canceled cruise with no refund

[elmos mom]

Please excuse my typing and grammer but I am so mad I am shaking.I have been lurking on these boards for 3 years reading daily but have never posted because of lack of computer abilities but today is different.In january I booked a portion of a world cruise at $20,000 dollars a room guarentee to depart October 20 th.Due to very unseen circumstances we can not be gone 4 weeks at this time.Called my TA at day 91 before cruise to cancel and Holland America says my $6000 deposit is non refundable!!!!We even tried to switch to a shorter crise and the answer is NO NO NO.So buyer beware .We our long time cruisers with only 10 so far,with other lines one with Holland America but was our new line of choice because of its wondrful iteneries and old world ways.We are in our early 50s and have just seriously become world travlers with the income to do it.So buyer BEWARE.Thanks for listening.PS we also paid in full $17,000 in airfare (thankfully not thru cruise line)which has already been refunded.This cruise is still on all websites for sale with all rooms guarentee so we did not hold a prime room So again buyer beware.This makes me so sad I was already planning a full world cruise for next year but unfortunatly I will never even consider booking any of there cruises ever again,they have lost a very good life long customer

[maxout]

Sorry for your loss but $20,000 dollars and you don't opt for cancellation for any reason insurance protection?

[ejohnny]

call...speak to a manager and plead your case. They might be able to offer you the 6Gs in a future cruise credit. I havent had any experience with this particular cruise line so i don't know. Its worth a couple of phone calls!

[Kween Karen]

I am sorry for your $$$$ loss.
I have checked very carefully when I have booked a long expensive cruise....and I know that full refund is only available if the trip is cancelled 120 days in advance of the cruise. This is very clear in the documents. It is too bad they cn't make an exception and give you future credit.....
On my last trip I was very careful to have all my dr appts and business taken care of 120 days in advance of departure just in case I needed to cancel.

[luvs2travl]

We are so very sorry to hear about your situation. Did you book directly with HAL? If so, I would certainly call Seattle and ask to speak to the head of customer service or the head of reservations and tell them exactly what extreme circumstances caused you to have to cancel after the 120-day cancellation period. Write a letter to the president or the vice-president of Holland America. Perhaps ask for a cruise voucher for your $6000 deposit that could be used on a future cruise. If you booked through a travel agent, he/she should have explained all the cancellation policies and penalties to you, and should also be trying to help you to get some type of cruise voucher/reimbursement from HAL.

The cancellation policies and penalties for all cruise lines are specifically laid out in the cruise contract, which is why, especially on such an expensive cruise, travel insurance with the "cancel-for-any reason" clause is recommended. Some people choose to self-insure and, unfortunately, this is what happens when there is a problem and they cannot make their cruise.

And $17,000 air fare?? My goodness - to where and from where were you flying? I have never heard of an airfare that high. We are flying round-trip from Houston to Amsterdam next month, and our airfare was only $1900 for both of us. You obviously had some type of cancellation insurance on your air, or opted to by tickets that were fully refundable. So, why did you not do the same for a cruise of such magnitude and expense?

Please, please - for your future cruises, take out this type of insurance. As you can see now, your situation would have been made far less stressful had you had insurance.

We will hoping for a good outcome for you. Please continue to contact the "higher-ups" at HAL. Never say "die" until you have exhausted all of your options.

[RuthC]

I'm sorry for your disappointment, and the loss of all that money, but have to wonder---didn't your TA discuss all of the conditions with you before you put that money down? Don't you have insurance to cover the loss?

This is all too bad, but I don't see why you should be mad at HAL for following their policy---policy clearly spelled out.

[Boytjie]

With $20,000 for a cruise and $17,000 for airfare and you never considered travel insurance? You must be just a little bit mad at yourself. HAL gave you the contract. Should they waive it for everyone?

[Pam in CA]

I agree with Ruth in that I'm very sorry you learned a painful lesson. As the others have said, the cancellation conditions are clearly spelled out. It sounds like you "self-insured" which one would do only if you're willing to gamble and can afford to lose your money.

Chances are very slim that even with a letter or complaint that you would get your money back. That's what insurance is for and if they refunded your deposit, they open a can of worms and have to refund everyone who hasn't taken out insurance. That's not going to happen. It puts you in a bad position but that's the way it is.

Good luck and I hope you continue cruising -- with cruise insurance.

[elmos mom]

Thank you for your replys,We were waiting to put together the week before and after travel plans in both ports before insurance was purchased .I also had not seen the 129 cancellation insurance when we booked I do not believe it was offered at time of booking ,Is this new?We never travel without insurance.So no I did not read each line of my documents my mistake .Believe me I am broken hearted to not be doing this dream voyage but even more so by the treatment we are receiving.This is not lack of planning extreme emergencys are not scheduled.Not being able to switch to a shorter cruise at a much higher cost than the 6000 dollars plus excursions, ,ship shopping ,beverages spa ,photos,coffee cards ect ect ect they would easily be getting additional revenue from us I am a push over.Obviously!!!So this is just a buyer beware .Qween Karen ,I also have enjoyed reading all your posts and reviews.I am so sad that I will not be cruisig with Holland America here we come Azamara

[Boytjie]

Indeed, buyer beware. Not a warning against HAL, BTW.

[Pam in CA]

If you book directly, there's an option to purchase cruiseline insurance. If you booked through a TA, any reputable TA will encourage you to get insurance, and quote you a price. You can also buy it independently.

[Boytjie]

You can also buy it independently.

And usually with no pre-exiting conditions when purchased withing about 2 weeks of putting down a deposit.

[maxout]

The treatment you are receiving is exactly what anyone would receive in this situation. You admit to failing to read your contract, purchase insurance or adhere to the time frame for cancellation.

Insurance is for unplanned emergencies, HAL is not responsible to cover yours or the policies they have set would have no meaning. Would you be any less upset if it was 30 days out? They have to cut off the cancellations on these segments at some point as these are not garden variety easy to resell little 10 day jaunts.

If you have been "lurking" here at CC for 3 years none of this should be a surprise...

[luvs2travl]

Thank you for your replys,We were waiting to put together the week before and after travel plans in both ports before insurance was purchased .I also had not seen the 129 cancellation insurance when we booked I do not believe it was offered at time of booking ,Is this new?We never travel without insurance.So no I did not read each line of my documents my mistake .Believe me I am broken hearted to not be doing this dream voyage but even more so by the treatment we are receiving.This is not lack of planning extreme emergencys are not scheduled.Not being able to switch to a shorter cruise at a much higher cost than the 6000 dollars plus excursions, ,ship shopping ,beverages spa ,photos,coffee cards ect ect ect they would easily be getting additional revenue from us I am a push over.Obviously!!!So this is just a buyer beware .Qween Karen ,I also have enjoyed reading all your posts and reviews.I am so sad that I will not be cruisig with Holland America here we come Azamara

Just FYI - you could've gone ahead and purchased your travel insurance at booking. I have not ever (just in my experience) booked a cruise where the inurance was not offered to me at the time of booking. It is even offered when booking on board by the FCC's. You then could have purchased any additional pre or post cruise packages that you wanted to - we have done this on several occasions. At least your insurance would have been in place for this emergency cancellation.

If you were just 91 days out from cruising and were still finalizing your pre/post cruise plans, how were you able to purchase airline tickets? Don't they have to have a definite departure date/time/place and a return date/time/place when purchased? Kinda curious about that....:confused:

Please do not blame HAL or any other cruise line for enforcing their policies. You would have had the same experience on any cruise line, I can assure you.

Best of luck to you - really! :)

[elmos mom]

This is a buyer beware for the newer people than you regulars,I was just reading a thread yesterday topic $129 trip cancellation where people were saying not to buy $129 cancelation policy .And congragulations on your great air fare to Amsterdam but our flights were long and complicated and not in coach.So for you regulars I did not expect your sympathy,I have been reading this forum a long time daily.JUST VERY FRUSTURATED AND DISAPPONTED that we are not even allowed to apply to shorter time frame ,most cancellation policys are 90 days.So happy cruising sooo sad I will not be on Holland America with you.Thank you

[TracieABD]

While the outcome may be bleek-- I would keep trying for a while. Make some calls and keep asking for someone higher up the ladder.
While this may take some time and effort, the worse you can hear is "no" which you already have heard.

I hope you find some resolve with this.

Take care and good luck.:)

[CruiserBruce]

Something is not right here.....

A world cruise starting Oct 20? HAL's world cruises start in January.

OP claims to be in Seattle. $17000 would be a single First Class seat SFO-FCO, or 3 business class seats. HAL's world cruises usually start in the US.

A cruise of this value would have insurance much higher than $129.

Just doesn't add up.

[luvs2travl]

This is a buyer beware for the newer people than you regulars,I was just reading a thread yesterday topic $129 trip cancellation where people were saying not to buy $129 cancelation policy .And congragulations on your great air fare to Amsterdam but our flights were long and complicated and not in coach.So for you regulars I did not expect your sympathy,I have been reading this forum a long time daily.JUST VERY FRUSTURATED AND DISAPPONTED that we are not even allowed to apply to shorter time frame ,most cancellation policys are 90 days.So happy cruising sooo sad I will not be on Holland America with you.Thank you


Still wondering how your airline tickets were purchased and paid for, and yet your trip plans were not finalized, because as you stated, you had not yet purchased your pre & post cruise packages. So - obviously, you didn't know when you were leaving nor when you were coming back. I guess I shouldn't expect an answer, but am curious anyway.

[luvs2travl]

Something is not right here.....

A world cruise starting Oct 20? HAL's world cruises start in January.

OP claims to be in Seattle. $17000 would be a single First Class seat SFO-FCO, or 3 business class seats. HAL's world cruises usually start in the US.

A cruise of this value would have insurance much higher than $129.

Just doesn't add up.

Methinks the same thing. Checked on the World Cruises from HAL and got the same info. OP says she purchased one leg of a world cruise - yet won't say from where to where. Still questioning that $17,000 air fare - the OP states they were still deciding on pre/post cruise packages. How do you buy airline tickets withour knowing definite departure/return dates? Something definitely not kosher here. And, I mean why would you do any of this with no insurance?

A $129 policy would come nowhere close to insuring this kind of trip. Hmmmmm......

[airlink diva]

Wow Elmos Mom I'm sorry that in addition to canceling the cruise you are also losing money.
You stated that this is not your first cruise, I know with the extra expense of a world cruise, I would check all options prior to booking.
With a high budget cruise, I can't see why your booking travel agent didn't offer any type of insurance. Even on my cheapo cruises, my travel agent (and even on their website) offers insurance. Right until the final payment, my travel agent offers it.
If I'm spending that high of cost on a cruise, I would want protection!!
If you were flying first class with no restrictions, that airfare for oversea travel can be expensive.
You got burn by not fully researching when booking this cruise.
I would still attempt to talk to someone at HAL headquarters to see about changing it. Just go up the chain.
I hope you the best.

[jghllnd1]

Sorry Elmos mom for your lost money...if your story is true. But...I am having a hard time believing what you claim.

I too am mostly a "lurker" and seldom post anything. It took me only a couple of months of reading posts on the HAL board to learn a few basics such as the importance of travel insurance, HAL world cruises are not in the fall, and dress code is a hot topic as is smoking and the no trays in the lido.
But, for someone who claims to have been "lurking" for 3 years, you have not learned much.

So, I am calling your bluff.

[terigo]

When someone joins ANY forum, and their first post is something that seems to make no sense on any level, then I will usually chalk it up to trolling.

[3rdGenCunarder]

When I saw this thread tonight, it was just after the "do I need to buy cancellation insurance?" thread. How ironic is that?????

[Jemima]

There is a grand voyage segment on the Amsterdam Hong Kong on Oct. 20.

[cruisecrasy]

There is a grand voyage segment on the Amsterdam Hong Kong on Oct. 20.

Thanks Jemima for pointing this out. Perhaps this is a genuine post & problem after all..!

[sapper1]

We had to cancel a cruise scheduled for the spring of 2009 due to medical problems. Because we had insurance we were able to have all our money refunded. The point being, we paid for insurance. If we hadn't purchased it, we would have been left high and dry and would not have had the nerve to expect HAL to fund our negligence, much less come onto CC and try to make HAL look bad. If you decide to forego insurance you take your chances and you don't try to sully a company's reputation when you have to cancel.

I realize I am most likely feeding a troll, but maybe this thread will help get the message accross to the unconverted------Take the insurance!!!!

[jtl513]

A world cruise starting Oct 20? HAL's world cruises start in January.

OP claims to be in Seattle. $17000 would be a single First Class seat SFO-FCO, or 3 business class seats. HAL's world cruises usually start in the US.

A cruise of this value would have insurance much higher than $129.

Just doesn't add up.
I can believe the $17,000 for two first-class tickets Seattle to Hong Kong and back from Sydney.

However, I agree that the $129 is way low for cancellation insurance on a $20,000 Verandah Suite.

Edit: I just went and priced this 25-day segment in a B cabin. The CPPP is $1,189.

[Pete Jackson]

One possibility since it seems that you have just cancelled a few days ago - if you cancelled expecting a deposit refund, and then found out that you won't get it, then try to rescind your cancellation if that is at all possible for you. It may be that the cabin you reserved has not been promised to anyone else yet.

Another angle if you are going to lose everything is to not cancel at all; it's always possible that your circumstance will change again and you will be able to go on the cruise after all. If not, nothing additional is lost even if you never cancel and just become a no-show at the pier.

