I took one for the team

[auntjoy036]

I was supposed to be on today’s (Feb. 29) Summit sailing.  I have an upper respiratory infection and bronchitis.  I canceled my trip. I went to a medical clinic today. The practitioner said because I did not have the flu or a fever, she would not sign my travel insurance form. Her logic seems to be it’s bad to spread the flu or Coronavirus, but fine to share a plain old cold all around the plane and ship.  I’m out thousands of dollars.  To the travelers I’m not coughing on:  You’re welcome.

[julia]

Let me be the first to say thank you!  Bronchitis is very communicable, and can last for months.  You have made a selfless decision to protect yourself and others.  Karma will be yours....

[CruiserMickey]

I am really sorry that your medical practitioner wouldn’t sign your insurance forms. Can you go to a different clinic and get a second opinion? 

[Pushka]

17 minutes ago, auntjoy036 said:

I was supposed to be on today’s (Feb. 29) Summit sailing.  I have an upper respiratory infection and bronchitis.  I canceled my trip. I went to a medical clinic today. The practitioner said because I did not have the flu or a fever, she would not sign my travel insurance form. Her logic seems to be it’s bad to spread the flu or Coronavirus, but fine to share a plain old cold all around the plane and ship.  I’m out thousands of dollars.  To the travelers I’m not coughing on:  You’re welcome.

oh that's unfortunate. Is this your normal clinic? I'm thinking had you gone to board and refused you'd get your money back. Honesty should be rewarded. 

[Elusive_Cruiser]

Seriously? Wow.... Well, first off - good on you.   I hope your insurance makes you 'right'.  I would think, with 'stuff' going on right now, better to error on the side of caution, and insurance companies should support that, given the ultimate cost they may pay.  I hope you are made right.

And, sorry that you are missing your cruise.  Hope you have another one scheduled to look forward to.

 

 

Edited March 1, 2020 by Elusive_Cruiser

[travelpeon]

Wishing you speedy recovery.  I imagine it will be more comfortable to do so from home.

 

Thank you for doing the right thing.  Ports have turned away ships if a number of people onboard have cold or flu like symptoms.  Echoing the advice to get a second visit with a different practitioner.  Perhaps a letter to Celebrity's team with documentation of the infection & bronchitis given the current world events would get at least a small future cruise credit out of goodwill.

[GastroGnome]

You have without doubt done the right thing - insurance is a law unto itself and I presume there is a small print clause there somewhere which does not cover you in the event that it is your health which prevents you travelling rather than the ship's decicion to deny you boarding.  I too wonder if you could approach a different clinic - although they clearly cannot say you have coronavirus is you do not.  That would amount to insurance fraud!

 

I suspect we'll see many more cases of insurance companies relying on small print to wriggle out of claims.  This year is going to be very costly across many sectors, not just travel & tourism.

[chemmo]

OP, 

 

Your practitioner does not have to have a condition on a particular list in order to sign your form...His role is to simply confirm you are ‘unfit to travel’ or it would be ‘medically unwise’ for you to travel or at least that is how it operates in the U.K....

 

Honestly, I would have a further consultation with your doctor or better still your practice manager. What possible reason would you have to visit him if you didn’t feel so ill that you felt you could not travel? I am sure even your insurance company would prefer you to cancel than go and then need to be hospitalised on a Caribbean island if your symptoms worsened...

 

Regardless of insurance, I am sure you have made the best decision for yourself and fellow cruisers...

[Oceangoer2]

You might try to approach Celebrity Resolution Desk ... they may be able to provide a future cruise credit with penalty...have your doc (at another clinic) provide you a signed medical info sheet re your condition and reason for cancelling.  A ship is going from Caribbean port to port right now with a few flu passengers onboard and not being allowed to dock.  You did the right thing for the ship and its passengers.  Kudos and I hope you're made nearly financially whole.

[bbtondo]

Go to another doctor.  Don't call Celebrity.

[tomcruiser1234]

Thank you

[Silkroad]

8 hours ago, auntjoy036 said:

I was supposed to be on today’s (Feb. 29) Summit sailing.  I have an upper respiratory infection and bronchitis.  I canceled my trip. I went to a medical clinic today. The practitioner said because I did not have the flu or a fever, she would not sign my travel insurance form. Her logic seems to be it’s bad to spread the flu or Coronavirus, but fine to share a plain old cold all around the plane and ship.  I’m out thousands of dollars.  To the travelers I’m not coughing on:  You’re welcome.

