RCi Definitely back to not so good old ways.

[rimmit]

So as many of you may or may not know, my wife was run over by a car in Zimbabwe this summer.   Long story short we obviously cancelled a ton of trips, vacations, and it’s been incredibly stressful due an innumerable amount of complications.  After 3.5 months and 13 surgeries she felt well enough to try and go on a much needed vacation, albeit in a wheelchair as she is still recovering and unable to walk.  We booked this cruise last second and made final payment Oct 5 for a cruise leaving Oct 7th.  Obviously given my previous experiences we bought travel insurance, but due to the closeness,  the agencies I normally buy through did not have a trip cancellation option interestingly enough.  Likely due to the closeness of the trip.  We did have trip interruption but cancellation was not an option under the benefits. 

So unfortunately after driving to Orlando from KY and going to Disney for half a day, midway through our day at Disney, my wife started feeling bad.  Just having some vomiting, h/a, muscle aches, fever chills, post nasal drainage.  We left midday and she was in bed all of Thursday.  We were scheduled to board the Indy out of PC today.  I have tested her twice for covid and she’s been negative both times.

 

I call this AM because she is in no condition to board, esp. with fever and chills, cough, etc.   They tell me she is good too board as covid is negative.  I state I dont think she is any condition to travel given her symptoms despite her COVID test being negative.  They proceed to state she is perfectly good to board.  I ask what my options are.  They then tell me I can either board or lose all the money as their most recent policies require a positive covid test to get an FCC.

 

So sadly we are our $2000 dollars for a 3 night cruise.  We coulda forced her onto the ship but I felt that was just unethical given the current situation and her current symptoms as she could come back positive in the next several days.  RCI clearly would just rather make a buck at this point regardless of passenger safety or pax that actually care about other passengers.   I am not criticizing anyone that does board with those symptoms, as I personally feel at this point it is in one own self to do what they are comfortable with given covid and other infectious illnesses.  Just makes me angry that RCI has changed their policies enough to wear they would rather just board sick people again and not give them ANY other options other than board or lose your money.   Pre-covid I am almost certain they’d allow you some credit if you had symptoms of Rotavirus as they’d rather have you not board, but I guess they are just that desperate now.  Oh well.   Them’s the breaks.

 

Edited October 7, 2022 by rimmit

[molly361]

1 minute ago, rimmit said:

So as many of you may or may not know, my wife was run over by a car in Zimbabwe this summer.   Long story short we obviously cancelled a ton of trips, vacations, and it’s been incredibly stressful due an innumerable amount of complications.  After 3.5 months and 13 surgeries she felt well enough to try and go on a much needed vacation, albeit in a wheelchair as she is still recovering and unable to walk.  We booked this cruise last second and made final payment Oct 5 for a cruise leaving Oct 7th.  Obviously given my previous experiences we bought travel insurance, but due to the closeness,  the agencies I normally buy through did not have a trip cancellation option interestingly enough.  Likely due to the closeness of the trip.  We did have trip interruption but cancellation was not an option under the benefits. 

So unfortunately after driving to Orlando from KY and going to Disney for half a day, midway through our day at Disney, my wife started feeling bad.  Just having some vomiting, h/a, muscle aches, fever chills, post nasal drainage.  We left midday and she was in bed all of Thursday.  We were scheduled to board the Indy out of PC today.  I have tested her twice for covid and she’s been negative both times.

 

I call this AM because she is in no condition to board, esp. with fever and chills, cough, etc.   They tell me she is good too board as covid is negative.  I state I dont think she is any condition to travel given her symptoms despite her COVID test being negative.  They proceed to state she is perfectly good to board.  I ask what my options are.  They then tell me I can either board or lose all the money as their most recent policies require a positive covid test to get an FCC.

 

So sadly we are our $2000 dollars for a 3 night cruise.  We coulda forced her onto the ship but I felt that was just unethical given the current situation and her current symptoms as she could come back positive in the next several days.  RCI clearly would just rather make a buck at this point regardless of passenger safety or pax that actually care about other passengers.   I am not criticizing anyone that does board with those symptoms, as I personally feel at this point it is in one own self to do what they are comfortable with given covid and other infectious illnesses.  Just makes me angry that RCI has changed their policies enough to wear they would rather just board sick people again and not give them ANY other options other than board or lose your money.   Pre-covid I am almost certain they’d allow you some credit if you had symptoms of Rotavirus as they’d rather have you not board, but I guess they are just that desperate now.  Oh well.   Them’s the breaks.

