Princess Vacation Protection for 2 solo bookings

[chubbypiggy]

My friend and I plan to each book our cabin as a solo passenger on 3 b2b2b Princess cruises.  If something happens (for example, one tests positive for COVID before the cruise, serious illness, family emergency, etc) and one of us can't go on the cruise, then the other person does not want to go also.

 

Questions:  

1. If we both buy the Princess Platinum protection plan, and we link our bookings together, then one of us must cancel the cruise with a "covered reason", will both of us be able to cancel,

    and both get a full cash refund? 

2. Or the other person without the "covered reason" will have to cancel using "cancel for any reason" and only get FCC refund?  

3. FCC refund is good for how long?

 

Thank you in advance for any input!

[Rick&Jeannie]

It all depends on "the reason". If one gets Covid then that person can cancel and *should* be able to get a refund.  That being said...when the second person cancels it is NOT for a covered reason so will have to go through AON and you would almost certainly NOT get cash back, but Future Cruise Credits.  There is no bearing as to whether your bookings are linked when it comes to cancelling.

 

[Jersey42]

20 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

It all depends on "the reason". If one gets Covid then that person can cancel and *should* be able to get a refund.  That being said...when the second person cancels it is NOT for a covered reason so will have to go through AON and you would almost certainly NOT get cash back, but Future Cruise Credits.  There is no bearing as to whether your bookings are linked when it comes to cancelling.

Why would it not be a covered reason for the second person?  Aren't the two people traveling companions?  It would be covered under most third party plans and the Princess plan document never says the traveling companions need to share a room. 

 

Here is an excerpt from the plan. 

 

This Cancellation Fee Waiver Program is an addendum to your cruise Ticket Contract. Through the Cancellation Fee Waiver Program, Princess Cruises and/or Princess Tours will waive their standard cancellation provision and refund to you IN CASH the otherwise non-refundable value of your prepaid cruise vacation, should you or your traveling companion need to cancel your cruise vacation for any one of the following reasons (subject to the restrictions noted below**):

1. sickness, injury or death to yourself, a traveling companion, or members of either of your immediate families which is diagnosed and treated by a physician at the time your cruise vacation is terminated;

[chubbypiggy]

1 hour ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

It all depends on "the reason". If one gets Covid then that person can cancel and *should* be able to get a refund.  That being said...when the second person cancels it is NOT for a covered reason so will have to go through AON and you would almost certainly NOT get cash back, but Future Cruise Credits.  There is no bearing as to whether your bookings are linked when it comes to cancelling.

 

Do you happen to know if there is an expiration period for the FCC refunded due to CFAR?

[brisalta]

1 hour ago, Jersey42 said:

Why would it not be a covered reason for the second person?  Aren't the two people traveling companions?  It would be covered under most third party plans and the Princess plan document never says the traveling companions need to share a room. 

 

Here is an excerpt from the plan. 

 

This Cancellation Fee Waiver Program is an addendum to your cruise Ticket Contract. Through the Cancellation Fee Waiver Program, Princess Cruises and/or Princess Tours will waive their standard cancellation provision and refund to you IN CASH the otherwise non-refundable value of your prepaid cruise vacation, should you or your traveling companion need to cancel your cruise vacation for any one of the following reasons (subject to the restrictions noted below**):

1. sickness, injury or death to yourself, a traveling companion, or members of either of your immediate families which is diagnosed and treated by a physician at the time your cruise vacation is terminated;

 

There may be a problem because they are separate bookings. I wonder if there is a way to get Princess to make it so both state rooms are booked under the same booking identifier?

[Jersey42]

Years ago I know of a situation where a family of four booked two rooms with two different booking numbers. One person got sick at the last minute and the Princess insurance covered cancelation for all four.  Other than all four people had the same last name, is this any different?  Yes, I am sure the policy terms are different from then, but as I said before the current policy only says "traveling companion" and never defines the term.

[chubbypiggy]

14 minutes ago, Jersey42 said:

Years ago I know of a situation where a family of four booked two rooms with two different booking numbers. One person got sick at the last minute and the Princess insurance covered cancelation for all four.  Other than all four people had the same last name, is this any different?  Yes, I am sure the policy terms are different from then, but as I said before the current policy only says "traveling companion" and never defines the term.

Because they are family members, so even different booking numbers, all the persons are covered.  My case is different, we are not family members.

[NavyVeteran]

I just looked at the definitions in the Princess plan documentation. Note that your need to download and read the specific documentation for your state of residence, since it may be different. This policy does define the term "Traveling Companion".

 

"Traveling Companion means a person who has coordinated Travel Arrangements or vacation plans with You and intends to travel with You during the Trip and is further described on Your purchase confirmation. Note, a group or tour leader is not considered Your Traveling Companion unless You are sharing room accommodations with the group or tour leader."

 

Note the requirement that a Traveling Companion must be "further described on Your purchase confirmation". You need something in writing at the time of trip purchase specifying you as travel companions. Certainly if you are listed on the same booking document there should be no problem. I don't know if an email from the cruise line confirming your purchase and confirming that the two of you are traveling companions with linked bookings would be adequate or not.

 

Family members are a different issue. You may cancel because of illness of a family member even if the family member is not traveling with you.

 

Another possible reason to cancel and possibly collect on the insurance is if you are a close contact of your traveling companion who tests positive for COVID. You would not be cancelling because your traveling companion is sick. You would be cancelling because "you have been in contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, or a person under monitoring for COVID-19." Note that this reason would apply if you and your traveling companion have been in close contact - it would not apply if you were flying from different cities to meet on the ship.