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Insurance coverage for Europa cruise


MsSommelier
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I have had no response from the Cruise/Travel Insurance sub-forum but I am hoping that one of my fellow cruisers here can help me out.

 

We have a back-to-back with Europa coming up Jan/Feb 2018 (43 days plus travel days on front and back end). For insurance purposes, H-L and the insurance providers consider that one trip, not two separate trips put together.

 

We have an annual travel policy that will cover up to 10K Euros pp, but the cost of the two cruises together is substantially over that limit. Our current provider will not, even for a one-time payment, cover the gap between our top limit and the cost of the cruise because of our age.

 

We contacted H-L directly to see if they would provide insurance. No luck. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? I am really hoping that there is a solution that I simply haven't yet found.

 

Many thanks!

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MsSommelier,

 

I assume you are talking about a German travel insurance, especially Reiserücktritts- and Reiseabbruchversicherung.

 

H-L can only provide you a trip based insurance but rates depend on the price of the trip (and are pretty high compared to an annual insurance).

 

I do have two different insurances in my family. Both companies do pay the insured amount when the price of the trip is higher than the insured amount. So basically I lose everything above the insured amount. I don´t think that any of the companies will offer an "upgrade" just for a single trip but wants to sell you the higher package.

 

steamboats

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In case you have insurances with your credit card better read the fine print first!

 

Some insurances are limited. Usually you have to pay the tip with your card (some insurances don´t require this). Almost all credit card insurances in Germany do not cover Reiseabbruch. Some newer insurances do exclude cruises!

 

steamboats

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What about the included insurance? Doesn't that cover you? Or are you talking about Abbruch? They do offer that but not sure for how much.

In unseren Reisepreisen ist die Stornokostenversicherung der Europäischen Reiseversicherung/ERGO Gruppe enthalten. Die Stornokostenversicherung gilt für Reisende mit Wohnsitz im Europäischen Wirtschaftsraum und für Schweizer.

 

Wir bieten Ihnen innerhalb unseres Rundumsorglos-Paketes der Europäischen Reiseversicherung/ERGO Gruppe eine Reiseabbruchversicherung an. Unser Rundumsorglos-Paket beinhaltet:

  • Reiseabbruchversicherung
  • Reisekrankenversicherung
  • Telefonische Stornoberatung
  • Reisegepäckversicherung

Diese Leistungen sind nur im Paket erhältlich und jederzeit vor Reiseantritt buchbar. Informationen zu Preisen und Buchungsbedingungen erhalten Sie telefonisch unter +49 40 307030 - 70.

Edited by cathaana
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cathaana,

 

As I stated before the included insurance has pretty high rates as the rates depend on the price of the cruise.

 

That´s why I have a yearly police with an independent insurance company. I´m totally aware that in some cases the insured amount does not cover the whole costs of the cruise but I take the risk then.

 

steamboats

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Yes, Steamboats, you are correct, I am talking about Reiserücktritts- and Reiseabbruchversicherung. Our problem is apparently our age. Our current provider with whom we have the annual policy won't insure us over 10K pp no matter what (annual or one time) - even if we are willing to pay more.

 

Cathaana, we spoke with H-L directly and they also have a cap of 10K pp (regardless of cruise price) and it also doesn't matter if we would be willing to pay more for a policy or not. Additionally, we can't have a 'co-insurance' - that is, 10K with H-L for the trip plus 10K with our annual policy. H-L says they won't do it, because there is the possibility of conflict between insurances of who pays what.

 

H-L has 80% coverage for Storno, passenger pays 20%. In that case, our Reiserücktritt insurance would cover the 20%. The Abbruch is really our biggest risk, given the cost of the cruise. I would sleep better, knowing we had coverage!

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steamboats,

thank you for checking on the German insurance. We do have the 10,000 Euros max. We are 65 and 72 respectively, so our rates have been increasing each year accordingly. But that's still relatively inexpensive compared to cruise insurance in the US, as I remember it. Believe me, I would happily pay more to get more insurance if I was alllowed!

 

English Voyager, it sounds like a similar situation in the UK - capped at 10,000 £.

 

In the case of back to back cruises, it's just a shame that each cruise isn't considered 'one trip' - that would help a lot with defraying the cost if something happened on the 2nd cruise. For those of you who do back to backs, has that always been the case with H-L?

