WARNING ! travel insurance thru your TA

[live2vayk]

I just can't wrap my head around the cancel for any reason need. I did book a policy with that for a teenage daughter going on an abroad trip. I had concerns she might not get on the plane. But if I have booked a cruise for us, I am sure I am going. I can't imagine a scenario where the day before sailing I would just change my mind.

 

But as someone here just said, everyone needs different assurances.

 

I pay extra for "Cancel for any reason". Not because on a whim I might change my mind, but because my elderly father lives with me and depends on me. He is generally able to care for himself with someone checking in on him, but things happen. Last fall I had a trip (land based) booked for my husband and myself. A few weeks before we were to depart, my Dad fell and broke his wrist. Now, that event is not covered under regular travel insurance, but I could use my "cancel for any reason" policy, and I did just that. He was not able to do basic things for himself for several weeks, so we ended up cancelling. I was sure glad I bought that policy!

Edited August 27, 2016 by live2vayk

[Randyk47]

I just can't wrap my head around the cancel for any reason need. I did book a policy with that for a teenage daughter going on an abroad trip. I had concerns she might not get on the plane. But if I have booked a cruise for us, I am sure I am going. I can't imagine a scenario where the day before sailing I would just change my mind.

 

But as someone here just said, everyone needs different assurances.

 

We do get "cancel for any reason" but that is driven mostly by my wife's work. Certainly we research and plan way ahead, like 12-18 months, and do everything we can reasonably do to make sure there are no obstacles but stuff happens. Take for instance a planned and booked Med cruise on the Prinsendam a few years ago. One of the stops was Alexandria, Egypt. Mrs K submitted her travel for review and it was initially approved. Then the approval was changed to she could be on the ship but not leave it in port. Then it changed to she couldn't be on any ship that visited Evypt. Luckily this all happened several months before final payment and before we'd booked flights and hotels so we were sadly able to cancel the whole cruise with no loss. Had this happened after final payment the "cancel for any reason" could have been very handy and needed.

[RuthC]

I just can't wrap my head around the cancel for any reason need.

Some people have beloved pets who are not included in coverage for family members who take ill. If a pet were to become ill, and need their human---or the human need to be with their pet at the time of crisis---the "cancel for any reason" insurance would be exactly what was needed.

[Tampa Girl]

I got food poisoning :eek: from dinner the night before I was leaving on a short trip. There is no way I could have anticipated that.

 

I just purchased HAL's cancel-for-any reason because, one, we have a beloved cat who is in questionable health and we certainly would not leave her if her health worsens; and secondly, my husband has health concerns that constitute a pre-existing condition. I am sure I can think of many other reasons, but these two were our reasons.

 

Sorry - I think I responded to the wrong quote.

Edited August 27, 2016 by Tampa Girl

[cargo13]

http://www.thediabetescouncil.com/diabetes-travel-insurance-guide/

 

We found this travel insurance guide helpful to explain WHEN to buy and what to buy re: PRE EXISTING CONDITIONS. Ignore that its diabetes related. We took their #1 recommendation of CSA Travel Insurance and CSA customer service was good to walk us thru the coverages and advise plan to purchase. Way more than our TA could.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Some people have beloved pets who are not included in coverage for family members who take ill. If a pet were to become ill, and need their human---or the human need to be with their pet at the time of crisis---the "cancel for any reason" insurance would be exactly what was needed.

 

I agree completely. I could never enjoy a trip knowing that I had left a sick pet back home, even with someone to take care of it.

[alwaysfrantic]

I have seen the cancel for work related reasons as a rider before. That one could be valuable and the situation on the previous page certainly shows a good example.

[TiogaCruiser]

There are numerous large agencies that are offering specials with HAL right now that include Explore4 for Alaska and Europe for 2017. These special are a reduced price from what HAL is offering BUT... the Deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE. HAL tells the Travel Agencies that when booking if they want Hal's Insurance it absolutely MUST be purchased at time of deposit You CANNOT purchase at final. Many other Travel Insurances that travel agencies offer also will not cover if your penalty period has already started. So it is very possible this was the case and why he was told he must purchase at the time of deposit.

 

Any thoughts on whether this non-refundable deposit will become standard?

[Cruzin Terri]

For those who think cancel for any reason is not necessary, here is our situation. We are caregivers for my BIL, who is disabled. When we travel we have a lovely lady who stays with him. If, for any reason, she has an emergency at the last minute and cannot help us, we w outdoor have to cancel. I do not know of any policy that would cover such a situation.

 

Terri

[NancyIL]

Cancel For Any Reason is not a quick fix, as you usually won't get back 100% of your trip costs if you cancel. I just booked a Global Alert Preferred Plus policy that includes a 75% CFAR rider. If you have to cancel, it's obviously better if it's for a reason covered by your policy. If not - then getting back most of your non-refundable, prepaid expenses is better than losing it all.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Any thoughts on whether this non-refundable deposit will become standard?

 

For right now HAL is not making it a Standard thing, nor do I think that in the near future it will become one but you will see it often for Special Sales even those offers well prior to Final Payment.

[TiogaCruiser]

.... Most Travel Insurance companies offer a cancel for any reason but it is extremely expensive and is often only a 70% at most reimbursement, HAL Platinum Coverage is 90% which is excellent. They also will cover hotel and air booked through Holland America and only charge the cost of what it covers for the cruise portion only.

.

 

So if I understand correctly, if one books a cruise, pre hotel with transfers and air through HAL, the cost of the CPP is only based on the cruise, but the other components are still covered? What about if the HAL pre- hotel portion includes a HAL pre-cruise tour (i.e.: tour specific flights, hotel,guide)?

 

I am considering SA with HAL pre-cruise Iguazo falls.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

So if I understand correctly, if one books a cruise, pre hotel with transfers and air through HAL, the cost of the CPP is only based on the cruise, but the other components are still covered? What about if the HAL pre- hotel portion includes a HAL pre-cruise tour (i.e.: tour specific flights, hotel,guide)?

 

I am considering SA with HAL pre-cruise Iguazo falls.

 

Here is where it gets a bit confusing, any additional Hotel charge and Air are covered and the price of the CPP is based on the cruise only but if you are doing an actual package of Land and Sea like Alaska where the whole thing is one price then the CPP is based on that price but... the Iguazo Falls portion is an add on like Hotel and Air so that is not charged but is covered for the CPP. :)

[Hlitner]

Any thoughts on whether this non-refundable deposit will become standard?

 

We are seeing non-refundable deposits on several other lines and they are usually connected with some kind of price reduction on the cruise. Although we are not normally fans of the cruise line's pricing strategies, non-refundable deposits make a lot of sense and can benefit other cruisers. There are some folks who make a habit out of booking multiple cruises, often far in advance, in order to hold specific cabins and lock in a price. Then, when they get near the final payment period they simply cancel the unwanted reservations. Airlines have long used multiple pricing strategies with the best deals being non-refundable...and we also see this with many hotel chains. Not surprising that cruise lines are also using this strategy.

 

Hank