WOW HAL not so fair

[Denisern2]

I booked my first cruise with HAL with one of their agents. I was told I was being charged for 1518$ for deposit refundable until Nov 19th...Cool I got it bye.

 

Visa bill arrives today and there is an extra 700 charge What for????? They charged my insurance right there....This was done over the phone and I was never told that charge would be there. Why would I pay for insurance that far out??? mmmmm smell a rat in hiding..I can see it being non refundable but should they not have told me??? Or let me know they were charging my visa????

 

As you can see I am nor virgin to cruising and I always do my insurance through Princess and I have had to cancel cruises and it has never been a problem.

 

So I speak to two supervisors and they are wondering why My on line agent never sent out my documents...I do not know check with her/

 

Am I wrong in assuming when business is done over the phone should there not be disclosure. When I booked this cruise I knew full on there was a good chance of canceling as I really wanted to go on the emerald princess and there price lowered to 300 dollars more then Holland from 1,000.

 

I know you guys cheer for your line but I really think that this is wrong.. What are they insuring 7 months from my cruise date it should kick in with final payment like celebrity, Royal and Princess I just do not get it.

[silvercruiser]

HAL collects the insurance money when booking. Princess delays it until final payment. That's just the way it is. If you cancel before final payment is due, though, HAL will let you put the insurance towards a different trip.

[Denisern2]

My pont should they not tell you this.

[jtl513]

My pont should they not tell you this.

Yes, they should have told you. Sometimes mistakes are made. I'm sorry that you had not read this on CC either.

 

Also be aware that anything you order from Ship Services and any excursions you book on-line or on the phone are charged right away.

[Jemima]

Did you give your e-mail address? If so, a confirmation is e-mailed to you that day when you book directly with HAL. The confirmation has all the cost details. I have booked several times directly with HAL and with a different person each time. I have always been given the total amount, a breakdown of the amount, the amount being charged to my card that day and the date and amount of final payment. Also I've always been asked if we want the insurance and we always decline.

If you didn't give your e-mail, a confirmation should have been snail mailed to you. Either way, you should have had the confirmations well before your Visa bill was mailed to you.

[avalon1025]

I believe HAL's insurance includes a pre-existing clause that requires payment at time of deposit. Princess' insurance does not include this and can be added anytime.

[marle7]

HAL collects the insurance money when booking. Princess delays it until final payment. That's just the way it is. If you cancel before final payment is due, though, HAL will let you put the insurance towards a different trip.

 

Does this mean the insurance is not refundable then?

[jtl513]

I believe HAL's insurance includes a pre-existing clause that requires payment at time of deposit. Princess' insurance does not include this and can be added anytime.

Isn't that pre-existing condition clause only for the Platinum CPP, which is true insurance? (The Standard CPP is not insurance accoding to HAL.)

 

CPP STANDARD PLAN: Our CPP Standard Plan allows you, for any reason, to provide written cancellation up to 24 hours prior to scheduled cruise, tour or cruisetour departure and receive a cash refund equal to 80% of the applicable cancellation fee (90% if you purchased our CPP Platinum Plan). In addition, Company automatically assumes an additional $500 of liability for lost, damaged or delayed baggage of passengers who purchase the CPP Standard Plan still subject, however to the limitations in our baggage policies. For example, we do not cover losses while baggage is in the custody of airlines. Our baggage policies are explained in detail in our brochure and Cruise Contract or, as to Gray Line of Alaska and Gray Line of Seattle, our Contract of Carriage.

 

The CPP Standard Plan is not insurance; it provides no rights other than those explained above. For example, it does not protect double-triple-quad occupancy rates should one or more members of your party cancel nor does it cover expenses or unused services due to trip interruption.

 

CPP PLATINUM PLAN: Our CPP Platinum Plan enables you to supplement the CPP Standard Plan with insurance coverage underwritten by Monumental General Casualty Company (all states except as otherwise noted) under Policy Form # TAHC2000GPC; Certificate #TAHC2000GCC, or Stonebridge Casualty Insurance Company (AL, AZ, CO, DE, ID, MN, NJ, NM, NY, ND, PA, and VT) under Policy Form # TAHC5000GPS, Certificate # AHC5000GCS. The CPP Platinum Plan also includes various travel assistance services arranged by CSA Insurance Services. Neither CSA nor the insurers are affiliated with Company. The specific coverage and services available under the CPP Platinum Plan are specified in the following Schedule of Coverages and Services.

