Insurance Question Please

[ldparker]

If I have to cancel a cruise within a few weeks of leaving, I know I forfit 100% of the cost, however, how is that cost calculated?

 

For example, say my total payment to RCL is $3,000. In that $3000, I have $300 worth of excursions and $300 worth of pre-paid gatuities. Will I get the cost of excursions and gatuities back ($600) and only lose $2,400 or is the whole $3,000 lost?

 

Thank for any insight.

 

David

[PamelaRic]

David -

All insurance is different. Your best bet is to call the company your insurance is with and ask them. The times I have called travel insurance companies for specific information, they were terrific at answering those questions. The insurance I purchase (I pay a wee bit more for it) covers absolutely all money outlaid that the cruise company does not return to me if I have to cancel at the last moment.

Good luck,

Pamela

Tucson

[mamacat3]

Pamela is right - call your insurer as all policies are different. Good luck!!

[Tucker in Texas]

Awhile back on the forum, a person who had to cancel last minute had pre-paid tips. The cruise line did not return them and the insurance company said it was not covered as it was for a service not received and not part of the cruise fare. They went back and forth and eventually the cruise line refunded it.

 

As for excursions, you can cancel those once on the ship and get your money back so I wouldn't see a problem there.

 

Tucker in Texas

[ldparker]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I thougjt excursions would certianly be refundable directly from RCL, but not sure about the pre-paid gatuities.

 

Any other experiences?

[ugen512]

We have been advised previously that pp grats are refunded when cancelling. This may have changed but it doesn't make any sense that they would not be refundable.

[cruiseguy1016]

Awhile back on the forum, a person who had to cancel last minute had pre-paid tips. The cruise line did not return them and the insurance company said it was not covered as it was for a service not received and not part of the cruise fare. They went back and forth and eventually the cruise line refunded it.

 

As for excursions, you can cancel those once on the ship and get your money back so I wouldn't see a problem there.

 

Tucker in Texas

 

The flight down and back is a service not received and (if you booked your own flights) not part of the cruise fare either but that is refundable. IMHO any money you have paid out should be refundable. We get insurance every time and we have to tell the company how much money we have spent on the entire vacation. This way the entire cost of the trip is covered and refundable.

 

If you are insuring just the cost of the cruise, then maybe I can see their point but one could also argue that the prepaid gratuities are part of the cruise fare, especially if you are using MTD and are forced to prepay them.

 

We always insure the entire cost of the vacation; air fare, car rental, hotel, cruise fare etc. This way if we have to cancel for some reason, we will get everything refunded.

[Tucker in Texas]

I, also, insure with a 3rd party for the entire vacation. In fact, I over insure (lol). I want pre-existing so as soon as I book the cruise, I get insurance based on the cruise fare I have booked. I have to guess at what airfare will be. Also, hotel, but not too concerned about guessing that accurately because you can cancel it up to 24 hours out in most cases unless you pre-pay to get some kind of deal. I guess that would hold true for car rental, too. I still include it, though, in my calculations. Something could come up enroute causing me to not use the hotel or car.

 

By the time I cruise, I've usually gotten price reductions and usually my air fare estimate is high because I use what is available that day and then bird dog a cheaper fare which I can usually get. On one occasion, I upgraded my cab and called the insurance company and paid an additional amount to cover the difference with no problem.

 

When I figure out what I will need, I then "inch" the insurance quote up until the rate goes higher. For instance, $4,200 might cost the same as $4,999 so I adjust my coverage to $4,999 even though $4,200 will mostly likely cover it. I have, also, been known to go the other way if I am at the very low end of the higher rate If I figure I need $5,100 and the rate is higher than $4,999, then I'll go with $4,999 figuring I will most likely come in less than that and that I can cancel hotel with no penalty.

 

Tucker in Texas

[Let'sGo!]

LD - I would go online and cancel your excursions first. I've pre-booked them online before, then cancelled them. The $$$ went right back on my credit card in a day or so. So at least you know you have that back.

 

I've never done pre-paid gratuties before boarding so do I don't know if you can change your mind on those or not... but personally, I would call the cruiseline or the TA you booked with and tell them you have changed your mind and would like to cancel that portion and ask for a refund on that. If they'll do it, then you would at least then that portion back as well.

 

THEN I would call the insurance company to see about cancelling what's left. I would try to leave as little to refund as possible.

 

That's just my game plan... I've read those insurance policies back to front and hopefully you have a cancellable reason. Good luck.

 

Ann

[Mark_K]

If I have to cancel a cruise within a few weeks of leaving, I know I forfit 100% of the cost, however, how is that cost calculated?

 

For example, say my total payment to RCL is $3,000. In that $3000, I have $300 worth of excursions and $300 worth of pre-paid gatuities. Will I get the cost of excursions and gatuities back ($600) and only lose $2,400 or is the whole $3,000 lost?

 

Thank for any insight.

 

David

It may be somewhat of a hassle, but yes, If you cancel your cruise you should get the cost of excursions booked with RCI and pre-paid gratuities returned to you. Excursions booked independently would depend on the policies of the company you booked with.

[Mark_K]

We always insure the entire cost of the vacation; air fare, car rental, hotel, cruise fare etc. This way if we have to cancel for some reason, we will get everything refunded.

Regardless of how much you insure your trip for, you're only going to get reimbursed for the amount you lost and cannot recover by other means.

[gdpups]

On our April Mariner cruise one of the ladies cruising with us had a death in the family the day before the cruise, so didn't go. No insurance so she lost the cost of the cruise, but RCI refunded her prepaid excursions as well as the prepaid gratuities. Always get the insurance!