NCL Slammed in Washington Post Column for Poor Customer Service

[sparks1093]

Major medical insurance is something many people need or should get.

 

Trip interruption/cancellation insurance is really not such a good deal. You are not insuring the money lost, but insuring the good time you hope to have. After all, you have already spent the money. Money that you apparently can afford.

 

In fact, not going on a paid for cruise for most people will SAVE them money. Drinks, tours, daily service fee, photos, dinners, gifts, parking, etc.

 

No, I am not insuring the good time I hope to have. Just because I spent the money and can afford to spend the money doesn't mean that I want to throw that money away on nothing. While trip cancellation isn't my main motivator for buying trip insurance it is nice knowing that if something happens I will receive the money that I paid back in order to allow me to schedule another vacation.

[Warm Breezes]

No, I am not insuring the good time I hope to have. Just because I spent the money and can afford to spend the money doesn't mean that I want to throw that money away on nothing. While trip cancellation isn't my main motivator for buying trip insurance it is nice knowing that if something happens I will receive the money that I paid back in order to allow me to schedule another vacation.

 

Exactly...

[triptolemus]

Major medical insurance is something many people need or should get.

 

Trip interruption/cancellation insurance is really not such a good deal. You are not insuring the money lost, but insuring the good time you hope to have. After all, you have already spent the money. Money that you apparently can afford.

 

In fact, not going on a paid for cruise for most people will SAVE them money. Drinks, tours, daily service fee, photos, dinners, gifts, parking, etc.

 

How silly.

 

Then why are we here at all? We should just hide our money in a mattress and sit on the couch waiting to die?

 

Let me give you an alternative viewpoint. I don't have children. I don't have extended family. Way I see it, if I don't leave this planet IN DEBT to more than a few credit card companies then I've done something wrong...

 

You know what else? I am insuring the good time I hope to have. How's that grab ya? Would you like to tell me again how foolish I am?

[Turtles06]

Trip interruption/cancellation insurance is really not such a good deal. You are not insuring the money lost, but insuring the good time you hope to have. After all, you have already spent the money. Money that you apparently can afford.

 

 

I assume this is a joke.

 

Because being able to afford to spend money on a trip is not the same as spending that money and not getting to take that trip. That's called losing the money entirely and having nothing to show for it. And it would effectively mean having to pay double to take that trip at another time. At twice the price, I doubt most folks would call that trip "affordable."

 

So you are joking, right?

[Starry Eyes]

How silly.

 

Then why are we here at all? We should just hide our money in a mattress and sit on the couch waiting to die?

 

Let me give you an alternative viewpoint. I don't have children. I don't have extended family. Way I see it, if I don't leave this planet IN DEBT to more than a few credit card companies then I've done something wrong...

 

You know what else? I am insuring the good time I hope to have. How's that grab ya? Would you like to tell me again how foolish I am?

Somebody opined that trip cancellation insurance may not be a good deal, but did anybody call you foolish for buying it? Most insurance threads go the other way, with those declining coverage called foolish. Neither of those flat statements will come from me.

 

I do not think you are foolish to buy cancellation insurance if that is your preference.

 

I do not think it is foolish for another person to decline cancellation insurance and chose to bear the potential loss of the trip funds. Not "silly" in my book, but everybody sees things differently.

 

Personally, I think everybody should think about medical and evacuation coverage. Some already have enough coverage for their comfort. Others will buy travel medical coverage, and some will wing it without coverage. Their choice; no name calling from me.

 

What seems wrong, even foolhardy to me: Declining insurance coverage, then, upon encountering a situation where travel insurance would have helped, whining, complaining, going to reporters, or slamming corporations rather than taking personal responsibility for personal choices.

[Starry Eyes]

I assume this is a joke.

 

Because being able to afford to spend money on a trip is not the same as spending that money and not getting to take that trip. That's called losing the money entirely and having nothing to show for it. And it would effectively mean having to pay double to take that trip at another time. At twice the price, I doubt most folks would call that trip "affordable."

 

So you are joking, right?

