Cancelation Policy

[pms4104]

[quote name='arzz']We often book over a year before we sail. My TA sells a Travel Guard policy that includes cancellation, 50K medical and 500 K evacuation insurance per insured - we purchase it when we make our deposit, but we do not have to pay the premium for the whole cost of the trip at that time to get pre-existing conditions - we pay a dollar amount that covers the amount of our deposit - as our deposits increase we add to the premium, and, of course, with final payment, we pay the remainder due to cover the whole cost of the trip. This secures our coverage for pre-existing conditions without a huge cash layout months before we travel. If we had to cancel after penalty date, of course, we would not expect to get back any of the premiums we have paid.

We have also had occasion to change our booking (to book a different cruise or different segment of the same cruise which causes the original booking to be cancelled) before final payment and penalty dates - and as long as we book another cruise when we cancel or change the current booking - the premium and insurance travel to the new booking.

I do believe that this is a policy that my TA's agency negotiates for their clients and may not be identical to other policies offered by Travel Guard.[/QUOTE]
We buy our insurance directly from Travel Guard under the same terms you describe ... I believe that procedure is standard with them ... we cover only our outlays along the planning and booking process to preserve any pre-existing waivers ...important to increase coverage with each outlay or you lose that preexisting coverage.

A couple of years ago I talked with a Travel Guard rep about their rationale for covering trip costs incrementally ... The explanation was that if you really had to cancel (rather than transfer coverage to a different trip) you would lose less money, as the insurance premium is nonrefundable. Edited September 5, 2014 by pms4104

[RSLeesburg]

[quote name='serendipity1499'][SIZE="3"]I asked only about Celebrity & Royal Carib.., not Princess..



The OP claims according to post No. 7 in this thread, that he booked on both Celebrity & Royal Carib, purchased their insurance & when he cancelled they also refunded his insurance $$$.. That is unbelievable to me, because no other insurance company would do that..But, IMO KK's post seemed to confirm that it is true..



My question to KK was: If this is true why would anyone ever cruise on HAL & purchase their insurance..[/SIZE][/QUOTE]


I cannot comment on how RCI Cruise Care compares to HAL insurance, but understand that it does cover "cancel for any reason" - but, when we booked our two cruises, we "purchased" the insurance when we booked the cruise; however, we did not have to pay for the insurance until final payment - so technically, if we canceled before final payment, we would not pay for the insurance at all (so no refund needed - only thing we paid when we booked was our deposit). The RCI rep explained to me that the insurance only covers you from final payment until the end of your cruise, so they don't charge you for it until final payment. If we cancelled after final payment, then the insurance would kick in, so there would be no refund of the insurance.


Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[serendipity1499]

[quote name='pms4104']We buy our insurance directly from Travel Guard under the same terms you describe ... I believe that procedure is standard with them ... we cover only our outlays along the planning and booking process to preserve any pre-existing waivers ...important to increase coverage with each outlay or you lose that preexisting coverage.

A couple of years ago I talked with a Travel Guard rep about their rationale for covering trip costs incrementally ... The explanation was that if you really had to cancel (rather than transfer coverage to a different trip) you would lose less money, as the insurance premium is nonrefundable.[/QUOTE]

[SIZE="3"]Thanks for this info, will check it out next time..[/SIZE]

[serendipity1499]

[quote name='JessiKneier']I booked directly through Holland America. They said the money was the travel insurance. However...I had two other cruises booked with travel insurance as well and neither of them charged me a fee. They were Celebrity and Royal Caribbean.[/QUOTE]



[SIZE="3"]Did you purchase your insurance up front with both Celebrity & Royal Carib? I think that would make the difference..

So sorry you did not get your insurance back, but don't know of any company which would give you the insurance back if you paid for it up front then cancelled & did not book another cruise..I know ours would not either, but that's the chance we have to take..

I believe that the Travel Guard policy which both AARZ & PMS spoke about would be the best one to purchase in the future if you don't have to pay for it up front, but just pay in increments, but they would not return what was paid for insurance either.. [/SIZE] Edited September 5, 2014 by serendipity1499

[cruz chic]

[quote name='serendipity1499'][SIZE="3"]I asked only about Celebrity & Royal Carib.., not Princess..

