Postponing A Cruise Due To Family Illness

[holidaylover10]

Hi

Looking for advice, A few weeks ago my Mum had a stroke and as she has Parkinson's was taken quite poorly she also suffered blood clots and internal bleeding. She seemed to be on the mend and told us to go enjoy the Cruise.

In the last 2 days she has suffered 2 more serious Strokes and the outlook isn't good. Also my Husbands father has cancer and has been having convulsions.

I have Travel Insurance but I do not know whether they will pay out if I cancel the Cruise as they both has pre existing medical conditions. Do you know if it is likely Celebrity would let me postpone my trip instead for a small fee. The problem being the Cruise is only 2 weeks away. I know its highly unlikely they will let me change. Its just another worry the thought of losing £4000 holiday as well as all the other things we have going on the minute.

I wondered if anyone else has been in this situation and could give me some advice.

[POPDISPLAY]

You have nothing to lose by trying.

[gregjm]

Hi

Looking for advice, A few weeks ago my Mum had a stroke and as she has Parkinson's was taken quite poorly she also suffered blood clots and internal bleeding. She seemed to be on the mend and told us to go enjoy the Cruise.

In the last 2 days she has suffered 2 more serious Strokes and the outlook isn't good. Also my Husbands father has cancer and has been having convulsions.

I have Travel Insurance but I do not know whether they will pay out if I cancel the Cruise as they both has pre existing medical conditions. Do you know if it is likely Celebrity would let me postpone my trip instead for a small fee. The problem being the Cruise is only 2 weeks away. I know its highly unlikely they will let me change. Its just another worry the thought of losing £4000 holiday as well as all the other things we have going on the minute.

I wondered if anyone else has been in this situation and could give me some advice.

 

It would all depend on the wording of the policy. I would think that the 2 recent serious strokes may make coverage possible. I would suggest calling the insurance carrier.

[JFontaine]

It depends on the wording of insurance, but my insurance states that the preexisting illness exclusion only applies to the health of the travelers, and not the family members. Even if your insurance does include a preexisting exclusion for family members, it sounds as though your mom was stable when you purchased the insurance, and the change happened in the last two weeks. That would be my argument. I'm sorry you are going through this.

[cruisestitch]

Since the OP is not in the US (and presumably did not use a US travel agent or purchase US-based insurance) the local laws and regulations of the country of residence will apply. While we would all like to give advice, keep in mind that the OP is bound by different laws and protections than we have in the US.

 

Call the insurer. And call your travel agent if you used one, or Celebrity if you booked directly with them.

[Montana]

It is difficult when a family member is ill. We canceled at the last minute with a family member illness. It did cost us some money, but I honestly could not have enjoyed myself filled with worry. Peace and blessings. We have also replaced a cruiser in similar circumstances.

[Project_gal]

Hi

Looking for advice, A few weeks ago my Mum had a stroke and as she has Parkinson's was taken quite poorly she also suffered blood clots and internal bleeding. She seemed to be on the mend and told us to go enjoy the Cruise.

In the last 2 days she has suffered 2 more serious Strokes and the outlook isn't good. Also my Husbands father has cancer and has been having convulsions.

I have Travel Insurance but I do not know whether they will pay out if I cancel the Cruise as they both has pre existing medical conditions. Do you know if it is likely Celebrity would let me postpone my trip instead for a small fee. The problem being the Cruise is only 2 weeks away. I know its highly unlikely they will let me change. Its just another worry the thought of losing £4000 holiday as well as all the other things we have going on the minute.

I wondered if anyone else has been in this situation and could give me some advice.

 

I feel for your situation. We have not been in your situation but, close enough too it to appreciate the difficulties.

 

I note that the other replies are from the US. Our insurance policies and their's are very different. In the UK, it is very unlikely that you will be able to claim on your travel insurance on the grounds of your parent's illnesses unless you declared their pre-existing conditions when you took out the policy.

 

Are you Captain's Club members? If so, I would give them a call and explain your situation. The cruise company are not obliged to do anything for you but they may, if you are lucky.

 

In future, consider declaring the pre-existing conditions of those close to you when you take out insurance but it will cost you more and there will be fewer compaines who will insure you. If you are your husband also have pre-existing conditions, it may be prohibitive. Only you can decide, then, if it is worth doing.

 

Hoping things work out for you.

 

Sue

[Caribbeankitty]

Just call the cruise line and explain your situation, I had a little different family matter and I was able to move my money from one sailing to another one it worth a try. Goodl luck and I hope you are happy with the end result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi

Looking for advice, A few weeks ago my Mum had a stroke and as she has Parkinson's was taken quite poorly she also suffered blood clots and internal bleeding. She seemed to be on the mend and told us to go enjoy the Cruise.

In the last 2 days she has suffered 2 more serious Strokes and the outlook isn't good. Also my Husbands father has cancer and has been having convulsions.

I have Travel Insurance but I do not know whether they will pay out if I cancel the Cruise as they both has pre existing medical conditions. Do you know if it is likely Celebrity would let me postpone my trip instead for a small fee. The problem being the Cruise is only 2 weeks away. I know its highly unlikely they will let me change. Its just another worry the thought of losing £4000 holiday as well as all the other things we have going on the minute.

