REST ASSURED - be very aware!!

My husband and I ( no I'm not the Queen) paid the 9% extra for Silversea's Rest Assured Programme for a November 13 transatlantic. We thought everything was fine BUT unknown to me or doctors my husband died very suddenly on August 24th. The cause of death had nothing to do with his previous complaints and was totally new to doctors etc etc.

Silversea has now advised that only my part of the programme will be credited to my future cruises. They say my husbands credit is non transferable and this allows Silversea to keep his paid for share of the cruise.

I ask where is the justice in this??? We have sailed over 100 days with Silversea and have been very happy up till now to advise other interested parties to cruise with them.

Apart from loosing my husband the dealings with Silversea has been more than upsetting.

Oh my. I am so sorry for your sudden loss. I cannot imagine SS could be so heartless. Please have someone pursue this issue for you. You need to take care of the yourself and all the issues surrounding your loss at this moment.

mrscrab,

How terrible for you ... I am so sorry for your loss. Genuine sympathy.

Your reminder is a timely reminder. In Silversea's defence the Rest Assured programme does make several points clear ie that it isn't insurance and it isn't transferable and seems to me not to be intended to be a replacement for insurance .... it is if you like complementary to insurance. It's intention is to give peace of mind if you simply "change your mind" which isn't covered by insurance.

It does seem from your comments that you hadn't fully appreciated that it wasn't insurance as such. I am sorry to say that although you feel SS should have done more, they will I think feel that it is your insurer that should be meeting that part of the cost and I am afraid they are right. Sorry to say this as I know it isn't what you want to be told and understandably you feel that them not agreeing for this to be a substitute for insurance seems heartless. Hopefully you also took out some insurance and your late husbands fare would be covered by that.

I hope you get it sorted out. Once again, sorry for your loss and your reminder to others I am sure will be helpful.

Jeff

mrscrab,

Can you confirm that you do have inusrance cover ..... if not then say so and I have an idea of a further suggested approach you might make to SS that might work .... but only if there is a degree of flex on their side.

So if you have insurance ... please confirm. Trying to offer you practical advice.

Jeff

Insurance built into the AMEX we used for the deposit and final payment. BUT amid all this I question what SS do with the monies they are holding in my husbands name.

Mrs crab listen to jeff

But I know when we looked at the rest assured we were assured it was only for change of dates not for total cancellation (albeit that was 2006)

At that point I though they were selling peace of mind not anything that gave a refund

Insurance built into the AMEX we used for the deposit and final payment. BUT amid all this I question what SS do with the monies they are holding in my husbands name.

Hi,

Sadly this offer by SS is for those situations where you simply wish to avoid their cancellation fees for a non-insurable change of mind. You will be covered by Amex hopefully and thankfully.

It is saying (I'm afraid it is quite clear) that they are offering peace of mind to the individuals making bookings that they can rebook later if they change their mind. This programme looks like it is underwritten by SS themselves (they carry the financial risk) and doesn't appear to be underwritten by outside insurers as their sold travel insurance would be. So basically ... yes ... as unfair as it seems ... they keep your husbands cash but you will get it instead from Amex.

In thinking about your situation, it did seem to me that there were two difficult issues which I was trying to think of a workaround for you. . Firstly if you had simply cancelled on both your behalf without stating the loss of your husband then his credit would have remained in his name sitting in suspense with SS, which in the event you would not have been able to use. My thoughts were that if you hadn't been insured then I was going to try and help construct a letter to SS stating my version of your case that might nudge them for a touch of flex. I wouldn't have been optimistic, simply trying to help by offering a long shot.

Thankfully you are covered and you should be reimbursed so long as Amex are happy that all health disclosures whether related or not have been made. If for example the cause of his death was from a condition that existed at the time but wasn't stated they may still be problematic. So any checks they make and any questions they ask must show the cause as being unexpected. Just trying to help you avoid further problems. But you have I think inidicated that the cause was unexpected.

If in the event you have problems with Amex, do come back and I'd be happy to offer this other long-shot idea. You may wish also to think carefully about whether you should claim for both your cruises from Amex to give you more flex with your plans and forgo the credit in your name from SS. You should not claim both as it would be fraud. You will be asked if you go down that route whether you have cover elsewhere but I think you could honestly asnwer no because it is not "insurance". So in summary I would claim all the cruise cost from Amex, not just your late husband's

Sorry again for your loss. The frustration with SS isn't welcome, but in this case don't be too harsh on them, it isn't personal and they are simply doing what they say they will, although I agree that the programme does offer a degree of confidence that seems on the face of it a bit too high.

