Flying in to USA (from UK) how long before the cruise leaves?

[paulfoel]

If I planned to fly into Orlando the day before the cruise......

 

1. Is this sensible?

2. I've got annual insurance, would I be covered if the flight was delayed over 24 hours and we missed the boat?

 

I'm thinking the chances of being delayed 24 hrs+ is probably minimal- just wondered what other people do?

[klfrodo]

Flying in the day before is sensible. Speaking for myself, when I cruise out of Europe, I fly in 3 days or more pre-cruise. One reason is I want some time to be a tourist, another is because my body needs time to acclimate to the new time zone and weather.

 

Would insurance cover if you missed the "ship" due to flight delays?

I can't speak on UK travel insurance, but for US insurance? Maybe/Maybe Not. For US based insurance your travel plans interruption needs to cause you to miss more than 50% of the trip "I believe". Also if the flight delay was caused by a "named" storm, it would not cover.

You should probably run your scenario by the people you purchased your insurance from and see what they have to say. And, since we're so litigious over here, we would recommend you get that information in writing, maybe a recording, or at a minimum, write down the name, date and time of when you spoke to them.

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, klfrodo said:

For US based insurance your travel plans interruption needs to cause you to miss more than 50% of the trip "I believe". Also if the flight delay was caused by a "named" storm, it would not cover.

You should probably run your scenario by the people you purchased your insurance from and see what they have to say.

[emphasis added] 

 

First, please do what klfrodo suggested:  Ask for specifics from whomever you purchase your travel insurance from.  Whenever we have a very specific question ("Will <this unusual situation, or so we think> be covered?') we always ask the representative to send us the written materials that cover this, or to tell us which page/line if it's in our policy.  (We usually would have 10 days to review a policy or cancel for money back.)

 

Next, two issues from what they wrote above.  again, check about any specific policy you are considering, as suggested just above.

 

But in terms of "missing the ship", it would depend upon quite a few things, including how the policy is written, of course.

But there's more than one way to "cover" such a situation.  One way might be for you to fly to a "subsequent port" and catch the ship there.  That might vary depending upon the passenger carriage rules of the various countries involved.  And that would probably come under "trip interruption" coverage rather than "cancellation". However, it ALL depends upon the terms and conditions (T&Cs) of the specific policy.

 

As for "named storms" (e.g., hurricanes), my information could be outdated (or maybe just *wrong*!?), but I'm not aware that a named storm would not be covered if it was the reason for trip cancellation (or interruption).  What *might* be an issue is that one cannot get new coverage that would include a "named storm" once the storm is "named".  That is, one can't wait to see "IF" a hurricane is likely to interfere and only *then* get the insurance.  That would be sort of like waiting for a house to catch on fire and *then* getting homeowner's insurance for that loss.

 

The bottom line is that it can be very complicated, and all the more so if one considers insurance from different countries.  One nice thing about our always getting the same policy is that we've come to pretty much understand most of it.  And we have a terrific travel insurance broker who can answer questions or help with a claim if needed/desired.

(That's Steve, from www.TripInsuranceStore.com )  And they helped us get a policy that matched *our* needs, as proved by our having several claims, all of which were paid without any bickering.)

 

GC

[crystalspin]

9 hours ago, paulfoel said:

If I planned to fly into Orlando the day before the cruise......

1. Is this sensible?

2. I've got annual insurance, would I be covered if the flight was delayed over 24 hours and we missed the boat?

I'm thinking the chances of being delayed 24 hrs+ is probably minimal- just wondered what other people do?

We are booked to sail from Athens (not UK, I know!) next October and we will fly there at least two nights ahead. I have not looked at the flights yet (two cruises to plan for first), but that probably means leaving three or late on the fourth day before, as it's already 9 hours later there, plus likely connections and flight time.

 

Flights are so uncertain these days! It may be getting better, but I'd rather err on the side of caution.

 

As far as "annual insurance" -- a term that can mean different things -- read the fine print. The *cause* of the delay is probably crucial.