Does X insurance cover norovirus on board?

[JENHERE4]

New to CC- this is my first post! :) Wish I had found your site earlier...but I am sailing on the April 3rd Solstice (1st cruise!) and nervous about this recent outbreak. Couple of questions:

 

1. Bought travel insurance through X. Realized now not a very good idea (should have used 3rd party as it's very restrictive!)...Can I cancel it and buy insurance from 3rd party?

 

2. If not, does X coverage include getting sick on board? I would like 100% back if I am throwing up for days...Isn't that the point of insurance?

 

Sorry to ask here- but I called CS and they were pretty worthless to answer specific questions. The rep even told me there was no outbreak of norovirus, they were just being cautious with extra cleaning. Hmmmm....

[Gonzo70]

Welcome to Cruise Critic,

 

Hopefully the noro won't be prevalent on your cruise; I would not worry too much about it, but just go about planning being excited about your vacation; Solstice is an amazing ship.

 

I do not know of any travel insurance that would give you money back if you got sick during your vacation; some do if you are so ill your trip is interrupted (i.e. you have to be evacuated off the ship), but not just for catching a flu or becoming ill. The travel insurance would reimburse for any medical costs such as cost of medication, doctor visit etc. - however generally Celebrity provides free treatment for noro.

 

Hope you have a great vacation and stay healthy. :)

[Jade13]

You don't get money (100%?) for being on a cruise and being sick. The insurance will cover your visits to the doctor. It is not primary insurance, so you would pay and than fill out a claim form for reimbursement when you return home.

[Denny01]

The Celebrity insurance may be more restrictive, but I know of no travel insurance that reimburses you because you get sick and miss out on activities. I usually don't get Cruise Line insurance and have never seen any that cover sick days.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Den

[soleil125]

Hi Jen,

 

I don't believe that the insurance will cover the cost should anyone become ill while on board. I'm also crusing on the Solstice with my family on April 3 and so we'll all have our fingers crossed for no Noro outbreak:)!

 

Soleil

[Fblack]

I always buy private travel insurance. I am not sure if cruise line travel insurance will re-reimburse you for costs you incur once you get home for an illness you got on the ship.

 

As an example, say you get Norovirus on the ship. Go home and the next day have to go to the emergency room at your local hospital for an on going Norovirus issue. (IE: Dehydration) My health plan charges $200 out of my pocket for that emergency room visit. I was told that private travel insurance would pay for that extra cost. Not sure about cruise line coverage.

[JENHERE4]

Thanks for all the replies! Fingers crossed!

 

Has anyone dealt with the Celebrity insurance claims?

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I always buy private travel insurance. I am not sure if cruise line travel insurance will re-reimburse you for costs you incur once you get home for an illness you got on the ship.

 

As an example, say you get Norovirus on the ship. Go home and the next day have to go to the emergency room at your local hospital for an on going Norovirus issue. (IE: Dehydration) My health plan charges $200 out of my pocket for that emergency room visit. I was told that private travel insurance would pay for that extra cost. Not sure about cruise line coverage.

 

I'd check with your private insurance provider about that. Mine provides coverage for a specific amount of time, generally ending the day I get home. My guess would be that the ER visit would not be covered.

[caladezi]

Jenhere4 - Don't worry so much about what might be. Just look forward to your cruise. If you spend so much time wondering what will happen if you get sick, you can be assured that you will. Just look forward to all of the wonderful things that you are going to experience on your cruise and the memories that you will have when it's over. Everything else will take care of itself.

[shofer]

Thanks for all the replies! Fingers crossed!

 

Has anyone dealt with the Celebrity insurance claims?

 

My cousin had the insurance on our 2006 Hawaii cruise on Summit. She became very sick w/a sinus infection requiring multiple visits to the ship's doctor for nebulizer treatments. I believe her bill was over $800. Her travel insurance paid for everything. She paid the bill w/her credit card as part of her cruise bill and was prepared to submit it to her personal insurance carrier if needed. They were very pleased w/the coverage.

[Tucker in Texas]

Travelex is primary coverage and a lot of times their rates are competitive with other insurance. Sometimes not, but I always compare with them. You still have to pay up when you receive treatment but you don't have to exhaust your own insurance resources first.