The OP claims according to post No. 7 in this thread, that he booked on both Celebrity & Royal Carib, purchased their insurance & when he cancelled they also refunded his insurance $$$.. That is unbelievable to me, because no other insurance company would do that..But, IMO KK's post seemed to confirm that it is true..

My question to KK was: If this is true why would anyone ever cruise on HAL & purchase their insurance..[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

Yes, I do realize that. That is why I said maybe other cruise lines are the same. If it's no use to you then discard the information. No need to say anything further about it.

[david,Mississauga]

[quote name='mudscraper']As stated in another post this "insurance" only provides $10,000.00 in medical coverage. That's pocket change if we are seriously ill or injured and must be hospitalized.[/quote]

Canadians often joke that U.S. hospitals charge that amount for an aspirin :).

Over the decades we have had comprehensive travel insurance from several companies - we never take the cruise line's insurance - and it is typical that the insurance needs to be purchased within "X" days of booking or prior to the insurer assuming any risk. So for lines such as HAL and Cunard on which deposits are refundable up to 90 days or 75 days prior to the voyage there is no need to take it out at the time of booking. Regarding coverage for pre-exisiting conditions, with any insurer we have dealt with there is such coverage provided the insured is stable for a period of time, which is usually 90 or 180 days depending on the policy. The definition of "stable" can be tricky, of course.

[Lizzie68]

Just wondering - for those with so many questions about insurance, do you know there is a forum just for that topic? I haven't used it but answers may be found there. [url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=635[/url]

[3rdGenCunarder]

We always use Travel Guard and get it right away for the pre-existing thing.

Even if we're all stable, it just avoids any debate. I've almost cancelled last-minute twice. A week before a trip to England, we were still without power due to Hurricane Sandy. I called Travel Guard and they said if our house was not "habitable" we would be covered if we chose to stay home and deal with it. We got power back 3 days before departure and were able to travel. Whew, that was close!

My father died this spring, just a bit less than a month before DH and I were due to go cross country for a Columbia River cruise. I wasn't sure if I'd be ready to travel at that point. I called Travel Guard and they said that even with that time lag, coverage for death of a family member (even though he was NOT going on the trip) would mean I'd get my money back. We did go. After a month of executor duties, I needed the break. But over the course of that month, I had the peace of mind knowing I could cancel if I wanted/needed to.

It's like those master card commercials. Peace of mind. Priceless.

And one non-cruise point. When you take the insurance offered by the carrier, should the carrier go out of business the insurance is likely to be in question, too. I'm not saying HAL is about to go broke. But travel packagers have been known to go out of business with no warning, leaving people stranded, and often the insurance they sell you doesn't cover that--or in the infamous case of ABC tours a few years ago, the insurance was "sold" to clients but not paid for. It's always better to have third-party insurance.

[iancal]

VERY good advice.

We would never buy travel insurance from a TA or from a carrier or tour operator. For exactly the reasons you mentioned.

It was a very good TA who advised us of this years ago. She would not sell us the insurance that her agency sold or the cruise line sold.

[yj_eugene]

[quote name='sail7seas'][b]Where can you buy day before final payment and get pre-existing coverage?[/B][/QUOTE]

Try CSA Travel Protection. If you're willing to pay extra for their Luxe package, it'll cover it:

"Is it possible to insure pre-existing medical conditions?

Yes, CSA can accept pre-existing medical conditions for you, your traveling companions and family members. Moreover, CSA offers our customers the flexibility to cover pre-existing conditions up to final payment. Pre-existing medical conditions are accepted with most of our plans when you meet two requirements. First, you must be medically able to travel when you buy the insurance. Second, you must purchase the insurance prior to or within 24 hours of your final payment."

[sail7seas]

[quote name='yj_eugene']Try CSA Travel Protection. If you're willing to pay extra for their Luxe package, it'll cover it:

"Is it possible to insure pre-existing medical conditions?

Yes, CSA can accept pre-existing medical conditions for you, your traveling companions and family members. Moreover, CSA offers our customers the flexibility to cover pre-existing conditions up to final payment. Pre-existing medical conditions are accepted with most of our plans when you meet two requirements. First, you must be medically able to travel when you buy the insurance. Second, you must purchase the insurance prior to or within 24 hours of your final payment."[/QUOTE]



[B] This is great! I had heard of HTH offering something(or used to) but don't recall CSA. Thanks so much.