At this point I could indeed afford to pay for any of my trips twice. I'll be bummed if it happens, but over the years I have saved premiums on trip after trip after trip (yeah, travel a lot), so I'll still be ahead if a trip must be cancelled.

 

If I lost a loved one the day before leaving for my upcoming trip, I'd be devasted by the loss of a beloved person, not by the loss of the joy of the trip, not by the loss of the money. In fact, I'd be rather glad I got word before I departed for the trio. I'd hate to fly all the way to Copenhagen, settle into a precruise hotel or even settle onto the ship, then learn of the sudden loss. Then I'd have not only the grief, but also the stress of being far away, of making plans to get home, of worrying that family at home needs me sooner than I can arrive. Still, the money would not be the biggest issue; it would be grief and stress and fatigue. My annual mnedical policy would pitch in toward the cost of trip interruptions, yet I'd still rather hear before I leave home.

 

We all have our own points of view. Yours fits your circumstances. My circumstances and view are different. Neither is a joke.

[Turtles06]

At this point I could indeed afford to pay for any of my trips twice. I'll be bummed if it happens, but over the years I have saved premiums on trip after trip after trip (yeah, travel a lot), so I'll still be ahead if a trip must be cancelled.

 

If I lost a loved one the day before leaving for my upcoming trip, I'd be devasted by the loss of a beloved person, not by the loss of the joy of the trip, not by the loss of the money. In fact, I'd be rather glad I got word before I departed for the trio. I'd hate to fly all the way to Copenhagen, settle into a precruise hotel or even settle onto the ship, then learn of the sudden loss. Then I'd have not only the grief, but also the stress of being far away, of making plans to get home, of worrying that family at home needs me sooner than I can arrive. Still, the money would not be the biggest issue; it would be grief and stress and fatigue. My annual mnedical policy would pitch in toward the cost of trip interruptions, yet I'd still rather hear before I leave home.

 

We all have our own points of view. Yours fits your circumstances. My circumstances and view are different. Neither is a joke.

 

I wasn't replying to a comment by you or talking to you, but I am indeed very happy for your life circumstances that you can afford to pay for your trips twice. The poster was claiming that travel insurance wasn't insuring an expenditure of money but a good time. It's hard to take that very seriously.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Turtles06

[rajjohnson]

We have taken many vacations over the 30+ years of our married life. At first, we did NOT purchase travel insurance - no need really - we had medical insurance and were not terribly worried about "emergencies" back home. Now as we, and our parents, have aged, for the last 2 cruises we HAVE purchased the insurance. Two of our parents are quite ill and if we had to come back because one of them passes, we need to know that we have the means to do so. We would not want to lose the cost of our vacation, but that isn't the real reason. We have peace of mind knowing that if something happens at home, or to one of us on the trip, we have some coverage to help us. We don't look at it as a way to guarantee we have a good time on our trip, just that if something happens, it will be a little easier to handle. And it is disgusting that people who choose not to purchase the coverage then slam the cruise lines because they have an emergency and the cruise line won't "give in" to their demands - you gamble and lose - it's NOT someone else's fault. Take responsibility for yourself.

Edited August 13, 2014 by rajjohnson

[Malamel]

If I make a big purchase like a cruise and there's insurance offered, I'm definitely going to protect my investment.

 

I worked in retail (customer service) and we'd have people refuse the warranty/accidental damage insurance and then bring their smashed ipad and scream that it's our responsibility to replace it. And in this world of entitlement we live in, they'd usually get what they want. Which makes it unfair for those who do pay for the insurance.

 

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[luv2cruisekc]

Without insurance you take your chances. We always buy insurance now but when younger never bought it. The cruise lines all offer insurance, take it or leave it.

[Starry Eyes]

I wasn't replying to a comment by you or talking to you, but I am indeed very happy for your life circumstances that you can afford to pay for your trips twice. The poster was claiming that travel insurance wasn't insuring an expenditure of money but a good time. It's hard to take that very seriously.

Pardon me if I was butting in inappropriately; I know you were not replying to me specifically. Still, I do not think that other poster view is a joke. Interesting how differently people can look at expenditures, risks and rewards. Some people may buy the insurance more for the peace of mind than for for the actual cash.

