Megabear2

Don't they always .....

I have an Allianz policy through Halifax. I carried out an online chat a week or so ago and was told I'd need a PCR. I have queried this and await a reply. I've been a very busy bee for my family who unfortunately all use different insurers. This news from HE is the most positive but the first paragraph is worrying in cases such a the lady who told the truth about her cough.

Through your insurer I'm afraid. FCC stopped at the beginning of September.

Does this mean no onboard test as well? I wanted to do a trip there but wasn't too keen on the testing.

I have no idea. I'm just a messenger who asked others to have a look at the 29 September list update to see if they though there were more tests listed. I'm neither a soothsayer or wizard on the machinations of P&O and their website I'm afraid!

See my amended post above. I took it to read the same as you but not everyone in a travelling party may necessarily be on one policy. Certainly my husband and I aren't although we do have a third policy where we are jointly named but it doesn't cover covid before boarding at this time.

I've asked him for further clarification on that very point. He appears to say a couple are covered if one tests positive which is promising. I have asked if an observed LFT such as I'm required to take would suffice and whether to need to get my GP to add it to my records. Assumedly he expects your doctor to have some sort of proof you've tested positive and I wondered if he wants maybe your doctor to do a zoom observed test or something given doctors won't see patients with covid symptoms. Certainly this information is far better than other insurers such as Staysure and Avanti indicate in their policies, ie PCR test.

I have just had my email reply from Justin Edinburgh following my enquiry to him as to whether P&O have entered conversations with his company on their new policy of passengers relying solely on their insurer. It makes interesting reading! There are a couple of good news points but overall Mr Edinburgh, who I've found to be very truthful and helpful previously, seems to indicate not much change at his end. Quote Thank you for getting back in touch with me and updating me on your experience. I am sorry to hear you had to cancel and move your cruise after all! Although it is of course helpful that P&O issued you future cruise credit. I’ll try to address your questions and concerns below. On your first point regarding this paragraph from P&O: “We’re unable to accept guests who, within 10 days prior to the cruise, have been unwell with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. If you’re impacted by this, you would need to call our Customer Contact Centre on 0344 338 8003 (local call charges apply) and not travel to the terminal/airport” This is a rule put in place and enforced by P&O, and is not in line with any current government guidance or advice, and therefore any denial of boarding or cancellation would not be classed as an insurable event and is therefore not covered under our policies. In terms of what would be accepted as a reason for cancellation, a medically verified test can be a lateral flow test verified by your doctor. We would need this same verification for a cancellation claim for any other medical condition or issue. Regarding non-positive travellers and close contacts of a positive result, this is again a rule put in place by P&O and is not in line with current government guidelines, which do not require you to isolate yourself if you come into contact with somebody who has tested positive. Our policies will cover you for cancellation if one of the following people tests positive for COVID: you, your relative, a member of your household, travelling companion, or person that were due to stay with. And finally, I can confirm that our underwriter’s stance on passengers being forced to disembark against the advice of the insurer’s medical assistance teams has not changed since our discussions earlier this year. I hope this has been helpful in clarifying your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact me again if you have any more questions or want further clarification. Kind regards

As requested elsewhere this thread refers to the link on P&O's website under Destinations. Looking at the ports requiring testing onboard the list seems to have expanded on 29 September as follows: 12 and over test required: Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Honduras, Lithuania, Poland, St Vincent and Turkey. A couple of others are now showing to be advised as under discussion. Is my memory playing tricks or has it indeed expanded?

I think the plan on reverting to "normal" terms may have been a deliberate move to lock as many people in as possible, particularly those who are paid in full, while the financial and disease situation was looking good. P&O will now be able to balance their books a little better and see how the income stream looks going forward. Lots on various boards, not just P&O, are booked on multiple cruises through to mid 2024 and that is effectively money in the bank as any changes have to be to a cruise of equivalent or higher cost. Clever accounting, but ultimately one which couid backfire if those deposits lead to cancellations rather than final payments. A lot of the American lines made the moved in April/May as their ships arrived in Europe but of course Americans have better cancellation rights than UK passengers.