Thanks everyone for all their helpful comments.

I'll investigate them all. :)

[/B] Edited September 5, 2014 by sail7seas

[cbr663]

[quote name='david,Mississauga']Canadians often joke that U.S. hospitals charge that amount for an aspirin :).

Over the decades we have had comprehensive travel insurance from several companies - we never take the cruise line's insurance - and it is typical that the insurance needs to be purchased within "X" days of booking or prior to the insurer assuming any risk. So for lines such as HAL and Cunard on which deposits are refundable up to 90 days or 75 days prior to the voyage there is no need to take it out at the time of booking. Regarding coverage for pre-exisiting conditions, with any insurer we have dealt with there is such coverage provided the insured is stable for a period of time, which is usually 90 or 180 days depending on the policy. The definition of "stable" can be tricky, of course.[/QUOTE]

Very good point. Also important to keep in mind that even if the policy states that it will cover pre-existing conditions, you must still disclose the pre-exisiting condition(s). A condition that is stable must still be disclosed.

[sail7seas]

[quote name='cbr663']Very good point. Also important to keep in mind that even if the policy states that it will cover pre-existing conditions, you must still disclose the pre-exisiting condition(s). A condition that is stable must still be disclosed.[/QUOTE]



[b] I have written a number of policies providing for pre-existing conditions and they never once asked about any conditions my DH or might have had. The only statement was that we must be medically fit to travel on the date we wrote the policy.

[/B] Edited September 5, 2014 by sail7seas

[Linda&Vern]

[quote name='sail7seas'][b] I have written a number of policies providing for pre-existing conditions and they never once asked about any conditions my DH or might have had. The only statement was that we must be medically fit to travel on the date we wrote the policy. [/B][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Blue"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Ditto that Sail. I have two upcoming trips I've insured, noting we were fit to travel on the date we bought the policy. All cover pre-existing conditions. All the "terms" are in my policies ... but no one ever asked anything except how much trip coverage I wanted, our ages, and our address. Oh - and a credit card number to charge. :D[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] Edited September 5, 2014 by Linda&Vern

[CowPrincess]

[quote name='sail7seas'][B] I have written a number of policies providing for pre-existing conditions and they never once asked about any conditions my DH or might have had. The only statement was that we must be medically fit to travel on the date we wrote the policy.

[/B][/quote]

[quote name='Linda&Vern'][SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Ditto that Sail. I have two upcoming trips I've insured, noting we were fit to travel on the date we bought the policy. All the "terms" are in my policies ... but no one ever asked anything except how much trip coverage I wanted, our ages, and our address. Oh - and a credit card number to charge. :D[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/quote]

Maybe that is one of the differences between Canada and the US. I know when I was shopping for out of country medical coverage I was asked questions about pre-existing. All my Canadian friends have been asked too, as far as I recall.

[cruz chic]

[quote name='CowPrincess']Maybe that is one of the differences between Canada and the US. I know when I was shopping for out of country medical coverage I was asked questions about pre-existing. All my Canadian friends have been asked too, as far as I recall.[/QUOTE]

My mom and my sister have as well.

[Lizzie68]

[quote name='CowPrincess']Maybe that is one of the differences between Canada and the US. I know when I was shopping for out of country medical coverage I was asked questions about pre-existing. All my Canadian friends have been asked too, as far as I recall.[/quote]

I'm sure it's a risk many take - but good luck trying to collect if the insurance company deems that whatever happens is due to a pre-existing condition. This may, however, be one of the differences - and you said - between insurance in Canada and the US. Full disclosure is imperative.

[Linda&Vern]

[quote name='Lizzie68']I'm sure it's a risk many take - but good luck trying to collect if the insurance company deems that whatever happens is due to a pre-existing condition. This may, however, be one of the differences - and you said - between insurance in Canada and the US. Full disclosure is imperative.[/QUOTE]
[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Blue"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]The insurance contracts I have had written have all had a "look-back" time period (6 months, 1 year, etc.) in the pre-existing clause. That is where the insurance company will get their full disclosure, should a claim be filed. There is no "risk" I am taking.[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] Edited September 5, 2014 by Linda&Vern

[Jade13]

[quote name='yj_eugene']Try CSA Travel Protection. If you're willing to pay extra for their Luxe package, it'll cover it:

"Is it possible to insure pre-existing medical conditions?

