider. If only my travel agent had been privy to this information or more experienced. Yes, fully aware of the lesson learned.

Eight days before a Carnival cruise, my appendix darn near burst. Emergency surgery. I am out for the cruise -- can't lift anything heavy for six weeks. Sadly, I cancel. The drama unfolds...because we were three to a cabin, Carnival removes me as a passenger and then proceeds to upcharge the other two passengers still going. I receive very little refund -- believe it was only port taxes. Basically, I am told, my money financed their upcharge. File an insurance claim and waited. Today I was emailed my claim status. It's an $89 refund. Anyone experienced who can tell me what happened here?! WHAT is the point of insurance?! I am prepared to eat the cost of the trip, but not without making sure that I haven't missed something important. With insurance I expected to be made whole for my costs. Sigh.