COVID Testing on Iona

[Gettingwarmer]

37 minutes ago, Cristaltips said:

It seem that the protocol for offloading of passengers at foreign ports has changed again. The P&O seem to backing off and putting the onus solely on the passengers insurance company. They will fund a phone call to the said insurance company! 
This is from the FAQ today

That’s interesting as even their own recommended insurance company doesn’t give adequate cover. 

[Megabear2]

This "new" clause went live on the New Year update.  The whole protocol regarding this changed at this point.  I understand that help and assistance will still be available on a case by case basis. Reading between the lines there are now quite a lot of unfortunates being removed from ships and the team at the cruise line dealing with the issue are overstretched.

 

Anyone travelling is strongly advised to get in writing BEFORE TRAVELLING  from their insurance company confirmation of how this clause will affect them in the unlikely event they are offloaded. Ideally an email or letter, but a downloaded online chat should suffice.  It is however essential to make sure that any reply in whatever form has an individual's name on and is not a generic reply - in the event they won't honour what is in the written a name is essential.

 

I would suggest that the text P&O use on their website is forwarded/pasted into your communication along with the following questions asking what your insurance company's policy is on offloading without a negative test. 

 

You should include at the beginning your policy number, date of policy commencement (despite being with the same company some so called "heritage products " may have different terms), and the names of passengers on the policy. 

 

The question regarding negative passenger offloading should be in two questions chosen from the options below which match your personal situation.

 

Question 1 should be used in all cases as it essentially covers most people. Questions 2/3 should be used with selection of the options chosen from the square brackets according to your own situation.  If you want to include all three questions :

 

Ask as follows:

 

1. If as a passenger I am required to offload into a quarantine facility or hotel as a close contact despite returning a negative covid test will my policy cover me for quarantine/isolation costs and repatriation?

 

2. [I am on a joint policy with your company] [I am travelling with a companion in a shared cabin but only I am on a policy with your company], should one of us test positive for Covid and be disembarked from the ship will [the other joint policy holder] [I] still be covered for quarantine/isolation costs and repatriation even if [my partner or I] [I] only return a negative test but have to leave the ship as being a close contact.

 

3. [For couples:] In a situation where both of us were disembarked as a result of being classed as a close contact of a positive case but both of us remained negative in quarantine/isolation ashore would we still be covered for those costs and repatriation as well.

 

You should insist on a direct answer to each direct question. ONLY A YES OR NO, nothing else just those magic words.

Edited January 12, 2022 by Megabear2

[Astrajet]

15 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Anyone travelling is strongly advised to get in writing BEFORE TRAVELLING  from their insurance company confirmation of how this clause will affect them in the unlikely event they are offloaded.

Thank you Megabear, your advice is much appreciated as always.

[mrbluesea]

Useful advice but unlikely to be compiled with by the insurance company.

[Megabear2]

14 minutes ago, mrbluesea said:

Useful advice but unlikely to be compiled with by the insurance company.

I personally contacted 23 insurers as a prospective customer. Everyone replied with their answer.

 

My husband and I have two insurance policies due to his health conditions being covered by a separate policy to the one I use with our bank.  They replied in less than 24 hours in both cases.

 

As a policyholder they are obliged under treating customers fairly to respond to any question reasonably asked in respect to policy clarification.

 

If your insurer won't answer I might suggest they are not very reputable.

Edited January 12, 2022 by Megabear2

[mrbluesea]

I think its the hope of a 'yes' or 'no' which I find unlikely to be compiled with.

My personal view given a potential risk is you can either try to mitigate the risk (through insurance) or avoid it. In the current climate I'm definitely in the avoid camp.

[Interestedcruisefan]

If a customer is unable to find "adequate insurance" for current covid risks

 

Shouldnt they be able to cancel?

 

Arent overseas cruises from UK currently impossible to insure adequately?

 

[Megabear2]

3 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

If a customer is unable to find "adequate insurance" for current covid risks

 

Shouldnt they be able to cancel?