Best wishes on your future cruising, whatever cruise line you use.

[jtl513]

Edit: I just went and priced this 25-day segment in a B cabin. The CPPP is $1,189.That's $1,189 pp.

[Jade13]

I can believe the $17,000 for two first-class tickets Seattle to Hong Kong and back from Sydney.

However, I agree that the $129 is way low for cancellation insurance on a $20,000 Verandah Suite.

Edit: I just went and priced this 25-day segment in a B cabin. The CPPP is $1,189.

Right, the OP didn't price insurance because the $129.00 is about HAL's lowest policy and would cover a cruise fare up to about $1,250.00 for one person (I don't have the amounts in front of me).

One thing I am surprised about is that HAL doesn't require insurance for these World Cruises or segments, much like is mandatory for those on an Expedition to Antarctica. I think they should make medical manditory for World Cruises BUT the OP decided not to go for personal reasons that would only be covered by a Cancel for Any Reason Policy.

Their biggest mistake, however, was not knowing that the cruise had to be canceled prior to 120 days to get a full refund. Another issue that I have (and has come up here before) is that the cancelation date is differannt than than the final payment date and I think HAL should make them the same.

[catl331]

Again, this is a reminder that HAL is a big business that intends to make money cruising people around the world. They have the 120 day cancellation for these voyages because they are not called cruises--they are voyages over a long period. Most people book these far in advance. Cruise companies must have made studies that show that these rooms do not fill close to sailing. So empty rooms are not moneymakers. Wonder what Azmara policys are?

[IRL_Joanie]

I think we all may have missed where the problem may be....

The OP states: QUOTE "Called my TA at day 91 before cruise to cancel and Holland America says my $6000 deposit is non refundable!!!!" Unquote

My thoughts is that either the TA did not stress or even realize that the Cancellation date was 120 days for the World or Grand Voyages istead of the ?normal? 90 days, and therefore it is the TA's faullt and not HAL's.

Either way, this is another reason to show why I, in my own opinion, will always go directly through HAL.

I am so sorry for you elmos mom. I wish you luck, but ....

Joanie

[janmcn]

I, too, am very sorry for you, but it's not Holland America's fault, so in you anger, don't blame them. The fault lies squarely with you and you cannot shift the blame to "others." In the end it is always our own responsibility to read the information (it's clearly there) about how much is nonrefundable at each stage. Also, the insurance many of us get HAS to be bought (and IT is nonrefundable) at the time of your initial booking. The Platinum insurance we always get from HAL offers "cancel with no reason" which is what would have come into play in your case. We've used it when we had a death in the family 2 days before we were due to sail.

You, and others who might read of your plight might have learned an expensive lesson, but rules are rules for reasons. The fact that you didn't understand them is NOT HAL's fault and they are not expected to give you "special treatment."

Sorry.

[fann1sh]

Jade13, your suggestion the 120 day cancellation date should also be final payment date on these cruise is an outstanding one.

Elmos Mom, I understand what you're feeling right now. I do feel bad you've had this experience, and know no one wants to be someone else's "bad example". But, I'm afraid that if you want to blame someone, it really should be the travel agent.

[CruiserBruce]

There is a grand voyage segment on the Amsterdam Hong Kong on Oct. 20.

OK, I guess, the OP says a "portion of a World Cruise". That means something else to me.

I can understand the OP's anger, and yes, it is truely buyer beware. The Buyer needs to be aware you can't just cancel anytime, no penalty. That is not HAL's fault.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Op

I am sorry for your lose. But didn't your TA explain to you that if you had to cancel -- you needed to do so 121 days before the cruise? Weren't you given a contract to read? Didn't you buy insurance?

[jtl513]

Didn't you buy insurance?
I also had not seen the 129 cancellation insurance when we booked I do not believe it was offered at time of booking ,Is this new?We never travel without insurance.
She was apparently planning on buying trip insurance closer to sailing, like when final payment was due. In a way that makes sense to me. Why pay $2,378 to protect a $6,000 deposit as long as you don't have a pre-existing medical condition that has to be covered within 10 days of booking?

[vbmom87]

I am very sorry for your loss, but there is no way HAL or any other cruiseline should be expected to refund you any more than what their documents state. As others have said, why should the rest of us buy insurance if cruiselines will refund anyone who has to cancel their trip for unforseen circumstances. HAL refunded you exactly what they said they would in your contract if you cancelled at the point you did. I clearly have no idea what your complaint is. To bad mouth a company for doing exactly what they promised is totally uncalled for.

As far as travel insurance, I have discovered you need a degree in it to truly understand it. ;) I have insured one trip in each of the last three years and learned something new each time. It is very complicated and you can have insurance and still not be covered for things you thought you were. It is important to spend significant time educating yourself about travel insurance.

Buying the cancel for any reason insurance does have its limitations. Know when you have to buy it by to be covered and especially understand that you usually must insure the whole trip at the time you buy it. Also, this insurance also will just cover a certain percentage of your trip. Cancel for Any Reason insurance has the most fine print to read and understand.

Personally, I like the trip insurance store. They have a great website where you can begin your research. Their staff is top notch. I like their online support as I can print out the 'conversations' I had with them. I learned so much from them. I highly recommend you start your education here. I like that when I buy from them the price is the same as if I purchased direct with the insurance company. If I use a link on their website to purchase insurance, I am directed right to the insurance website. AFter you purchase from them, they will send you information via snail mail. For example, before my trip to Hawaii this past year, they mailed me a document informing me that if I got sick and decided to cancel my cruise, the only way I would be covered is if I went to a doctor to have my illness documented. You just can't wake up one day and decide you don't feel like going on the trip and think your insurance will cover you. INsurance is for legitmate claims. Just like the OP found the cruiselines will follow their contracts, so will the insurance companies. So make sure you read all your insurance documents. The trip insurance store will provide you with all the documents from each insurance plan you are considering. In conclusion, get educated about insurance and don't assume your TA knows about insurance. I prefer to do my own research and then make my own purchase. ALthough some agents may be knowledgable, from my experience and from reading this forum, I know many do not know the ins and out of travel insurance. Too many travellers are disappointed when they find they have to eat the cost of things they thought they were insured for. Do your homework!!!

[6rugrats]

OP - to have received all your airfare back, with no fees, you must have purchased refundable tickets.

Sorry this happened, but it's no one's responsibility but your own. You must read the terms of the contract you agreed to when you purchased your cruise. No one here has any idea what your TA told you, so I can't comment on that.

This is not HAL's fault; they are merely following their policy.

[Jemima]

Yesterday, on day 91, OP cancels with HAL or has TA do so. OP states that they paid $17,000 for flights booked on their own and that money has been refunded. How was that refunded so quickly? Airlines don't do this unless higher priced refundable tickets are purchased.
Is it possible that OP knew they might cancel the cruise, but decided to wait until (what they thought was) the last possible day to do so?

[vbmom87]

Is it possible that OP knew they might cancel the cruise, but decided to wait until (what they thought was) the last possible day to do so?

That is what I thought of as I read the post.

[Willem Ruys]

Something is not right here.....

A world cruise starting Oct 20? HAL's world cruises start in January.

OP claims to be in Seattle. $17000 would be a single First Class seat SFO-FCO, or 3 business class seats. HAL's world cruises usually start in the US.

A cruise of this value would have insurance much higher than $129.

Just doesn't add up.

Yup... I noticed that straight off.

[vbmom87]

IF you want cancel for any reason you must purchase within a certain number of days of putting down your first trip deposit. As mentioned many do not want to put up that mony until later. HOwever you can't have it both ways. Cancel for any reason means you pay up front. As far as not knowing all your costs, I was told to overestimate and I could reduce the amount later.

I am one who would not buy my insurance through the cruiseline. I like purchasing through the trip insurance store.

http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/

[vbmom87]

I think we all may have missed where the problem may be....

The OP states: QUOTE "Called my TA at day 91 before cruise to cancel and Holland America says my $6000 deposit is non refundable!!!!" Unquote

My thoughts is that either the TA did not stress or even realize that the Cancellation date was 120 days for the World or Grand Voyages istead of the ?normal? 90 days, and therefore it is the TA's faullt and not HAL's.



I got it!! I figured that the OP thought she had 90 days to cancel and thought 91 was going to get her a refund. I, too, am sorry for her loss. She had an expensive lesson in reading contracts. However, anyone who can afford $17,000 in airfare probably isn't going to miss the $6000. It is obvious the OP chose to self-insure and lost. Many have questions the abilitly to get the $17,000 refunded. If they purchased refundable tickets, it would not be a problem. Refundable tickets basically have an insurance price baked in.

[vbmom87]

BTW - pre & post cruise excursions can be added after booking & also after the travel insurance has been paid, because we have done it. We added a 3-night pre-cruise to our Canada/New England cruise 2 years ago. Our insurance premium increased slightly and all we had to do was pay the difference.

This depends on the insurance you are purchasing. I am not familiar with the ones you buy from the cruise ship, but I am familiar with some of the independent plans. If you want to purchase "cancel for any reason" all that I have looked at required you to estimate the full amount of your trip and if you failed to do so accurately, the fine print states that they will owe you nothing if you file a claim.

I found some pre-existing conditions plans to be the same, however, most do allow you to add more insurance as time goes on.

Again, always do your won research. Every plan is so different. Each insurance company typically has multiple plans all with different requirements and coverages. Don't depend on what anyone (including myself) states. Go right to the source and get everything in writing that you understand. As I stated above, travel insurance is quite complicated. I have read of far too many people who paid for insurance only to find it didn't cover something they thought it would.

[Jade13]

How many times do we see buyers remorse on this board ? Travel insurance is a must and if the OP cruises as much as she indicates then she knew about the coverage. The coverage was $1,129, as per HALs web site. If you are going to pay $17,000 for air fare and $20,000 for a cruise then why not purchase the cancellation insurance ? 90% coverage - for any reason.

[SIZE=4.[/size]

Because, OP thought the final payment date was at 90 days when it was 120 days.

[Jade13]

IF you want cancel for any reason you must purchase within a certain number of days of putting down your first trip deposit. As mentioned many do not want to put up that mony until later. HOwever you can't have it both ways. Cancel for any reason means you pay up front. As far as not knowing all your costs, I was told to overestimate and I could reduce the amount later.

I am one who would not buy my insurance through the cruiseline. I like purchasing through the trip insurance store.

http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/

Not anymore. HAL's Platinum policy is now available at final payment. It is the only one in the industry that can be paid by final payment and you can cancel before 24 hours AND you get 90% of you money back without having to give any reason.

OP is I assume in the US and was used to getting a full refund of deposits up until 90 days.

[vbmom87]

Not anymore. HAL's Platinum policy is now available at final payment. It is the only one in the industry that can be paid by final payment and you can cancel before 24 hours AND you get 90% of you money back without having to give any reason.

OP is I assume in the US and was used to getting a full refund of deposits up until 90 days.

I was not speaking to insurance purchased through the cruiseline, but rather through an independent.

Sounds like a very good plan if you wish to purchase cruiseline insurance. From all my research I would not buy my insurance through the company I was vacationing with.

[vbmom87]

Our TA often suggests that we wait to purchase our insurance until final payment, as that is OK with the Traverlex policy we use, unless we have pre-existing conditions..What the OP did not realize is, one can purchase the insurance for cruise only & as you add airline & land arrangements keep increasing the amount..The TA should have explained it to her..:(

Whether or not you can add amounts later depends on the policy you are purchasing. Again, I am not talking about plans through the cruiseline as I never buy those and never researched those. Usually you can add, however, with many of the cancel for any reason and a few of the others, you do have to insure your total amount or risk no coverage.

[serendipity1499]

At this point I'll get a letter from a doctor..

Doubt that a Doctor's letter would help any more..That's what Insurance is for..

[luvs2travl]

I was not speaking to insurance purchased through the cruiseline, but rather through an independent.

Sounds like a very good plan if you wish to purchase cruiseline insurance. From all my research I would not buy my insurance through the company I was vacationing with.

We had purchased Princess Platinum Insurance & decided to cancel our 20-day trans-Atlantic cruise on the Star back in April, (due to the Icelandic Volcano Eruption), 6 days before sailing. Received a 100% refund voucher from Princess (Berkely Insurance) within 3 weeks. We used it re-book an Alaskan cruise (Diamond last month) and a 20-day b-2-b Caribbean coming up in October. Paid a $500 difference on the Alaska cruise. Everything else covered by the refund voucher. I thought we received great service.

[jtl513]

However, anyone who can afford $17,000 in airfare probably isn't going to miss the $6000.Everybody will miss $6000! :eek: Maybe some will miss it more than others.

It is obvious the OP chose to self-insure and lost.No, that's not obvious. I believe she was planning on insuring closer to final payment time, but didn't note that cancellation period was 120 days instead of 90 which she was used to on other cruises.
My question to the OP (which she has NOT come back on to answer) is how she could have purchased airline tickets WITHOUT KNOWING HER DEPARTURE AND RETURN DATES. She has stated that she purchased $17,000 worth of airline tickets and received a full refund, which tells me two things:
1. She knew what date they were leaving and when they were returning, therefore they had already purchased their pre & post cruise packages, or were not intending to do so anyway.Sure she knew when they were leaving and returning ... but hadn't decided precisely what excursions or activities they were going to do in those extra days in Hong Kong and Sydney ... which she wanted included in the insurance she was planning to buy.

