Cancelling a Cruise Because of Death in the Family?

[Yvonne]

Has anyone here ever had to cancel their upcoming cruise because of a death in the family? What was the procedure for cancelling? Did you call Carnival? Your trip insurance company? How hard was it to get your money back through your trip insurance?

 

My husband and I are booked on the Carnival Glory January 12th. We are supposed to leave Thursday, 3 days from now. My father has been in a nursing home for several months (Alzheimer's) and is not doing well right now. We don't know if we should cancel or not. Or if we should go, and just keep in touch with home daily to see how he's doing. If we go, and we're on the cruise and get word that he has passed, is Carnival helpful with getting us home? How difficult is it to get a flight home from Cozumel, Nassaur or Belize?

 

We just don't know what to do. If we call Carnival can we re-schedule the cruise instead of just cancel? I know that if we went on a February or March cruise, the fare might be higher so I know we would have to pay the difference, right?

 

Any help anyone can give me on this would be appreciated, thanks.

[cusyl]

You should call the insurance company. They may give you a hard time because he was sick at the time you purchased the insurance.

 

Are you the only survivors? If it is only a 7 day cruise perhaps you could make arrangements for the body to be held for burial until you get back.

 

You are the only ones that can decide this. My heart goes out to you, I remember how devastating it is to lose your parents.

[JerseyGem]

Yvonne- First- my sympathies to you, your husband and all your family. Your final decision might not be made until the last minute. For that reason, I suggest you call your trip insurance company, explain the situation to them and ask for details about your particular coverage. It's very possible that your coverage excludes pre-existing conditions (his Alzheimer's- medically classified as a fatal condition- would exclude payment). Also, print out any coverage info that was sent to you when you bought the trip insurance (and take it on the cruise with you, if you do go). I am not sure what Carnival's policy would be, but you could also call them. However, don't cancel yet, as your father could rally soon (at least enough for you to feel comfortable leaving for your cruise).

 

As for flying home- you shouldn't have too much trouble getting flights from Cozumel or Nassau; these are tourist islands- and would have a variety of flights. I don't imagine that it would be impossible from Belize, but certainly not as easy. I hope you both have passports! If your trip insurance does not exclude pre-existing conditions, in all likelihood, you would have to pay for the flights home and then submit a claim for re-imbursement. (Since these last minute flights could be expensive, make sure you have enough allowance on your credit card!)

 

So-at this time- get ready for the cruise (pack, line up your docs, etc) because you may not decide until the morning of the cruise. If you decide not to go, then call the cruiseline and the trip insurance company as soon as you make the final decision. For your claim, you will need written documentation from the cruiseline that you have cancelled and written documentation showing what you paid, what was refunded (if anything) and, therefore, what you are claiming. Your trip insurance company will send you forms (lots of them!) for your father's doctors to fill out, etc.

 

I know this is a tough time for you- my sympathies go to all who, like you & me, have (or had) a parent with Alzheimer's!

[Yvonne]

You should call the insurance company. They may give you a hard time because he was sick at the time you purchased the insurance.

 

Are you the only survivors? If it is only a 7 day cruise perhaps you could make arrangements for the body to be held for burial until you get back.

 

You are the only ones that can decide this. My heart goes out to you, I remember how devastating it is to lose your parents.

 

Dad has had Alzheimer's for a few years now, getting worse just in the past year and Mom could no longer care for him at home. Physically he was still in good shape, just not mentally. He was doing fine in the nursing home, still had his appetite and walking the halls every day, etc. It's just in the last week he has gone downhill. I never thought about the insurance company denying our claim because of Alzheimer's. I guess I will have to call them tomorrow after we speak with Dad's doctor.

[GORDONCHICK]

Just my thoughts - I don't know how much you would enjoy a cruise worrying about your dad if you did go.

[cherylandtk]

This really depends on your exact coverage as several other posters have noted. In general, you would be covered for a cancellation if your father dies (death being a separate condition from having Alzheimers). But cancelling now is a different situation; most policies exclude cancellation coverage for pre-existing medical conditions of family members, whether or not they are booked to travel with you. Some do, some don't. If you have the Carnival insurance, you are covered in case of death, but not for his current medical condition. Here is the number to call 1-800-331-2796.

 

I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this while under the stress of your Dad's health; only you can decide if it is better for you to cancel now or wait and see. In general, the cruiselines will not let you re-book for a later date without imposing significant penalties.

[cruise_lover]

I think that you are doing the right thing in asking his doctor. Chances are that even though he seems to be going down hill he could be around for months. His doctor should have the best idea about your father from his vital signs; weaken heart, lungs, etc.

 

I'll say a prayer that whatever decision you make, it will be the right one.

[Yvonne]

Thank you all for your responses and kind words.

 

I did call Access America this morning, as that is the company we bought our trip insurance from. I fully explained the situation to her, and let her know that my Dad has had Alzheimer's for a few years, and went into a nursing home in June but was still in good physical health (good appetite, walked the halls every day, etc.) but in the past couple of weeks had started going downhill and ended up with pneumonia and is just really not doing well at all. She said pneumonia is an "unforseeable circumstance" so we should have no trouble being reimbursed if we choose to cancel the cruise.

 

And it sounds like we probably will as one of the nurses told my Mom that it is probably just a matter of 2-3 days. :( We will be talking to Dad's doctor tomorrow, and will get his opinion too and let him know what our plans have been. But Dad may be too weak for the feeding tube, so if the doctor won't do that, and if he agrees with the nurse that it is just a matter of days we will cancel and go another time.

 

I'd like to call Carnival and just postpone it a month or two, rather than cancel completely, but they probably won't allow us to do that, right?

 

If his doctor were to say he might hang on this way for weeks, we would probably still go and just keep in touch daily with my Mom. But if he's too weak for the feeding tube he won't last much longer not getting any nourishment for his body. He went downhill so fast. Christmas Day he was still walking, smiling, etc. :(

 

Thanks again, everyone.

[Krazy Kruizers]

A few years ago we did have to cancel a cruise just a few days before because DH's mother died. We contacted out TA to take care of notifying the ship since we also had booked hotels from them which had to be cancelled.

 

But it was up to us to contact our insurance company and fill out the necessary papers. We also contacted out airline and they just charged us only $50 per person (at that time - more now) to change our line flights to a future cruise.

 

We got our the price of our cruise back from the insurance company within 6 weeks once we received the forms and got them completely filled out with a death certificate included.

 

All we lost was the cost of the insurance policy.