I hope you feel these comments are of practical help.

Jeff

....mscrab, I can see you are still "online" and having just mulled over your situation whilst having a walk, I have had one further thought you may not have considered.

If you ignore the Rest Assured programme completely and make all of your claim on your Amex insurance you will be reimbursed ALL of your costs including the Rest Assured 8 or 9 % premium. If you instead take your cruise credit from SS- which seems your current plan - it will only be the nett cruise cost and not give you back the premium. So the Amex route will give you potentially more cash and more flexibility against the Rest Assured programme.

So, you will be better off financially making all of your claim on Amex, presuming they are happy to cover, but you should not inform SS of this route until you have been paid out by Amex.

I hope I'm being helpful in what is a difficult time for you but if you have any further questions about this just ask.

Thankyou Jeff, need all the advice I can get. I just feel so dissapointed with SS, we have been so loyal to them. Will set AMEX in place after visiting our GP - he is quite stunned at my husbands passing and the cause of death was not pre existing. Hopefully Amex will payout for both of us, I'm certainly not in a fit state to travel the world on my own. Such a sad time and we had planned this cruise for my 70th birthday.

Best Regards. Mrs Crab

mscrab,

I do so hope the claim is OK. DON'T wish to alarm........ just forewarn. Be aware, that an increasing number of insurers will ask your doctor about your husbands medication if he was taking any. So if for example he suffered sadly from a heart attack and was taking statins ... which they were not informed of, then that may effect their decision. Some companies are even sometimes trying to void insurance policies on completely unrelated medications or previous consultations. Discuss this with your doctor if you want. I am only forewarning you so you can discuss the issue with your doctor if you wish.

In this situation, I do totally empathise and sympathise with how you feel, but if in all other respects you are happy with your cruises with SS, don't let this issue be the issue that prevents your continued enjoyment with them. That might not be what you should do. You were, if you think about it, asking SS to pick up a bill that your insurers should pick up.

If you want to ask anything more, then feel free to continue at the Cooler which has a little less chance of others popping up and objecting to me or to the tangential nature of this particular topic. Pop in if you like even if you just want a chat. You will receive an extra special warm welcome there and there is nothing ever important going on there. I am also genuinely happy to help if I can. I have sadly a devious mind which is sometimes helpful in finding workarounds for seeming puzzles.

best wishes,

Jeff

So sorry for your loss Mrs Crab! Best wishes that all will be resolved to your satisfaction.

Yes, sorry for your significant loss. Jeff has been very helpful in trying to make his wise suggestions. While we have not had a need to collect on any of these travel insurance policies, we have had a couple of "close calls" as situations were evolving and development. What did I learn? The "details" are complicated and important. There are lots of "legal twists" to consider. It can be confusing and challenging. That's is why it is vital to consider thoughtfully and carefully the best options to recover and/or lessen the losses. Good luck!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 121,826 views for this posting.

Mrscrab - I'm so sorry to hear of the sudden loss of your husband and the issues you are having with Silversea as a result. I experienced the sudden loss of my spouse 16 years ago and also had an issue with an insurance company. It took a while for me to come around and begin traveling again, but I did and am grateful to all the people who supported me during that challenging time.

Please accept my heartfelt condolences.

Victoria

My condolences as well. If you used a TA possibly he/she can call SS on your behalf and have a bit more influence. Perhaps you can get future onboard credit or something. It's worth investigating.

Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.

Very sorry for your loss, mrscrab.

I do hope that SS will resolve this for you.

A note I'm posting on behalf of specialcruisegirl who is currently unable to login.

Jeff

 

 

To MrsCrab....my sincere and heartfelt condolences. It's very early days, l know this having been through it three years ago. There will eventually be a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm so sorry about the response from Silversea and l do hope all will be well with the insurances.

 

....mscrab, I can see you are still "online" and having just mulled over your situation whilst having a walk, I have had one further thought you may not have considered.