BTW - pre & post cruise excursions can be added after booking & also after the travel insurance has been paid, because we have done it.Or if you wait until you know what they are then they don't have to be added later, requiring a premium adjustment.

[serendipity1499]

I was not speaking to insurance purchased through the cruiseline, but rather through an independent.

Sounds like a very good plan if you wish to purchase cruiseline insurance. From all my research I would not buy my insurance through the company I was vacationing with.

Whether or not you can add amounts later depends on the policy you are purchasing. Again, I am not talking about plans through the cruiseline as I never buy those and never researched those. Usually you can add, however, with many of the cancel for any reason and a few of the others, you do have to insure your total amount or risk no coverage.

Completely agree with you...We never purchase our Insurance thru the Cruise Line..We only purchase independant insurance & have been using Travelex..We purchase this when we book our cruises, as want to be covered for pre-existing cond..We purchased a travelex policy for our cruise next month..After I booked the flights I called & added our flights onto the policy & paid an additional premium..

Cheers....:)Betty

[luvs2travl]

Whether or not you can add amounts later depends on the policy you are purchasing. Again, I am not talking about plans through the cruiseline as I never buy those and never researched those. Usually you can add, however, with many of the cancel for any reason and a few of the others, you do have to insure your total amount or risk no coverage.

TravelEx allows you to add pre/post cruise packages on & pay the premium difference.

[vbmom87]

TravelEx allows you to add pre/post cruise packages on & pay the premium difference.\

I do not believe this is true of their Cancel for Reason Plans.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Completely agree with you...We never purchase our Insurance thru the Cruise Line..We only purchase independant insurance & have been using Travelex..We purchase this when we book our cruises, as want to be covered for pre-existing cond..We purchased a travelex policy for our cruise next month..After I booked the flights I called & added our flights onto the policy & paid an additional premium..

Cheers....:)Betty

I did an add-on to my policy (independent, not HAL) for our Alaska cruise because I forgot to give my TA the info on flight costs. The cruise is the big expense, plus plane tix if I need them. Most hotels let you cancel day-of or day before (unless you do an online nonrefundable), so if I had to cancel I wouldn't be out any money there. I don't try to fuss about covering every penny. I guess I would if I were doing a very expensive land shore ex. I make sure the two big tickets are covered and do it right away so I don't forget. (I also travel with the contact numbers and email addys of every hotel or other reserved activity so I can cancel them if the itinerary changes)

[serendipity1499]

Not anymore. HAL's Platinum policy is now available at final payment. It is the only one in the industry that can be paid by final payment and you can cancel before 24 hours AND you get 90% of you money back without having to give any reason.

OP is I assume in the US and was used to getting a full refund of deposits up until 90 days.


Jade have you ever done a price comparison of HAL's plan verses an Independent companies plan such as Travelex...

If so can you give us an idea of what you found...

For example, is Hal's premium cost 50% more or less & can you include your flights in the policy if HAL did not book them?..

We normally do not use the insurance of our travel providers... However in the case of HAL, which seems to be a reliable company, ;) I'm curious...

Cheers....:)Betty

[luvs2travl]

\

I do not believe this is true of their Cancel for Reason Plans.

Look - all I know is that we ALWAYS (emphasis on always) purchase "Cancel-for-any-reason" insurance, be it from the cruise line or from AccessAmeric, TravelEx or whatever suits our needs at that time. We had TravelEx, added on a 3-day pre-cruise about 6 weeks after booking, paid the premium difference and did not receive any notice, disclaimer or anything else stating that the pre-cruise package was not covered under the existing policy because it was purchased later on. Our TA of 23 years told us it would be.

Whether it was or wasn't, I really don't know because we didn't cancel the trip. All I said was that TravelEx allowed these type things to be added on afterwards. And once again, yes - it was the "cancel-for-any reason" policy.

[luvs2travl]

Not anymore. HAL's Platinum policy is now available at final payment. It is the only one in the industry that can be paid by final payment and you can cancel before 24 hours AND you get 90% of you money back without having to give any reason.

OP is I assume in the US and was used to getting a full refund of deposits up until 90 days.

...and this is why we have the HAL Platinum Policy for our upcoming trip on the Westerdam! :) Sometimes it is advantageous to purchase the cruise line insurance - other times, not so much. But - somehow, the OP didn't see it that way.

[Jade13]

Jade have you ever done a price comparison of HAL's plan verses an Independent companies plan such as Travelex...

If so can you give us an idea of what you found...

For example, is Hal's premium cost 50% more or less & can you include your flights in the policy if HAL did not book them?..

We normally do not use the insurance of our travel providers... However in the case of HAL, which seems to be a reliable company, ;) I'm curious...

Cheers....:)Betty

HAL's policy does not cover independant air. So, you would have to pay for that independantly if wanted. If you purchase air through HAL it is amazing because unless someting has changed you can cancel your trip for any and not reason prior to 24 hours to departure and get back 90% on the air too.

Now, like some others who have posted we do notalways worry about insuring every little thing. As an example our next HAL cruise is from Montreal and our independant air is not insured. It came to under $500.00 for two people so we are not going to worry about that (we have insurance that covers us out of the US but as of this year the out of network deductible is $3K pp. I'd have to look but I thought the last time I looked a the policy HAL's did cover you a day or from the night prior to departure, not starting at exactly 5:00pm when most ships depart. I will have to look that up.

HAL"s premium is based on the cost of your cruise while others combine the cost along with your ages, so it's hard to give a comparison. We can get cheaper insurance bit it does not have the Cancel for Any Reason with pre-existng on the medical that can be bought at final payment date.

[vbmom87]

Look - all I know is that we ALWAYS (emphasis on always) purchase "Cancel-for-any-reason" insurance, be it from the cruise line or from AccessAmeric, TravelEx or whatever suits our needs at that time. We had TravelEx, added on a 3-day pre-cruise about 6 weeks after booking, paid the premium difference and did not receive any notice, disclaimer or anything else stating that the pre-cruise package was not covered under the existing policy because it was purchased later on. Our TA of 23 years told us it would be.

Whether it was or wasn't, I really don't know because we didn't cancel the trip. All I said was that TravelEx allowed these type things to be added on afterwards. And once again, yes - it was the "cancel-for-any reason" policy.

I just want people to be sure to get educated and ask questions and know what they are buying so they aren't in the position of the OP who didn't read her documents and found out too late she was going to lose money.

I just wanted people to know that not all plans are the same. For example, with some plans you absolutely must insure all your non-refundable expenses. If you don't, you aren't covered for anything. HOwever, other plans allow you to insure just what you want. If you want to cover half of your non-refundable expenses, you would be insured for half of your expenses. There are just so many ins and out with insurance, that I just want people to do their own research and buy with open eyes. It is obvious you knew what you were buying, but not everyone does. I have read far too many stories on this board of people who thought things were covered with their insurance, only to find that was not the case. Just get educated is all I am saying.

[mexico5]

I agree with everything you wrote jtl513...this is not a troll. And really, why do you some people think that just because someone has a lot of money that they don't care to lose it as much as the next person??

[castellina]

Years ago, you could cancel a cruise 61 days out and your deposit was refundable. Then, it became 91 days for most cruises. However, the longer cruises have a 121 day cancellation to get your deposit back. It's so important to read all the information Holland America supplies.

[serendipity1499]

HAL's policy does not cover independant air. So, you would have to pay for that independantly if wanted. If you purchase air through HAL it is amazing because unless someting has changed you can cancel your trip for any and not reason prior to 24 hours to departure and get back 90% on the air too.

Now, like some others who have posted we do notalways worry about insuring every little thing. As an example our next HAL cruise is from Montreal and our independant air is not insured. It came to under $500.00 for two people so we are not going to worry about that (we have insurance that covers us out of the US but as of this year the out of network deductible is $3K pp. I'd have to look but I thought the last time I looked a the policy HAL's did cover you a day or from the night prior to departure, not starting at exactly 5:00pm when most ships depart. I will have to look that up.

HAL"s premium is based on the cost of your cruise while others combine the cost along with your ages, so it's hard to give a comparison. We can get cheaper insurance bit it does not have the Cancel for Any Reason with pre-existng on the medical that can be bought at final payment date.

Thanks Jade...Interesting, Did not realize HAL does not go by your Ages, as so many of them do.. Will do a search & see what HAL's insurance would have cost us for our Nov. cruise...It''s to late to now as we have purchased insurance, but will look into it for next time..

Cheers...:)Betty

[ariawoman]

She was apparently planning on buying trip insurance closer to sailing, like when final payment was due. In a way that makes sense to me. Why pay $2,378 to protect a $6,000 deposit as long as you don't have a pre-existing medical condition that has to be covered within 10 days of booking?

That's a really good point. I made my final payment today for a cruise in Oct (it was due today) but as of today I am in the 50% fare cancellation timeframe. It was a good suggestion to make final payment due when full refund is no longer given. I plan to purchase travel insurance today/tomorrow since I did pay in full today, so i can totally see the OPs logic if that were the case. Why insure something you think you can cancel for a full refund.

i will state, however, that I have been read the cancellation policy each time I've called my online TA so I'm not sure how anyone could be totally oblivious to the numbers....

[mrspeck]

This past February my wife and I took our parents on a Carribean voyage out of FLL...on the first day of the voyage (before we even left port) my Dad was medivaced off the ship taking my mother with. Now, I didn't purchase insurance and knew the result would be a $$$ loss if something would happen and I was willing to take that risk. So, my parent's aft balcony sailed empty and I ate the loss. My parents felt horrible and I eased their minds by saying that I'd rebooked another cruise and HAL was letting them sail at no charge. (Ok, I might have stretched the truth as I actually booked a cabin for the four of us with the 3rd/4th passanger traveling at not charge...what they don't know will not hurt them...and I think they'll enjoy the penthouse with us.) Anyway, I recieved no compensation from HAL (with the exception of no charge phone calls from the ship...which was awesome!...Thanks HAL!) and didn't deserve any. However, after arriving home and looking through some "junk mail" regarding the credit card that I use most frequently, I ran accross the mention of "travel insurance" as an included benefit. It turns out I had insurance coverage up to $1500 included on travel if paid for with that credit card (even if the travel wasn't for card holder). So, I would advise anyone that has had to cancel a trip (with or without insurance) to check their credit card for any benefits. Good luck!

[vbmom87]

This past February my wife and I took our parents on a Carribean voyage out of FLL...on the first day of the voyage (before we even left port) my Dad was medivaced off the ship taking my mother with. Now, I didn't purchase insurance and knew the result would be a $$$ loss if something would happen and I was willing to take that risk. So, my parent's aft balcony sailed empty and I ate the loss. My parents felt horrible and I eased their minds by saying that I'd rebooked another cruise and HAL was letting them sail at no charge. (Ok, I might have stretched the truth as I actually booked a cabin for the four of us with the 3rd/4th passanger traveling at not charge...what they don't know will not hurt them...and I think they'll enjoy the penthouse with us.) Anyway, I recieved no compensation from HAL (with the exception of no charge phone calls from the ship...which was awesome!...Thanks HAL!) and didn't deserve any. However, after arriving home and looking through some "junk mail" regarding the credit card that I use most frequently, I ran accross the mention of "travel insurance" as an included benefit. It turns out I had insurance coverage up to $1500 included on travel if paid for with that credit card (even if the travel wasn't for card holder). So, I would advise anyone that has had to cancel a trip (with or without insurance) to check their credit card for any benefits. Good luck!

Sounds like you know how to make the best of an unfortunate situation. I am happy to hear your dad will be well enough to travel with you again. Enjoy your trip.

Thanks for the Credit Card tip also. I am sure that will be of benefit to someone.

[IRL_Joanie]

This past February my wife and I took our parents on a Carribean voyage out of FLL...on the first day of the voyage (before we even left port) my Dad was medivaced off the ship taking my mother with. Now, I didn't purchase insurance and knew the result would be a $$$ loss if something would happen and I was willing to take that risk. So, my parent's aft balcony sailed empty and I ate the loss. My parents felt horrible and I eased their minds by saying that I'd rebooked another cruise and HAL was letting them sail at no charge. (Ok, I might have stretched the truth as I actually booked a cabin for the four of us with the 3rd/4th passanger traveling at not charge...what they don't know will not hurt them...and I think they'll enjoy the penthouse with us.) Anyway, I recieved no compensation from HAL (with the exception of no charge phone calls from the ship...which was awesome!...Thanks HAL!) and didn't deserve any. However, after arriving home and looking through some "junk mail" regarding the credit card that I use most frequently, I ran accross the mention of "travel insurance" as an included benefit. It turns out I had insurance coverage up to $1500 included on travel if paid for with that credit card (even if the travel wasn't for card holder). So, I would advise anyone that has had to cancel a trip (with or without insurance) to check their credit card for any benefits. Good luck!

Several weeks ago we had a thread here about saying things like, "That's so Special," as a not so nice way. HOWEVER, in this case I want to scream the phrase as a Compliment to you!!!!

THAT IS SO SPECIAL!!!!

I think you are a wonderful child (I know you are not a kid but still:)) It is wonderful that you refused to let your parents in on the out of pocket expense and that you are paying the Penthouse Suite so you all can cruise together.

And it is obvious that good came from your thoughtfulness for your parents!!

BRAVO!!

