What If I Die?

None of us like to talk about this subject, but when you are 68, it is something you must think about. If I die before the cruise begins, how does the cruise line handle the refund to my family? But even more important, how is it handled if I should die while cruising? I am not just talking about the financial aspects. Thank you

With Travel Insurance

1. Your estate would file a claim. If the claim was valid, your estate would be reimbursed.

2. Your travel partner would contact the insurance company and I'm sure they would assist in repatriating your remains.

Without Travel Insurance

1. Your estate would be SOL depending on when your estate cancelled you from the cruise and the cancellation penalties.

2. Cruise ships do have morgues. Unless you died on an island or during an excursion and off ship. Then your travel partner has problems.

If it is a concern, make sure you have sufficient insurance to cover your concerns.

If on Medicare, you are not covered outside the country. Also have medical insurance.

Your family/estate may or may not receive a refund depending on how early before the cruise you die and which rate you are booked under. Hence the reason for travel/vacation insurance.

I have always told my wife that if I ever die on board to tell the crew to use me as fish food. :D I know they won't (they will keep you in a morgue until the cruise ends) but it's a running joke between us as it would cut burial costs.

Carnival has actually been in a case like this recently (slain police officer that Carnival didn't want to refund the cruise on), you may have heard about it. I can't remember if I read about via cruise critic or if it was another site. I did find this article on an external site that discusses this.

http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2015/04/articles/worst-cruise-line-in-the-world/carnival-refuses-refund-for-slain-police-officers-family/

Bottom line: whether or not you buy travel insurance (we usually don't) is up to you--but if this is a concern of yours, it's one more reason why you should buy the insurance.

68 is not old!!:)

Your family/estate may or may not receive a refund depending on how early before the cruise you die and which rate you are booked under. Hence the reason for travel/vacation insurance.

 

I have always told my wife that if I ever die on board to tell the crew to use me as fish food. :D I know they won't (they will keep you in a morgue until the cruise ends) but it's a running joke between us as it would cut burial costs.

:( Those cruise line folks just don't get that whole circle of life thing.:( MY DW plans to just throw me off the balcony if I croak while on a cruise. :)

To answer the OPs question, if you are going to die on a cruise it is best if it happens on the last day :). But the dirty truth is that cruise ships have morgues aboard (we have visited the morgue on one small HAL ship) where they can temporarily store a body until they get to the next port. DW and I have been on quite few cruises where there were passenger deaths, and in every case the corpse and traveling companions left the ship at the next port. If you have travel insurance it should cover the cost of getting everyone (including the corpse) home. If you have no insurance then the family/estate will have to handle the cost. If your port is a foreign country the cruise ship's agent will usually work with the US (or Canadian) Consul to deal with the local legal issues.

As for some morbid humor (humour for you Brits) when we saw the small (max 3 bodies) onboard morgue it was mentioned that if the morgue ever became full and they needed more space....the backup auxillary morgue was the next door ship florist shop (which was also kept very cold).

Hank

To answer the OPs question, if you are going to die on a cruise it is best if it happens on the last day :). But the dirty truth is that cruise ships have morgues aboard (we have visited the morgue on one small HAL ship) where they can temporarily store a body until they get to the next port. DW and I have been on quite few cruises where there were passenger deaths, and in every case the corpse and traveling companions left the ship at the next port. If you have travel insurance it should cover the cost of getting everyone (including the corpse) home. If you have no insurance then the family/estate will have to handle the cost. If your port is a foreign country the cruise ship's agent will usually work with the US (or Canadian) Consul to deal with the local legal issues.

 

 

 

As for some morbid humor (humour for you Brits) when we saw the small (max 3 bodies) onboard morgue it was mentioned that if the morgue ever became full and they needed more space....the backup auxillary morgue was the next door ship florist shop (which was also kept very cold).

 

 

 

Hank

We were on a three day cruise just after a HAL world cruise in 2003. LAX-Vancouver.

For dinner we had 8 at a 10 top. DH told the waiter that the two ladies sitting at 2tops by themselves could join us. Waiter looks over and says,'No. That lady's husband died, she went home, buried him and came back. That one ( the other gal) just shipped his body home.'

Unfortunately my good friend suffered a massive stroke in her sleep while on an NCL cruise. This happened while docked in Bermuda. She was taken from her cabin to the infirmary then to a hospital (I won't use the word rushed cause that's a whole 'nother story). I stayed with her to await her son & brother's arrival, which took a few days cause hospital told them to stay put until condition assessed more - didn't want them flying down as she was airlifted back. My family had to continue the cruise. She was kept on life support, eventually airlifted home with the hope doctors here would have different news, but passed away about 10 days later.

She did not have insurance. I did & either misinterpreted a social worker's comment at the hospital or she was misinformed. She told me my insurance only counted if my friend was my spouse or significant other. There I didn't file a claim & by the time I was buying insurance for my next trip was told I had been misinformed but I waited too long to file one.