I wondered if anyone else has been in this situation and could give me some advice.

[ghstudio]

You certainly have a very stressful situation....hope everything works out and that either Celebrity or your insurance company or both will be able to help.

 

As others have said, you need to call Celebrity immediately and discuss the situation. Depending on what they will do for you, your next call should be to the insurance company to understand what they will cover given different scenarios (e.g. either one passes away while you are on your cruise). It's better to understand before you leave for the trip then to go on the cruise not knowing.

[simon stingray]

At the end of March, we had to cancel our Summit cruise the day before we were due to sail. We called the Celebrity UK office and whilst they were very sympathetic to our situation, they could only refund our pre paid gratuities and port taxes and issue a cancellation invoice for us to submit to our travel insurance.

 

Thankfully all is now well and our travel insurance settled our claim fairly quickly.

[holidaylover10]

Thank you all for your advice.

Phoned insurance this morning who were most unhelpful, They said they couldn't advice what we should do and are best plan is to phone travel agent to see if they would change our cruise. She said if we do cancel we would need to summit medical papers for my mother and then they would look into it. I just wanted to know if we were covered before canceling as there is no point in canceling now if there not going to pay out anyway.

[galavant3]

It depends on the wording of insurance, but my insurance states that the preexisting illness exclusion only applies to the health of the travelers, and not the family members. Even if your insurance does include a preexisting exclusion for family members, it sounds as though your mom was stable when you purchased the insurance, and the change happened in the last two weeks. That would be my argument. I'm sorry you are going through this.

 

Are you permitted to share the carrier of your policy? If so, I would love to know. I've been looking for pre-existing wording that only applies to the travelers.

[holsagain]

We were in a similar situation. My MIL actually died whilst we were in Florida the tour company got us home on the next available flights however the insurance company were not happy that they dealt with it, they also wanted letters from my MIL doctors to see if it was a preexisting condition. It took several months for them to sort out- fortunately they did pay out on lost days in a hotel not much. Similarly my mother was extremely ill with cancer and taken into hospital the day before our cruise, we went on the cruise anyway 'cos she herself loved cruising and if fact had been on one just a few months before. I must admit I did not phone home at all. She died 2 weeks after we got back, my sister was out of the country at the time. Whether you cancel or not will depend on how you think you will react. DH was distraught in Disney and we had no option to come back, her death was unexpected. However for me it was a horrible year and my mother barely knew us and I was able to say my goodbyes before we left.

[Avery's mom]

If your travel agent sold you your insurance they should know how to proceed at this point and what is covered. Please call them and let them do the work for you - this is what you hired them to do.

 

If you didn't use at TA - call Celebrity. Hopefully you have someone to advocate for you - because it sounds like the insurance company is NOT helping you in your unfortunate situation.

 

Good luck!

[gcorgain]

First, best wishes during this very difficult time. I hope everything works out for the best with your family.

 

 

As for the cruise, I would call Celebrity. I had a friend who was traveling on a cruise with us last year (in a separate cabin). The morning of the cruise his business partner's mom died and he was unable to go. I let celebrity know on the ship -- no advance notice whatsoever. They gave him a full credit towards another cruise. This kind of good customer service seems in line with Celebrity. They don't have to do it, but go in asking instead of demanding, and I bet you get something.

 

Greg

[Project_gal]

Thank you all for your advice.

Phoned insurance this morning who were most unhelpful, They said they couldn't advice what we should do and are best plan is to phone travel agent to see if they would change our cruise. She said if we do cancel we would need to summit medical papers for my mother and then they would look into it.

 

I am sorry, but not surprised, that your insurers were not very helpful. Of course it would save them having to pay out anything if you managed to move your cruise! Decent customer service would understand that, at this difficult time, you needed to understand your options without a great deal of hassel. It may be worth spending a little time reading the T&Cs of your insurance in detail. Often, these days, they are only found in full on the Internet.

 

I just wanted to know if we were covered before canceling as there is no point in canceling now if there not going to pay out anyway.

 

Celebrity's UK T&Cs for cancellation are:

Cancellation charges

 

The following cancellations charges apply:

5 days or less 100%

6 - 14 days 90%

15 - 28 days 75%

29 - 56 days 50%

57 days or more Deposit only

 

I think you said in your first post that your cruise is scheduled for a few weeks time, so, there is some advantage to deciding fairly soon if you are going to cancel your cruise.

 

Sue

[Chanic]

My parents had a similar situation this time last year with my Gran. I know they were able to recoup some money from the holiday but I'm not sure what % they lost. We too live in the UK.

[holidaylover10]

Thanks everyone. I have just phone my Travel Agent who would not even speak to Celebrity, she told me I would just have to cancel and go down the insurance route. I know I am supposed to go through the travel agent with any contact with Celebrity but i want to phone myself as the Travel Agent wont do it but can only find a phone number for making a booking. Does anyone from the UK know of a alternative number for after sales. I'm getting so stressed with it all.