First, thank you! Second, I agree with some the other posters. Please consider going up the clinical management chain to complain about this issue. Another option would be to consult another physician, in a different practice. The practitioner you consulted should have signed your form. Our family physician would certainly have signed a form for us if we were in the same situation. Good luck getting this resolved, and I hope you recover soon🌺

[LSKC]

1 hour ago, oceangoer2 said:

You might try to approach Celebrity Resolution Desk ... they may be able to provide a future cruise credit with penalty...have your doc (at another clinic) provide you a signed medical info sheet re your condition and reason for cancelling.  A ship is going from Caribbean port to port right now with a few flu passengers onboard and not being allowed to dock.  You did the right thing for the ship and its passengers.  Kudos and I hope you're made nearly financially whole.

which ship is that?

[GastroGnome]

The MSC Megravilia.  It was denied entry to Jamiaica and Grand Cayman, finally docking in Cozumel.  A crew member had seasonal 'flu.

[calicakes]

You need to find another dr.  My dr would sign my form.  You need a dr. who you have a "relationship" with.   

 

If you went to an urgent care, call the clinic manager.  Thats ridiculous. 

[rhblake]

I am sorry you are ill, but it appears you did things in reverse. First you cancelled the cruise, then you went to the clinic for them to justify your cancellation and the clinic said that you were not sick enough from them to deem you unfit for travel. Unless you have CFAR travel insurance you are probably out of luck.

I also find the advice you are getting from others about doctor shopping to be inappropriate.

[Charles4515]

10 minutes ago, calicakes said:

You need to find another dr.  My dr would sign my form.  You need a dr. who you have a "relationship" with.   

 

If you went to an urgent care, call the clinic manager.  Thats ridiculous. 

I guess it depends on the insurance but when I had to cancel, to file a claim with Travel Guard my doctor just wrote out on his prescription pad the diagnosis using the medical code and we attached that to the claim form. In ten days I had the money from Travel Guard. 

[Charles4515]

7 minutes ago, rhblake said:

I am sorry you are ill, but it appears you did things in reverse. First you cancelled the cruise, then you went to the clinic for them to justify your cancellation and the clinic said that you were not sick enough from them to deem you unfit for travel. Unless you have CFAR travel insurance you are probably out of luck.

I also find the advice you are getting from others about doctor shopping to be inappropriate.

I think that is true. They should have gone to the doctor first before canceling.  We didn’t even cancel our cruise. The diagnosis was two days before the sailing. We just didn’t show up. That was what our travel agent advised.  Our claim was paid. 

[OuiOnboard]

6 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I think that is true. They should have gone to the doctor first before canceling.  We didn’t even cancel our cruise. The diagnosis was two days before the sailing. We just didn’t show up. That was what our travel agent advised.  Our claim was paid. 

If you don't mind my asking, did you have CFAR?

[Charles4515]

4 minutes ago, OuiOnboard said:

If you don't mind my asking, did you have CFAR?

No. I have never bought CFAR. I should add that the TA handled the claim. All I did was send the TA the doctors diagnosis. He did the paperwork. 

Edited March 1, 2020 by Charles4515

[4774Papa]

11 hours ago, auntjoy036 said:

I was supposed to be on today’s (Feb. 29) Summit sailing.  I have an upper respiratory infection and bronchitis.  I canceled my trip. I went to a medical clinic today. The practitioner said because I did not have the flu or a fever, she would not sign my travel insurance form. Her logic seems to be it’s bad to spread the flu or Coronavirus, but fine to share a plain old cold all around the plane and ship.  I’m out thousands of dollars.  To the travelers I’m not coughing on:  You’re welcome.

We have purchased trip insurance many times and never had to have a physician sign off on it.

[warmwinds]

20 minutes ago, 4774Papa said:

We have purchased trip insurance many times and never had to have a physician sign off on it.

That's unusual.  I've always had to have a doctor complete the forms whether it was one of us who was sick or a family member not traveling with us.  And we also buy the Celebrity insurance because we have had many instances where we have had to cancel for not covered reasons, and at least we got 75% of our money back in a FCC instead of losing everything.

[wrk2cruise]

The dr is required to sign off on the claim. The insurance company always wants you to cancel in advance so you will get reimburseded for certain thins which might not be reimbursed for no show

[4774Papa]

5 minutes ago, warmwinds said:

That's unusual.  I've always had to have a doctor complete the forms whether it was one of us who was sick or a family member not traveling with us.  And we also buy the Celebrity insurance because we have had many instances where we have had to cancel for not covered reasons, and at least we got 75% of our money back in a FCC instead of losing everything.

 

 

Perhaps the reason for having the doctor sign off is that you are sick.  We haven't been sick prior to any of our cruises.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

1 hour ago, rhblake said:

 

I also find the advice you are getting from others about doctor shopping to be inappropriate.

 

Why, are you a doctor?  OP has been diagnosed with a condition which is contagious.  To not agree to attest to that is irresponsible at best.  I would certainly ditch that doctor.