Joanie

[COMBOY]

It's hard not to feel the pain of the OP losing $6,000; however, this clearly it's the fault of HAL either. Cancellation policy are to be fair to all parties including the insurance companies. If the OP decided to wait and add on insurance at later date well that's her decision and a risky move due to large amount invested in this trip. You have to weigh losing $6,000 or $2,258 (I assuming this if the policy cost) for a cancel for any reason trip policy. Personally I'd rather lose $2,258 vs $6,000 especially if I'm spending thousand of dollars on a cruise. That's a 62% savings. The cancellation date becomes irrelevant in this case because you can cancel "for any reason" up to 24 hour before to departure and get a certain percentage back of any non refundable payments. I can't believe her confirmation docs didn't clearly state the cancellation policy. If it didn't then she still needed to know actually what those penalties are and the dates to get full refunds. World cruises and segments have different cancellation policy due to the nature of these exotic sailings. Claiming "I didn't know" is not an excuse either or "could not have foreseen not being about to go." Well, that the whole point of insurance...insuring an unforeseen situation. From HAL business perspective...It's clearly harder for the cruise line to resell these sailing less then 120 prior to sailing. The cruise line loses the full amount of the cabin less the $6,000 unless they can resell the space. Even if they could resell the cabin their policy is to keep the deposit. The OP can change cruises lines; however, all cruises line work under the same basis policy.

[mrspeck]

Several weeks ago we had a thread here about saying things like, "That's so Special," as a not so nice way. HOWEVER, in this case I want to scream the phrase as a Compliment to you!!!!

THAT IS SO SPECIAL!!!!

I think you are a wonderful child (I know you are not a kid but still:)) It is wonderful that you refused to let your parents in on the out of pocket expense and that you are paying the Penthouse Suite so you all can cruise together.

And it is obvious that good came from your thoughtfulness for your parents!!

BRAVO!!

Joanie

Joanie,

You can call me "kid" anytime...at 32, I am a kid on HAL. (Not complaing either,...I like it that way.)

Thanks for the kind words, but I have to admit that the rebooking wasn't all "wonderful child". It was actually quite selfish...a reason to book another cruise!!!!

[IRL_Joanie]

Joanie,

You can call me "kid" anytime...at 32, I am a kid on HAL. (Not complaing either,...I like it that way.)

Thanks for the kind words, but I have to admit that the rebooking wasn't all "wonderful child". It was actually quite selfish...a reason to book another cruise!!!!

Selfish KID or not, it is still a very special touch!!

Am I mistaken in that I think I remember the review you did of that cruise?? I think i remember it and was happy to learn that your dad is so much better!!

Joanie

[brandy3415]

I think the doubters are correct--numbers and facts not adding up.

Is this just HAL bashing time????
Carol

[room010]

Not sure about the cruise/insurance costs but $17,000 airfares from Seattle to HK and then Sydney to Seattle (if that's the cruise the OP is talking about) are most certainly feasible, especially for 2 people in Business Class :(

[luvs2travl]

Not sure about the cruise/insurance costs but $17,000 airfares from Seattle to HK and then Sydney to Seattle (if that's the cruise the OP is talking about) are most certainly feasible, especially for 2 people in Business Class :(

No one knows WHAT leg of the World Cruise the OP purchased as she has not come back to answer those questions. There are those here that ASSUME that is what she may (?) have booked, but no where in any of her posts did she state where she was going, nor from where to where to where she was flying - only that is was "...a very long, complicated flight."

[room010]

Yes, I guess I'm trying to give the benefit of the doubt here.... ;)

[luvs2travl]

Yes, I guess I'm trying to give the benefit of the doubt here.... ;)

I think we all were at first. I know I was originally sympathetic to her plight, but now I'm kinda thinkin' that there are a lot of things that just aren't adding up. ;) as well!! :)

[jtl513]

No one knows WHAT leg of the World Cruise the OP purchased as she has not come back to answer those questions. There are those here that ASSUME that is what she may (?) have booked, but no where in any of her posts did she state where she was going, nor from where to where to where she was flying - only that is was "...a very long, complicated flight."

I think we all were at first. I know I was originally sympathetic to her plight, but now I'm kinda thinkin' that there are a lot of things that just aren't adding up. as well!!

In her first post she said
...
a portion of a world cruise at $20,000 dollars a room guarentee to depart October 20 th.Due to very unseen circumstances we can not be gone 4 weeks at this time. There is only ONE HAL ship leaving any port on Oct 20th this year: the Amsterdam from Hong Kong, as part of a World cruise. There are two possibilities on that date, a 25 day to Sydney or a 44 day to San Diego. Since she said "we can not be gone 4 weeks" that rules out the 44 day, leaving only the 25 day ending in Sydney. 25 days of cruising plus a few days flying time to Hong Kong and back from Sydney would be about 4 weeks.

A B veranda cabin would cost a little over $10,000 pp, and first class tickets from Seattle to HK and back from Sydney would cost $17,000.

The only thing I see that "doesn't add up" is that she thought the cancellation plan was $129. I believe she has no idea what the cancellation would actually have cost, and picked that $129 number up from another thread about cancellation plans, or someplace else.

[RuthC]

The only thing I see that "doesn't add up" is that she thought the cancellation plan was $129. I believe she has no idea what the cancellation would actually have cost, and picked that $129 number up from another thread about cancellation plans, or someplace else.
Could that have been a typo? One of the posts (please don't ask me to go back and find it) listed insurance as $1129. A dropped "1" would explain the difference.

I agree that this does not appear to be a troll---just misdirected anger.

[jtl513]

Could that have been a typo? One of the posts (please don't ask me to go back and find it) listed insurance as $1129. A dropped "1" would explain the difference.

I agree that this does not appear to be a troll---just misdirected anger. She said 129 once in post #9, and $129 twice in post 15. When I priced out this cruise to check out the numbers the CPPP came out to $1,189 pp.

In fact in post #15 she said "I was just reading a thread yesterday topic $129 trip cancellation where people were saying not to buy $129 cancelation policy." so that's where she got the $129 figure from.

[RuthC]

Just a thought. Considering the lack of "You poor thing. HAL done you wrong" responses, I doubt she'll be back.

[serendipity1499]

I think the doubters are correct--numbers and facts not adding up.

Is this just HAL bashing time????
Carol

Carol, The numbers & facts do add up! It's Unfair to the OP to say the facts don't add up..:(

Please take the time to read this (long) entire thread, you will see that even most doubters have changed their minds...The OP's three posts & other posters especially JTL & Jade have helped to clear the questions up...

I quote part of JTL's post:

Quote There is only ONE HAL ship leaving any port on Oct 20th this year: the Amsterdam from Hong Kong. There are two possibilities on that date, a 25 day to Sydney or a 44 day to San Diego. Since she said "we can not be gone 4 weeks" that rules out the 44 day, leaving only the 25 day ending in Sydney. 25 days of cruising plus a few days flying time to Hong Kong and back from Sydney would be 4 weeks.

A B veranda cabin would cost a little over $10,000 pp, and first class tickets from Seattle to HK and back from Sydney would cost $17,000.Unquote

Therefore based on her posts & what JTL says it looks as if the OP was booked on a portion of the "Amsterdam's" World Cruise on Oct. 20 from Hong Kong to Sydney Oct. 20, which BTW is is exactly 91 days from the time she tried to cancel & get her money back...Unfortuately on World cruises the cancellation policy is 120 days..

She did not buy insurance as was waiting until all their air, hotels & tours were completed..That was her big mistake..She quotes the $129 insurance which Jade stated is a basic HAL policy which does not cover much...We all agree she probably never checked on the actual cost of Insurance..

Her $17,000 air fare was completely refunded as she said they were not Economy tickets..Therefore we believe she had purchased full fare First class Tickets, which are always refundable..

It all adds up & we all agree that HAL is correct in keeping her $6,000...She & probably her TA did not do their homework & are totally to blame for this fiasco...It's a shame & we feel bad for the OP, but she can't blame HAL..It would be unfair for HAL to refund her $$$, while others are buying Insurance just for that purpose..

Betty

[serendipity1499]

Just a thought. Considering the lack of "You poor thing. HAL done you wrong" responses, I doubt she'll be back.

You're probably right, but hopefully she learned a lesson if she decides to take another cruise..

Cheers....:)Betty

[jtl513]

You're probably right, but hopefully she learned a lesson if she decides to take another cruise..

Cheers....:)BettyI believe that she fully intended to buy insurance close to final payment date, as she said they "always" get it. Her only real mistake that I see was presuming that the cancel-without-penalty date was 90 days because she hadn't been on a GWV before, where it's longer.

[vbmom87]

I believe that she fully intended to buy insurance close to final payment date, as she said they "always" get it. Her only real mistake that I see was presuming that the cancel-without-penalty date was 90 days because she hadn't been on a GWV before, where it's longer.

This seems to be accurate. However, I still don't understand why she thinks she was wronged by HAL. They didn't do anything wrong. As many have said there is no point in the rest of buying insurance if travel companies will refund everyone when they can't make their trips as planned.

[sail7seas]

Are people using World Cruise and Grand Voyage interchangeably?
World Cruise has always left after the first of the year. Has that changed? It always departs after New Years..........

From HAL's site:

Amsterdam's 2011 World Cruise (110 days) departs FLL January 5, 2011.

I tried to copy and paste it here but it won't copy. Here's a link:
http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/FindCruises.action?destCode=WW&durationCode=4&portCode=FLL&dateCode=1_2011&shipCodeSearch=AM

[mrspeck]

Selfish KID or not, it is still a very special touch!!

Am I mistaken in that I think I remember the review you did of that cruise?? I think i remember it and was happy to learn that your dad is so much better!!

Joanie


Thanks Joanie! He is better...still has issues, but the one that canceled the trip for him is resolved. We're praying we can complete this journey without issue! They don't know about the penthouse and I am so excited to share the experience with them. It will actually be their first cruise...not counting the few hours on the Westerdam. Hmm...that makes me wonder, will they get mariner credit for the past sailing? They made it on the ship and their room was paid for???

[jtl513]

Are people using World Cruise and Grand Voyage interchangeably?
World Cruise has always left after the first of the year. Has that changed? It always departs after New Years..........
Well I was, and OP was when she said "portion of a world cruise" in her first post. I checked, and stand corrected: it is a Grand Asia and Australia Segment that she was booked on. :D

[sail7seas]

That's my point, John.

OP is more than 120 days prior to sail date for World Cruise. Do they not know what cruise they are booked is Grand Voyage vs. World Cruise? If OP really means World Cruise, they are within cancellation /refund time frame.

Lots of confusion here re: what OP is talking about IMO

[catl331]

That's my point, John.

OP is more than 120 days prior to sail date for World Cruise. Do they not know what cruise they are booked is Grand Voyage vs. World Cruise? If OP really means World Cruise, they are within cancellation /refund time frame.

Lots of confusion here re: what OP is talking about IMO


She said specifically Oct 20, and everything adds up that she was on the Hong Kong to Sydney segment. She was incorrectly calling it a world cruise, as was John.

[kingeddie]

Well this has been an interesting thread to follow with so many experts and their opinion. So I think I may take chance to educate myself regarding insurances.
I have read so much about preexisting conditions and really don't know what is specifically applied. Let's say I am on medications to control high blood pressure for year and the blood pressure constantly at 130/80 (for a male) and I never have a stroke or anything near that in my life although I am mid seventy. Same scenario for cholesterol. Now would I be penalized from the insurance point of view. I am relatively healthy though.
Like some expert knowledge on as I might consider insurance for my upcoming Transatlantic cruise with Holland. Thank you.

Kingeddie

[jtl513]

In her first post she said
There is only ONE HAL ship leaving any port on Oct 20th this year: the Amsterdam from Hong Kong, as part of a World cruise.Before someone catches and calls me out on this: I should have said there is only one HAL ship starting a cruise on that day. :o

[Pokeynose]

Our TA always offers us travel ins. for preexsisting conditions since we both have health issues, flights home, cancellation, loss of luggage, etc. We have never had to use it but it's there if we need it and it's only $255. for both of us. We pay this as soon as we book. I would never travel without the ins.

Mrs. Peck, we were on the cruise in Jan/Feb with you and watched sadly as your father was taken off the ship. I'm glad he is better. That was scary to see. Enjoy your next cruise.

[Jade13]

She said specifically Oct 20, and everything adds up that she was on the Hong Kong to Sydney segment. She was incorrectly calling it a world cruise, as was John.

I am curious as to whether another longer cruise that was 25 nights would have the 90 day cancellation date vs. this Grand Voyage segment that is 25 nights and has a 120 day cancellation.

I recall once looking at a World Cruise (or Grand Voyage) segment that was only 13 nights from Ft Lauderdale. That would be confusing if a 13 night cruise that was part of a Grand Voyage had a 120 cancellation date.

Either way, the TA should be telling the OP about these dates. Our TA always asks if we want insurance and even deposit notification says "declined" if we are not purchasing it through the TA (which we have never done). On our last 4 cruises (non HAL) we had 3 insurance policies purchased independent of the TA and one through Celebrity. You need the insurance at the point that a large deposit becomes non-refundable.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Well this has been an interesting thread to follow with so many experts and their opinion. So I think I may take chance to educate myself regarding insurances.
I have read so much about preexisting conditions and really don't know what is specifically applied. Let's say I am on medications to control high blood pressure for year and the blood pressure constantly at 130/80 (for a male) and I never have a stroke or anything near that in my life although I am mid seventy. Same scenario for cholesterol. Now would I be penalized from the insurance point of view. I am relatively healthy though.
Like some expert knowledge on as I might consider insurance for my upcoming Transatlantic cruise with Holland. Thank you.