Use as an example my relatives who are in solid financial shape who make divergent choices. One will select high deductable, high limit auto and homeowner's policies, covering smaller stuff out of pocket if needed with strong coverage against catastrophic loss. Another selects a very low deductables for such insurance; he says if he is going to pay for insurance, it is going to cover even the little stuff. Though he could afford it, he'd be ticked to have to pay such stuff out of pocket. He pays more to insure his happiness when something negative occurs. I love them both; neither is joking. When I was a young adult, I listened to both of the these arguements and I have long since formed my own opinions. My opinion does not devalue either of theirs.

[huneymoonerz]

I got a credit from Carnival when my mom died.

[bplazo]

It is simple, choose not to buy insurance but do not start crying when you need it.

Edited August 13, 2014 by bplazo

[sjbdtz]

I got a credit from Carnival when my mom died.

 

Did you have a cruise booked with them, or did they just ring you up & offer you money?

 

 

 

.

[PoppyandNana]

Major medical insurance is something many people need or should get.

 

Trip interruption/cancellation insurance is really not such a good deal. You are not insuring the money lost, but insuring the good time you hope to have. After all, you have already spent the money. Money that you apparently can afford.

 

In fact, not going on a paid for cruise for most people will SAVE them money. Drinks, tours, daily service fee, photos, dinners, gifts, parking, etc.

 

Got a good laugh here. Your satirical skills are obviously well honed. We never take insurance too. Hey, if I spend $8000 on a cruise and I have to cancel inside the 100% window what's another 8 grand to rebook the cruise? The $400 I saved on not buying insurance gave us a great weekend in Vegas. Us rich folk need to stick together ya know?

[AAAAmerican]

Dear GradUT,

 

Thank you for showing that.

 

On a personal level we were on a Ship R/T in Town, NYC, NY.

 

My FIL got severly ill . I did buy the policies of Insurance for them ( MIL/FIL) and us. I did my due dilly. When he got ill and was in sick bay . I called the Insurance firm by SAT. Phone. They said they would have an ambulance ready to transport him over the North and Hudson River in New Jersey where our Doctors have privlages and practice medicine. Yes Medicine is a practice. <ow and behold we arrive at Port and the staff and crew were fabulous. The Agent was a loquacious palaverer, thats a nicer word eh.. well my FIL had to be taken to St. Lukes / Roosevelt which is the closest. But the Doctors tehre misdiagnosed my FIL in many things.. Well they thought he was passing after everyday we had to commute into town and they said he was too weak to transport.. But finally they moved him by ambu carrier to New Jersey and did not have the proper equipment as well ran out of O2 too! Luckily the location had more O2 and we settled him in at a hospital. Our doctor wrote the NY Doctoprs who severely misdiagnosed the problems at St Lukes/Roosevelt. Our Doctor, she correctly diagnosed the problems quickly, accurately, and saved my FIL life!

 

The insurance was a joke as they did not live up to what they promised. They sent him to a ..let me call it a Quack Rack.. not a few miles to where this Doctor practiced and stll does.

 

What is more vital than any insurance firm is the knowledge known as well equipment even basic O2 tanks and qualified medical professionals trained.

 

Customer Service in the highest degree!!

 

 

Here is a link to a column published in today's Washington Post. It is written by travel consumer advocate Christopher Elliott and relates the poor customer service exhibited by NCL to two families who lost a family member (one lost their 25-year-old son).

 

Yes, people should know that cruise line rules are stringent about cancellations and that they should purchase travel insurance. Nevertheless, it appears that other cruise lines, namely Royal Caribbean and Carnival, show compassion to people who have lost a family member shortly before sailing and Elliott argues that more should do so.

 

I am passing this link on just for information--no flames, please.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/some-cruise-lines-take-a-hard-stance-on-refunds-even-when-a-relative-dies/2014/08/07/97a733a0-143e-11e4-98ee-daea85133bc9_story.html

[pokerpro5]

I love how certain people here make statements like, "Trip interruption insurance is a good deal because I had to use it once and saved $8000."

