No Travel Insurance, Cruise is in 3 weeks and just got bad news today.....

[winddawn]

Hoping someone can give me some advice.... I booked a cruise awhile back that leaves in 3 weeks and did not purchase Travel Insurance (bought 3 times in the past, didn't use and thought I wouldn't need it this time either). Well, just found out today that my father has throat cancer. Hope to find out Thursday how far along it is. Right now, just trying to think ahead.

Do you know if something was to happen and he has surgery etc and we're not able to make the cruise.... will Carnival maybe give us a credit for the cost of the cruise, to use on a future cruise or without the insurance, will we just be out the money?

Any help or suggestions, will be very much appreciated!

Sincerely,

Jennifer

I'm really sorry to hear about your dad. My prayers are with you for the best possible outcome.

 

I have had something come up before and was able to cancel and get a future cruise credit minus a change fee. I think Carnival stipulated that the credit had to be used within 2 years. So you might see if that is an option that will work for you. It may depend on what type of fare you booked too. Each fare type has its own rules.

 

http://www.carnival.com/legal/specials-terms-conditions.aspx

[elainmir]

Sending healing prayers to your dad:)

[SMSACE6]

OP, first and most, I hope that your father's condition does improve soon. I too send prayers and comfort your way. I have two ageing parents at home and I have had to cancel two cruises, one in 2012 and another in 2013, due to their illnesses and surgeries. But things look good this year, and once again I am hoping to cruise in November this year.

 

As far as insureance goes. I never used to buy it, never even thought about it, and now I do. But we each have our reasons for buying it or not.

 

It looks like someone at Carnival is listening and trying to do their best for you, so please try to disregard the unpleasant responses if you can. Cruise critic is like life in general, there are nice people and some not so nice.

 

Whether one agrees with you, or not, and think you made a bad decision about not buying insurance...there are ways to deliver that opinion, and then there are some who dont care about being gentle with someone who is dealing with a painful family health situation. So again try not to focus on those blunt responses.

 

Best wishes to you and your father. Please let us know how it all works out.

[cruising_diva]

Just an FYI for anyone, that in the future may be in the same nightmare that I'm in right now. I called Carnival back and because I am not less than 15 days away from the sailing date. I was able to purchase Travel Insurance and if I have to cancel, I have until the day before sailing date to cancel and will get 100 percent of my money back. I explained everything to them and would still be covered. The insurance was $219.00 total for hubby and I. Because we booked under the "kids sail free", there was not a charge for them! Yay! I highly recommend the Travel Insurance because your life can change in a matter of days.... Mine did and it's not worth the stress I'm having today! Thank You to everyone who welcomed prayers, so appreciate it! Thanks again!

 

THAT is useful information! :) $219 to save probably thousands on a cruise?! That's a no-brainer! Thanks for sharing!

 

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[faithmp5]

Sorry to hear about your Dad. I had a situation come up about 3 weeks before my last cruise this past May and was able to purchase cancel for any reason insurance. Ended up not needing but was thankful I had it in case. I do not have access to my email right now but if u want the name of the company I got it through let me know and I can get it to you tomorrow.

 

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[b_cruise]

Im not certain, but if you paid for the full cruise with a visa or master card, double check the insurance on it. If you pay a fee on the card yearly, you will have some sort of coverage. My son lost his luggage, and master card reimbursed the whole amount because the flight was booked through them. Not sure how cancel works but its worth a try.

 

OP that is great you got the coverage, and I am sorry about your Dad.

[happy cruzin]

Just an FYI for anyone, that in the future may be in the same nightmare that I'm in right now. I called Carnival back and because I am not less than 15 days away from the sailing date. I was able to purchase Travel Insurance and if I have to cancel, I have until the day before sailing date to cancel and will get 100 percent of my money back. I explained everything to them and would still be covered. The insurance was $219.00 total for hubby and I. Because we booked under the "kids sail free", there was not a charge for them! Yay! I highly recommend the Travel Insurance because your life can change in a matter of days.... Mine did and it's not worth the stress I'm having today! Thank You to everyone who welcomed prayers, so appreciate it! Thanks again!

 

Huh, interesting...and good to know!