Kingeddie

That's a good question. I'm not sure if you would be counted as having a pre-existing condition in those circumstances.

My father has controlled (mild) high blood pressure and is slightly type 2 diabetic (controlled with diet, no meds). Those are risk factors for a heart attack. So, if he had a heart attack (spitting over my shoulder, etc here) would the insurance co say he had pre-existing conditions? I don't know and I hope I never find out. But I buy the insurance right away to make sure it covers family illness and pre-existing conditions.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I am curious as to whether another longer cruise that was 25 nights would have the 90 day cancellation date vs. this Grand Voyage segment that is 25 nights and has a 120 day cancellation.

I recall once looking at a World Cruise (or Grand Voyage) segment that was only 13 nights from Ft Lauderdale. That would be confusing if a 13 night cruise that was part of a Grand Voyage had a 120 cancellation date.

Either way, the TA should be telling the OP about these dates. Our TA always asks if we want insurance and even deposit notification says "declined" if we are not purchasing it through the TA (which we have never done). On our last 4 cruises (non HAL) we had 3 insurance policies purchased independent of the TA and one through Celebrity. You need the insurance at the point that a large deposit becomes non-refundable.

Our TA knows we always want insurance, so she's good abour reminding us. I noticed that they've changed their confirmation form recently. One of the changes is a place where they check off that you declined insurance. Kind of like all the boxes you initial if you decline the insurance on a rental car.

[Randyk47]

I'll admit freely that I wasn't aware of an earlier cancellation date for certain cruises and could potentially see how I might miss that. On the other hand, we do pay close attention to the documents and conditions for our cruises as we sometimes cruise other lines and while similar the contracts are not identical. Never have looked at one of the World Cruises or considered any of the segments so I have no experience with that. Typically we don't get insurance until we're close to or at the final payment date so I certainly can't be critical of that decision. As for the OP's situation....well, stuff happens and when I consider what we initially had wrapped up in our now canceled Med cruise I don't find the amounts for the cruise or air fare to be that extreme. Ours were close to that and we were only on a 15-day cruise on the Prinsendam.

[elmos mom]

Good Morning ,original poster here.Was feeling bad enough and felt alot worse after being called a troll and other things but here I am to clear things up.But first thank you to those that had a bit of sympathy I am not a troll or a trouble maker just a woman with a real post.These reactions are why I have never posted as the others booked on this cruise portion.I kept details vauge as this issue is not completly closed.I am still trying to get credit for anther booking.I am also really amazed at your detective skills(I think some of you should be hunting Bin Laden).So it is a grand voyage ,called world voyage by mistake so please do not shoot me.We were planing on putting on insurance after all hotel was finilized.Yes we were flying in early so made flight arrangments to and from several days before and after cruise and we deciding exactly what areas to visit ect ect.Again this was to be a trip of a lifetime.And yes it does hurt to loose $6,000 as it would anybody.Yes I do have a TA who was also surprised by the 120 cancellation policy and she is working hard to help.As my post said beware to others not all can recite all rules and regulations of HAL in there sleep like some of you.So thank you all for your insight good and ugly.If I happen to be cruising Holland again you will recognize me I will be wearing my HAL bathrobe with a cigarette wearing pearls of course!Now Bless Your Hearts

[Gator83]

Thank you for your replys,We were waiting to put together the week before and after travel plans in both ports before insurance was purchased .I also had not seen the 129 cancellation insurance when we booked I do not believe it was offered at time of booking ,Is this new?We never travel without insurance.So no I did not read each line of my documents my mistake .Believe me I am broken hearted to not be doing this dream voyage but even more so by the treatment we are receiving.This is not lack of planning extreme emergencys are not scheduled.Not being able to switch to a shorter cruise at a much higher cost than the 6000 dollars plus excursions, ,ship shopping ,beverages spa ,photos,coffee cards ect ect ect they would easily be getting additional revenue from us I am a push over.Obviously!!!So this is just a buyer beware .Qween Karen ,I also have enjoyed reading all your posts and reviews.I am so sad that I will not be cruisig with Holland America here we come Azamara


Sorry to hear about your situation but the only person you should be heartbroken about is yourself. You did not read all your documents, sounds like you did not seek out the info before hand, you did not purchase insurance. You can go to another cruiseline if you want but if you do the exact same thing then the result will be the same. No one to blame but yourself. Sorry to be harsh but I am tired of society not taking responsibilities for their own actions.

[sail7seas]

OP...... Thank you for returning to the thread and clearing up the confusion re: World Cruise/Grand Voyage.

I sincerely hope it works out for you and you get to take your 'trip of a lifetime' when the timing is better for you.

Sending you all Best Wishes.

[digitl]

My father has controlled (mild) high blood pressure and is slightly type 2 diabetic (controlled with diet, no meds). Those are risk factors for a heart attack. So, if he had a heart attack (spitting over my shoulder, etc here) would the insurance co say he had pre-existing conditions?
I have asked a similar question of insurance companies in the UK and cannot get an answer. They don't want to commit themselves.

The only option then is to buy insurance as soon as the booking is made.

[vbmom87]

Well this has been an interesting thread to follow with so many experts and their opinion. So I think I may take chance to educate myself regarding insurances.
I have read so much about preexisting conditions and really don't know what is specifically applied. Let's say I am on medications to control high blood pressure for year and the blood pressure constantly at 130/80 (for a male) and I never have a stroke or anything near that in my life although I am mid seventy. Same scenario for cholesterol. Now would I be penalized from the insurance point of view. I am relatively healthy though.
Like some expert knowledge on as I might consider insurance for my upcoming Transatlantic cruise with Holland. Thank you.

Kingeddie

Best to contact the company direct or to ask a place like The Trip Insurance Store. Try to get the information they tell you in writing. Don't accept the verbal word.

http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/

I always purchase my travel insurance within the time limit to be covered for pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing does not mean just for you, the traveller. It also means for your immediate family and travel companions. So if a parent, child, sibling, travel companion etc. has a pre-exisiting condition and something happens to them that would cause you to want to cancel your trip, if you didn't have a plan that covered pre-existing conditions coverage, you would not get any compensation if you cancelled.

As far as your condition, you really need to make direct contact with an insurance company and ask. (Making sure to get response in writing) Myself, I don't want to risk a misunderstanding and so if the trip costs more than I feel I want to lose if something happens to me or a loved one I just purchase it at time of booking my first deposit.

The first deposit is key. If you book car rental, air, cruise, tour excursion etc first, that is the date they will use to determine if you purchased your insurance in time to qualify for the pre-existing coverage insurance.

Also, don't assume you can buy pre-existing conditions for someone in the last stages of a serious medical condition and expect it to be covered if they have to cancel. Again, call the insurance before you book the trip and explain all details. From my research, if you are doing poorly at the time you book your trip and purchase the insurance, and the doctor says you will be okay to travel sometime in the future, you might not actually get an insurance reimbursement if you cancel your trip. At least some insurance companies require that you be able to travel at the time you are booking your trip. So, I can't emphasize enough to stay informed. Everytime I buy insurance I go back to the trip insurance store and ask the same questions. I do this because I know things can change. I tell them what kind of coverage I need, they ask my questions and then recommend a plan for me. All I have learned is that insurance is a tricky business and just like the OP needed to be more responsible for her trip, so we all need to be responsible for ours.

ALthough most people will not do it, it is a good idea to read the insurance policies line by line. Then highlight whatever you don't understand and then call either the insurance company or a place like the trip insurance store. YOu can find these policies online before purchasing. Yes it takes time, but could save grief. I have been reading these boards for three years now and I am always saddened when I read about someone who thought they had insurance coverage for a trip, only to find out it didn't cover them in their situation.

[vbmom87]

Good Morning ,original poster here.Was feeling bad enough and felt alot worse after being called a troll and other things but here I am to clear things up.But first thank you to those that had a bit of sympathy I am not a troll or a trouble maker just a woman with a real post.These reactions are why I have never posted as the others booked on this cruise portion.I kept details vauge as this issue is not completly closed.I am still trying to get credit for anther booking.I am also really amazed at your detective skills(I think some of you should be hunting Bin Laden).So it is a grand voyage ,called world voyage by mistake so please do not shoot me.We were planing on putting on insurance after all hotel was finilized.Yes we were flying in early so made flight arrangments to and from several days before and after cruise and we deciding exactly what areas to visit ect ect.Again this was to be a trip of a lifetime.And yes it does hurt to loose $6,000 as it would anybody.Yes I do have a TA who was also surprised by the 120 cancellation policy and she is working hard to help.As my post said beware to others not all can recite all rules and regulations of HAL in there sleep like some of you.So thank you all for your insight good and ugly.If I happen to be cruising Holland again you will recognize me I will be wearing my HAL bathrobe with a cigarette wearing pearls of course!Now Bless Your Hearts

Thanks for coming back and updating.

Although we all feel bad for your loss, I hope you do realize why we feel that HAL is not at fault. They simply can't keep refunding money past the deadline for people who chose not to buy insurance. Otherwise why would anyone buy insurance?

Although you are ultimately the one to blame since you did not take the time to read your travel documents, I think your biggest beef should be with your travel agent. You should not be upset at all with HAL. A good TA will remind their clients of all important dates for cancellation fees and final payment. IF your TA is able to work out something with HAL because of her oversight, then great. Otherwise just chock this up to a learning experience.

[middle-aged mom]

..........Thanks for coming back and updating.

........ I think your biggest beef should be with your travel agent. You should not be upset at all with HAL. A good TA will remind their clients of all important dates for cancellation fees and final payment. IF your TA is able to work out something with HAL because of her oversight, then great. Otherwise just chock this up to a learning experience.

Yes, I have read this entire thread and all its permutations. The above quote is the bottom line. I also booked a Grand Voyage (2009 Grand Australia, NZ and South Pacific) and had to cancel prior to the penalty phase. My TA kept me apprised of all requirements every step of the way, so that I would not end up in a situation like that of the unfortunate Elmo's mom. The Grand and World Voyages are NOT handled the same way as the other itineraries. An experienced TA would know this. I'm truly sorry for Elmo's Mom.

[RuthC]

If I happen to be cruising Holland again you will recognize me I will be wearing my HAL bathrobe with a cigarette wearing pearls of course!Now Bless Your Hearts
Still misdirecting that anger, elmos mom.

[Randyk47]

I'd imagine the TA in question is probably saying HAL is being uncooperative or stubborn or something else that in essence makes HAL out to be the hard nose in this situation. That's easier for the TA than to stand up and say "I messed up and didn't inform you of the conditions, time lines, etc., etc., of this booking". Wonder if the TA is going to keep their portion of the forfeited $6,000 since there would be some commission out of that?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Wonder if the TA is going to keep their portion of the forfeited $6,000 since there would be some commission out of that?

No commission is paid by HAL till after Final has been paid in full, and then it is not immediate so there would not have been any commission. If cruise is canceled after Final HAL recalls ALL of the commission. There is no commission paid on penalties.

[sail7seas]

How often in today's society do we hear someone own their mistake and take it as theirs?
I can't remember the last time I heard someone (particularly in the service industry) say, "I am sorry. It was my mistake. It should have not have happened and I will try to see it never happens again. Now....what can we do to make this as 'right' as possible?"..........

In my dreams......... sigh
We are a society of pass the buck and blame anyone and everyone but ourselves. We will only become more and more mediocre if it continues this way. IMO

[Randyk47]

No commission is paid by HAL till after Final has been paid in full, and then it is not immediate so there would not have been any commission. If cruise is canceled after Final HAL recalls ALL of the commission. There is no commission paid on penalties.

Thanks....glad to hear that. Of course, that still doesn't help that the TA potentially dropped the ball on this one.

[CowPrincess]

If the OP can prove that the TA was in error, would the TA's insurance cover some of the OP's loss?

[Calif.Girl]

You can get insurance for any condition as long as you are upfront with the insurnace company from the beginning. I just got back from a cruise and wasn't worried about myself, just my mother since she has several health issues. She wasn't even going on the trip, but if she had problems I wouldn't be able to go. The only thing the insurance agent said was that as long as her condition got worse after I bought the policy, than it was before, then the trip would be covered. The policy wasn't even expensive, and thank goodness her condition remained the same.

[serendipity1499]

Thanks for coming back and updating.

Although we all feel bad for your loss, I hope you do realize why we feel that HAL is not at fault. They simply can't keep refunding money past the deadline for people who chose not to buy insurance. Otherwise why would anyone buy insurance?

Although you are ultimately the one to blame since you did not take the time to read your travel documents, I think your biggest beef should be with your travel agent. You should not be upset at all with HAL. A good TA will remind their clients of all important dates for cancellation fees and final payment. IF your TA is able to work out something with HAL because of her oversight, then great. Otherwise just chock this up to a learning experience.[/quote]

I completely agree with this..

Just rememberd when reading Cow Princess's post..Travel Agent should own up to the fact that she/he made the error & make it right..I think all Travel Agents have something called "Error & Omission Insurance" & think the Psgr should have the TA contact their Insurance company for the refund if they can't get HAL to give them some credit toward another cruise.....

[quote=sail7seas;25331028]How often in today's society do we hear someone own their mistake and take it as theirs?
I can't remember the last time I heard someone (particularly in the service industry) say, "I am sorry. It was my mistake. It should have not have happened and I will try to see it never happens again. Now....what can we do to make this as 'right' as possible?"..........

