Told we can't cruise due to Coronavirus - no full refund??!

[BunnyHutt]

2 hours ago, cruisinfanatic said:

You better read it again

???

[sparks1093]

10 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Right, but insurance would cover the change fees for the airfare, or the refund for airfare if a person didn’t leave for their trip yet. 

Possibly, yes, but the main thing under discussion has been the cruise fare itself.

[sparks1093]

10 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

My cancel for any reason policy allows me to cancel after I’ve already started my vacation, but I would have to wait for 48 hours before I tried to go home if I wanted to use the trip cancellation for the remainder of my vacation. 

 

My cancel for any reason policy also comes with trip interruption coverage which would refund my money in the event that I got denied boarding and couldn’t finish the trip I had already set out on and needed to change my plans by either getting a flight home or paying for a hotel room while I waited until my original flight left.

 

I read every single word of all 5 cancel for any reason policies I qualified for (including reviews) and feel very confident that I have the ability to get money back if I were in this posters situation. The worst I could do is get 75% of my money back, but the policy only cost me $251 for 2 people. Totally worth it. 

You have a good policy, for sure, many of the CFAR policies I've read aren't so robust. Insurance for my upcoming cruise in August was in the $120 range. I'm not sure that I'd want to double it to obtain cancel for any reason even though we are cruising to Bermuda during the height of the hurricane season. We're driving to the port and if the ship goes, we go. Of course everyone has to examine their own needs and risks and determine what works best for them (and of course shop around for the best price).

 

(And in the case under discussion what would you get from your CFAR insurance for the cruise fare itself, with the cruise line issuing a full credit?)

[sparks1093]

10 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I have yet to see anyone post on these boards for this coronavirus issue or the hurricane Maria issue and say they bought cancel for any reason coverage and they didn’t get a refund. In fact the reason I buy it now myself is specifically because I’ve read these boards for years and every time a situation comes up like this, the only people who walk away fully satisfied with their insurance coverage are those with cancel for any reason policies.

 

It’s true that there are stipulations in those policies, but people who buy them are likely aware of them because they’ve  read through multiple policies after specifically seeking out that type of coverage. They’re happy knowing they have the most coverage that is available, so they walk away satisfied when issues arise. 

 

The complaints we keep reading on these boards are primarily from people who chose to buy zero insurance, or who assumed that their basic trip insurance covered all reasons. If they had read the terms and conditions I don’t think they’d be as surprised as they would have realized there were very specific reasons listed where people could get money back and for most people, the regular insurance is  worthless. Regular insurance covers you if you’re hospitalized, lose a job, get pregnant, your home becomes inhabitable due to flood or fire etc. It usually also carries some medical evacuation which is beneficial, but unless you have one of these rare life circumstances happen to you, regular insurance does nothing for you and that’s pretty clear when you read the policy. 

 

Cancel for any reason insurance is great, and under the terms of my policy, I would be refunded money if I were the person who posted the original message on this thread. Sure I’d only get 75% of my money, but I would get 100% of the money it cost me to pay for a hotel or fly home, and I would be perfectly happy with that.

 

Unfortunately for many people just now learning this, they’ve already booked their vacations and are no longer eligible to buy cancel for any reason insurance (it has to be purchased within 14-21 days of booking your trip), but hopefully people will now be more informed that it’s an option. 

Very valid points, but personally (and I realize it's just me) I'd rather have a 100% future cruise credit than 75% cash. 

[ed01106]

This shouldn’t be an insurance issue at all.  RCL is denying passage based on a policy that did not exist at the time of booking.  They should refund him 100% of the fare paid.

[Jimbo]

On 2/7/2020 at 12:00 AM, Ourusualbeach said:

Agree, if they want people to be honest they need to be issuing full refunds.  Word of them only offering FCC’s will spread rapidly through social media and cause many people to be not fully honest thusly jeopardizing the health and safety of others 

I guess the cruiseline looks at it like then EVERYONE after final payment just decides they just don't want to go on their cruise they can just say this. If they  just give everyone cash back without penatly they will be losing alot of $$ and bookings.

 

I guess that is why they just decided to give FCC.

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, ed01106 said:

This shouldn’t be an insurance issue at all.  RCL is denying passage based on a policy that did not exist at the time of booking.  They should refund him 100% of the fare paid.

I am not sure about that. The cruise contract, summed up in two lines, pretty much says...1. The cruise line can do whatever it wants when ever it wants. 2. If the passenger thinks they have any rights then they are mistaken.

[Cruisegirl6]

RC should give full refund this will allow those who are ill to cancel and not go instead of going because they paid for it and they will loose their money if they don't go...RC needs to do the right thing and realize giving full refunds actually will help and save others from getting ill.  

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I am not sure about that. The cruise contract, summed up in two lines, pretty much says...1. The cruise line can do whatever it wants when ever it wants. 2. If the passenger thinks they have any rights then they are mistaken.

If they ever summed it up as concisely as that there would be many lawyers out of a job.  

[ed01106]

30 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I am not sure about that. The cruise contract, summed up in two lines, pretty much says...1. The cruise line can do whatever it wants when ever it wants. 2. If the passenger thinks they have any rights then they are mistaken.

The cruise contract lists reasons for denying a passenger boarding. It is a lengthy list, however, this isn’t on the list.

