Millennium 2013: Cruise/Travel Insurance Experiences (Merger of two threads)

Hi, Host Andy & All --

First, I want to express my sincere condolences to those whose Alaska cruises were canceled, altered or interrupted. I can only imagine the disappointment and stress you must feel.

Seems to me that it t would be a good idea to have a dedicated thread to share and compare notes on how different insurance carriers/coverages handle the various Millennium claims processes -- from initial contact to ultimate resolution. It will be useful to see what is eventually covered or denied, in addition to how customers are treated.

I know that different policy rules apply to US and other countries, so it would be good for those impacted to specify through which country coverage was purchased. (Maybe this is based on where the insured is domiciled?)

My hope is that this will help future cruisers make a better-informed decision when deciding on trip insurance. I used to underwrite health insurance (back in the 80's) and still have trouble understanding a lot of these travel policy coverages.

For anybody who doesn't know, we do have a Cruise/Travel Insurance board on Cruise Critic (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=635). My quick search did not turn up anything about the current Millie cancelations or interruptions on that board.

Not sure if that board is the proper place for this thread right now, since this is more likely to be seen on the Celebrity board.

Host Andy,

If you feel this is a good idea, please put this where you feel most appropriate or rephrase to be most helpful to our members. I know that most won't have final insurance resolution for months, but it would be good to see how various companies treat their claimants through the entire process.

Jane, who has a 7/4/14 Alaska CruiseTour booked on Millennium

Hi, Host Andy & All --

 

Host Andy,

 

If you feel this is a good idea, please put this where you feel most appropriate or rephrase to be most helpful to our members. I know that most won't have final insurance resolution for months, but it would be good to see how various companies treat their claimants through the entire process.

 

Jane, who has a 7/4/14 Alaska CruiseTour booked on Millennium

I also want to express my condolences with those currently suffering through canceled cruises and travel plans.

Agree with Jane on her suggestion to set-up a 'dedicated thread' about the 'Travel Insurance and Millennium' issue.

IMO... the subject of 'travel insurance' while often discussed on CC, still remains a mystery to most of us.

We normally do not learn about travel insurance until it is applied to real events/circumstances.

Yes this is important to do

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Excellent idea

Hope to learn a lot about travel insurance from peope's real experiences when they have to use it.

I agree it would be great to have a forum devoted to this subject. I would like to let everyone know that a great resource is "insuremytrip.com". It compares every travel policy and you can purchase it there as well. We have found the ability to compare multiple policies extremely helpful and the prices are competitive.

They are also very upstanding. I inadvertently purchased 2 policies from 2 different companies on InsuremyTrip.com over a year ago. One policy was almost $400 and the other nearly $500 because of the coverage I included and the price of our trip and our ages. When I found my mistake, I contacted insuremytrip.com and explained my stupidity. they willingly refunded my money for the 2nd policy I had purchased.

Check it out.:)

Just spoke to TID (Travel Insurance Direct). They will not cover if a cruise is cancelled due to mechanical issues. This is quite worrying. I'm booked on Millennium (Hawaii to Sydney) in November. If these mechanical issues are not sorted and the cruise does not go ahead, I will not be covered for loss of flights to Hawaii, car hire, accommodation and other additional expenses for my family of 5. A 100% cruise refund will be cold comfort for my trip of a lifetime being cancelled.

Just spoke to TID (Travel Insurance Direct). They will not cover if a cruise is cancelled due to mechanical issues. This is quite worrying. I'm booked on Millennium (Hawaii to Sydney) in November. If these mechanical issues are not sorted and the cruise does not go ahead, I will not be covered for loss of flights to Hawaii, car hire, accommodation and other additional expenses for my family of 5. A 100% cruise refund will be cold comfort for my trip of a lifetime being cancelled.

You still may have some coverage under the trip delay part of the policy. Call them back and discuss that part of your policy

No coverage under the Policy I bought with cruise plus they won't refund the cost of the policy on the milli.

You draw your own conclusion of the value of insurance and Celebrity

OP here. Somebody started a thread over on the Cruise/Travel Insurance board entitled "Be Sure to check if MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN is covered! Here's a link to that thread:http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1902219

I really think it's important that we learn from this unfortunate experience with Millennium. It doesn't matter to me where the information is compiled.

I took the time to review a couple of my prior trip insurance policies.

A) It seems that CSA (at least the Luxe policy I purchased) specifically covers Millennium's type of cancellation due to mechanical breakdown. It also lists mechanical breakdown as a covered in the Trip Interruption section.