[simon stingray]

If you call the booking number 0844 493 2043 it will give you a list of options.

Select option 2 for direct guest then select option 3 for all other enquiries.

 

Could be worth a try.

[ghstudio]

Thanks everyone. I have just phone my Travel Agent who would not even speak to Celebrity, she told me I would just have to cancel and go down the insurance route. I know I am supposed to go through the travel agent with any contact with Celebrity but i want to phone myself as the Travel Agent wont do it but can only find a phone number for making a booking. Does anyone from the UK know of a alternative number for after sales. I'm getting so stressed with it all.

 

Hopefully, you have tried to reach the top person at your travel agency...this is not the way to handle customers. There are situations where you don't just "follow the book".

 

I would also send a note to contactmichael@celebrity.com which will reach out to Celebrity's CEO,Michael Bayley, for his (office's) assistance in this. You really do have an exceptionally difficult situation....and they may be able to step in and help in some way.

 

I am a bit disappointed that "celebrity" (the id used by Celebrity on cruise critic) has not stepped into this thread and offered a contact number for you to call to at least discuss this terrible situation.

[Lois R]

First, best wishes during this very difficult time. I hope everything works out for the best with your family.

 

 

As for the cruise, I would call Celebrity. I had a friend who was traveling on a cruise with us last year (in a separate cabin). The morning of the cruise his business partner's mom died and he was unable to go. I let celebrity know on the ship -- no advance notice whatsoever. They gave him a full credit towards another cruise. This kind of good customer service seems in line with Celebrity. They don't have to do it, but go in asking instead of demanding, and I bet you get something.

 

Greg

 

Hi Greg, they did the same thing for me. In August 2011 my Dad died

3 days before I was supposed to fly to NJ for a cruise on Summit.

I did purchase insurance (which would cover this) but Celebrity gave me

a letter of credit.........I used the insurance for the airfare portion and

was refunded that in full. I used the credit for another cruise.

I did not ask Celebrity to do it and would have filed a full claim for

everything but didn't need to since they offered to help me.

I just know they were kind and it was such a nice thing for them to do

for me.

Hopefully the original poster will receive some help too. Sorry it seems

their Travel Agent is not assisting them though.:(

[holidaylover10]

I have spoken directly to Celebrity who very kindly said I could move the cruise for a admin fee of £75pp which is very good of them. They have advised that I would be liable for the cancellation cost of the new Cruise should I cancel again which is fair.

I have chosen a Canary island Cruise in October as I wanted to make sure it was quite some time in the future to give me time to sort things at home.

Only problem is I have had to go back to Travel Agent to move the Cruise for me. They have taken details and are going to get back to me. Fingers crossed it will be sorted today so I can forget about and concentrate on my mum.

[Project_gal]

Hopefully, you have tried to reach the top person at your travel agency...this is not the way to handle customers. There are situations where you don't just "follow the book".

 

Unfortunately, UK TAs are nothing like those in the US just as our Estate Agents are nothing like your Realators [spelling?].

 

The systems are totally different.

 

I have spoken directly to Celebrity who very kindly said I could move the cruise for a admin fee of £75pp which is very good of them. They have advised that I would be liable for the cancellation cost of the new Cruise should I cancel again which is fair.

I have chosen a Canary island Cruise in October as I wanted to make sure it was quite some time in the future to give me time to sort things at home.

Only problem is I have had to go back to Travel Agent to move the Cruise for me. They have taken details and are going to get back to me. Fingers crossed it will be sorted today so I can forget about and concentrate on my mum.

 

I am so pleased that Celebrity were able to help you in this way. I hope that, by October, your will be in a position to take your new cruise without stress.

 

Perhaps you should consider booking direct with Celebrity in future and then you would have a more sympathetic ear than your TA if you have a problem! i can also recomment All Clear Cruise Insurance if you want an insurer with good customer service.

 

Sue

[ghstudio]

I have spoken directly to Celebrity who very kindly said I could move the cruise for a admin fee of £75pp which is very good of them. They have advised that I would be liable for the cancellation cost of the new Cruise should I cancel again which is fair.

I have chosen a Canary island Cruise in October as I wanted to make sure it was quite some time in the future to give me time to sort things at home.

Only problem is I have had to go back to Travel Agent to move the Cruise for me. They have taken details and are going to get back to me. Fingers crossed it will be sorted today so I can forget about and concentrate on my mum.

 

 

That's terrific news...cudos to Celebrity for helping in this difficult time. Best of luck...and enjoy your cruise in October.

[holidaylover10]

Hi,

Just a update for anyone in similar circumstances. Although Celebrity offered to allow a change of Cruise they would not allow us to carry over the free drinks package to the new cruise even though its still being offered for free on the new cruise we wanted to book and its about £300 cheaper for the same cabin then my existing booking. I was not looking for refund I would have been happy to let them keep the extra £300. With having to add another £600 to make up the shortfall for the drinks package on the new cruise it just became too expensive so have decided to cancel and try the insurance route.