Celebrity can we cancel with a future credit?

[lescas]

 

My SIL is sailing on Celebrity Infinity July 13 out of Venice with a party of 6 for their 70 Birthdays. Due to medical reason one couple has to cancel. At the time they booked three months ago, there was a small medical problem that time would take care. But now a surgical procedure has to be done next week with 3-4 weeks of rest. Did not get insurance, celebrity wont refund, or credit for a later cruise, etc. This trip was about $10,000 per couple. Airfare, hotel and cruise with a few extra days in Rome. Any help of where to start. 

[gold1953]

This is policy .. no refunds after final payment date. Only insurance will help you. Check to see if your credit card has any attached to it . There is nothing Celebrity will do for you.. no future credit or refund. Even with some insurance a pre existing condition is usually not covered. Perhaps 4 can travel 

[Jim_Iain]

Since you chose not to take out insurance there isn't much you should expect from Celebrity.   On rare occasions I have heard that Celebrity has made an exception but unfortunately you really don't have much grounds to stand on.

 

One potential to check is what credit card you or your relatives charged their ticket on.   My Chase Sapphire Card has coverage up to $10,000 per person for cancellation coverage.  

[bEwAbG]

You can always ask, but as others have noted, they don't have to do anything.  Some people have reported getting future credit when it was an unexpected death or some such.  I don't really recall reading about medical issues being given mercy, but it's really up to their goodwill at this point.  The only thing you can do is call and ask.  

 

That is why you're always encouraged to get insurance.  My own sister didn't believe me that it was a smart thing to do until she missed several days of a Hawaiian vacation due to a cancelled flight & had all sorts of extra out-of-pocket expenses as a result.  Live and learn.  Not paying for the policy up front means you're self-insuring the trip.  This is the result. 

[fragilek]

Check the airlines for a refund. I had to cancel a cruise last year the day before going as my husband had a TIA.  We notified the cruise the hotel and the airlines not expecting anything back just to get the cancellation invoices for the insurance- To our surprise the airlines refunded almost all the money or gave credit slip on a non refundable fair. (kudos to virgin atlantic -UK to barbados- and  to easyjet internal UK).  The hotels in barbados 1 refunded the other didin't.  But the cruise line CHARGED us an additional £45 to send out a cancellation invoice 😡 

[cruisestitch]

Was that on Celebrity?

[fragilek]

1 minute ago, cruisestitch said:

Was that on Celebrity?

No (Marella) I was really pointing out about getting the airfare back sorry to have caused confusion

[Iamthesea]

Are all couples trying to cancel, or just the one couple?

 

They should be able to get a credit voucher for their airfare if you booked independently. 

Note that the credit needs to be used for another trip a year from the time of original purchase date. 

 

If air was booked through Celebrity, I don't know how that works. 

We always book air and hotel independently from the cruiseline.  We also ALWAYS buy trip insurance independently.

[39august]

They may be able to get some of the air refunded. Some lines will take a penalty for a cancellation, but refund the remainder.  Not insuring when they knew there was a medical situation that could worsen was a big gamble.

[fragilek]

A separate question but one that has often crossed my mind.  What do all the US uninsured folk do if they were to take sick on the cruise and get transferred to a local non us port hospital. what happens to the medical bills.  

[cruisestitch]

The passenger is responsible for the medical bills.

 

 

[Northern Aurora]

We had to cancel a B2B when one of our parents was suddenly hospitalized, and then diagnosed with a serious illness which indeed caused her death several months later.  We had insurance, but filling out the forms, getting statements from her doctors and is forth was time consuming -- right when the situation is changing fast and you don't have a lot of free time.  The travel insurance reimbursed us with no issues or dispute, but it still wasn't a fun process.

 

When we had to cancel another B2B pair due to another family medical issue we instead were able to transfer that reservation number to another future B2B set of cruises.  Possibly an option for the OP's SIL?

[Northern Aurora]

1 hour ago, fragilek said:

A separate question but one that has often crossed my mind.  What do all the US uninsured folk do if they were to take sick on the cruise and get transferred to a local non us port hospital. what happens to the medical bills.  

 

 

Our private insurance covers us for up to 6 months out of the US.  We would have to pay the medical costs, obtain the paperwork and then submit to our company.  So no trips out of the US longer than 6 months at a time.

[hiccups]

6 hours ago, fragilek said:

A separate question but one that has often crossed my mind.  What do all the US uninsured folk do if they were to take sick on the cruise and get transferred to a local non us port hospital. what happens to the medical bills.  

We always buy trip insurance, but my employer also has a travel insurance policy that covers medical evacuation.  I would imagine some other large employers offer something similar for its employees.

[chemmo]

On 7/1/2019 at 11:59 PM, lescas said:

 

My SIL is sailing on Celebrity Infinity July 13 out of Venice with a party of 6 for their 70 Birthdays. Due to medical reason one couple has to cancel. At the time they booked three months ago, there was a small medical problem that time would take care. But now a surgical procedure has to be done next week with 3-4 weeks of rest. Did not get insurance, celebrity wont refund, or credit for a later cruise, etc. This trip was about $10,000 per couple. Airfare, hotel and cruise with a few extra days in Rome. Any help of where to start. 