Here a brief excerpt of the language [Bolding is mine]:

TRIP CANCELLATION BENEFITS

Benefits will be paid up to the Maximum Benefit Amount purchased to cover an Insured for the Published Penalties and unused non-refundable prepaid expenses for Travel Arrangements when an Insured is prevented from taking his or her Covered Trip due to:

...

11. mechanical breakdown that causes complete cessation of the Insured's Common Carrier for at least 24 consecutive hours;

 

TRIP INTERRUPTION BENEFITS

Benefits will be paid, up to the Maximum Benefit Amount, for the non-refundable, unused portion of the prepaid expenses for land or water Travel Arrangements and the Additional Transportation Cost paid to return home or rejoin the Covered Trip, when an Insured's arrival on the Covered Trip is delayed or an Insured is prevented from completing his or her Covered Trip due to:

...

11.mechanical breakdown that causes complete cessation of the Insured's Common Carrier for at least 24 consecutive hours;

...

B) The Celebrity's CruiseCare policy does not seem to cover either cancellation or interruption for mechanical breakdown of the ship.

I am not an expert in this field, but my reading of the current (fine print) terms and conditions available on Celebrity.com would lead me to believe that mechanical breakdown is also not covered under trip interruption. Mechanical breakdown is NOT one of the listed risks covered.

See below excerpt from document entitled:

"TermsConditions_Celebrity_Cruises_CruiseCare_07_29_13_LR.pdf"

There is a summary of information and a link to the above pdf here:http://www.celebritycruises.com/#before_you_go_cruisecare

If the above link isn't working, try this one and then click on cruisecare protection box at middle Left side of page: http://www.celebritycruises.com/planAndBook/beforeYouGo/tabLanding.do?pagename=before_you_go_gateway&tab=before_you_go_customize_vacation

[Bolding below is mine]

...

CruiseCare Cruise Vacation Cancellation

& Interruption Penalty Waiver...................................................Cash Refund Up To Total Cruise Vacation Cost

 

This Cancellation Penalty Waiver is an addendum to your cruise ticket contract. Through the CruiseCare program, Celebrity Cruises will waive their standard cancellation provision and refund to you IN CASH the otherwise non-*refundable value of the unused portion of your prepaid cruise vacation, should you or your traveling companion need to cancel your cruise vacation for any one of the following reasons (subject to the restrictions noted below*). In addition, through the CruiseCare program, should you or your traveling companion need to interrupt your cruise vacation (embark after your scheduled departure date or disembark before your scheduled return date) for any one of the same following reasons (subject to the restrictions noted below*) you will be refunded IN CASH the otherwise non-* refundable value of the unused portion of your prepaid cruise vacation.

1. sickness, injury, or death of yourself, a traveling companion or members of either of your immediate families, which is diagnosed and treated by a physician at the time your cruise vacation is terminated;;

2. involvement in a traffic accident, en route to departure, that causes you to miss your cruise;;

3. your home is made uninhabitable by a natural disaster such as fire, flood,

earthquake, hurricane or volcano;;

4. you are called into active duty by the military to provide aid or relief as a result of a natural disaster;;

5. subpoena or being called to serve for jury duty.

...

I hope that I am reading and understanding the coverages in these 2 policies correctly. Actual claims experience will be most valuable.

Jane

I would love to read personal experience of passengers who have been affected by past breakdowns such as Century and Millennium in July 2007.

What happens when you fly to your destination early only to be stranded when your ship does not arrive?

Similarly back in 1998(?) a princess ship was impounded in Piraeus when crew were caught selling drugs. Just imagine your cruise is cancelled by other reasons such as bankruptcy, or port strike or... stuff not in the small print.

IMO... the subject of 'travel insurance' while often discussed on CC, still remains a mystery to most of us. We normally do not learn about travel insurance until it is applied to real events/circumstances.

Agree with the above and other comments. We are looking forward to our first “down under” visit, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Celebrity Solstice sailing, departing Sydney, going from Australia to Auckland/NZ doing 14 days on this ship we loved in the Med in June 2011. I have posted/shared some of this info on our roll call.

On the CBS Morning News a few minutes ago, they just had an in-depth story about an American couple being stuck with health issues in Turkey and dealing with Royal Carib/Azamara. Sad situation. Travel expert Peter Greenberg was on air and giving added background about travel insurance. Key bottom-line from him? Don't get and rely on travel insurance offered by a cruise line. That coverage offered by many cruise lines might be a little cheaper and/or more limited. BUT, those those types of policies creates these type of problems and coverage short-falls.