Who knew this was an option! I always thought it would go back to the "diagnosis date" as the determination date. If it was before the insurance was purchased that it would not be covered - but covered if it occurred after the insurance was purchased. Since this is an option I'm really surprised we haven't heard more about it being used!

OP - very glad it worked out for you! Best of luck to your Dad.

[montekat]

You beat me to it. I buy travel insurance for just this reason. A medical emergency could be a financial catastrophe when on a cruise.

 

I can tell you from personal experience what a catastrophe it could be. Thank goodness for insurance--my SIL fell on a cruise, breaking her hip, and spent 2 1/2 weeks in a hospital in Bayonne, NJ. Total cost for the hospital, surgery, etc. was over $287,000. Yes, you read that right! Bayonne Medical Center is a privately owned hospital and is the MOST expensive hospital in the US. A semi-pvt. room was $18,000/day. If she didn't have insurance, she could have lost everything. Her private insurance paid almost all of what the travel ins. didn't.

[klfrodo]

Huh, interesting...and good to know!

Who knew this was an option! I always thought it would go back to the "diagnosis date" as the determination date. If it was before the insurance was purchased that it would not be covered - but covered if it occurred after the insurance was purchased. Since this is an option I'm really surprised we haven't heard more about it being used!

OP - very glad it worked out for you! Best of luck to your Dad.

 

I'm hoping that the OP won't have to find out.

 

However, everything I've read and know about insurance is that you are correct.

If OP has to use the Cancel For Any Reason rider of the insurance policy, OP will find that they must cancel within 48 hours of trip departure AND they are only going to be issued a credit for a future cruise for 75% credit.

 

What is in writing in the policy overrides anything that may have been perceived in a phone call.

[Purvis1231]

I have been in the same boat with your father, I made thank God and the wonderful doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center.

[jsfromsc]

OP, I'm glad you were able to get insurance. Hoping and praying that your dad recovers and you will not have to cancel your vacation. Best of luck to you.

[Boof80]

OP I would caution you to thoroughly read the insurance terms and conditions and not to rely on the word of a sales rep. My wife was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer after we booked our cruise. Luckily we had taken out the insurance prior to the diagnosis so we are covered. We did have to provide documentation from her doctors to verify that the diagnosis had occurred after we had purchased travel insurance. If her cancer had been diagnosed before purchasing the policy then she would not have been covered for anything they could tie to the cancer.

I would double check that what you were told was correct. Because the diagnosis date matters in the insurance world.

[dolphin2012]

Sorry to hear about your dad. Being a cancer survivor myself i know that the drs. will make a plan for your recovery and it can change alot. I wanted my family to continue with their lives and keep life as normal as possible. Even if he goes thru surgery it may be awhile before chemo or radiation would start. Your family may need more help later during treatments than during the beginning stages. I think it will work out for you and i know iw ould want my daughter to go. My daughters were in college and missed my surgeries sometimes but they always were there for me for other days.. I hope it works out for you and your dad.

[Tara Jane]

Boof80 I was in a similar situation to you, booked flights and some accommodation for a 6 wk European trip. I purchased travel insurance the same day. Weeks later I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and still had a major fight with the insurance company which was southern cross, an aussie/nz company. They claimed it was pre exisiting, of course I guess it had been silently growing for a little while. I had no signs of the cancer when I booked the holiday, and fighting over cancellation insurance was not what I needed to be doing when I was fighting for my life. All good now, won the insurance battle thanks to my wonderful GP and got the European trip just had to delay for a year.

[Pine Bluff]

Just an FYI for anyone, that in the future may be in the same nightmare that I'm in right now. I called Carnival back and because I am not less than 15 days away from the sailing date. I was able to purchase Travel Insurance and if I have to cancel, I have until the day before sailing date to cancel and will get 100 percent of my money back. I explained everything to them and would still be covered. The insurance was $219.00 total for hubby and I. Because we booked under the "kids sail free", there was not a charge for them! Yay! I highly recommend the Travel Insurance because your life can change in a matter of days.... Mine did and it's not worth the stress I'm having today! Thank You to everyone who welcomed prayers, so appreciate it! Thanks again!

 

I would have someone scrutinize that policy. You have someone with a pre diagnosed illness that may void the policy. Sounds too good to be true, yet those type policies do exist. You just have to make sure you have the right one.