 

Can't you make a claim through your insurance?

[firefly333]

Hugs. I'm sure people will say that's why you bought insurance. I am sorry your wife didnt feel up to boarding. I'm sure that's a huge disappointment. I'm sad you were unable to enjoy your cruise. I'm hoping you stayed and enjoyed disney or something else while you were there.

 

It is true if its not covid it's not excusable. Some on my cruise had a stomach issue week 1 and of course they wouldnt hear of it being something we ate. It's a chance I took. I'm not mad at rcl. They provided the cruise as expected. I just didnt feel great 2nd week but I stayed onboard. 

 

People do get sick and cruiselines just arent now nor ever were flexible imo. Good you have insurance. So sorry really. 

[rimmit]

4 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Can't you make a claim through your insurance?

I have dealt a lot with travel insurance lately due to the accident in zimbabwe filing claims with them.  They will consider this a cancellation and not interruption as we never started the trip.  
 

Trip cancellation was not an offered option for some reason, likely because we booked so close to the actual sailing date that they did not think cancellation was a realistic benefit.  

[Ourusualbeach]

8 minutes ago, rimmit said:

Pre-covid I am almost certain they’d allow you some credit

Unfortunately not.  

[rimmit]

1 minute ago, firefly333 said:

People do get sick and cruiselines just arent now nor ever were flexible imo. Good you have insurance. So sorry really. 

They were very flexible during covid.  Thats for sure.   
 

I will try and file the claim, but I can Al but guarantee this will be denied.  I have spent innumerable hours dealing with travel insurance companies lately….  And since we never started the cruise they will likely consider this a trip cancellation and not interruption.  

[poocher]

Hope your wife is feeling better but afraid I see Royal’s point.  I’m sure your issue was real but can you imagine the slippery slope?  Last minute change of plans so I’ll tell them I am too sick to board & get a refund or FCC?  How would they monitor that?  Who would determine what too sick was?  Positive covid test, yup you’re off the hook.  But a bad cold?  

Edited October 7, 2022 by poocher

[BirdTravels]

I have the greatest sympathy for the OP and his wife. But, every week, there are dozens of people with "sad stories" on why they missed their cruise. These matters are covered by travel insurance. And the OP's wife would have had to be evaluated and found unfit to sail by a doctor to make a claim. 

[rimmit]

2 minutes ago, poocher said:

Hope your wife is feeling better but afraid I see Royal’s point.  I’m sure your issue was real but can you imagine the slippery slope?  Last minute change of plans so I’ll tell them I am too sick to board & get a refund or FCC?  How would they monitor that?  Who would determine what too sick was?  Positive covid test, yup you’re off the hook.  But a bad cold?  

I agree.  It is a slippery slope.  I guess the question I really have is why do they bother with a health questionnaire when all they care about is the covid test?  Whats the point in the health questionnaire?

[DaniDanielle]

Couldn’t you board alone and then tell them you had to get off for an emergency?  Probably not but who knows.

[poocher]

Got me.  Did you call as instructed under the list of symptoms?  And I think you are right, they are screening for Covid only.

[LadyZolt]

It might be too late for OP, but maybe board the ship and then see the ship medical people and get a note or something. Then get off the ship and go to local ER or Urgent Care. That might qualify for “trip interruption” coverage.

[Jerseygirl1416]

I’m sorry for your situation. Couldn’t you wait until it was time to fill out the health screening and answer that she’s got the symptoms she has? Put the ball in their court and let them refuse her boarding? Then get the refund?

[Starry Eyes]

If your regular insurance provider could not give you the coverage you desired, why didn’t you buy Royal’s insurance instead (or in addition)?

 

We generally only purchase travel medical and evaluation coverage.  We assume cancellation risk ourselves.  After many cruises without having to cancel, we have saved enough premiums to be ahead of the game.  We will suck it up if we have to cancel some day.