[vbmom87]

I have never read the details of HALs insurance. However, I believe I have read that it includes cancellation for any reason. It doesn't have to be for sickness or death. Most insurance plans do not have that coverage. Also, most insurances that cover pre-existing conditions do require that you pay for the insurance within 7-21 days of paying your first deposit. Again, not sure if HAL's insurance covers pre-existing conditions.

 

I read a very sad post about someone who booked with RCCL. RCCl did not explain that their insurance did not cover pre-existing conditions. Her mother had cancer and took a turn for the worse just before their family cruise. Everyone had to cancel and even though they had insurance they lost their money because RCCL's insurance did not cover pre-existing conditions. Buyer beware!!!

 

You should have been told about what the coverage includes, and been given some written information before you paid for it. I am not surprised though. HAL does not seem to have the best trained workers. It seems like they have a boatload of incompetents with a high turnover.

[Jade13]

HAL's insurance is paid at deposit and is not refundable. It can be transfered to another HAL cruise prior to final payment. It covers pre-existing conditions which include your family members not traveling with you. It is also Cancel for Any reason. With the Platinum Plan (only real insurance) you can decide 24 hours prior to departure not to go, do not have to give any reason and you get 90% back on your credit card. Note the insurance part is secondary and only $10,00 for medical (the other cruise lines are similar). For some (including us) this is the best policy at sea. The Cancel for Any Reason is also good for those with beloved pets.

[Denisern2]

thanks guys I guess my point is over the phone with HAL not having sailed with them prior, how would I ever know this? Has anyone ever had luck with a refund in this matter? I do not want a credit I want my visa credited what do you think my chances are? Thanks for your support I am so upsit over this. I have a hard time believing they can get away with this.

[Sillyjilly]

Dispute the charges with Visa. You'll probably get somewhere quicker.

 

Jill

[hammybee]

Help me out here. I am a little lost.

 

Is the issue that you were charged now for something you thought would not be charged until a later date or that you never talked about trip protection with the agent and the charge is a mystery.

 

If it's the former, I think you need to consider taking some ownership here for having assumed it was like the Princess policy. If it's the latter, it sounds fishy.

 

Regardless, Sillyjilly has it right. Dispute the charge with your credit card provider.

[Denisern2]

hammy,

both she offered i accepted and she did not tell me that it would be an immediate charge nor a nonrefundable charge. Not just princess but every other line I have booked does not charge until final payment.

[hammybee]

hammy,

both she offered i accepted and she did not tell me that it would be an immediate charge nor a nonrefundable charge. Not just princess but every other line I have booked does not charge until final payment.

 

No two trip protection policies are alike. They cover different risks at different times. You know what they say about assumptions.

 

In any event, VISA and HAL can work this out and I suspect you will get a credit. I would not lose sleep over this one.

[cf_chuck]

Am I wrong in assuming when business is done over the phone should there not be disclosure.

 

I agree that it is a good idea to make sure that any assumptions are clarified. In this case, I think it would have been appropriate to specifically state that the insurance charge would be made at the time of the deposit.

 

I don't know why HAL charges the way they do, but the do make it clear on their web site:

 

"The CPP Standard and CPP Platinum Plans are optional, must be paid at time of deposit and are non-refundable."

 

I think it would have been appropriate to convey the above in the phone call.

[Jade13]

thanks guys I guess my point is over the phone with HAL not having sailed with them prior, how would I ever know this? Has anyone ever had luck with a refund in this matter? I do not want a credit I want my visa credited what do you think my chances are? Thanks for your support I am so upsit over this. I have a hard time believing they can get away with this.

 

So, you decided to cancel your cruise?

 

Have you called the Rep who sold you the policy and what did he/she say when you told them your understanding was that it would be charged at final payment? This is only of course an issue if you do not want to take this cruise.

[lvtotrvl1]

You may be able to work out a credit since there seems to have been a misunderstanding, however, I doubt you will be able to add it back on when you want, so be sure to think about what you really want. Insurance or no insurance. You can't have it both ways.

[hammybee]

Generally speaking, I think most people do not have a clue about the trip insurance they buy and they make a lot of assumptions. I was once one of them.:o

[kryos]

HAL collects the insurance money when booking. Princess delays it until final payment. That's just the way it is. If you cancel before final payment is due, though, HAL will let you put the insurance towards a different trip.