 

That's not a good deal. It means your specific circumstance aligned to where it benefited you. Same way I could play a game with you where we flip a coin and you get $50 if it's heads, while I get $100 if it lands tails. You could flip 5 times with me and luckily come out ahead. But it would still be a horrible deal and you would be playing at a huge disadvantage.

 

That's what trip interruption insurance is. You're paying WAY too much for it. If you "lucked" into getting value out of it, then great for you. But that's not the typical case. The trip interruption insurance industry makes huge money from paranoid travelers who will pay "just a few hundred" and rationalize that it might save them thousands, ignoring the fact that the chance of needing it is so small that the value is absolutely terrible. And unlike other forms of insurance (health, auto), the loss of your trip money will not be catastrophic in your life, unlike getting a $500,000 health care bill.

 

garycarla actually put it best when he said, "You're not insuring the money on your trip. You're insuring your good time, because you are planning to come home without that money anyway."

 

Exactly.

 

If you can afford to take a trip, you don't need to insure it. Insurance is for unexpected events in your life that you can't afford, such as a huge hospital bill or a big liability claim as a result of a car accident where you're at fault.

 

At the same time, nobody should complain if they choose NOT to take insurance and then lose their trip money in the event something prevents them from being able to make it.

 

I complain about a lot of things here, but you will never see me complaining if I can't make a planned cruise and have to give up the money I spent. I know the risks, and I am playing the odds, and those odds are in my favor not to insure. It's the same reason I don't complain when I have a losing day at the poker tables.

[Warm Breezes]

I love how certain people here make statements like, "Trip interruption insurance is a good deal because I had to use it once and saved $8000."

 

That's not a good deal. It means your specific circumstance aligned to where it benefited you. Same way I could play a game with you where we flip a coin and you get $50 if it's heads, while I get $100 if it lands tails. You could flip 5 times with me and luckily come out ahead. But it would still be a horrible deal and you would be playing at a huge disadvantage.

 

That's what trip interruption insurance is. You're paying WAY too much for it. If you "lucked" into getting value out of it, then great for you. But that's not the typical case. The trip interruption insurance industry makes huge money from paranoid travelers who will pay "just a few hundred" and rationalize that it might save them thousands, ignoring the fact that the chance of needing it is so small that the value is absolutely terrible. And unlike other forms of insurance (health, auto), the loss of your trip money will not be catastrophic in your life, unlike getting a $500,000 health care bill.

 

garycarla actually put it best when he said, "You're not insuring the money on your trip. You're insuring your good time, because you are planning to come home without that money anyway."

 

Exactly.

 

If you can afford to take a trip, you don't need to insure it. Insurance is for unexpected events in your life that you can't afford, such as a huge hospital bill or a big liability claim as a result of a car accident where you're at fault.

 

At the same time, nobody should complain if they choose NOT to take insurance and then lose their trip money in the event something prevents them from being able to make it.

 

I complain about a lot of things here, but you will never see me complaining if I can't make a planned cruise and have to give up the money I spent. I know the risks, and I am playing the odds, and those odds are in my favor not to insure. It's the same reason I don't complain when I have a losing day at the poker tables.

 

Here's the thing. When I purchase travel insurance, it includes not only travel cancellation/interruption, it also includes medical and medical evacuation that is not covered by my health plan. I just looked at insure my trip where I normally book through. All of their plans offerred for a trip I am looking to book are comprehensive and include both. They don't even have a policy that is travel cancellation/interruption only nor is there one that does not have travel cancellation/interruption in it. I would get the insurance for the medical and medical evaction because I do have heart related issues that are covered when I get the insurance immediately after booking. It is a bonus to me that it includes the trip cancellation because we have used it. It is a good deal to me.

[pokerpro5]

Here's the thing. When I purchase travel insurance, it includes not only travel cancellation/interruption, it also includes medical and medical evacuation that is not covered by my health plan. I just looked at insure my trip where I normally book through. All of their plans offerred for a trip I am looking to book are comprehensive and include both. They don't even have a policy that is travel cancellation/interruption only nor is there one that does not have travel cancellation/interruption in it. I would get the insurance for the medical and medical evaction because I do have heart related issues that are covered when I get the insurance immediately after booking. It is a bonus to me that it includes the trip cancellation because we have used it. It is a good deal to me.