 

If you ignore the Rest Assured programme completely and make all of your claim on your Amex insurance you will be reimbursed ALL of your costs including the Rest Assured 8 or 9 % premium. If you instead take your cruise credit from SS- which seems your current plan - it will only be the nett cruise cost and not give you back the premium. So the Amex route will give you potentially more cash and more flexibility against the Rest Assured programme.

 

So, you will be better off financially making all of your claim on Amex, presuming they are happy to cover, but you should not inform SS of this route until you have been paid out by Amex.

 

I hope I'm being helpful in what is a difficult time for you but if you have any further questions about this just ask.

The exact situation is a little confusing. mrscrab says they had AMEX cruise insurance, which means they should have only paid 4% not 9% for the Rest Assured Programme.

She also says SS is giving her her cruise credits which, according to the T&C, they should only be doing after receiving a letter of denial of coverage from the insurance company.

If they paid SS 9% and had cruise insurance, with neither company knowing about the other coverage. And if they both pay, it could end up with mrscrab receiving more in relief than the total damages, which in the US at least, is a big no no.

The exact situation is a little confusing. mrscrab says they had AMEX cruise insurance, which means they should have only paid 4% not 9% for the Rest Assured Programme.

 

She also says SS is giving her her cruise credits which, according to the T&C, they should only be doing after receiving a letter of denial of coverage from the insurance company.

 

If they paid SS 9% and had cruise insurance, with neither company knowing about the other coverage. And if they both pay, it could end up with mrscrab receiving more in relief than the total damages, which in the US at least, is a big no no.

Mark,

If you re-read her comment the implication is that it is her credit card insurance she is relying on. Amex cruise insurance hasn't been mentioned in her posts as far as I can see.

Jeff

Insurance built into the AMEX we used for the deposit and final payment. BUT amid all this I question what SS do with the monies they are holding in my husbands name.

AMEX is the credit card she used, Jeff. It's not Amex cruise insurance per se.

AMEX is the credit card she used, Jeff. It's not Amex cruise insurance per se.

Amex cards carry travel insurance. The Plat card for example has very strong travel insurance.

She will I am sure explain.

Jeff

Mark,

 

 

 

If you re-read her comment the implication is that it is her credit card insurance she is relying on. Amex cruise insurance hasn't been mentioned in her posts as far as I can see.

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff

Jeff,

I understood that, but it's still travel insurance, whether purchased separately or included as a benefit.

Mark

Jeff,

 

I understood that, but it's still travel insurance, whether purchased separately or included as a benefit.

 

Mark

Mark,

I think we may be talking at cross purposes.

The Rest Assured programme shouldn't require any documentation from anyone (other than the passenger) because it is not insurance it is if you like assurance and should simply require a statement by the passenger stating they wish to cancel. It isn't insurance. it doesn't cover any risk that is covered by an insurance policy. That is the whole idea of the programme.

I have already made clear to her in an earlier post that she cannot use a credit from SS for a future cruise if she has received reimbursement from her insurers as it would be defrauding the insurers.

Have I misunderstood your point?

Jeff

Mrscrab

I am so sorry to learn of your loss. Condolences to you and your family at this very sad time.

Mark,

 

I think we may be talking at cross purposes.

 

The Rest Assured programme shouldn't require any documentation from anyone (other than the passenger) because it is not insurance it is if you like assurance and should simply require a statement by the passenger stating they wish to cancel. It isn't insurance. it doesn't cover any risk that is covered by an insurance policy. That is the whole idea of the programme.

 

I have already made clear to her in an earlier post that she cannot use a credit from SS for a future cruise if she has received reimbursement from her insurers as it would be defrauding the insurers.

 

Have I misunderstood your point?

 

Jeff

From the Rest Assured Programme terms:

The Rest Assured Programme is not combinable with any other cancellation payments made through Silversea GuestCare or another travel insurance provider. If a guest is able to recover the cruise cancellation payment through an insurance provider then the guest will forfeit the Cruise Credit.

From the Rest Assured Programme terms:

 

The Rest Assured Programme is not combinable with any other cancellation payments made through Silversea GuestCare or another travel insurance provider. If a guest is able to recover the cruise cancellation payment through an insurance provider then the guest will forfeit the Cruise Credit.

And?:confused:

You seem to be simply repeating what I have said.

Jeff