 

I honestly think the couple who have dropped out are unlikely to be able to get a future cruise credit for the full amount lost but X may as a ‘good will’ gesture offer something. Nothing to loose by asking....If the full party wish to cancel then I would think it highly unlikely they would offer anything.

 

Airfare and hotels have specific refund/credit dependent on the small print in the booking conditions. Again nothing to loose by pleading to their better nature if legally they are not obliged to refund. 

 

I can only suggest, like others, that a check of their credit card may offer some insurance...However, that would only probably cover the couple who need to cancel not the rest of the party who may now want to cancel/reschedule.

 

 

 

 

 

[lescas]

They were told to get a drs. letter with more information to X and they may work something out. The other four are in the middle of the cruise now on their way to Rome. 

[chemmo]

9 minutes ago, lescas said:

They were told to get a drs. letter with more information to X and they may work something out. The other four are in the middle of the cruise now on their way to Rome. 

 

Sincere thanks for returning to post an update...many of us wander how things will turn out and one experience can inform the actions of others in the future.

 

Sincere hopes that your sil is enjoying her cruise (even if not has planned) and that Celebrity can do something for the couple who needed to cancel..

[jelayne]

Have mixed feeling on this.  On one hand nice to hear that X may works something out but then I wonder why we spend hundreds of $ on trip cancellation insurance very year.  

[warmwinds]

22 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Have mixed feeling on this.  On one hand nice to hear that X may works something out but then I wonder why we spend hundreds of $ on trip cancellation insurance very year.  

Totally agree with this.

 

We all have the opportunity to buy insurance, or not.

[4774Papa]

On 7/1/2019 at 6:59 PM, lescas said:

 

My SIL is sailing on Celebrity Infinity July 13 out of Venice with a party of 6 for their 70 Birthdays. Due to medical reason one couple has to cancel. At the time they booked three months ago, there was a small medical problem that time would take care. But now a surgical procedure has to be done next week with 3-4 weeks of rest. Did not get insurance, celebrity wont refund, or credit for a later cruise, etc. This trip was about $10,000 per couple. Airfare, hotel and cruise with a few extra days in Rome. Any help of where to start. 

A few years ago Celebrity would give you something like 2/3 credit if you cancelled.   We had to cancel once because of a death in the family, but we had insurance.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

5 hours ago, jelayne said:

Have mixed feeling on this.  On one hand nice to hear that X may works something out but then I wonder why we spend hundreds of $ on trip cancellation insurance very year.  

 

4 hours ago, warmwinds said:

Totally agree with this.

 

We all have the opportunity to buy insurance, or not.

I also feel sorry for those in this situation but we have spent thousands of dollars over the years on trip insurance. 

[clarky213]

14 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

 

I also feel sorry for those in this situation but we have spent thousands of dollars over the years on trip insurance. 

 

But you have had cover also for Medical bills and Evacuation from the ship. I doubt if Celebrity would "work something out" if something happened to you on your cruise.

 

I look on the insurance as part of the cost of the Holiday, same as Tips. 

 

If I Can't afford everything, I dont book.

[jelayne]

11 hours ago, clarky213 said:

 

But you have had cover also for Medical bills and Evacuation from the ship. I doubt if Celebrity would "work something out" if something happened to you on your cruise.

 

I look on the insurance as part of the cost of the Holiday, same as Tips. 

 

If I Can't afford everything, I dont book.

Had this couple purchased travel insurance they too would have had medical & evacuation coverage.  Had the condition worsened while on the cruise with no insurance they could have been faced with expenses far in excess of what they are potentially losing by having to cancel.  

[cruise kitty]

On 7/2/2019 at 2:50 PM, fragilek said:

A separate question but one that has often crossed my mind.  What do all the US uninsured folk do if they were to take sick on the cruise and get transferred to a local non us port hospital. what happens to the medical bills.  

 

I don't always take out trip insurance, but I do always take out a medical & evac policy as well, I can afford cover trip costs that my credit card policy won't cover, but over seas medical care & helicopter evacuation are another story.   

[emmas gran]

I accept there are different rules for across the pond but will tell you about a friend's medical emergency  about 4 yrs ago.

They set off for a family trip to Barbados and after 2/3 days she felt quite ill so a doctor was called then an ambulance to take her to hospital but not before her husband paid $5000 US for bills that may be accrued. He was not allowed to travel with her and had to follow in a taxi to the hospital. It was decided after a couple of days she need care they could not give in Barbados and she was medevaced to Broward hospital in Florida. She spent 8 weeks there and then transported on a medical flight back to the UK via New York and Greenland this route was taken so they could touch down should her condition deteriorate, her final flight landed 15 minutes from her home but took her to a local hospital where she spent a further 10 weeks. The total cost for this was in excess of £500,000 and was covered by their insurance. The initial $5000 he paid was back on his credit card within 2 days of payment and they covered his room at a motel near the hospital in Florida.

My friend is doing OK now a little weak on her legs but doing OK  --we have never and would never travel without insurance even though our premiums used to be loaded due to past medical conditions.

 

I have posted this before so sorry if you remember it