 

You need to look at different companies, then.

 

You can probably get cheaper medical/evac insurance with the same coverage from other companies that don't cover trip interruption.

 

If you truly are finding that the cheapest medical/evac insurance also happens to cover trip interruption, then I guess you've gotten something extra for nothing. But I bet you can find a better deal if you get insurance that only covers what you really need.

[pieshops]

 

If you can afford to take a trip, you don't need to insure it. Insurance is for unexpected events in your life that you can't afford, such as a huge hospital bill or a big liability claim as a result of a car accident where you're at fault.

 

.

 

This is the dumbest statement i have ever heard. So I have spent approx 3,000 over the past 20 years on insurance for trips, I have had to cancel twice and between the 2, I received about 30,000 back from the trips.

 

I own a small catering business and work my ass off 100 hours a week to afford a nice vacation every year with my family. Being able to recoup that money means I can reschedule the vacation and not just not go at all and have to wait until next year to save up again.

 

I can afford the vacation but I am not stupid enough to lose 15,000 and just chalk it up to oh well hey I could afford it so who cares if I lose it, just dumb

[nana541]

Here's the thing. When I purchase travel insurance, it includes not only travel cancellation/interruption, it also includes medical and medical evacuation that is not covered by my health plan. I just looked at insure my trip where I normally book through. All of their plans offerred for a trip I am looking to book are comprehensive and include both. They don't even have a policy that is travel cancellation/interruption only nor is there one that does not have travel cancellation/interruption in it. I would get the insurance for the medical and medical evaction because I do have heart related issues that are covered when I get the insurance immediately after booking. It is a bonus to me that it includes the trip cancellation because we have used it. It is a good deal to me.

 

 

Thank you! It's not just about Trip Interruption.... In fact that's usually one of the last of my concerns!

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[pokerpro5]

This is the dumbest statement i have ever heard. So I have spent approx 3,000 over the past 20 years on insurance for trips, I have had to cancel twice and between the 2, I received about 30,000 back from the trips.

 

I own a small catering business and work my ass off 100 hours a week to afford a nice vacation every year with my family. Being able to recoup that money means I can reschedule the vacation and not just not go at all and have to wait until next year to save up again.

 

I can afford the vacation but I am not stupid enough to lose 15,000 and just chalk it up to oh well hey I could afford it so who cares if I lose it, just dumb

 

If you can afford $15,000 trips taken multiple times over a 20-year period, then yes, you can definitely afford to chalk up a fluke cancellation to a loss.

 

You keep crowing about what a good deal trip insurance is because you had to use it twice for two expensive trips.

 

If trip interruption insurance is such a good deal, how do the companies offering it make money? How are they paying such large commissions to their salespeople? Are they simply a charity to help hardworking folks like you?

 

No.

 

They have a huge profit margin, and for every "OMG it saved me sooooo much money" story like yours, there are 50 other stories of people who bought it and never used it.

 

What if the premiums were double? Triple? Quadruple? Would you still buy it? At what point would you deem it "too expensive"?

 

My point is that it's already WAY too expensive for the average value each consumer gets from it, and feelgood stories like yours only serve to scare people into feeling it's a necessity.

 

Note that I am NOT referring to foreign medical insurance, which I agree is a good thing to have if you are abroad and your home country insurance does not cover you abroad.

 

But trip interruption insurance is the worst kind of insurance -- it's something you buy at VERY poor value, and you're not even insuring against a catastrophic loss.

 

If you want to say, "Hey, it's my money, and I feel good having trip interruption insurance, even if it's a terrible value", then that's fine. You can spend your money how you wish. However, you simply cannot claim it's a good value, just because you personally were able to benefit from it in a highly atypical situation.

[pokerpro5]

So now you are telling me what I can and can not afford? I did not realize you were my accountant.

 

If i need to cancel my trip I am still going to reschedule it and go again, so my 15,000 trip then becomes a 30,000 trip? That makes no sense at all.

 

All insurance companies make a ridiculous profit margin, they plan on you not using it, I am pretty sure everyone knows that, they are in business to make money and I have no problem with that.

