Deposit not refunded with travel insurance?

[karen11g]

My husband and I booked a cruise with a $500 (250/ea) non-refundable deposit for a cruise this summer with friends. We just got the awful news that DH has cancer, which we will be fighting through the summer. Prognosis is hopeful, thank God.

 

We purchased RCL travel insurance, but we have not yet reached the full payment due date, so we’ve only paid the deposit. I emailed our TA to cancel the cruise and she said RCL would keep the $500 deposit, charge us a $200 cancellation penalty, and if we book within a year we can apply the remaining deposit ($300) to a new booking.

 

I’m awaiting a response from her about why travel insurance is not covering it, but wondered if anyone else has had this experience. If insurance only kicks in after we pay the full cruise fare, should we do that and then file an insurance claim?

 

Sure wish I didn’t have to think about this.

[karena1]

3 minutes ago, karen11g said:

My husband and I booked a cruise with a $500 (250/ea) non-refundable deposit for a cruise this summer with friends. We just got the awful news that DH has cancer, which we will be fighting through the summer. Prognosis is hopeful, thank God.

 

We purchased RCL travel insurance, but we have not yet reached the full payment due date, so we’ve only paid the deposit. I emailed our TA to cancel the cruise and she said RCL would keep the $500 deposit, charge us a $200 cancellation penalty, and if we book within a year we can apply the remaining deposit ($300) to a new booking.

 

I’m awaiting a response from her about why travel insurance is not covering it, but wondered if anyone else has had this experience. If insurance only kicks in after we pay the full cruise fare, should we do that and then file an insurance claim?

 

Sure wish I didn’t have to think about this.

That is why we always book through a 3rd party.  Had to cancel our cruise in Sept due to my husband's sudden illness and had no issues at all getting our money back.

 

[cruisinmeme]

Apparently they are like carnival by holding your deposit and charging you to cancel. In this case you should be getting your insurance fee back. I always take the insurance but dont like to pay for it when i book. So did you already pay for the insurance.  Only once did i pay for it when i booked.

good luck to you and your husband.  A year to take the cruise isn’t a lot of time.

[molly361]

That doesn't sound right.  Here's a copy of the policy

 

 

Cruise Care policy.pdf

Edited February 21, 2020 by molly361

[karen11g]

Thanks for the replies. I’m afraid the case will be that the deposit didn’t pay for the insurance, so we’re not insured yet. But putting a cancellation fee on top of it seems harsh, so if that’s what I hear from my TA, I might contact RCL directly to see if they’ll waive the fee. Optimistic that we can schedule again within the year.

[cathykb]

Don't think the deposit covers insurance.  You don't really purchase  the cruise insurance until you make final payment.

[njkruzer]

27 minutes ago, karen11g said:

Thanks for the replies. I’m afraid the case will be that the deposit didn’t pay for the insurance, so we’re not insured yet. But putting a cancellation fee on top of it seems harsh, so if that’s what I hear from my TA, I might contact RCL directly to see if they’ll waive the fee. Optimistic that we can schedule again within the year.

Check with your husband's doctor.   They may let you travel,  mine did in the middle of chemo.  He told me his goal was that I should live my life!  Best advice I got.  Best wishes for your husband's recovery. 

[lbjen]

I’m not sure that your TA can file your insurance claim for you (it’s a RCL policy but it’s separate from your actual cruise booking). You probably have to do that yourself. Once you get confirmation from RC that they’re charging you the $200, you can file your claim. I’m sorry that you’re going through this, best wishes to you and your husband.

[BirdTravels]

5 hours ago, karen11g said:

My husband and I booked a cruise with a $500 (250/ea) non-refundable deposit for a cruise this summer with friends. We just got the awful news that DH has cancer, which we will be fighting through the summer. Prognosis is hopeful, thank God.

 

We purchased RCL travel insurance, but we have not yet reached the full payment due date, so we’ve only paid the deposit. I emailed our TA to cancel the cruise and she said RCL would keep the $500 deposit, charge us a $200 cancellation penalty, and if we book within a year we can apply the remaining deposit ($300) to a new booking.

 

I’m awaiting a response from her about why travel insurance is not covering it, but wondered if anyone else has had this experience. If insurance only kicks in after we pay the full cruise fare, should we do that and then file an insurance claim?

 

Sure wish I didn’t have to think about this.

Prayers for your husband for a speedy recovery. 

 

RCL did NOT insure your trip. RCL will keep all of your money. RCL is not an insurance company. A 3rd party insurance company insured your trip. 

 

Your TA still needs to help you take the cancellation receipt from RCL and file an insurance claim. If the insurance company accepts your reason for cancellation and the RCL receipt, the insurance company will refund your money. Nothing to do with RCL. 

 

 

Edited February 21, 2020 by BirdTravels

[Coralc]

I don't think the insurance is really in effect yet, because you haven't paid for it yet. Their general policy is that you lose the $100 p/p of your booking if you cancel. And the 3rd party insurance that I purchased said that would be returned to me because it is a non-refundable charge (not cruise line insurance) For some reason, I thought that you received the $300 back, but maybe it is returned as a future cruise credit. That would kind of stink. Our deposit was $900. 

 

I hope your husband recovers fully and happily with treatment. 

Edited February 21, 2020 by Coralc

[gaylemh]

If you only paid for the deposits, you don't have insurance.  Insurance doesn't kick in until after final payment date, and that is when you are charged.   It was easy before they started the non-refundable deposits.  You would get 100% back of what you paid.  Back then if you paid in full, including the insurance, before the final payment date, and you canceled, you would even get the insurance amount back.  There was nothing to insure before the final payment date. 

[sparks1093]

8 hours ago, njkruzer said:

Check with your husband's doctor.   They may let you travel,  mine did in the middle of chemo.  He told me his goal was that I should live my life!  Best advice I got.  Best wishes for your husband's recovery. 

I was going to suggest this. I know that I would want to go on the cruise if at all possible, even if I wasn't feeling 100%. My cancer was cured through surgery and I've never experienced chemo though.

[karen11g]

He'll have just had surgery and will be recovering at the time of the cruise, if all goes according to plan, so keeping the booking isn't an option.

 

Thanks everyone for the well wishes. I'll post again when I have a final answer.

[Roger88]

As far as Iam concerned, the deposit has nothing to do with insurance. Its a seperate payment that insures that the company wont suffer big losses when "circumstances of insuperable force" occur. I mean the deposit isnt that big anyway 

[nascarcruiser]

Sounds like the insurance is not in effect yet.  In the grand scheme of things I wouldn't worry about $500.  Best wishes to your family