You want a better policy that gets you medical treatment to fit YOUR needs and situation. Many cruise line policies and/or cut-rate companies will get you to a close and handy medical place of THEIR choice. In Turkey!!?? That is not always good enough, nor best for YOU!! Having a travel policy with only a small amount of coverage for med evac and/or treatment would be bad and creates the issues affecting this couple stuck in Turkey at a hospital there!!

As an example, our TravelEx TraveLite policy does $50,000 for medical treatment and $250,000 for medical evacuation from the site of any issues/problems. If you have or are considering a travel policy that only does, as an example, $10,000 for medical treatment and $25,000 for medical evacuation from the site of any issues/problems, that's too, too low!! A higher level of coverage for these two vital coverage areas would be important. Personally, I don't think we need to buy and have $100,000 for medical treatment and $2 million for medical evacuation. Those big numbers sound good on paper, but are probably excessive and too costly for any practical, potential need. Personal choice, but buyer be aware and consider carefully, IN ADVANCE, a few of these key insurance coverage details.

The web tools can be wonderful these days in making it much easier to see and compare these key coverage differences among different companies and their levels of policy options. As an example, TravelEx offers four different types of policies. Other companies will have two, three or four levels of policies/coverage. Look and then, decide accordingly. And, smartly!!

In checking more about our insurance coverage, if and IF???, here's some added info/background. In the past, we have used the website:

http://www.insuremytrip.com

to compare a number of different companies and coverage/policy types for what is offered, the costs, ratings of companies, etc.

Then, we focused on

http://www.travelexinsurance.com

as their value, ratings and offering of PRIMARY medical coverage was best (versus getting stuck with a company that only did "secondary" medical payments), etc.

Our current policy is called "TravelLite" and on such a Celebrity Millennium cruise scrubbing, we would be covered up to $750 per person to help pay for such losses/costs in added hotel costs, re-booking airline fees, etc., if we got stuck into this type of a situation as now affecting those on this ill-fated Alaska cruise. Travelex also has a little higher-priced product line that covers up to a $1000 per person for such costs/losses, plus other extras. A cruise line is considered a "common carrier" and such "mechanical" issues would trigger such protections, if and IF, etc.

Reactions and added thoughts?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 139,936 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

We had 3 cabins booked on the Sept 13 Pacific Coastal Cruise. We were flying into Vancouver on the 11th to see Vancouver for a couple of days before leaving on the cruise. Then at the end of the cruise we were staying in San Diego for a couple days before flying home. Well, when this mess happened I immediately scrambled to find another "coastal cruise". Since we couldn't get on the other Celebrity ships I found the Norwegian Sun, which has a coastal too but not as nice as the one we were booked on, and it was a couple days shorter and it sailed 3 days after the Celebrity cruise. So that meant adding 3 days to the Vancouver hotel reservation. Also this new cruise doesn't dock in San Diego it docks in LA. and a day later than the original Celebrity cruise. I spent that afternoon after learning of the cancellation booking a cruse and trying to change hotels and our flight home and renting a car from LA to drive down to San Diego. I must say it's been a nightmare. We bought Allianz Travel Insurance and I will be calling to see just what they will cover concerning reimbursement since I only seek reimbursement for more hotel days and car rental (for one day) I think I did pretty good. Also I'd like to thank the supervisor I spoke with at United Airlines for being so helpful and understanding in rescheduling our flight home. I never want to go through this again!:mad:

good points....and I keep telling everyone to read the fine print. One area where there is intentional confusion in most policies is medical evacuation and repatriation....that is, your coverage getting to a foreign hospital and then getting back to your home/home hospital.

Most policies will pay to get you to a hospital that can treat your illness/medical problem...that is, if you need assistance off the coast of Turkey, they will pay the costs to get you to a hospital that can treat you. Now that's the first point of concern...who decides if that hospital can treat you correctly with the latest procedures/equipment? If the medical staff at the hospital says they can treat your problem, you are going to be treated at that hospital. Doesn't matter if you are aware of better treatment somewhere else!!! Now you are in that remote Turkish hospital and you need to stay in the hospital for a week or so, perhaps more for observation, treatment, etc. OK...now you are at catch number 2. You are stable enough to travel, but that hospital can or claims they can still treat you...their way. You know better and want to get to a leading hospital where they have the latest equipment. Who has to decide to move you (at great expense) to a hospital at home..or the mayo clinic, etc. Answer: the doctor at the remote hospital has to say it's medically necessary (but remember, they think their equipment/skill is adequate) and a clerk at the insurance company has to agree (to spend $100K+ of the insurance company's money) to fly you home with a nurse, etc. It isn't going to happen...and there are many stories when it didn't happen.