 

Arent overseas cruises from UK currently impossible to insure adequately?

 

We are back to square one here.  The large majority of people booking or going on a cruise don't know any of this information we have.

 

Mr Bluesky is sceptical about getting an answer to the questions. He is right with regard to the on a case by case basis point which they and P&O (and every other cruise line) are playing with.  

 

We as cruisers have no idea how many people have been paid out to by either P&O or the insurance companies because passengers are being made to sign non disclosure agreements (I know, Mark, I know!!  However Molecrochip has more or less confirmed that is correct on the Cunard board).

 

I have always said way back that there is no adequate insurance but the terms and conditions were so vague up until Christmas the cruise lines could get away with it.  We now have our "buyer beware clause" but no mention of the negative test offloading scenario, because quite frankly if its advertised then the cruise lines might as well shut up shop with European cruises.

 

So do you want to tock the boat and blow them out of the water?  I'm sure with all the furore accompanying the QM2 now is the time.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, mrbluesea said:

I think its the hope of a 'yes' or 'no' which I find unlikely to be compiled with.

My personal view given a potential risk is you can either try to mitigate the risk (through insurance) or avoid it. In the current climate I'm definitely in the avoid camp.

You could always take the risk and cover the cost yourself.

[Megabear2]

38 minutes ago, zap99 said:

You could always take the risk and cover the cost yourself.

Not everyone has an odd £4,000pp sitting in their bank!  I'm afraid that's a comment from someone who clearly has a fair amount of funds unallocated and is presumably as a result not too worried.  Unfortunately most younger families in particular would face outrageous costs and many would end up putting the costs on a credit card.

 

 

[mrbluesea]

38 minutes ago, zap99 said:

You could always take the risk and cover the cost yourself

Very true.  But it could be at a high cost (but I guess all things are relative) however you may not even start your cruise if you cannot provide evidence of insurance cover.

[Megabear2]

6 minutes ago, mrbluesea said:

Very true.  But it could be at a high cost (but I guess all things are relative) however you may not even start your cruise if you cannot provide evidence of insurance cover.

And there in a nutshell is the problem: you have to, correctly, have the insurance to book/board the cruise but the cruise lines know one very important element is uninsurable but are willing to let the passenger sail without it.  That missing element weighs heavily on an unknowing passenger. To date it hasn't been too difficult to buy off those affected travellers. Now the trickle has become a stream and once the European cruises from UK start in earnest will most likely become a river.  

 

All very well helping you liaise with your insurer but if the insurer has stated he won't insure that incident then quite simply the passenger has to meet the costs however he can.

 

If you read the UK Government website for entry into countries every section states you must have insurance or sufficient funds to cover medical emergencies.  Currently hardly any British traveller, never mind cruiser, can cover these elements of quarantine.

[zap99]

12 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Not everyone has an odd £4,000pp sitting in their bank!  I'm afraid that's a comment from someone who clearly has a fair amount of funds unallocated and is presumably as a result not too worried.  Unfortunately most younger families in particular would face outrageous costs and many would end up putting the costs on a credit card.

 

 

Not everyone can afford suites and butlers. £4000pp ?. Someone on another platform said 750 Euro. Please don't judge folk on their attitude to risk.

[Megabear2]

I'm not judging anyone.  The £4,000 is based on the costs of 10 days quarantine in a Spanish hotel, nursing/doctor attendance to administer tests, food and sustenance, test costs, transportation/ambulance costs and an economy flight and is as paid by a Marella passenger offloaded in Tenerife.  His posts remain on the boards if you wish to challenge this.

 

The person in question remained uninsured with his positively tested son and is unable to claim them.  He did, as you say, cover them himself.

 

 

[jeanlyon]

This all makes me very sure I did the right thing in moving my cruises.  It's just too worrying.

[Dermotsgirl]

54 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Not everyone can afford suites and butlers. £4000pp ?. Someone on another platform said 750 Euro. Please don't judge folk on their attitude to risk.