 

tucker in texas

[CruisingEsq]

Welcome to Cruise Critic,

 

Hopefully the noro won't be prevalent on your cruise; I would not worry too much about it, but just go about planning being excited about your vacation; Solstice is an amazing ship.

 

I do not know of any travel insurance that would give you money back if you got sick during your vacation; some do if you are so ill your trip is interrupted (i.e. you have to be evacuated off the ship), but not just for catching a flu or becoming ill. The travel insurance would reimburse for any medical costs such as cost of medication, doctor visit etc. - however generally Celebrity provides free treatment for noro.

 

Hope you have a great vacation and stay healthy. :)

 

I don't know the answer to your specific question, but thought I would share my experience. I was on Solstice in November 2010 and became deathly, deathly ill as soon as the ship was 45 minutes outside of FLL -- nausea and all the good stuff. I lost 23 pounds in 5 hours! I went to the Medical Center and was their first patient of the cruise! They told me that becuase my illness was gastrointestinal, all medical fees, labs, and medications were free. (This is to encourage Noro patients to come forward, I think, without fear of mortgaging their house for medical costs.)

 

They did a wonderful job. I had a horrid foodborne illness that I contracted at our pre-cruise hotel. I was in Solstice's ICU for six hours before begging to go back to my room. I was told to stay quarantined in my cabin for one day -- don't worry, I wasn't going anywhere. All sodas, juices, and bottled water was free, as was pay-per-view in the suite while I was quarantined. Above that, the cruise line sent me a credit voucher for $500 on a future cruise -- for an illness they didn't cause, but that impacted my vacation.

 

I have nothing but awesome respect for Celebrity's medical facilities. I was 29 years old (young!) and felt like I was going to die -- I think the doctor was worried too, as he sat next to me through the worst of it. I'd never had an IV in my life (I had one on-board), and they ran a couple of EKGs on me - worried about fluid loss.

 

What was amazing was the medical staff's ability to run bloodwork -- I had blood counts run in less than five minutes -- which detected the roaring infection inside of me!

 

All in all, a good experience, even if it did cost me a day or two of my vacation. Celebrity is classy.

[Booyakasha]

23 lbs in 5 hours would kill you. Are you sure you didn't lose a leg or arm or something. :D

 

Great to hear how well Celebrity treated you. You must have been very ill. Did they ever thing of evacuating you?

 

B.

[CruisingEsq]

I was pretty sick! I was out of it during most of the worst part -- my mom was with me - she's an RN, and watched the medical staff closely. I was scared when they brought in the EKG and heart monitor -- I mean, I'm 29 . . . but they said it was just a precaution, etc.

 

Celebrity is a class act!

[jcrandle]

The absolute best Norovirus insurance is - Wash your hands, Wash your hands, Wash your hands! Need I repeat that?

 

If you had a buzzer attached to your hand that buzzed each time you touched a doorknob, an elevator button, a dining room menu, or any object that had not been sanitized since the last person touched it, you would be amazed at how many times you potentially expose yourself to infectious agents.

 

Luckily, most of our faux pas don't result in infection, but each increases the probability that we will transfer something bad to our nose, mouth, eyes, and ears to incubate and make us very ill.

 

The good new about the viruses grouped under the term of noro is that for otherwise healthy adults, even though you feel like you are going to die (and maybe even wish for it), you will most likely recover. However, a good two to four days of your vacation had been ruined because you were unable/unwilling to take more than three steps from the bathroom.

 

The other good news it that ALL of the cruise lines take noro very seriously, and spend a lot of energy preventing its spread. You will see crew wiping down handrails, elevators etc. with germicide solutions. If an outbreak of GI troubles exceed a threshold set by the cruise line, extra precautions will be taken, including not allowing guests to serve themselves on the buffets (an extra burden on the crew, as well as an inconvenience to the cruiser). Salt and pepper shakers may be removed, with individual packets offered to eliminate cross contamination.

 

So frequent use of antiviral liquids and effective handwashing (lots of soap and sing at least one verse of your national anthem while doing so - OK, if you don't know the words to your national anthem, sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star twice).