Enter Medjet Assist insurance which I have posted about a number of times because it is unique. (note: national geographic uses them for its remote photography crews around the world as do many other international companies). Why medjet assist....very simple....you decide that you (or your caregiver) decides that you want to be moved to a (specific) hospital in your home country for treatment and the only agreement needed is from the doctor in Turkey (in our example) that you are stable enough to fly (with a doctor/nurse if necessary). You are in control, not the insurance company trying to save money or the remote doctor who is proud of their older equipment.

If you think you have Medjet equivalent terms in your current travel insurance policy, I urge you to read it again. MedJet is pretty unique. Note though, medjet does not cover getting you from the ship to that first hospital that can handle your condition...that's part of your normal travel insurance and that's one reason you want both...but medjet is a key policy and relatively inexpensive. I believe we pay just over $400 a year (annual policy) for medjet, discounted through aarp.

This is one area where we want to be sure we're covered....I want to get back to a quality hospital in britain or the US as fast as possible if something happens. I don't want to spend weeks somewhere remote where there are language and perhaps medical problems.

I am unaffiliated with MedJet, but I try to spread the word to travelers because few seem to know about it.

Also I'd like to thank the supervisor I spoke with at United Airlines for being so helpful and understanding in rescheduling our flight home. I never want to go through this again!:mad:

Just curious as to whether the supervisor waived your change fee for the rescheduled flights?

good points....and I keep telling everyone to read the fine print. One area where there is intentional confusion in most policies is medical evacuation and repatriation....that is, your coverage getting to a foreign hospital and then getting back to your home/home hospital.

 

Most policies will pay to get you to a hospital that can treat your illness/medical problem...that is, if you need assistance off the coast of Turkey, they will pay the costs to get you to a hospital that can treat you. Now that's the first point of concern...who decides if that hospital can treat you correctly with the latest procedures/equipment? If the medical staff at the hospital says they can treat your problem, you are going to be treated at that hospital. Doesn't matter if you are aware of better treatment somewhere else!!! Now you are in that remote Turkish hospital and you need to stay in the hospital for a week or so, perhaps more for observation, treatment, etc. OK...now you are at catch number 2. You are stable enough to travel, but that hospital can or claims they can still treat you...their way. You know better and want to get to a leading hospital where they have the latest equipment. Who has to decide to move you (at great expense) to a hospital at home..or the mayo clinic, etc. Answer: the doctor at the remote hospital has to say it's medically necessary (but remember, they think their equipment/skill is adequate) and a clerk at the insurance company has to agree (to spend $100K+ of the insurance company's money) to fly you home with a nurse, etc. It isn't going to happen...and there are many stories when it didn't happen.

 

Enter Medjet Assist insurance which I have posted about a number of times because it is unique. (note: national geographic uses them for its remote photography crews around the world as do many other international companies). Why medjet assist....very simple....you decide that you (or your caregiver) decides that you want to be moved to a (specific) hospital in your home country for treatment and the only agreement needed is from the doctor in Turkey (in our example) that you are stable enough to fly (with a doctor/nurse if necessary). You are in control, not the insurance company trying to save money or the remote doctor who is proud of their older equipment.

 

If you think you have Medjet equivalent terms in your current travel insurance policy, I urge you to read it again. MedJet is pretty unique. Note though, medjet does not cover getting you from the ship to that first hospital that can handle your condition...that's part of your normal travel insurance and that's one reason you want both...but medjet is a key policy and relatively inexpensive. I believe we pay just over $400 a year (annual policy) for medjet, discounted through aarp.

 

This is one area where we want to be sure we're covered....I want to get back to a quality hospital in britain or the US as fast as possible if something happens. I don't want to spend weeks somewhere remote where there are language and perhaps medical problems.

 

I am unaffiliated with MedJet, but I try to spread the word to travelers because few seem to know about it.

Thank you for so clearly making this poin! I didn't have time earlier today to bring up this important issue when reading Terry's helpful post.