Yes, CSA can accept pre-existing medical conditions for you, your traveling companions and family members. Moreover, CSA offers our customers the flexibility to cover pre-existing conditions up to final payment. Pre-existing medical conditions are accepted with most of our plans when you meet two requirements. First, you must be medically able to travel when you buy the insurance. Second, you must purchase the insurance prior to or within 24 hours of your final payment."[/QUOTE]

We use CSA all of the time. You do not need their Luxe plan to cover pre-existing conditions. They have a policy with lower benefits that can be purchased at final payment and cover pre-existing conditions.

They did change the policy rules so the full amount of the trip amount needs to be covered. There are a couple of states exempt from the policy.

[sail7seas]

[quote name='CowPrincess']Maybe that is one of the differences between Canada and the US. I know when I was shopping for out of country medical coverage I was asked questions about pre-existing. All my Canadian friends have been asked too, as far as I recall.[/QUOTE]


[B] It's very possible there are different terms between policies in U.S. vs Canada. [/B]




[quote name='Jade13']We use CSA all of the time. You do not need their Luxe plan to cover pre-existing conditions. They have a policy with lower benefits that can be purchased at final payment and cover pre-existing conditions.

They did change the policy rules so the full amount of the trip amount needs to be covered. There are a couple of states exempt from the policy.[/QUOTE]


[B] Excellent to know. I will see if CSA would work for me in the future. I wouldn't normally insure the whole trip but it is worth comparing and working the numbers and the risk of losing premiums I now pay at time of deposit. Thanks, Jade. :)

[/B] Edited September 5, 2014 by sail7seas

[sail7seas]

[quote name='david,Mississauga']Canadians often joke that U.S. hospitals charge that amount for an aspirin :).


<snip>
[/QUOTE]


[B] :) I wonder how what an American would be charged for emergency medical care in Canada would compare to what Canadian would pay for the same treatment? I'm not being a wise guy..... I am serious in my question. I suspect it not impossible the American would be charged commensurate with American pricing???

[/B]


[quote name='3rdGenCunarder']We always use Travel Guard and get it right away for the pre-existing thing.

Even if we're all stable, it just avoids any debate. I've almost cancelled last-minute twice. A week before a trip to England, we were still without power due to Hurricane Sandy. I called Travel Guard and they said if our house was not "habitable" we would be covered if we chose to stay home and deal with it. We got power back 3 days before departure and were able to travel. Whew, that was close!

My father died this spring, just a bit less than a month before DH and I were due to go cross country for a Columbia River cruise. I wasn't sure if I'd be ready to travel at that point. I called Travel Guard and they said that even with that time lag, coverage for death of a family member (even though he was NOT going on the trip) would mean I'd get my money back. We did go. After a month of executor duties, I needed the break. But over the course of that month, I had the peace of mind knowing I could cancel if I wanted/needed to.

It's like those master card commercials. Peace of mind. Priceless.

And one non-cruise point. When you take the insurance offered by the carrier, should the carrier go out of business the insurance is likely to be in question, too. I'm not saying HAL is about to go broke. But travel packagers have been known to go out of business with no warning, leaving people stranded, and often the insurance they sell you doesn't cover that--or in the infamous case of ABC tours a few years ago, the insurance was "sold" to clients but not paid for. It's always better to have third-party insurance.[/QUOTE]


[B] All very good points.
I seem to recall people who purchased insurance from Rennaissance for cruises after they went out of business may not have been covered. They had to work with credit card companies to seek reimbursement. Those who paid by check, likely got nothing.

[/B]

[sapper1]

[quote name='sail7seas'][B] :) I wonder how what an American would be charged for emergency medical care in Canada would compare to what Canadian would pay for the same treatment? I'm not being a wise guy..... I am serious in my question. I suspect it not impossible the American would be charged commensurate with American pricing???

