Room companion may have to cancel for work? Insurance?

[SailorManBilly]

I'm going on Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas in October. The friend that I'm sharing a room with was told by his boss today "you may or may not be able to go based on how busy I am in October. I'll let you know by the 1st of October".

 

Clearly this S.O.B. Boss doesn't care how many people he inconveniences!!

 

I've heard there is insurance to cover missing a cruise because of work issues. Is that true? Are they reliable? Do both people in the room have to cancel? If my friend can't go I still want to go because there's a group of us who are going together.

 

My TA said they don't offer cancel for work insurance and to get it independently.

 

Would love ANY advice. We have 2 weeks before final payment and I think my friend would keep our reservation and chance it if he'd at least get the money back for his half of the room.

[klfrodo]

You can't buy insurance to cover a known upcoming event. Just like you can't buy insurance to cover a hurricane situation AFTER the storm has been officially named.

 

Right or wrong, your friend has been notified that they may have to work. No insurance company is going to cover that person now. If the insurance company investigated, the claim would be denied, and the possibility exists that the insurance company could come after them for fraud.

 

Had you bought insurance Prior to the notification, then, yes, there are policies out there.

[SailorManBilly]

Actually it's not a known event. It's exactly the same as hurricane. You only know when hurricane season is but nobody knows when or if they'll hit. My friend hasn't been told he can't go. He's only been told a decision won't be made til October. Basically he works for a neurotic lawyer who doesn't want to commit to his vacations. He is pretty sure it'll work out but wants insurance in case is neurotic boss decides he can't wipe himself without his slave, er, I mean assistant. But it's as unpredictable as a flood or a hurricane or illness. If there wasn't a possibility of all of these thongs happening then we wouldn't NEED insurance. We get insurance precisely BECAUSE of the possibility. I agree if he had known in advance that the dates didn't work then it would be insurance fraud. But he basically knows nothing at all.

 

And for anyone who reads this who has a support staff: I hope you take their needs and their friends/family's needs into consideration when you bully your support staff into missing things in their personal lives. It ain't all about you, neurotic boss types!!

[klfrodo]

I hope you're right and I'm wrong.

 

I believe there are some policies out there that do cover work related issues such as the one you may encounter.

Hopefully Cruiseco or Sirwire will come on here and offer an example.

 

Good luck

[cruiseco]

Yrs, there are policies that cover this type of situation. This is from TravelSafe under their covered reasons for trip cancellation:

 

"p) You or Your Traveling Companion are required to work during the Trip. A written statement by a company officer and/or the Human Resources department demonstrating revocation of previously approved time off will be required;"

 

But the one overriding factor with all travel insurance is that the cause of the loss has to be unforeseen. You'd be foolish to buy this or any policy without first calling the insurer and letting then know what the circumstances are.

 

My guess is that any insurer would consider that work situation to no longer be unforeseen and the coverage would not apply.

[6rugrats]

Agree; you now can't purchase this insurance, because your friend now has been warned he may not be allowed the time off. Your hurricane season analogy is not the same as Klfrodo mentioning a NAMED storm. Your friend's warning is like a named storm; the threat has been identified and therefore you can't be insured against it. You can argue all you want, but your friend now knows. Thus, obtaining a policy and then filing a claim would be insurance fraud.

 

If your friend knew he had a "neurotic boss type", it's too bad he didn't purchase this insurance when he could. Sounds as if your friend needs to cancel before he loses his money, and then start looking for a new job.

[cruiseco]

Agree; you now can't purchase this insurance, because your friend now has been warned he may not be allowed the time off. Your hurricane season analogy is not the same as Klfrodo mentioning a NAMED storm. Your friend's warning is like a named storm; the threat has been identified and therefore you can't be insured against it. You can argue all you want, but your friend now knows. Thus, obtaining a policy and then filing a claim would be insurance fraud.

 

If your friend knew he had a "neurotic boss type", it's too bad he didn't purchase this insurance when he could. Sounds as if your friend needs to cancel before he loses his money, and then start looking for a new job.

 

Yeah, the critical part of that coverage from TravelSafe is:

 

"demonstrating revocation of previously approved time off will be required"

 

Suppose the policy was purchased today. Was there "previously approved time off" in effect as of the purchase date? No, there wasn't. As of the purchase date not only was there no confirmed time off but the employer has stated that there may not be in the future either. Unless everyone is willing to perjure themselves, I don't see how this coverage would apply.

[6rugrats]

Unless everyone is willing to perjure themselves, I don't see how this coverage would apply.

 

Having some insurance and legal experience, I highly recommend against taking this route!