[rimmit]

6 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

I have the greatest sympathy for the OP and his wife. But, every week, there are dozens of people with "sad stories" on why they missed their cruise. These matters are covered by travel insurance. And the OP's wife would have had to be evaluated and found unfit to sail by a doctor to make a claim. 

Well we are at urgent care now, just to support that claim.  I have dealt with travel insurance extensively due to the our experience in Zimbabwe, which is a novel in itself in terms of what it took to get out of Zimbabwe, so I know exactly what they want to see.

 

TBH, part of my frustration is the last 3.5 months have been an absolute nightmare.  I cannot begin to explain the horror of we went through in Zimbabwe.

 

http://thesmallworldfamily.com/2022/06/24/so-what-exactly-happened/
 

That link goes to a 30 minute read that describes what it took to get out of Zimbabwe to a level 1 trauma center.

 

Unfortunately, it did not get any easier after we got out, as she almost had to have her foot amputated at one point.

 

I agree that policies are policies,  I am just frustrated at the endless bad luck we have had.  Travel insurance has been a pain, as I have a claim for 60k that I submitted beginning of July that hasn’t even been reviewed yet.  I have 3 other outstanding claims that also have yet to be reviewed.  
 

On top of that, since we were in Zimbabwe,  there is minimal insurance on the person that ran her over.  So she now has a lifelong disability because someone was careless, and we get to pay for it for eternity in medical bills.  While travel insurance covered us from Zimbabwe to the hospital she got transferred to in the US it stops there and now we are paying the bills.  While we hit our maximum out of pocket for the year,  this is going to be a permanent damage from this event and permanent disability.

 

This cruise was a much needed break that we couldn’t get off the ground.  I realize no one here cares.   Just needed to vent.  
 

Long story short.  The policy is what it is.   Oh well.

 

 

[not-enough-cruising]

The title of this thread is very misleading, and somewhat argumentative 

[John&LaLa]

Not sure I would have gone to Disney prior to cruise. Need to pace yourself. Good luck

[rimmit]

11 minutes ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

I’m sorry for your situation. Couldn’t you wait until it was time to fill out the health screening and answer that she’s got the symptoms she has? Put the ball in their court and let them refuse her boarding? Then get the refund?

That is a good idea.  I guess I felt it was socially not responsible to go to the port if she was sick.  I am not judging anyone that does do that, just saying given the circumstances and the high probability she would turn positive soon, I felt it wasn’t a good idea.  Probably shoulda done it though.

[CanHardlyWait4NextYear]

Honestly, it sounds like your wife needs more time at home to get well and rest before doing any more traveling. Sometimes no matter how much we would like, things have to change.

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, rimmit said:

That is a good idea.  I guess I felt it was socially not responsible to go to the port if she was sick.  I am not judging anyone that does do that, just saying given the circumstances and the high probability she would turn positive soon, I felt it wasn’t a good idea.  Probably shoulda done it though.

“High probability she would turn positive soon”?? I don’t understand the thought process here; not every ailment is Covid

[molly361]

People (including myself) got used to the policies that were in place for the past year and 1/2 where you could basically cancel for any reason and get a FCC or refund if you had covid.  Now that we are back to pre-covid rules people are not used to it and don't like it.

Edited October 7, 2022 by molly361

[Ret MP]

Tragic story for sure.  I'm hoping thing get much better for you and your wife.  

 

And like you said, Policy is what it is.  I don't think the policy is a medical policy as much as it is a business decision/policy.  They can't be the arbiter of illnesses at the boarding terminal.   

[rimmit]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

Not sure I would have gone to Disney prior to cruise. Need to pace yourself. Good luck

We werent doing a full day as she obviously doesn’t have the endurance for that.  We just did Space 220, and a couple rides.  Figured the odds of her getting sick were low given she just had Covid back in June, but it has been a while and her immunity could be waning.

[rimmit]

Just now, not-enough-cruising said:

“High probability she would turn positive soon”?? I don’t understand the thought process here; not every ailment is Covid

Common things being common, covid is more prevalent than flu right now.

[John&LaLa]

Just now, rimmit said:

We werent doing a full day as she obviously doesn’t have the endurance for that.  We just did Space 220, and a couple rides.  Figured the odds of her getting sick were low given she just had Covid back in June, but it has been a while and her immunity could be waning.

 

Understand, but still wouldn't have done it.

 

But that's just me