The short - expect nothing from the cruise lines because that is basically what you'll get & I do understand that. However my friend bought a $25. beach cover up in the ship's gift shop before going to bed. The charge was put thru until the next day. I had already closed her account & mine as I knew we were leaving the ship. I had approx. $40. left on a non-refundable credit which they told me could not be transferred to my husband's acct. Least of my issues. They did contact my friend's cabin mates and ask them for payment, which they gave. Tacky!! They did let my husband use their desk phone to contact me while I was in Bermuda.

Insurance: She felt she never got it & never needed it. I bought it for the first time for that cruise, which was around my 25th cruise. Cost: approx. $50. Her airlift cost from the Bermuda hospital to home hospital was $15,000. There were airline costs for 3 of her family members to fly to Bermuda and back (her son flew in the medical plane with his mom, guess part of the $15K). Hotel rooms @ a discounted hospital rate of $250. per night plus taxes, meals, cabs, & some uncovered medical bills. I think it would be conservative to say $20,000. was spent. I did not get back for my part because I either listened to someone misinformed or I misheard. At a time like that $ is the last thing you have on your mind.

Advice: Buy insurance that covers airlift & costs. You don't need to be old to have to use it, she was in her 50s. Appendix could burst on a kid. Just hope it's the best "wasted" money ever spent. When you do buy it. Print at least the cover page with the info & if not noted there ask before you go what is the 24 hr. number to call if you do need to use it.

With Travel Insurance

1. Your estate would file a claim. If the claim was valid, your estate would be reimbursed.

2. Your travel partner would contact the insurance company and I'm sure they would assist in repatriating your remains.

 

Without Travel Insurance

1. Your estate would be SOL depending on when your estate cancelled you from the cruise and the cancellation penalties.

2. Cruise ships do have morgues. Unless you died on an island or during an excursion and off ship. Then your travel partner has problems.

You are 'assuming' there is a travel partner. They may be traveling solo.

If it is a concern, make sure you have sufficient insurance to cover your concerns.

 

If on Medicare, you are not covered outside the country. Also have medical insurance.

If they are dead, medical insurance is not what is needed. Repatriation coverage would apply.......... getting the remains back home can be very costly.

LynnL,

Your story gave me the chills--what a terrible experience. Your friend and her family were fortunate to have you there with her.

Unless you grocery shop outside of the country it's hardly the same thing. You suffer a stroke or a heart attack in a local store an ambulance will come for you. I believe the cost for that was about $150. depending on health insurance. You have that happen in the middle of the ocean or in someplace that requires a medical plane to take you home it's $15,000. Yes, it's cheaper to fly home a dead body but you don't always go right away.

Cheaper still to fly home ashes. A cremation abroad costs no more than a cremation at home, and the urn carrying the ashes can be brought home in hand luggage.

Good question and info, but I agree with those who say 68 is not old. When I reach that age, I hope to have another good decade or three.

Cremation and/or burial at see would be fine with me. Just bung me over the railing and be done with it. I won't be there so it does not matter to me.

Nor do I really care if I have a credit (or a debit) balance on my cruise account. Ideally, like others have said, it would be the last day, with a huge on board account balance, and not a dime left in my estate. The cruise line would have to suck it up and deal with my remains!

Besides, like others in the same boat so to speak, on our few last cruises DW has been threatening to throw me overboard.

Insurance...medical, evac, trip interruption pp for $25???? What is the duration, the coverage and the deductible? Sounds infinitely better deal than my out of country medical insurance.

Why worry? If you die, it's no longer your problem.

EXACTLY.

Some people like to worry....even about what others wear on formal nights in the MDR!

Too much stress can shorten your lifespan.

:eek: PLEASE share where you got insurance for $25 pp. I know it is private information but whatever you are willing to share would be so helpful for so many of us. Is that medical coverage? Cancellation? Evacuation/repatriation? I never heard of such a low premium and certainly would be thrilled to have such a policy. You are right. At $25 per head, it is a no-brainer.

 

I called insure mytrip (dot) com. You can get quotes on line but I prefer to call. Our upcoming cruise is cheap ($425. Pp) & we have 4 going ages 60, 59, 57, & 5. The total for 4 was $96. It covered for emerg evac, which was my main concern as well as having to head home for emergency at home, baggage delay, etc. Give them a call & ask for a quote. They are very helpful. Also none of us had pre-existing medical conditions. I don't recall about medical coverage.

I have told my kids that I want to be buried at sea. If I passed on a cruise I wonder if you could be cremated where ever you are? Why go through the process of transportation home and back to the sea?

I would like to have my children fly to where I am and let's keep it simple.

That is my circle of life plan. Happy and safe travels

4boysnana