In my dreams......... sigh
We are a society of pass the buck and blame anyone and everyone but ourselves. We will only become more and more mediocre if it continues this way. IMO


Actually Black & Decker did it with me!..And they did it twice!

It's a very long story but I'll try to be brief..Needed 5 sets of "dummie" locks to match regular locks for new French doors..Called three times & Kwick Set kept sending us non-matching locks which actually were 3/4 of an inch shorter..We finally put them on but wanted the parent company "Black & Decker" to know that there was something wrong in the manufacturing process..Sent a non=threatening letter to the Vice Pres of Hardware & enclosed pictures of the locks..About a month later I heard back from the "Dir of Customer Service" who apologized & said they were sending me the correct parts for all our doors..Received them in one week & then they offered to give us a brand new kitchen faucet from another one of their companies "Price Pfister" just becaause!...We were thrilled..Two weeks ago one of the parts to our Kitchen faucet started to leak & I called Price Pfister & asked the price of the part.. They said it was under warranty..When, I explained that it was a gift from their company, they said it makes no difference they would send the part & all I had to do was pay $4.95 for S & H..Again they apologized!.. As far as I'm concerned Black & Decker, Price Pfister, & Kwick Set Locks will always be on our purchase list.:)

If the OP can prove that the TA was in error, would the TA's insurance cover some of the OP's loss?

Great suggestion..Most TA's should carry "Error & Omission Insurance" & maybe the OP can get satisfaction there..

Betty

[sail7seas]

If the OP can prove that the TA was in error, would the TA's insurance cover some of the OP's loss?



IF the TA really is at error in this (or any case) wouldn't it be nice if they admitted to it and saved their customers the grief??? Wouldn't it be nice in any business if they admitted error? '

I'm probably best off asking the tooth fairy........... :)

[3rdGenCunarder]

How often in today's society do we hear someone own their mistake and take it as theirs?
I can't remember the last time I heard someone (particularly in the service industry) say, "I am sorry. It was my mistake. It should have not have happened and I will try to see it never happens again. Now....what can we do to make this as 'right' as possible?"..........

In my dreams......... sigh
We are a society of pass the buck and blame anyone and everyone but ourselves. We will only become more and more mediocre if it continues this way. IMO




Yeah, I have that dream, too. Unfortunately, too many people who work in the service industry lose sight of what SERVICE means. "I'm sorry" (said like they mean it) goes a long way.

[Jade13]

Good Morning ,original poster here.

I kept details vauge as this issue is not completly closed.I am still trying to get credit for anther booking.

.Again this was to be a trip of a lifetime.And yes it does hurt to loose $6,000 as it would anybody.Yes I do have a TA who was also surprised by the 120 cancellation policy and she is working hard to help.


elmos mom, thank you so much for coming back to the boards to post. That is amazing that your TA apparently did not know the deadline was 120 days and admitted this. Please let us know if the paperwork from your TA states this penalty date at 120 days because it sounds like it does not. Most people do not have a pdf from HAL unless they 1) originally booked with HAL prior to turning the booking over to their TA, or 2) have made final payment and like us have requested a Guest Confirmation from HAL.

If your TA admitted to not knowing the 120 cancellation date for a full refund I would assume it is not on any deposit paperwork they have given to you. I actually agree with those who put some of the blame on the TA. This is what they are getting paid/commission to do - keep you informed of different deadline dates. I wonder if the $6K could be reclaimed through their insurance?

The other question I want answered is whether a 25 night cruise that is not a Grand Voyage segment also has this same 120 day penalty date? It would make your TA's argument better. And finally, because I have seen this same issue a year or 2 ago here, I think HAL should seriously consider changing the final payment date to match the cancellation date.

[Jade13]

[quote=vbmom87;25329147]
..Received them in one week & then they offered to give us a brand new kitchen faucet from another one of their companies "Price Pfister" just becaause!...We were thrilled..Two weeks ago one of the parts to our Kitchen faucet started to leak & I called Price Pfister & asked the price of the part.. They said it was under warranty..When, I explained that it was a gift from their company, they said it makes no difference they would send the part & all I had to do was pay $4.95 for S & H..Again they apologized!.. As far as I'm concerned Black & Decker, Price Pfister, & Kwick Set Locks will always be on our purchase list.:)

Betty

Kohler also replaces parts for leaking faucets with no questions or proof needed. They don't even charge for shipping. Come to think of it so does Franke.

[CowPrincess]

Yeah, I have that dream, too. Unfortunately, too many people who work in the service industry lose sight of what SERVICE means. "I'm sorry" (said like they mean it) goes a long way.

It is not just people in the service industry who have no sense of personal responsibility or accountability. Accountants who give incorrect advice, lawyers who don't do what they are supposed to, teachers who don't teach -- and it is always "the other guy's" fault. My last encounter with a lawyer, I had to triple-check everything, and found error after error. Not once did he say "oh I'm sorry I got that wrong". It was always "that's not what my notes say" (who took the notes????????) and "my secretary messed up" and "you changed your mind?" :rolleyes:

[room010]

If insurance companies refused to cover people with high blood pressure or high cholesterol the cruise ships would be half empty. :p

If the OP has a reasonably good relationship with her TA they might be able to find a compromise but only if both are willing to accept their share of the "blame" on this oversight/misunderstanding. If it's a small, independent TA there's an outside chance. If it's a big company forget it :(

Thanks for the clarification OP. Unfortunately when "angry" posts are circumspect with details it's easy to jump to the wrong conclusions.

[Boatdrill]

No one knows WHAT leg of the World Cruise the OP purchased as she has not come back to answer those questions.

After the scolding she received, I don't blame her for not coming back.

There are many, MANY passengers who do not read their documents.

[Cruisinetta]

I was booked on the Maasdam for a 14 day cruise last year. Unfortunately, I had to have emergency surgery just 1 day before the cruise. I did not have the insurance because I always tell them, I will make the cruise even if I have a toe tag on LOL. Well, no toe tag but surgery did stop me from going. I sent them a letter from the hospital stating the emergency but still did not get my money back. BUT....they did upgrade me to a suite for my next two cruises. I felt better about it. I still love HAL and only stray from them twice a year on Celebrity. I have had problems with Celebrity too, so it's not just HAL. All cruiselines are very hesitant to give money back that they already have. Call a manager and plead your case. Sometimes it works. Good luck.

[Kween Karen]

If cruise lines were going to give money back for cancellations....why would anyone buy insurance???

[English_in_Spain]

If cruise lines were going to give money back for cancellations....why would anyone buy insurance???

I agree.

And it would be very unfair for those of us that pay out a lot of money for that insurance :(

[jtl513]

I agree.

And it would be very unfair for those of us that pay out a lot of money for that insurance :(elmos mom thought she was still in the cancel-without-penalty period, and planned to get insurance later. It's a bit ridiculous to pay $2,378 (1189 x2) to protect a $6,000 deposit that is fully refundable (she believed).

[geoherb]

Good Morning ,original poster here.Was feeling bad enough and felt alot worse after being called a troll and other things but here I am to clear things up.But first thank you to those that had a bit of sympathy...I have a bit of sympathy for the OP. Her situation shows the value of having a great TA--one who knows the intricacies of the various deadlines on all the different cruiselines. It's possible she booked through a local TA who isn't used to booking Grand Voyage segments and doesn't know the rules. Or perhaps she found a lowball TA on the Internet and did not really get much service.

The TA I have been using for the past several years is one I found through the Internet. He is very explicit about insurance. In the instances we decide to purchase insurance on our own, he requires me to email him that I am declining to purchase insurance with him and will be purchasing it on our own. (Or if I were foolish enough not to buy it at all, to let him know that.)

Our next cruise is one week away. We have Princess's platinum insurance for this one--the type where we can cancel for any reason and receive 100% credit toward future cruises (as someone else mentioned a few pages back). I purchased separate insurance to refund out flight costs if we have to cancel them.

On the other hand, anyone who has $17,000 to spend for airline tickets doesn't get full sympathy from me. That's more than our total expenses for our last five cruises.

[jtl513]

That's more than our total expenses for our last five cruises.Isn't it nice to not have to fly to the port sometimes? She said this was to be the "trip of a lifetime", and maybe there's a reason that they can't fly crammed into coach.

[Randyk47]

elmos mom thought she was still in the cancel-without-penalty period, and planned to get insurance later. It's a bit ridiculous to pay $2,378 (1189 x2) to protect a $6,000 deposit that is fully refundable (she believed).

Exactly! My last booked cruise is also an example. Our deposit was $850 for a 15-day Med cruise. We'd booked an SS on the Prinsendam for something like $12,000. As I recall the insurance at the time of booking was around $1,200. We didn't purchase insurance at booking, why would we for that amount against a deposit that was less? We had intended to purchase insurance at the final payment but bailed on the cruise way before then and got our full deposit back. Other than the mental pain of having to cancel a dream cruise it cost us virtually nothing other than the minuscule interest we lost on th $850 over a seven month period. The major failure in the OP's situation seems to have been not recognizing that their particular cruise had a 120-day cancellation date rather than standard 90-day date. Admittedly the difference in the cancellation date and the final payment date apparently caused some of the confusion and I kind of blame the TA for missing that.

[jtl513]

... why would we for that amount against a deposit that was less?If my house insurance premium was 40% of its appraised value I would have long ago taken the chance of not having a total loss for 2 or 3 three years and just put the premium in the bank. After 3 years I'd be completely "self insured", and never paying another premium! :)

[serendipity1499]

If my house insurance premium was 40% of its appraised value I would have long ago taken the chance of not having a total loss for 2 or 3 three years and just put the premium in the bank. After 3 years I'd be completely "self insured", and never paying another premium! :)

We agree....Not only do we have normal Homeowners Insurance, but we also have a Fla Citizens "Wind Policy", because they claim we are in the wind zone, & a Federal Govt "Flood Policy" because we are in the "Flood Zone" ...Just on those three policies alone we pay over $3700 a year & in 22 years never had to put in a claim except for a water line to our refrig which broke & flooded a portion of our Living room carpet..On top of those yearly premiums, we have a large deductable in case of Hurricane/Tropical storm damage.. Not sure we would be self insured after three years though..

That's one reason we've put our house up for sale...Those premiums are taking away from our Cruising fund...LOL:eek:

Cheers...Betty

[jtl513]

... the only thing I can come up with, is that the OP has a bad Travel Agent ...There you go again being judgemental, Betty! (just kidding :D ). I'd say the TA was a careless and assumed that s/he was familiar with the time-line requirements of HAL cruises, but had not dealt with the difference with GVs.

Not sure we would be self insured after three years though..You would be if your total of all premiums was 39.6% (2378/6000) of the house value. In fact you'd be self-insured in just over 2 years, since the 3rd year's premium is due at the beginning of the 3rd year.

We have survived 30 years of FL hurricanes with no more than $200 in damages. Last year we came with an inch (vertically) of being flooded by that storm (I forget the name) that dumped 26 inches of rain on us in 36 hours.

[Randyk47]

Unfortunately my mortgage company probably would take a dim view of me self-insuring the house. Of course I'd love to be able to say I had enough money in the bank or wherever to cover the replacement cost of the house and its contents....that isn't happening anytime soon unless we win the lotto. :D But, going back to the basic subject, I also have to admit we haven't bought insurance on each and every cruise in the past. As we get older and chances of health issues increase we may have to change that. Certainly with the Med cruise we were going to insure. The cost of air fare, cruise fare, pre and post cruise hotels, transfers, tours, and so on, most of which required deposits or full payment in advance, was significant in total and well, well worth insuring.

[maxout]

elmos mom thought she was still in the cancel-without-penalty period, and planned to get insurance later. It's a bit ridiculous to pay $2,378 (1189 x2) to protect a $6,000 deposit that is fully refundable (she believed).

You keep posting this response but fact is it did not pan out that way, another $3622 was left on the table. So the unexpected along with the OP being uninformed caused this loss. If she'd have Pony'd up at the outset there'd being nothing for us to be talking about.

[CowPrincess]

I also have to admit we haven't bought insurance on each and every cruise in the past. As we get older and chances of health issues increase we may have to change that. Certainly with the Med cruise we were going to insure. The cost of air fare, cruise fare, pre and post cruise hotels, transfers, tours, and so on, most of which required deposits or full payment in advance, was significant in total and well, well worth insuring.


We (so far) have been cruising in North America, and haven't felt the need to purchase insurance. We recognize there's a risk, but we also recognize that (so far) we are on the "good" side of the equation. If we had to cover a total loss on one cruise vacation, we'd be about even with the savings on not purchasing insurance. Like you, for a costly more-exotic vacation we would certainly do an in-depth analysis before deciding for or against insurance.

[Jemima]

We have twice moved our travel insurance to a different cruise with no problem. This was independently purchased insurance bought within a few days of booking. We did this once in 2002 and again a couple months ago. Our new confirmation states it covers pre-exsisting conditions. We did lose a small amount each time because they don't refund if the new trip is less. You do have to pay additional if the new trip is more.
We've also adjusted dates on a couple of other cruises when we've decided on an extra pre or post day.

[wander]

Two years ago we cancelled an insured cruise and were allowed to use the insurance coverage on another cruise within either 12 or 18 months, forget which. We did move it to another, less expensive cruise and actually got the difference back in check form.