[/B]





[B] All very good points.
I seem to recall people who purchased insurance from Rennaissance for cruises after they went out of business may not have been covered. They had to work with credit card companies to seek reimbursement. Those who paid by check, likely got nothing.

[/B][/QUOTE]

First off, the Canadian would not be charged for hospital care in Canada.

Secondly, American insurance companies often send their clients to large Canadian hospitals for treatment as it is much cheaper than in the States. I was told this when at the University Hospital in London, Ontario and conducting business in a patient advocate's office. She had a pin chart on the wall showing where their patients came from. I remarked on the large number of pins on US locations and she told me that little tidbit.

Care in Canadian hospitals is cheaper because they are not run for profit. They are run by the government.

[yj_eugene]

[quote name='Jade13']You do not need their Luxe plan to cover pre-existing conditions. They have a policy with lower benefits that can be purchased at final payment and cover pre-existing conditions.[/QUOTE]

Which policy is that, if you don't mind sharing?

[kazu]

[quote name='sail7seas'][B] :) I wonder how what an American would be charged for emergency medical care in Canada would compare to what Canadian would pay for the same treatment? I'm not being a wise guy..... I am serious in my question. I suspect it not impossible the American would be charged commensurate with American pricing???

[/B]




[/QUOTE]

Americans are much better off when it comes to health care in the reciprocal countries. Charges in the U.S. are horrendous and if Canadians do not have additional medical insurance for even a long weekend trip they could be in trouble.

I remember a couple who had a baby unexpectedly in the U.S. and the hospital literally held the baby for ransom until they paid the $150,000 bill (which is why they came to me). ( and before anyone says anything about her being wiser than to travel when pregnant - she was gave birth two months early).

Of course, every day they kept the baby the bill grew larger and larger.

Fortunately we were able to help a bit and I have been known to go beyond the 'banker's job' and make other calls and I did in this case.

Just the same this couple still had a huge bill hanging over their head for many years. Canadians may joke about the cost of an aspirin in the United States, but it is not without good reason sadly. Edited September 7, 2014 by kazu

[Jade13]

[quote name='yj_eugene']Which policy is that, if you don't mind sharing?[/QUOTE]

CSA Freestyle

Try Steve at tripinsurancestore (dot) com
=====


"CSA Freestyle and CSA Freestyle Luxe
Trip Cancellation Plans

CSA Freestyle and CSA Freestyle Luxe plans have their strengths & quibbles:

Why Buy It? Quibbles
The CSA Freestyle has $50,000 & the CSA Freestyle Luxe has $250,000 Excess (Secondary) Emergency Medical coverage CSA’s Emergency Medical & Medical Evacuation Limits are per policy, not per person

You have to get the CSA Freestyle Luxe policy no later than 24 hours after your final trip payment to cover supplier financial default The CSA Freestyle policy doesn’t cover supplier financial default

[COLOR="Magenta"][COLOR="Red"][B]You have to buy either CSA Freestyle policy no later than 24 hours after your final trip payment and insure your full prepaid trip cost to cover pre-existing medical conditions. [/B][/COLOR][/COLOR]

The lowest trip cost you can cover is $0. This means you don’t have trip cancellation or pre-existing conditions coverage.

CSA’s maximum trip length is 90 days

[COLOR="Red"][B]The CSA Freestyle plans do not exclude pre-existing conditions of immediate family members who are not scheduled or booked to travel with you.
[/B][/COLOR]
CSA covers expenses for the following Physician-ordered medical services: services of legally qualified Physicians and graduate nurses, charges for Hospital confinement and services, local ambulance services, prescription drugs and medicines, and therapeutic services, incurred by you within one year from the date of your Sickness or Injury during a Trip.

You have a 10 day Free Look Period

You get 150% trip interruption

CSA covers revocation of the Insured’s previously granted leave or re-assignment.

Identity Theft Resolution Services are available for six full months, beginning on trip departure day

CSA is 1 of the few companies we trust
If you already know which CSA plan you want, click here for CSA Freestyle and click here for CSA Freestyle Luxe secure online quote & order form. Or call us toll free at 1-888-407-3854 to place your order over the telephone." Edited September 7, 2014 by Jade13