 

And if it is any comfort to you, realize that Noro is more prevalent in child care and nursing homes than cruise ships, its just that cruise ships are required to report noro outbreaks. Also, noro is much more dangerous to those under the age of 6 or over the age of 70.

 

Also keep in mind that 63 per cent of the statistics quoted one the internet are made up on the spot!

 

Oh, and have a great cruise (and wash your hands).

[espo56]

I always purchase my insurance from an External company. Last year I tripped and fell and required 5 stiches. I submitted the bill to the insurance company who would not pay be back until I furnished proof that my personal healthcare plan would not pay. My healthcare paid the bill so trip insurance was off the hook for the expenses incurred on board.

[JENHERE4]

Thanks again! Looking forward to time relaxing...and hand washing of course...;)

[wvufan]

The cruise ship will cover all costs related to treating the NORO. Plus, you will usually receive $100 in future cruise credit per day of quarantine. Therefore, your insurance would not also pay.

 

I had the noro and quickly self reported at first symptom. I was quarantined for 4 days but thankfully did not spread it to others as far as I know.

 

Ship happens.

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[Essiesmom]

My TA never asks, just automatically enrolls everyone in Travel Guard. She was on the last Mercury cruise from Charleston that had noro, and got sick the night after debarkation. TG Insurance paid the bill. EM

[Bridge Maven]

My TA never asks, just automatically enrolls everyone in Travel Guard. She was on the last Mercury cruise from Charleston that had noro, and got sick the night after debarkation. TG Insurance paid the bill. EM

 

Essiemom, does she charge for the third party insurance she automatically enrolls everyone in, or is it a free perk for booking a cruise through her travel agency?

[SusieV]

My TA never asks, just automatically enrolls everyone in Travel Guard. She was on the last Mercury cruise from Charleston that had noro, and got sick the night after debarkation. TG Insurance paid the bill. EM

 

I sure wouldn't want that- I have my own annual travel insurance policy. Who wants to be denied a choice? I'd rather have another benefit like OBC.

 

I definitely would not book with a TA who assumed she knew what I wanted without asking me.

[Tucker in Texas]

When I have booked Royal Caribbean, I found that sometimes insurance has been added without asking. I've had to call back to have it taken off. Maybe that is what happened.

 

Tucker in Texas

[lilbit chick]

I don't know the answer to your specific question, but thought I would share my experience. I was on Solstice in November 2010 and became deathly, deathly ill as soon as the ship was 45 minutes outside of FLL -- nausea and all the good stuff. I lost 23 pounds in 5 hours! I went to the Medical Center and was their first patient of the cruise! They told me that becuase my illness was gastrointestinal, all medical fees, labs, and medications were free. (This is to encourage Noro patients to come forward, I think, without fear of mortgaging their house for medical costs.)

 

They did a wonderful job. I had a horrid foodborne illness that I contracted at our pre-cruise hotel. I was in Solstice's ICU for six hours before begging to go back to my room. I was told to stay quarantined in my cabin for one day -- don't worry, I wasn't going anywhere. All sodas, juices, and bottled water was free, as was pay-per-view in the suite while I was quarantined. Above that, the cruise line sent me a credit voucher for $500 on a future cruise -- for an illness they didn't cause, but that impacted my vacation.

 

I have nothing but awesome respect for Celebrity's medical facilities. I was 29 years old (young!) and felt like I was going to die -- I think the doctor was worried too, as he sat next to me through the worst of it. I'd never had an IV in my life (I had one on-board), and they ran a couple of EKGs on me - worried about fluid loss.

 

What was amazing was the medical staff's ability to run bloodwork -- I had blood counts run in less than five minutes -- which detected the roaring infection inside of me!

 

All in all, a good experience, even if it did cost me a day or two of my vacation. Celebrity is classy.

 

Glad you made it and looking forward to your next cruise. 23 lbs, wow, that is scary.

As a future cruiser, (July) I am very happy to hear about your positive experience in the Medical facilities. We often only hear the negative stories. Celebrity acted responsibly in this case as they should.