Many of us don't wait to purchase insurance because of possible "pre-existing" conditions. If you have anything that even remotely be considered "pre-existing" don't gamble. It is amazing what insurance companies can tie together as pre-existing if they want to.

[dot73]

This is a long thread so I may have forgotten, but when the OP received her initial receipt from the TA when she booked her cruise, didn't her receipt state when the final payment is due? I have looked at the past receipts that my TA has sent me after I put a downpayment on a cruise and they all clearly state when the final payment is due. If the OP's initial receipt stated the wrong date for final payment, she may have a case against the TA. I have a fabulous TA that I use and she always e-mails me and gives me a follow up phonecall a week before the final payment is due and that is when I purchase my cancellation insurance. One time she was away when my final payment was due and she made sure one of her associates called me to remind me.

[CowPrincess]

This is a long thread so I may have forgotten, but when the OP received her initial receipt from the TA when she booked her cruise, didn't her receipt state when the final payment is due? I have looked at the past receipts that my TA has sent me after I put a downpayment on a cruise and they all clearly state when the final payment is due. If the OP's initial receipt stated the wrong date for final payment, she may have a case against the TA. I have a fabulous TA that I use and she always e-mails me and gives me a follow up phonecall a week before the final payment is due and that is when I purchase my cancellation insurance. One time she was away when my final payment was due and she made sure one of her associates called me to remind me.

In this case, because it was a "grand voyage" or something, the penalty phase for cancellation was about 30 days in advance of the final payment due date.

[jtl513]

You keep posting this response but fact is it did not pan out that way, another $3622 was left on the table. So the unexpected along with the OP being uninformed caused this loss. If she'd have Pony'd up at the outset there'd being nothing for us to be talking about.Yes, and if she had canceled 30 days earlier she'd have wasted $2,378 that she might have been unhappy to lose ... and posted about.

[Randyk47]

We (so far) have been cruising in North America, and haven't felt the need to purchase insurance. We recognize there's a risk, but we also recognize that (so far) we are on the "good" side of the equation. If we had to cover a total loss on one cruise vacation, we'd be about even with the savings on not purchasing insurance. Like you, for a costly more-exotic vacation we would certainly do an in-depth analysis before deciding for or against insurance.

Sounds like we've been in the same situation. Since we moved to San Antonio we've not insured most of our Caribbean cruises out of Florida. Pretty easy to get to from here and weather is very, very rarely an issue. When we lived up north we did insure a couple of cruises, especially those in the middle of the winter, as there were occasions we couldn't get out of our house and the airports were closed for sometimes up to a couple of days.

[vbmom87]

We (so far) have been cruising in North America, and haven't felt the need to purchase insurance. We recognize there's a risk, but we also recognize that (so far) we are on the "good" side of the equation. If we had to cover a total loss on one cruise vacation, we'd be about even with the savings on not purchasing insurance. Like you, for a costly more-exotic vacation we would certainly do an in-depth analysis before deciding for or against insurance.

A big reason I purchase travel insurance is more for medical evacuation and transport home if necessary. I just learned I can buy insurance for far less if I only want this medical coverage. I may look into it next time. Even if we were in North America and involved in a bad car accident, I would want to get back home as quick as feasible and safe. Sometimes you need special transport or first class accomodations. As we saw from OP first class can be costly. I could eat the cost of hotels ,tours, air, etc. But to eat the cost of medical evacuation or transport home via special medical transport, I could not handle. It could cost tens of thousands of dollars. So, we buy the insurance and as mentioned above by another poster, we purchase pre-existing conditions. As I stated before, the pre-existing conditons covers your immediate family also. Do you have a child, sibling, parent, grandparent with a pre-existing condition? If something happened to them, would you cancel your trip? If so, if you didn't purchase pre-existing conditions, you would not get reimbursement for your losses.

[AirGorilla]

Yesterday, on day 91, OP cancels with HAL or has TA do so. OP states that they paid $17,000 for flights booked on their own and that money has been refunded. How was that refunded so quickly? Airlines don't do this unless higher priced refundable tickets are purchased.
Is it possible that OP knew they might cancel the cruise, but decided to wait until (what they thought was) the last possible day to do so?

First Class and Business Class tickets are usually (not always, but usually) fully refundable and fully cancellable.

AG

[peaches from georgia]

First Class and Business Class tickets are usually (not always, but usually) fully refundable and fully cancellable.

AG
And they give you confirmation of refund at the time you cancel. Been there, done that.

[dot73]

I'm not saying that the OP is not partially responsible for what happened, but since this was an unusual situation where the the date for cancellation was 30 days ahead of the final payment, the TA should have brought this to her client's attention. Of course, the TA may not have known this if he/she doesn't sell many of these types of cruises. If the TA didn't bring this to the OP's attention, I would say that the fault of this missed deadline would be 50-50 between the TA and the OP. Just my opinion. I guess this is a good warning for everyone who buy these types of voyages to read the fine print carefully. I've always left it to my TA to tell me everything important, but will now be more careful.

[Jade13]

We (so far) have been cruising in North America, and haven't felt the need to purchase insurance. We recognize there's a risk, but we also recognize that (so far) we are on the "good" side of the equation. If we had to cover a total loss on one cruise vacation, we'd be about even with the savings on not purchasing insurance. Like you, for a costly more-exotic vacation we would certainly do an in-depth analysis before deciding for or against insurance.

Can we assume that you have medical insurance that covers you out of the country/out of network so are just risking the cost of your vacation?

[CowPrincess]

A big reason I purchase travel insurance is more for medical evacuation and transport home if necessary. I just learned I can buy insurance for far less if I only want this medical coverage. I may look into it next time. Even if we were in North America and involved in a bad car accident, I would want to get back home as quick as feasible and safe. Sometimes you need special transport or first class accomodations. As we saw from OP first class can be costly. I could eat the cost of hotels ,tours, air, etc. But to eat the cost of medical evacuation or transport home via special medical transport, I could not handle. It could cost tens of thousands of dollars. So, we buy the insurance and as mentioned above by another poster, we purchase pre-existing conditions. As I stated before, the pre-existing conditons covers your immediate family also. Do you have a child, sibling, parent, grandparent with a pre-existing condition? If something happened to them, would you cancel your trip? If so, if you didn't purchase pre-existing conditions, you would not get reimbursement for your losses.

We have other out-of-country medical insurance, including repatriation, unrelated to trip cancellation insurance. We are well aware that should something happen to us or family members, we'd be eating the cost of the cruise. If you read my post, you will see that we've evaluated this for our current circumstances and travels. As I mentioned, should we be travelling outside of North America or on an expensive cruise, we would definitely be considering cancellation/interruption insurance.

Sounds like we've been in the same situation. Since we moved to San Antonio we've not insured most of our Caribbean cruises out of Florida. Pretty easy to get to from here and weather is very, very rarely an issue. When we lived up north we did insure a couple of cruises, especially those in the middle of the winter, as there were occasions we couldn't get out of our house and the airports were closed for sometimes up to a couple of days.

Weather is still a BIG issue for us, living waaaaaaaay out in the country in Canada. We leave a few days early, spend one night at a hotel in the city where we catch the plane, and on our last trip spent 2 nights pre-cruise at the embarkation city. The flights we take are usually the first ones out in the morning, so we have some wiggle room if they are delayed or cancelled. I'm pretty careful about which cities we make connections in (not Denver!). I usually have alternate routing printouts with me, just in case. AND 4 or 5 credit cards..... I'm getting a vacation even if we miss the cruise! :D

[CowPrincess]

Can we assume that you have medical insurance that covers you out of the country/out of network so are just risking the cost of your vacation?

Yes.

[serendipity1499]

There you go again being judgemental, Betty! (just kidding :D ). I'd say the TA was a careless and assumed that s/he was familiar with the time-line requirements of HAL cruises, but had not dealt with the difference with GVs.

You would be if your total of all premiums was 39.6% (2378/6000) of the house value. In fact you'd be self-insured in just over 2 years, since the 3rd year's premium is due at the beginning of the 3rd year.

We have survived 30 years of FL hurricanes with no more than $200 in damages. Last year we came with an inch (vertically) of being flooded by that storm (I forget the name) that dumped 26 inches of rain on us in 36 hours.


Judgmental Hmmm..Guess I'm going to have to come up with another word...:DLOL...

John is the $2378 HAL's insurance for the entire cruise which she said was about $20,000 or is it only for the $6,000 deposit? She actually did not need it for her flights, but may have needed it for Hotels & tours if they rerquired a deposit or first nights payment..

If it's for the entire cruise then it would be about 12% or am I figuring it wrong..Math is not my strong point...:confused: ;)

However, do understand where you are coming from, as waiting until final payment would normally have been the best thing if HAL did not have that confounded 120 day cancellation penality...:confused:

We have twice moved our travel insurance to a different cruise with no problem. This was independently purchased insurance bought within a few days of booking. We did this once in 2002 and again a couple months ago. Our new confirmation states it covers pre-exsisting conditions. We did lose a small amount each time because they don't refund if the new trip is less. You do have to pay additional if the new trip is more.
We've also adjusted dates on a couple of other cruises when we've decided on an extra pre or post day.

Jemima, do you always take HAL's insurance or an independant Insurance company..? We always take Travelex lite & can get it thru our Agent as he does not have to put our ages in..For our Bermuda cruise, including our flights & a oneway HAL transfer the Insurance cost us approx 12% of our total fare..However to get pre-existing cond. covered, we had to purchase our insurance within 3 days of FINAL Payment..It does not include cancel for any reason though..

This is a long thread so I may have forgotten, but when the OP received her initial receipt from the TA when she booked her cruise, didn't her receipt state when the final payment is due? I have looked at the past receipts that my TA has sent me after I put a downpayment on a cruise and they all clearly state when the final payment is due. If the OP's initial receipt stated the wrong date for final payment, she may have a case against the TA. I have a fabulous TA that I use and she always e-mails me and gives me a follow up phonecall a week before the final payment is due and that is when I purchase my cancellation insurance. One time she was away when my final payment was due and she made sure one of her associates called me to remind me.

As others on this thread have mentioned, final payment was 90 days, for this cruise..She actually tried to cancel 91 days which for most cruises is OK & everything except Insurance would be refunded...However, the cancellation penalty for this type of cruise kicks in at 120 days...It's really a conundrum & very disappointing for the OP...I still believe her only recourse would be her TA's "Error & Omission Insurance" if they have it..

Cheers....:)Betty

[maxout]

Yes, and if she had canceled 30 days earlier she'd have wasted $2,378 that she might have been unhappy to lose ... and posted about.

And a meteor might have hit the ship or she might have passed away in the mean time, if my aunt would have had $alls she'd have been my uncle!

If you can afford to pay more for flights than your cruise you can afford to pony up the bucks for the insurance from the gate. :D

[doctork]

I feel for the OP who had basically missed the difference between the 90 and 120 day deadlines. It does seem that could be easy to miss, especially if the "deposit refund" and "final payment" dates are different. It's a warning to all to be extra careful about reading every line of our documents. It does seem that the TA also bears some blame if she admitted she did not know about the 120 day cancellation deadline. Here's hoping the E&O insurance helps the OP cover her loss. I can understand not paying $2,200 to insure $6,000 if you think that the chance of changing your mind is less than about 1 in 3. OP thus "self-insured" against the possible $3,800 loss.

Note that the $17,000 might not even be First Class, as one can also sometimes purchase full fare coach tickets that are fully refundable and changeable, though they are much more expensive that the non-refundable discounted coach fares - enough so that one may sometimes just go ahead and purchase Business or First Class. One might purchase them not being certain of dates, knowing that they could be changed without penalty. Personally, I do not worry as much about insuring airfare since we often travel by air for reasons other than cruising, and even after paying the cancellation fee, the remaining ticket value can usually be transferred to another ticket for future travel.

I have in the past fully insured an expensive Norwegian Fjords cruise within 14 days of deposit, and am planning to purchase insurance at the time of final payment on our upcoming South America & Antarctica cruise. Our travel agent has said that she can acquire additional coverage on our behalf at that time which includes pre-existing conditions. So far, we purchased insurance to cover the deposit and estimated airfare, and the TA has said we can add to the amount of coverage at the time of final payment. I hope all that is true, especially after reading all of the above!

I guess I shall go dig out all our documents and re-read them to be sure!

[maxout]

<snip> I can understand not paying $2,200 to insure $6,000 if you think that the chance of changing your mind is less than about 1 in 3. OP thus "self-insured" against the possible $3,800 loss.



Yes if that's what you did then own up and take your lumps! Don't blame HAL for following policy cause you made a bad wager.

[doctork]

Yes if that's what you did then own up and take your lumps! Don't blame HAL for following policy cause you made a bad wager.

If it were me, that's what I would do. Note, I was not the one complaining or blaming HAL, I was simply commenting on the apparent math used, which would be logical if you could afford the $3,800/$6,000 loss.

OP thought that the deposit would be refunded because the cancellation was 91 days out, so it wasn't so much a bad wager, as not knowing the 120 day cancellation requirement.

[Jemima]

The HAL Guest Confirmation is usually just one page. It lists both the final payment date and the dates where cancellation penalties kick in. It is possible OP didn't receive a booking confirmation and even that OP wasn't aware they should receive it. We didn't receive one for our first few cruises and didn't know we should. I was stunned the first time we received the confirmation. That's why I often bring up the importance of receiving it. (Fortunately we had no problems with those cruises. and our TA kept us posted on important dates. We now book with a HAL PCC.)