[lbjen]

At a certain point it’s going to be cheaper for them to just issue refunds instead of having to keep quarantining the ships. I wonder what that point is, obviously we’re not close yet. 

[cruisekap]

On 2/6/2020 at 11:52 PM, Hollysmokes said:

Shocked a RCL's customer service.

 

We live in Asia and received an email to say we couldn't board the cruise if we had been in contact with anyone who had been to China, Macau or Hong Kong in the last 15 days.

 

I had hung out with a friend at the weekend who had transited through HK earlier than week so I decided to do the honest thing (I didn't have to!!) and tell them. This wasn't me choosing not to cruise, it was subject to THEIR rules and I did the responsible thing by admitting I had. 

 

Shocked to find out they'll only give me future cruise credit. This is no use to me at all. My mother is here visiting from overseas. I can't cruise with her again as we live on opposite sides of the world and she has no use for the cruise credit.

 

Surely RCL should be offering me a full refund onto my credit card? This wasn't my choice - this was them telling me that I couldn't cruise?

 

I am getting no where with their customer service team. 

Update as of today, Feb 8.  Looks like a full refund is coming.  I guess they reconsidered their strategy.  I hope it works out for you.  Newest coronavirus message posted on Royal Caribbean website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[puppycanducruise]

1 minute ago, cruisekap said:

Update as of today, Feb 8.  Looks like a full refund is coming.  I guess they reconsidered their strategy.  I hope it works out for you.  Newest coronavirus message posted on Royal Caribbean website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope this works out for you.

[lovemylab]

4 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Very valid points, but personally (and I realize it's just me) I'd rather have a 100% future cruise credit than 75% cash. 

 

As would I.   

[sydbarrett]

Celebrity is giving full refunds so I assumed RCL would too, being the parent company. Keep trying!

[cruisekap]

According to Royal's website they will be issuing full refunds.

[Ocean Boy]

So what is the take now from the folks who said full refunds were, somehow, going  to bankrupt the company.

[Tree_skier]

2 hours ago, lbjen said:

instead of having to keep quarantining the ships

Keep quarantining ships? How many ships have they quarantined?  

[Ocean Boy]

4 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Keep quarantining ships? How many ships have they quarantined?  

I think 3.

[ARandomTraveler]

7 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Very valid points, but personally (and I realize it's just me) I'd rather have a 100% future cruise credit than 75% cash. 

In that case though, one could just choose not to make a claim on their insurance and take the FCC the cruiseline offered. My policy would give me a 75% refund in a worse case scenario if I made a claim that fell under the cancel for any reason, but I’d get 100% refund under the trip interruption clause which I’m pretty sure after reading my policy would be covered under RC denying me boarding. 

Edited February 8, 2020 by ARandomTraveler

[ARandomTraveler]

7 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

You have a good policy, for sure, many of the CFAR policies I've read aren't so robust. Insurance for my upcoming cruise in August was in the $120 range. I'm not sure that I'd want to double it to obtain cancel for any reason even though we are cruising to Bermuda during the height of the hurricane season. We're driving to the port and if the ship goes, we go. Of course everyone has to examine their own needs and risks and determine what works best for them (and of course shop around for the best price).

 

(And in the case under discussion what would you get from your CFAR insurance for the cruise fare itself, with the cruise line issuing a full credit?)

Some other people have made the same point you are, that the extra expense seems too high for the added benefit, which is fair. I personally thought $251 was a very small dollar amount for the peace of mind, especially considering I’m going to be spending over $12,000 on my vacation (though the insurance is only for $4500 of it). But if I’m spending $12,000 then what’s another $251? That’s how I looked at it. 

[sparks1093]

7 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Some other people have made the same point you are, that the extra expense seems too high for the added benefit, which is fair. I personally thought $251 was a very small dollar amount for the peace of mind, especially considering I’m going to be spending over $12,000 on my vacation (though the insurance is only for $4500 of it). But if I’m spending $12,000 then what’s another $251? That’s how I looked at it. 

My next cruise, all in, is around $2400. We're years away from anything as pricey as $12000 (if we ever get there at all). As I said, if the ship goes, I go. If they cancel the cruise and give me a future cruise credit then I'm good to go.

[NorthwestCruiser]

I would imagine that the cruise line's insurance company is on the hook for the costs.    There is a type of insurance called "business interruption insurance" that covers this sort of thing.   With one of the companies that I worked for, the San Francisco Earthquake proved to be one of our most profitable quarters because insurance paid for our lost sales based on a very optimistic projection of our production.

[PhoenixCruiser]

39 minutes ago, NorthwestCruiser said:

I would imagine that the cruise line's insurance company is on the hook for the costs.    There is a type of insurance called "business interruption insurance" that covers this sort of thing.   With one of the companies that I worked for, the San Francisco Earthquake proved to be one of our most profitable quarters because insurance paid for our lost sales based on a very optimistic projection of our production.

 

I'm pretty sure they are self-insured

[Ourusualbeach]

42 minutes ago, NorthwestCruiser said:

I would imagine that the cruise line's insurance company is on the hook for the costs.    There is a type of insurance called "business interruption insurance" that covers this sort of thing.   With one of the companies that I worked for, the San Francisco Earthquake proved to be one of our most profitable quarters because insurance paid for our lost sales based on a very optimistic projection of our production.

The cruise line only carries insurance on their ships for total loss.  This is all self insured.