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Cruise Canceled after Fly to Port


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This has been discussed in a few threads, but to be honest I haven't seen what I feel is a definitive answer. It involves the rather unlikely scenario that the cruise is canceled but flights in and out of the port of embarkation are not.

 

Let's say you have private travel insurance (but not Cancel for Any Reason coverage), and made your own airline reservations (i.e., not through the cruise line). You choose a very restricted airfare (i.e., 100% change fee - worthless if you don't take the flight). You've flown to the port of embarkation a day or two before the cruise, and then the cruise is canceled. Clearly you get the cruise fare refunded. Whatever extra costs you incur at the port of embarkation in terms of more nights at a hotel and/or change fees associated with flying home will be covered by trip interruption coverage.

 

The first question is whether travel insurance compensates you for the airfare itself or are you out that money?

 

I also wonder about a slightly different scenario, where you haven't taken the flight to the port of embarkation yet when you are notified of the cruise cancellation. Presumably, you wouldn't actually fly to the port of embarkation if you know that your cruise is cancelled. Does that change the answer to the first question? Again, remember, the flight has not been canceled.

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Worse case scenario

Bob and Cheryl are both just working joes. They don't travel very much. They have no status with the airline. When they do travel, they don't care which airline, it's just whoever has the cheapest ticket.

 

Under both scenerio's, I would think Bob and Cheryl are out of luck. They need to make lemonaid out of lemons.

With scenario 2,, they might get lucky if they use all their customer skills and get a future flight credit.

 

 

Best Case Scenerio

Chuck and Marge are elite members of an airlines frequent flier club. They fly once or twice a month for business and pleasure.

With either scenario they will either be given future flight credits or allowed to cancel without any penalties.

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In your first scenarios, if you used your outbound flight, why would you get reimbursed? And, you'd have to use the return portion to get home. There would be no loss.

You'd have to read the terms of the policy to see what's covered. Probably nothing in terms of flight reimbursement.

In the second, again it depends on the policy. You might get the change fee refunded by insurance, and be left with an airline credit you could still use. But, if the flight isn't cancelled, don't see why you'd get a refund.

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Scenario 2 - Some policies cover the cost of non-refundable expenses if a cruise is canceled. This would include plane tickets and prepaid hotel reservations. The only way to know if a specific policy covers this is to read the policy document where they list the allowable trip cancellation reasons. When they include this coverage sometimes it is only for weather-related cancellations but some include mechanical issues.

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Again, remember, the flight has not been canceled.
Scenario 2 - Some policies cover the cost of non-refundable expenses if a cruise is canceled. This would include plane tickets and prepaid hotel reservations. The only way to know if a specific policy covers this is to read the policy document where they list the allowable trip cancellation reasons. When they include this coverage sometimes it is only for weather-related cancellations but some include mechanical issues.
Just to clarify, you're saying that there are policies that state that they will cover nonrefundable airfare for flights that haven't been canceled if you were going to use them to get to the port of embarkation for a cruise that has been cancelled for weather-related or mechanical reasons?
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Just to clarify, you're saying that there are policies that state that they will cover nonrefundable airfare for flights that haven't been canceled if you were going to use them to get to the port of embarkation for a cruise that has been cancelled for weather-related or mechanical reasons?

 

Yes, for example see the CSA Custom Luxe policy.

 

Go to this page and click "View Certificate": https://www.squaremouth.com/travel-insurance-providers/csa-travel-protection/custom-luxe

 

Then scroll down in the document to "Trip Cancellation Benefit" and see covered reason #2:

 

Common Carrier delays and/or cancellations

resulting from adverse weather, mechanical

breakdown of the aircraft, ship, boat or motor coach

that you were scheduled to travel on, or organized

labor strikes that affect public transportation;

 

Not all policies include this under trip cancellation reasons. You have to read the policy document fine print to find the ones that do. They will pay you for non-refundable payments such as plane tickets and pre-paid hotels.

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