My family has had personal experience with MedJet Assist for an elderly relative's evacuation from Europe to Mass Gen'l Hospital. The policy WORKS exactly as you explained. They do not try to hide behind any hidden or questionable terms. No insurance clerk is making life & death decisions on your behalf. As long as you are more than 150 miles from home and are stable enough for medical transport they will get you to a medical facility OF YOUR CHOICE from the hospital that stabilized you. This is an annual policy and even covers you on domestic trips (as long as you are 150+ miles from home).

I agree that you still need to insure (or self-insure) the cost of getting you to the nearest hospital able to handle your condition.

 

Reactions and added thoughts?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Hi Terry,

Hope you have a great time 'down under' ! ! ! We did 32 days on Voyager from Sydney to Singapore (NZ, AUS, Thailand & Vietnam) last February and had a wonderful trip. We will be on Solstice for 28 days transpacific from Sydney to Vancouver in May 2015... looking forward to visiting Sydney Harbor again.

There is no doubt that Medical Coverage and Evacuation to proper facilities is one of the key reasons to purchase travel insurance (especially, if one is travelling in far away lands).

I also agree that reading the fine print on 'Trip Insurance Policies' is very important... however, tedious and complicated it can be. I am learning a lot from all the different postings as to 'expectations of coverage' and the 'reality of coverage', and mostly about 'cancel for any reason' policies.

It seems that the 'mechanical cancellation cost issue' is sort of covered by the cruise line if you are on board or if your upcoming cruise is cancelled. The problem seems to be all those associated 'pre-cruise & post-cruise plans' we make. How do we best cover those with 'travel insurance'? Should we consider using 'tour companies' that do not offer refunds if the cruise in cancelled? Should we risk 'non-refundable' airfare? Understanding how 'travel or trip insurance' covers those other expenses seems a key factor as to what travel insurance policy to purchase.

Anyone with travel insurance claim experiences on pre and post cruise plans?

Thank you :)

Just checked my Travel Guard policy for upcoming Solstice cruise - not covered for mechanical breakdown or cancellation by the cruise line:eek:

Got my fingers crossed that all goes as planned.

Need to get insurance for cruise in Feb- guess I'll be reading the fine print closely.

Just spoke to TID (Travel Insurance Direct). They will not cover if a cruise is cancelled due to mechanical issues. This is quite worrying. I'm booked on Millennium (Hawaii to Sydney) in November. If these mechanical issues are not sorted and the cruise does not go ahead, I will not be covered for loss of flights to Hawaii, car hire, accommodation and other additional expenses for my family of 5. A 100% cruise refund will be cold comfort for my trip of a lifetime being cancelled.

Did you also add coverage for your airfare, non-refundable hotels and private excursions? Insurance will only cover the cost of what you insure. For instance, if your cruise cost $2000pp and your air cost $1200pp and you only insure the cruise portion of $2000pp, your insurance is not going to reimburse you for the other expenses. They are not covering your cruise in this case because Celebrity is refunding your cruise cost.

A) It seems that CSA (at least the Luxe policy I purchased) specifically covers Millennium's type of cancellation due to mechanical breakdown.

I am glad that we use CSA most of the time, but for this next cruise to Alaska, we let the TA get our insurance. We have the cruise, hotel and flights covered. Hopefully, we would be reimbursed if something similar to the Millie incident happens to the Century.

Luv Cruises - let me know what you find out. Our TA insurance is with Allianz. :eek:

We are covered by CSA and when I called to launch a claim I specifically mentioned "mechanical breakdown" of the cruise ship and they didn't tell me that I wasn't covered. They emailed me the claim forms and we have 90 days to submit the claim.

We are waiting to finalize all possible refunds before we submit the claim.

We are covered by CSA and when I called to launch a claim I specifically mentioned "mechanical breakdown" of the cruise ship and they didn't tell me that I wasn't covered. They emailed me the claim forms and we have 90 days to submit the claim.

 

We are waiting to finalize all possible refunds before we submit the claim.

For reference, it would be valuable to know which of the CSA policy forms you have. I believe there are at least 2 or three levels of coverage (going from memory from prior shopping comparisons on InsureMyTrip dot com).

Jane

Howdy gang,

I am a Millenium casualty, having been booked to sail today out of Seward.

Very luckily, the news reached me here at home in Toronto late Tuesday, before I was scheduled to fly out early Thursday. On my own, before things got crazy (i.e. at 5:30 am on Wednesday), I made a replacement booking on Solstice leaving Seattle Sept 6. All it cost me was 3-4 hours on the phone.