 

I am not sure how much I would pay if rates were raised, I do know 300 dollars on a 15,000 investment is a very good deal and I think the majority agree

 

How is it a "good investment" if your concede that the insurance companies are making huge money overall on your "investment"?

 

You are incorrect that all insurance companies make a ridiculous profit margin. Some forms of insurance have a gigantic profit margin (trip interruption insurance is one), while others (health, auto, and various others) are highly competitive and operate on a relatively small profit margin. That is, they still make plenty of money, but the percentage of premiums paid back into claims is MUCH higher.

 

Trip interruption salespeople are paid HUGE commissions (even by insurance standards) because the profit margin is so huge.

 

Again, you are welcome to spend your money how you wish, but you shouldn't fool yourself and others into thinking you are getting a great deal.

 

When I go to the movie theater, I might buy a $6 tub of popcorn that I know costs the theater a few pennies to make. I will probably enjoy this popcorn during the movie and be glad I bought it when I walk out of the theater. However, I will never fool myself into believing I got some kind of great deal on it. I will know that I paid a huge markup like a sucker, but my enjoyment of the popcorn would be worth it to me.

 

So in this case, perhaps your peace of mind was worth the purchase. But you still got a horrible deal. And the fact that you lucked into redeeming it twice doesn't change that.

 

Why do I care about this?

 

Because I keep seeing these threads about bad press against NCL for refusing to refund people with "tragic" last minute cancellations, and I actually agree with NCL, as do most of us here.

 

However, many are making this about trip cancellation insurance, and are trying to provide the lesson that we should all learn from this to buy trip cancellation insurance. And that's not the right message.

 

The right message is that you need to understand the risks before booking travel, and if you are uncomfortable with those risks, only then buy the (otherwise poor value) insurance. And if you don't buy the insurance, then you don't whine if it doesn't work out your way.

 

BTW, in my specific situation, I have canceled ZERO major or semi-major trips in my lifetime, and never spent a penny on trip cancellation insurance. So I'm way ahead, too, AND I played the right odds.

[rochelle_s]

 

You are incorrect that all insurance companies make a ridiculous profit margin. Some forms of insurance have a gigantic profit margin (trip interruption insurance is one), while others (health, auto, and various others) are highly competitive and operate on a relatively small profit margin. That is, they still make plenty of money, but the percentage of premiums paid back into claims is MUCH higher.

 

Trip interruption salespeople are paid HUGE commissions (even by insurance standards) because the profit margin is so huge.

 

 

 

 

You have made this claim more than once. Could you please show me the statistics that support this? I have never heard of a trip interruption sales person. As I mentioned before the insurance for my upcoming trip cost $60 and that is for two people. This includes medical, evacuation, lost luggage, trip delay and trip cancellation. Exactly what portion of that $60 would be the huge commission due to the salesperson for the trip interruption?

 

Also I really don't understand your movie theater popcorn analogy. Movie popcorn is a tangible product. An insurance policy is an intangible product. The two cannot be compared in the way you described as their value is determined differently.

 

 

Rochelle

Edited August 14, 2014 by rochelle_s

[BlueRiband]

How is it a "good investment" if your concede that the insurance companies are making huge money overall on your "investment"?

 

..BTW, in my specific situation, I have canceled ZERO major or semi-major trips in my lifetime, and never spent a penny on trip cancellation insurance. So I'm way ahead, too, AND I played the right odds.

 

It's a matter of personal risk tolerance. Not a whole lot different from somebody who puts their 401K money into money markets while another puts their money into aggressive funds. One his little risk tolerance while the other is quite willing to take risk for greater reward.

 

You did your calculations, and you're perfectly willing to accept losing one fare rather then spend money on premiums every time you sail. The problem however is that the families in this news story want it both ways. They decided not to buy the insurance (as is their right) but also that their cases are so compelling and so special that the cruise line should be obligated to give them rescheduled trips gratis.

 

If cruise lines started to give bereavement reschedules just imagine how this would work itself down the line. Death of a child? Spouse? Parent? Grandparent who raised you? Husband's life long friend? Entire family grieving over the death of their beloved dog?