 

Lastly, has anyone had any problem with under-insurance? H-L informed us that they wouldn't even pay out the 10,000 Euros if something happened because the cost of the 2 cruises is over their limit and they consider us under-insuranced.

 

Thanks as always for the help.

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MsSommelier,

 

with regard to the question of being under insured, you would need to query with your Insurance Company their policy on the subject.

 

Some Companies will deduct from the maximum insured value the amount of the under insurance.

 

So £15,000 cruise, £10,000 maximum insured value, potential pay out £5,000.

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MsSommelier,

 

Check the fine print of your insurance. I do have two yearly polices (we do have one with Hanse-Merkur, my mother with ADAC). Both do pay up to the insured amount. If the price of the trip is higher I do get reimbursed for the insured amount max and have to pay everything above this amount. Actually I had to check this for a cruise last year which was me and my Mom going and the total was slightly above our insured amount (something between 800 and 900 Euros to be exact). I thought in that case I can take the risk. I wasn´t sure whether my insurance might pay for my part and my Mom´s for her or whether this was regarded as one trip (as I´ve booked it).

 

I don´t think it´s a matter of H-L whether this B2B is regarded as one or two trips. It´s a matter of your insurance company. Technically for H-L it´s two cruises with two different numbers. You also have to do the muster drill twice ;-).

 

steamboats

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<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> I double checked and our annual policy will pay up to the insured amount. H-L insurance would not. They consider this one trip – despite two separate cruise numbers and two muster drills ;-). So that puts us way over the 10K max and that means we would be under insured with them.

So we are limited to 10K pp (our annual policy). That leaves us 20K pp uncovered. Big gulp. And as I mentioned, we can’t have two insurance policies with two different providers (at least per H-L).

What I don’t understand is that it seems many people, including older passengers, do back to backs with Europa. Are they all taking such a risk?

I really hope I am missing something!

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MsSommelier,

 

I do think that the insured amount is not per person but per trip. So despite the number of people you are limited to 10 K. Checking the ADAC insurance it says "Reisepreis" which is not per person but the whole trip.

 

steamboats

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English Voyager,

 

But you´re talking about a UK insurance.

 

I checked another company (Hanse-Merkur) and it also says per trip (Reise). In the fine print I found that in case of a family insurance they pay only half of the insured amount for a solo traveling family member. Rates for single insurance are lower than for family (which includes kids up to the age of 21).

 

steamboats

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English Voyager,

 

But you´re talking about a UK insurance.

 

I checked another company (Hanse-Merkur) and it also says per trip (Reise). In the fine print I found that in case of a family insurance they pay only half of the insured amount for a solo traveling family member. Rates for single insurance are lower than for family (which includes kids up to the age of 21).

 

steamboats

 

There is a possibility that a UK Travel Insurance Company will issue a Policy to a non UK resident.

 

One such Company is Voyager Travel Insurance Company.

 

http://www.voyagertravelinsurance.co.uk/

 

However, the maximum insured value is only £5000 per person.

Edited by English Voyager
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It remains unclear to me what the HL included insurance covers, if anything, for U.S. citizens. My TA was unable to get a straight answer from HL, got something like " it depends" because the insurance language in the contract specifically states coverage applies to EU residents. To be sure of cancellation coverage I was told to buy a separate policy independent of HL but would get no credit for what I pay HL for possibly unusable insurance. I was not even guaranteed 10k coverage .

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It remains unclear to me what the HL included insurance covers, if anything, for U.S. citizens. My TA was unable to get a straight answer from HL, got something like " it depends" because the insurance language in the contract specifically states coverage applies to EU residents. To be sure of cancellation coverage I was told to buy a separate policy independent of HL but would get no credit for what I pay HL for possibly unusable insurance. I was not even guaranteed 10k coverage .

 

It is clearly stated, in the ' Versicherung ' section of the following, that the included insurance applies to EU, and Swiss residents.

 

https://www.hl-cruises.de/reisen-mit-uns/faq/ihre-reiseplanung

 

It also states that it is an integral part of the booking, and, if I have understood it correctly, it's cost is non deductible.

 

 

As for the English language website, it states:

 

 

TRAVEL INSURANCES

 

We strongly recommend that you take out global travel insurance to cover health, luggage and personal liability through your travel agency for the entire duration of your cruise. We also recommend that you take out travel curtailment insurance.

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