 

I also hope you did not buy the insurance that Carnival offers. You must always go third party.

[RuthlessBoss]

I would have someone scrutinize that policy. You have someone with a pre diagnosed illness that may void the policy. Sounds too good to be true, yet those type policies do exist. You just have to make sure you have the right one.

 

I also hope you did not buy the insurance that Carnival offers. You must always go third party.

 

I thought the same thing about the insurance as it relates to health issues because of the timing of the purchase of it. It may not have been questionable if it had been purchased at time of booking the cruise.

[ibcnusoon]

Carnival's policy, according to a rep, covers pre-existing medical condition AFTER diagnosis?

 

That does NOT sound right, I would definately look closely at that policy, otherwise this will be a first.

 

There are SOME policies out there that will cover pre-existing conditions, I believe CSA is one of them, but you will pay a little more. My Dad was hospitalized within the 2 week period after I booked a cruise so I had to wait until he was released from the hospital before purchasing insurance. He was finally cleared to cruise (even though our cruise was 6 months away) and because we missed the 15-21 days after initial payment for insurance to cover him, I had to purchase insurance from CSA.

 

OP, call and speak to someone at insuremytrip.com - they will steer you in the right direction. Carnival tries to pull a fast one and get you to buy THEIR insurance but it is not as good as private insurance and it's A LOT cheaper.

 

By the way, with private insurance kids are free with a paying adult so don't buy that Carnival did you any favors in giving your kids "free" insurance.

 

Good luck with Dad!!

[tandtmk04]

Good Morning! After reviewing the policy this morning (my work email is where Carnival sends emails to) I have a few questions about the policy that I purchased, so I will be contacting them this morning. I was assured by not one but two Carnival Employees that this policy would cover an illness that a family member already has at the time of purchase. One even said " we have customers whos loved ones are in hospital at the time of purchase, take a turn for the worse and are able to use the insurance". But, that's not what I'm reading in the policy that I received.

I will update as soon as I get some more answers on this.

Thanks again to those of you offering kind words, prayers and great advice.

 

[SunshineCruiser24]

I'm sorry to hear about your father's diagnosis and hope everything works out for you and you're able to take your cruise.

[Tara Jane]

It seems USA is much more generous in regard to pre existing conditions than Australia. I have never heard of the "purchase insurance within 2 weeks of purchase of the cruise and you are automatically covered for any pre exisiting conditions", boy how I wish I lived in the usa for that one.

If any aussies happen to know of a similar thing available to us please post.

thanks

[michaelandjoanne]

If you paid by credit card you may have purchase insurance you are not aware of. A lot of cards come with these extras. I would call and check.

 

 

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[jimbo5544]

If you paid by credit card you may have purchase insurance you are not aware of. A lot of cards come with these extras. I would call and check.

 

 

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Good point.

[Elaine5715]

It seems USA is much more generous in regard to pre existing conditions than Australia. I have never heard of the "purchase insurance within 2 weeks of purchase of the cruise and you are automatically covered for any pre exisiting conditions", boy how I wish I lived in the usa for that one.

If any aussies happen to know of a similar thing available to us please post.

thanks

 

I don't think this unicorn exists here either.

[tandtmk04]

OK... Just spoke to the 3rd Carnival Employee, this time "Dave" was in the Insurance Department (Called the number on the policy). What he said is "the Pre Existing Condition ONLY pertains to the people that are actually going on the cruise... He put it as if, I was the one that was told I have cancer, then purchased the Insurance the next day, that it would be looked at as "Pre Existing Condition".... but, "non crusiers, immediate family member and a few others does not have that provision and would be covered, even if it was due to a condition that they had before purchasing the insurance and that it would be covered if the traveler had to cancel".

 

Hopefully I will not have to use this Insurance but, if I do, I hope that ALL 3 Carnival Employees told me the correct information, they all told me the same thing... "That I would be covered, if I had to cancel due to my father's illness, even though it was Pre Existing... due to being a someone not actually booked on the cruise".

Fingers Crossed! I will not be stressing about this in the future because I will buy the insurance for now on! :)

*** As far as the Credit Card reply.... I wondered about that myself and will check on it. I paid it off with a Carnival Credit Card. **** Thanks!

[RuthlessBoss]

Good news for you and informative for us:)