I have been in constant contact with Celebrity Guest Relations, who I feel have been good and fair. They are using my Millenium fare to cover my Solstice fare, and have agreed to pay any air/hotel cancellation costs (probably $100 or less). In addition, they are giving me 50% of my Millenium fare as a credit againt my next (i.e.future) cruise. As a solo traveller, the consequences of my distruption were minimal.

But the whole episode did cause me to read my insurance policy this morning. It does appear to cover 24-hour delays by common carriers, and I would presume that Celebrity qualifies as a common carrier. I am not, however, a lawyer. It also DOES cover, specifically, bankruptcy. Thankfully, that is not the case here.

I think one must consider what insurance covers. It covers your monetary losses. As of this point, I have none, so I cannot claim against my insurance.

As another poster has rightly pointed out, there is no insurance against disruption, aggravation or frustration. This is something we must all learn to deal with in life. I'm not the first to say it, and I surely won't be the last:

If life hands you lemons, make lemonade!!!

Marc

Most insurance companies offer several levels of coverage. In addition, insurance companies will ask for your residence state, as the policy language may vary slightly by state.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption coverage is a "NAMED CAUSE OF LOSS" policy. For coverage to apply, the cause of loss must be listed in the insuring agreement.

The Travelguard Platinum & Gold plans include loss as a result of mechanical/equipment failure......that causes complete cessation.....and results in 50%.....of the trip length (read in entirety below).

Here are the NAMED CAUSES OF LOSS in the Travel Guard GOLD policy that we bought for our 9/13/13 Millennium cruise

The policy was purchased with

Departure date 09/11/2013

Return date 09/22/2013

Trip deposit date 06/25/2013

These dates included our airline travel dates and our Vancouver pre-cruise hotel stay. The policy limit was based on the total amount paid prior to the deposit date, including the prepaid cruise, air and hotel deposits (all 100% -air & hotel non refundable)

I have submitted the written claim form making a claim for the air fare & hotel (don't accept a denial over the phone, submit the written claim and ask for their response in writing)

As a comparison, here is the Travel Guard Silver policy insuring agreement that is silent to mechanical/equipment failure, so there would be no coverage if you chose the Silver policy from Travel Guard.

These are excepts from the policies, there are other provisions and exclusions.

I expect my claim for our non-refundable hotel & air to be paid. The cost of the cruise would not be covered due to the exclusion for no benefit for when the cruise line cancels (Celebrity is responsible for reimbursement of that amount)

Posts without specific details, identifying the specific policy form purchased, are of little help here.

If the claimed travel events and deposits are not within the policy dates they would not be covered. It would be possible to buy a policy that included the mechanical/equipment failure language, but with only the 9/13/13 to 9/22/13 dates (the cruise dates) and the air, pre & post cruise hotel would not be covered because the dates were not proper. This happens when you buy the policy from a "cruise only" vendor and book the hotel and air separately. Obviously a good travel agent could handle the whole thing properly. But many of us "Do it yourself". Fine, if you know what you are doing.

Unfortunately, the travel insurance comparison sites do a very limited, and in my opinion, poor job of comparing the NAMED CAUSES OF LOSS between the policies that are offered. Most emphasize the comparison of the policy limits, which is also important.

Hope that this might help current Millennium folks, and future travelers.

Steve

Just checked my Travel Guard policy for upcoming Solstice cruise - not covered for mechanical breakdown or cancellation by the cruise line:eek:

 

Got my fingers crossed that all goes as planned.

 

Need to get insurance for cruise in Feb- guess I'll be reading the fine print closely.

For reference, it would be valuable to know which of the CSA policy forms you have. I believe there are at least 2 or three levels of coverage (going from memory from prior shopping comparisons on InsureMyTrip dot com).

Jane

We book the CSA LUXE because it covers pre-existing conditions.

We book the CSA LUXE because it covers pre-existing conditions.

do you really have a pre-existing condition AS DEFINED IN THE TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY? For most, the answer is NO!!! Read the definition in your policy......

We book the CSA LUXE because it covers pre-existing conditions.

do you really have a pre-existing condition AS DEFINED IN THE TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY? For most, the answer is NO!!! Read the definition in your policy......

For example...if you wear a pacemaker and want to insure against a possible heart problem on the ship...do you have a pre-existing condition. In most policies, if you have not visited your doctor because of a problem with your pacemaker heart in the six months prior to the purchase of the insurance...and you have had no change in your medications for the same 60 days....you actually don't have a pre-existing condition AS FAR AS THE POLICY IS CONCERNED.

Remember, they use their definition of pre-existing...not yours.