Georgianscot

Also it is not true that you need to get insurance once booked. I have been on a cruise and got insurance for pre-existing conditions the day before travel and was not expensive.

Yes you can get cover for pre-existing conditions which I always do. However for cancer , it is more difficult and there are few who will. I was given a list by McMillan Cancer support and one is willing but will cost £1k to insure. This is higher because it is a cruise and if anything happens, may need to airlift from the middle of the ocean. Another insurance company on the list refused to offer cover because I am still awaiting treatment - either surgery or more chemo. This is even though my oncologist told me to go on holiday and has given consent as I am well enough to travel and doing well. They don't care. Said they are not specialist enough and will not consult the doctor where as the other insurance company - Insure Cancer sends a questionnaire to the doctor to get their view.

Am just happy to be done so well and thankful I get to enjoy a nice holiday with my mum!

Happy news!

Am able to go on my cruise!

The surgeons have said if surgery going to happen will schedule after my holiday and to go! Will know about surgery next week. Looking positive though!

Also my cruise company contacted Celebrity and they were willing to let me transfer to another cruise up to 2020 but would have to pay the admin/transfer fee. Not a credit - I would have to had told them the exact cruise we would go on which to be honest would have been difficult as not sure what my future treatment would be and for how long. They said they would have done this as a critical situation and unexpected. So I applaud Celebrity for their kind consideration. Thank you 😊

Looking forward to our cruise and my full recovery afterwards as I know I will beat the big C!

Happy sailings to you all! 😊

Firstly sincere best wishes for a return to health....

 

Can I suggest you talk with your consultant (or your consultant’s secretary in the first instance) about your dilemma and ask two questions...

 

Firstly, will your health be adversely affected if you waited for your surgery until after your cruise and secondly can they simply book your surgery in after a certain date.

 

Much negative press is given to the U.K. health service but I have in the last three years juggled three surgeries (major but not life threatening) with cruises. Consultants do appreciate the positives a holiday can offer general health and the mental boost it gives....The key factor is if putting it off for a month or two be an issue.

 

Re money back from Celebrity/cruise swap. I would think this is highly unlikely after final payment. From what we have found out over several years the system in the U.K. is as follows. I am sure others will come in with their own experiences too. Contractually before final payment in the U.K. you can change a booking for a set fee of £75 per guest. This can be to a new cruise on a new date but you would not take any perks with you. This is wavered for Elite guests and above. Alternatively you can cancel and loose your deposit. However, after final payment I think Celebrity is not obligated to do anything. Re insurance, they would reimburse if you had declared your existing condition and they had agreed to cover it, otherwise they would not pay out either. As you do not have insurance this is probably not relevant....

 

Sincere best wishes that you can have the surgery you need after a much deserved cruise....

Thank you for your reply.

My consultant knows everything and it was she who in fact said I would benefit from a holiday so a relative gifted my mother and I the trip. The consultant said last week that they could work treatment around this. However, What we did not anticipate was that surgery would be an option. Was told no to then one week later be told possibly. Then she said chemo must be out of system for so many weeks and they like to do surgery at 6-8 weeks after last chemo session which lo and behold ties in with the cruise dates. She asked me to find out if cruise could be transferred to a later cruise. So all of this has been discussed in great detail. The issue is I am at a standstill as will not know any further news until Tuesday on whether surgery is an option or not. Then if it is, what is likely date of surgery? What do the surgeons think about delaying until after the cruise? If not surgery, would be back on chemo and can delay. However if this is my only chance to get cancer out and must be during those dates, then I have to do it to save my life!

I will go through the cruise company I booked with to see what they say. May just bite the bullet and pay the extorinate insurance if means getting back a refund of 8 times that cost!

Thank you

Anyone who answers this should recognize that the OP is in the UK. Rules there are different than in the US.

 

That being said, there are several questions that come to mind.

 

Are you before or after Final Payment?

Are you the patient or is it a member of your family not traveling with you?

Did you use a travel agent or did you book directly with Celebrity?

Did you buy travel insurance?

Was this a pre-existing condition?

Does your credit card offer any travel insurance?

 

Now, the general rule is that after Final Payment there is not much that can be done. You, or your travel agent, can try contacting Celebrity to see if there is any "compassionate" solution or opportunity to move the booking to another cruise at a later time, but the general rule is, there won't be one.

Thank you. Am hoping it won't come to this. This is after final payment and would be for a pre-existing condition. Waiting on a decision (was told would not be eligible for surgery to then being told may be) on if can have surgery to save a life! No travel insurance as yet and this trip was gifted - in a suite so lots of money at stake too. A life is more important but makes me feel sick to think of the person who gifted this trip would lose so much when trying to do a nice thing after such gruelling treatment these past few months. The doctor will write a letter to Celebrity if surgery is a go and they want to do it when we would be on holiday. Praying can get surgery but hoping they will wait until back from holiday to do it.

Does anyone have experience with having to cancel a Celebrity cruise due to urgent medical treatment?

Can someone cancel and change to another cruise thereby Celebrity still retaining the money and knowing money will be spent with them on a future cruise?

Thank you

Does anyone have any experience with this? What insurance companies are cheapest and best for cancer patients in the U.K. ? Thank you