If you are self insuring, you have to be able to afford what ever is thrown at you.  i.e. an unlimited amount.

[Megabear2]

8 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

If you are self insuring, you have to be able to afford what ever is thrown at you.  i.e. an unlimited amount.

I think most people just being 10 days in a basic Spanish quarantine are looking at quarantine costs of 160 euro/day + 80 euro day for food, all of which needs to be paid upfront.  On top of that there are costs for nurses, doctors, tests, transportation, sundries such as wifi, telephone costs and a flight home. The latter is probably most difficult to price as it would need to be booked more or less as a walk on.  So an estimate of £3,000 to £4,000 would be fair.  There is one Marella lady who paid the former and a man who paid the latter.

 

I'm guessing the hotel quality would increase the costs as well.  Certainly if you look at the relevant government websites there are cheap and expensive options and apparently the person going into quarantine has little or no control over which they end up in.

 

I'm told P&O did instigate a move from an unsuitable hotel over Christmas.

[clearblueseas]

The government covid 19 international cruise ship travel guidance dated 8th October 2021 states quote

your operator is responsible for your health, safety and security for the cruise, and for repatriation, if that is necessary so why do we have to worry about our insurance covid covers not covering for the above. 

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, zap99 said:

You could always take the risk and cover the cost yourself.

Isn't that what travel insurance is supposed to do?

[zap99]

33 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

If you are self insuring, you have to be able to afford what ever is thrown at you.  i.e. an unlimited amount.

Only for the items that your insurance doesn't cover. In this case a few days in a Spanish hotel. That will all change soon as Spain want it treated as endemic.

 

[clearblueseas]

Just had a long online chat with insurance company and they categorically refuse to give a yes or no answer to Megabears questions, all they say is onsite medical staff will decide if you’re covered. Also followed this up with an email with the questions as advised by Megabear. Did find out , we could possibly be covered for all costs if taken off board if insurance company deemed it a cancellation of the holiday and surely if P & O cancel our holiday through getting it onboard this should apply. Can’t get them to put them this in writing. Am very concerned.

[howmuch!]

A number of Spanish regions appear to cover all these costs I believe (see link), but unfortunately, cruise passengers aren't included, only those holidaying in hotels etc in resorts.

 

https://www.andalucia.org/en/travel-assistance-insurance#:~:text=Andalusia provides all non-resident international travellers with free,covered in the case of infection with COVID-19

 

 

 

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, clearblueseas said:

The government covid 19 international cruise ship travel guidance dated 8th October 2021 states quote

your operator is responsible for your health, safety and security for the cruise, and for repatriation, if that is necessary so why do we have to worry about our insurance covid covers not covering for the above. 

Might I suggest you ask the cruise line?  I understand where insurance hasn't covered you to date P&O have helped and no one is out of pocket.  I assume this clause may well be why.

[Megabear2]

59 minutes ago, clearblueseas said:

Just had a long online chat with insurance company and they categorically refuse to give a yes or no answer to Megabears questions, all they say is onsite medical staff will decide if you’re covered. Also followed this up with an email with the questions as advised by Megabear. Did find out , we could possibly be covered for all costs if taken off board if insurance company deemed it a cancellation of the holiday and surely if P & O cancel our holiday through getting it onboard this should apply. Can’t get them to put them this in writing. Am very concerned.

They are referring to the disruption clause which pays an amount for curtailment of your trip.  Your policy will state an amount, usually £5,000 or £10,000 depending on the level of cover you bought.

 

If you paid £2,000 for your cruise, as an example, your curtailment would be maximum £2,000 and reduce daily as you have unhindered travel.  By your final day your cover would be zero. I hope that makes sense?

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

Only for the items that your insurance doesn't cover. In this case a few days in a Spanish hotel. That will all change soon as Spain want it treated as endemic.

 

For the negative close contact that is most likely everything as Dermotsgirl says.