... but under no circumstances will the OP get that money back ... and that sucks.

 

That's why I don't get the insurance until I'm up against final payment. This way I know it's gonna take a lot for me to have to cancel that cruise. Before final payment, it wouldn't take quite as much ... it could be a work problem, a personal problem ... whatever.

 

Never, never pay for your insurance that far out. You never know what can happen to cause you to have to cancel.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

thanks guys I guess my point is over the phone with HAL not having sailed with them prior, how would I ever know this? Has anyone ever had luck with a refund in this matter? I do not want a credit I want my visa credited what do you think my chances are? Thanks for your support I am so upsit over this. I have a hard time believing they can get away with this.

I know a lot of people get "miffed" when they go online to book shore excursions and then are asked for their credit card information right there. They are shocked that their credit card is charged for excursions when they book them, not when they board the ship.

 

Personally, though, I like HAL's philosophy of charging for them upfront. Gets more paid in advance, less I have to pay for on the ship. Less of an onboard bill to deal with, along with the depression, on disembarkation day.

 

But the big difference between paying for shore excursions in advance and paying for the insurance in advance is that the shore excursions will be credited right back if you cancel your cruise. The insurance won't be. And that's why HAL really should be more forthright about that with customers. Sure, they will let you apply it to another trip ... but what happens if you won't be taking another trip for a while ... like in the case of serious illness or whatever. I'm sure there's a time limit to use it ... and in many cases, people could miss that deadline and then just be out the entire amount of the insurance.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[m steve]

I e time as the reservation was made. I booked a cruise to the Med in June and cancelled it well before charge would apply but could not get a refund on insurance. They did transfer it to a new cruise but the cost of the new cruise was half the original and no refund. I believe that the payment charged was to include pre existing conditions and had to be bought the same time. I also believe that the travel agent gets a big % of the premium sinilar to buying title insurance when buying a house. As for title insurance the lawyer gets more than 50% of the premium.

[cf_chuck]

Never, never pay for your insurance that far out. You never know what can happen to cause you to have to cancel.

 

You seem to be talking about insuring through someone else other than HAL. HAL's policy is that the insurance must be selected at the time of the deposit and that the payment is due if selected.

[GeriatricNurse]

I booked my first cruise with HAL with one of their agents. I was told I was being charged for 1518$ for deposit refundable until Nov 19th...Cool I got it bye.

 

Visa bill arrives today and there is an extra 700 charge What for????? They charged my insurance right there....This was done over the phone and I was never told that charge would be there. Why would I pay for insurance that far out??? mmmmm smell a rat in hiding..I can see it being non refundable but should they not have told me??? Or let me know they were charging my visa????

 

As you can see I am nor virgin to cruising and I always do my insurance through Princess and I have had to cancel cruises and it has never been a problem.

 

So I speak to two supervisors and they are wondering why My on line agent never sent out my documents...I do not know check with her/

 

Am I wrong in assuming when business is done over the phone should there not be disclosure. When I booked this cruise I knew full on there was a good chance of canceling as I really wanted to go on the emerald princess and there price lowered to 300 dollars more then Holland from 1,000.

 

I know you guys cheer for your line but I really think that this is wrong.. What are they insuring 7 months from my cruise date it should kick in with final payment like celebrity, Royal and Princess I just do not get it.

 

 

From our experience booking with HAL, you have to tell HAL at the time of your booking that you do NOT wish to have the insurance; otherwise, HAL will assume that you WANT the insurance, and therefor, will include it!

[vbmom87]

Under the circumstances I would call my credit card company and explain that no one told you this was a non-refundable charge. Your chances of getting the fee forgiven is greater with the Credit Card Company than with HAL.

 

Next thing you should do is a search on CC for the many threads on trip insurance. I learned a bundle from all the reading I did here. You will learn more than the average agent will tell you or know themselves.

 

We did buy travel insurance within the 21 days of putting down our first

deposit. This was the time frame of the company we bought our insurance with. I wanted pre-existing conditions to be covered. I wanted no nightmares that the most expensive vacation of my life would not qualify for reimbursement if cancellation was related to a family member's pre-existing condition. There are a few policies that let you buy late and will cover pre-exisiting conditions, but they are more costly. I knew we would only be cancelling for a health related issue, so we bought the insurance early on.