[vbmom87]

We have other out-of-country medical insurance, including repatriation, unrelated to trip cancellation insurance. We are well aware that should something happen to us or family members, we'd be eating the cost of the cruise. If you read my post, you will see that we've evaluated this for our current circumstances and travels. As I mentioned, should we be travelling outside of North America or on an expensive cruise, we would definitely be considering cancellation/interruption insurance.
:D

I understood your point, however, not all private insurances will pay for medical transport even within North America. Perhaps some do, but not all. I was just pointing out that even if you traveled within North America if you were in a bad car accident or had some serious emergency surgery and it would not be feasible to be transported back home on a commercial airline you might have to eat the cost of medical transport home, which could still be very expensive. Key is to know what your private insurance covers so there are no surprises in castrophic situations.

[Jade13]

We always take Travelex lite & can get it thru our Agent as he does not have to put our ages in..For our Bermuda cruise, including our flights & a oneway HAL transfer the Insurance cost us approx 12% of our total fare..However to get pre-existing cond. covered, we had to purchase our insurance within 3 days of FINAL Payment..

As others on this thread have mentioned, final payment was 90 days, for this cruise..She actually tried to cancel 91 days which for most cruises is OK & everything except Insurance would be refunded...However, the cancellation penalty for this type of cruise kicks in at 120 days...It's really a conundrum & very disappointing for the OP...I still believe her only recourse would be her TA's "Error & Omission Insurance" if they have it..

Cheers....:)Betty




Ok, interested in which Travelex lite policy can be paid at final And covers preexisting conditions? That is news to me. The last time I looked (earlier this year) the only ones that could be purchased at final which waived pre-existing conditions where a CSA Freestyle and an HTH policy. HTH is no longer available in many states.

12% is very high. We have paid, I believe, about 4.5% for CSA but it depends on ones ages. The % goes down for more (expensive) coverage. A $500.00 cruise would not be covered the same as a $15K percentage wise.

[Sillyjilly]

.If I happen to be cruising Holland again you will recognize me I will be wearing my HAL bathrobe with a cigarette wearing pearls of course!Now Bless Your Hearts

hahahahahahahahahahah!
Thanks for the laugh. I'll be right with you in my bathrobe.:D:D:D
Shall we eat in the Dining Room?

[jtl513]

John is the $2378 HAL's insurance for the entire cruise which she said was about $20,000 or is it only for the $6,000 deposit? She actually did not need it for her flights, but may have needed it for Hotels & tours if they rerquired a deposit or first nights payment..

If it's for the entire cruise then it would be about 12% or am I figuring it wrong..Math is not my strong point...:confused: ;)



The $2,378 is the Platinum Cancellation Protection Plan for the whole cruise, but not flights, hotels, private excursions, or anything else. But until the final payment is made, all that is ever at risk is the $6000 deposit. Therefore, I say that that the 2378 is protecting just the 6000 between the cancellation deadline and the time of final payment, and 2378/6000 is a 39.6% premium. Between deposit time and cancellation deadline the 2378 is "protecting" $0, since the deposit is fully refundable then.

I can understand not paying $2,200 to insure $6,000 if you think that the chance of changing your mind is less than about 1 in 3. OP thus "self-insured" against the possible $3,800 loss.She was planning on getting 3rd-party insurance "later", and that should have been at the cancellation deadline. Before then no money is at risk. Not $6000, not $3,800, but $0. Unfortunately she had the wrong date in mind, and it passed.
Note that the $17,000 might not even be First Class, ...She said in post #15 "... our flights were long and complicated and not in coach." So either First or Business.

[Tamaracboy]

We agree....Not only do we have normal Homeowners Insurance, but we also have a Fla Citizens "Wind Policy", because they claim we are in the wind zone, & a Federal Govt "Flood Policy" because we are in the "Flood Zone" ...Just on those three policies alone we pay over $3700 a year & in 22 years never had to put in a claim except for a water line to our refrig which broke & flooded a portion of our Living room carpet..On top of those yearly premiums, we have a large deductable in case of Hurricane/Tropical storm damage.. Not sure we would be self insured after three years though..

That's one reason we've put our house up for sale...Those premiums are taking away from our Cruising fund...LOL:eek:

Cheers...Betty

Betty,

You just keep on crusin' !
And . . . . . . IF the house happens to float away in a flood, well just maybe you'll pass it some day on a cruise ;) ;)

r.

[happy cruzer]

Lesson learned always check the cancellation policy.

I tend to do this because I sail on different lines and for different cruise lengths. The policies vary by line and by length of cruise and HEY even sometimes the cruise line changes their entire policy.... Always check what it is this time, don't assume it was the same as the last time you booked.

[serendipity1499]

Ok, interested in which Travelex lite policy can be paid at final And covers preexisting conditions? That is news to me. The last time I looked (earlier this year) the only ones that could be purchased at final which waived pre-existing conditions where a CSA Freestyle and an HTH policy. HTH is no longer available in many states.

12% is very high. We have paid, I believe, about 4.5% for CSA but it depends on ones ages. The % goes down for more (expensive) coverage. A $500.00 cruise would not be covered the same as a $15K percentage wise.

The policy is one our TA sells...DH is over 80 so that really increases the premium..Even Medivac insurance is quite high when you reach that age..Our TA does not have to include the ages in the policy...We receive our policy confirmation & the certificate of Insurance directly from Travelex..

The policy is:

Travelex: TravelNet Land, Sea & Sky..Brochure No. TNC0707

On the first page the second paragraph reads:

"The Pre-existing Condition Exclusion will be waived if the plan was purchased within 3 days following final trip payment. To maintain the waiver on any subsequent purchase of trip cancellation coverage, you must increase your trip cost within 3 days of the final payment of the new purchase."

Therefore I added our $500 air fare to our cruise as soon as we booked it..So our Cruise, HAL's one way transfer & air is included..it came out to about 12% of the entire cost, which is very reasonable for us..

I've looked at all the policies on Insuremytrip.com & the other WEB site & this is the best policy for us because of DH's age..I'm not sure if it's included in the Insuremytrip.com WEB site...

We normally take the longer cruises of 21 days or more & have paid big $$$ for our insurance prior to this..

We have three cruises booked in the next 9 months & so far we're happy with the $$$ we've saved..Of course we've never had to make a claim, so can't really make a final judgment on the policy..

Lets hope we never have to make a claim..

You might want to check this policy out by calling them..

Cheers....:)Betty

[serendipity1499]

Betty,

You just keep on crusin' !
And . . . . . . IF the house happens to float away in a flood, well just maybe you'll pass it some day on a cruise ;) ;)

r.


LOL...You gave us quite a chuckle with that one..Thanks..

Cheers.....:)Betty

[serendipity1499]

[quote=jtl513;25345853]The $2,378 is the Platinum Cancellation Protection Plan for the whole cruise, but not flights, hotels, private excursions, or anything else. But until the final payment is made, all that is ever at risk is the $6000 deposit. Therefore, I say that that the 2378 is protecting just the 6000 between the cancellation deadline and the time of final payment, and 2378/6000 is a 39.6% premium. Between deposit time and cancellation deadline the 2378 is "protecting" $0, since the deposit is fully refundable then.

She was planning on getting 3rd-party insurance "later", and that should have been at the cancellation deadline. Before then no money is at risk. Not $6000, not $3,800, but $0. Unfortunately she had the wrong date in mind, and it passed.

<SNIP> (I love that little SNIP thing;))

OK Understand....So that $2378 is actually 12% of her $20,000 cruise fare only..She actually did not need insurance on her air fare as that was fully refundable, so the only extra would be for hotels & land tours if she had to pay in advance..

Cheers.....:)Betty

[LVSue]

First of all, Sail—I totally agree with you. Years ago DH took student government for the first time at his HS. Running the Homecoming Assembly in the gym, he chose to block off the balcony, not realizing how popular the HA was. Well, total disaster, the principal screaming, “Who did this; why did it happen?” He almost fainted when DH said, “I did it.” After years of people passing the buck, he was totally deflated—all he could say was, “Don’t do it again.” (And, believe me, he didn't!)

Person-who-wondered-about-preexisting-conditions, here’s my experience. DH had high blood pressure; no other problem. When he had a heart attack in Paris, Access America was right on it. Their Canadian reps (French-speaking) dealt with the hospital administrators in Paris (of course because of time difference and the fact that the French hospital gal couldn’t make international calls, I would call Access America from the lobby to tell them that the gal was in and they could call her). They paid everything directly to the hospital, so no paperwork when I got home.

Granted, that was 9 years ago (2001, a really good year), but I will always step up for Access America. That doesn’t mean that I always buy their insurance; I read the fine print, look for the best buy, etc. But I was glad to find out that our TA uses Access America and it seems like there is a pre-existing condition waiver even if you wait to buy it before final payment. I always buy it when I book, however, because I don’t plan to cancel the cruise unless absolutely necessary and I don’t want to forget it. Then again, our cruises are short and the insurance not too high.

[vbmom87]

The policy is one our TA sells...DH is over 80 so that really increases the premium..Even Medivac insurance is quite high when you reach that age..Our TA does not have to include the ages in the policy...We receive our policy confirmation & the certificate of Insurance directly from Travelex..

The policy is:

Travelex: TravelNet Land, Sea & Sky..Brochure No. TNC0707

On the first page the second paragraph reads:

"The Pre-existing Condition Exclusion will be waived if the plan was purchased within 3 days following final trip payment. To maintain the waiver on any subsequent purchase of trip cancellation coverage, you must increase your trip cost within 3 days of the final payment of the new purchase."

Therefore I added our $500 air fare to our cruise as soon as we booked it..So our Cruise, HAL's one way transfer & air is included..it came out to about 12% of the entire cost, which is very reasonable for us..

I've looked at all the policies on Insuremytrip.com & the other WEB site & this is the best policy for us because of DH's age..I'm not sure if it's included in the Insuremytrip.com WEB site...

We normally take the longer cruises of 21 days or more & have paid big $$$ for our insurance prior to this..

We have three cruises booked in the next 9 months & so far we're happy with the $$$ we've saved..Of course we've never had to make a claim, so can't really make a final judgment on the policy..

Lets hope we never have to make a claim..

You might want to check this policy out by calling them..

Cheers....:)Betty

Per the brochure:



Here is the link that appears to be for this policy.

http://tiny.cc/4fvr0

Just make sure whatever plan you purchase you read the entire policy so you know if it meets your needs.

[may1021]

Most states have a consumer protection agency where you can seek free help with consumer problems. You might try this avenue and see if you get a different result. However, most cruise lines have explicit contracts and you do have to read them. A contract is binding. This is why insurance should always be purchased.

[Max2003]

Lesson learned always check the cancellation policy.

I tend to do this because I sail on different lines and for different cruise lengths. The policies vary by line and by length of cruise and HEY even sometimes the cruise line changes their entire policy.... Always check what it is this time, don't assume it was the same as the last time you booked.

Does the current policy not cover this situation or was this cruise an exception?? The following is from HAL website. Sounds like 91 days is outside the range.

Cancellation Policies
For most cruises and cruisetours, a refund (except for amounts paid for Cancellation Protection Plan) will be made for written cancellations received by Holland America, 300 Elliott Ave. West, Seattle, WA 98119 at least 76 days before the date on which you are to commence travel (by air, rail, sea or otherwise). Passengers who cancel after that date for any reason, including medical or family reasons, are subject to the following per-person cancellation fees:
75-57 days before commencing travel: an amount equal to deposit requirement
56-29 days before commencing travel: 50% of gross fare
28-16 days before commencing travel: 75% of gross fare
15 days or less before commencing travel: 100% of gross fare

[Randyk47]

In one word "no". Notice that there is a caveat as the policy reads " For most cruises....". There are exceptions and apparently Grand/World Vogages have a different policy.

[pms4104]

Does the current policy not cover this situation or was this cruise an exception?? The following is from HAL website. Sounds like 91 days is outside the range.

Cancellation Policies
For most cruises and cruisetours, a refund (except for amounts paid for Cancellation Protection Plan) will be made for written cancellations received by Holland America, 300 Elliott Ave. West, Seattle, WA 98119 at least 76 days before the date on which you are to commence travel (by air, rail, sea or otherwise). Passengers who cancel after that date for any reason, including medical or family reasons, are subject to the following per-person cancellation fees:
75-57 days before commencing travel: an amount equal to deposit requirement
56-29 days before commencing travel: 50% of gross fare
28-16 days before commencing travel: 75% of gross fare
15 days or less before commencing travel: 100% of gross fare
And, on HAL's site, the next paragraph reads:

For certain cruises and cruisetours, different cancellation policies apply. Please consult the brochure for your cruise or cruisetour to confirm the applicable cancellation policy. Cancellation fees apply to the entire cruise booking, including cruise fare, non-commissionable fare, air add-ons, ground transfers, pre-cruise and post-cruise hotel and tour packages.

[catl331]

Sounds like 91 days is outside the range.Also, from what I've read here, it appears that for GVs (or segments) the cancellation deadline comes before final payment date, while for "most" cruises they are the same. That's where the problem seems to have come from in this case. The OP hadn't made a final payment, so presumed she was still in the no-penalty period for cancelation. The error was in not reading the contract carefully, not in failing to buy insurance.

[catl331]

... the cancellation deadline comes before final payment date, while for "most" cruises they are the same.I mean the cancelation-without-penalty deadline.