Thank you for the clarification on how you view the situation. Clearly that is more reasonable than how you worded it previously. Sadly it's not quite so black and white as following the current rules as this thread and the Britannia one also show that the rules can change in a heartbeat, however I assume from your current post you support and would comply with any new ones introduced including any future reintroduction of compulsory testing and masking if P&O decide they become necessary. Thank you.

Have a great cruise.

Oh goodness, so your total quarantine will have been 19 days until you board your flight. Are you alone or is your travelling companion sharing your room ashore, I know in Italy they split families so hopefully Malta is a little more accommodating, particularly as you are a long way into your illness. I do wish you better and hope all goes well with you getting home. I appreciate it's not the main thing on your mind at the moment but perhaps further along you might feel able to give us an update on how your insurer handles your case and what they required from you.

I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope you get home soon. Unfortunately your experience is not unique I know of a great number of people this is happening to, not just on P&O. I'm glad they are looking after you well. Assumedly your insurer will now be treating you under the medical section of your policy rather than the confinement section. Not much comfort I know but at least if you are ashore with a positive test in hotel quarantine it should make your claim far easier. May I ask how many days did you quarantine on the ship before disembarkation?

I'm not supporting the suggestion I'm merely stating the facts that the cruise lines are being draconian in following rules they are making up on the hoof. Their rules have stated categorically through the mask regime no exemptions. I saw a lady with a visor barred from her cruise earlier late last year because it didn't meet the rules set by P&O. She was very tearful but eventually accepted she would need to wear her mask. We did see her about the ship and she was masked. Whether she was happy or uncomfortable I have no idea.

I was one of the unfortunates who stayed positive for close on three weeks. I became very unwell and at the point I was coughing blood was sent to a so called "hot clinic" where a PCR test was carried out. Astonishingly at 16 days it was still positive so my records recorded it and the cruise company accepted it. Interestingly my Aurora cruise was cancelled at the same time early in my illness and they automatically cancelled on the health declaration and the FCC appeared in 48 hours. Obviously the PCR result being a freak made my life easier as Celebrity had just stopped their FCC regime at the point I was ill.

You can get certified testing but if you go to book all companies state if you have symptoms they will not book a test for you. These are apparently tests for fit to fly certificates. I tried to use one of these for proof I had covid at the end of March to ensure I had it recorded on my medical records and was refused a test.

Your insurer treated you well, particularly if you also received FCC, as most policies seem to say if you receive remuneration of any kind from your tour ope4ator, airline, hotel etc you are not paid out from them. Reading this, please correct me if I'm wrong, you received both a confinement payout and FCC? Was there a daily set amount in your policy and a maximum claimable? Some insurers appear to have not been paid out under the confinement section stating it specifically does not cover covid confinement.

When did this happen? Presumably just down to bad weather not a a shortage.

Thank you for your insight from someone affected. I find it sad so many don't understand or just couldn't care less. Figures here are announced via the local paper each week. We have 23 hospitalised at last Friday. I think I.might retire from this topic now it's wandering. If I have any useful information for people be it from insurers, the FCA or P&O I will post then if it seems relevant.

I don't disagree but they'll lose all their money now they are restricted on moving cruises. I'm.not suggesting a right or wrong approach merely a more flexible one for these auto immune people who've been trapped into protecting their money for an age and are now having to travel.or maybe lose the lot. If one of these people God forbid contracts the disease and dies the repercussions for the cruise line will.be enormous, particularly if the press get wind of it.

It's not a problem to me but clearly is to the immune deficiency people some of whom are only just getting brave enough to go out. The poor lady on the Ventura Masks thread might have wanted to know so she didn't book for instance.

Totally true but some of those people booked months or years ago and P&O may have lulled them into a false sense of security. There is no openness on how many cases there have been onboard, probably because cruise lines don't want to put people off. Anyone reading the website updates may well think it's far safer for them than it actually is. It isn't them being stupid just too trusting.

I'm sorry you are in a predicament. Unfortunately no cruise is guaranteed as mask free as if there are any outbreaks the rules can change immediately whi h is what has occurred on Ventura and Britannia's current voyages. No one can say positively that a cruise will not be affected.

As I said, as long as your happy, nothing to worry about. Enjoy your cruise.