? about HAL's Premium Ins usage

[regnig]

Since it is possible that while on board our 29 Feb cruise we may get news that a qualifying event has occurred that would necessitate our disembarking the ship and heading home. As a result we have purchased HAL's Premium insurance plan. We have medical insurance that covers just about everything else so normally we just buy the Cancel for Any Reason insurance so I'm into new territory with this. Have any of you ever had to use it for a similar situation of trip interruption? I've read all the "fine print" and am still a bit confused as to exactly what is covered and what we would be reimbursed for. Not that it really makes any difference as if the need arises we will get off and head home regardless. While I recognize that many of you don't like HAL's insurance and use other ones I'm going to stick with it so just need to focus on totally understand it.

 

Additionally will HAL staff onboard the ship help us make arrangements, particularly air flights, back to FLL?

 

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

[janmcn]

This seems to be the pertinent answer to your question...it was taken from HAL's verbage of their Platinum Coverage here:

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/cruise-vacation-onboard/CPP_Platinum_Description.pdf

 

"Post-Departure Trip Interruption

We will pay a Post-Departure Trip Interruption Benefit, up to the amount in the Schedule, if due to your, an Immediate Family Member’s, Traveling Companion’s or Business Partner’s Sickness, Injury or death or Other Covered Events as defined: 1) your arrival on your Covered Cruise Vacation is delayed; or 2) you are unable to continue on your Covered Cruise Vacation after you have departed on your Covered Cruise Vacation. For item 1) above, the Sickness or Injury must: a) commence while your coverage is in effect under the plan; b) for item 2) above, commence while you are on your Covered Cruise Vacation and your coverage is in effect under the plan; and c) for both items 1) and 2) above, require the examination and treatment by a Physician at the time the Covered Cruise Vacation is interrupted or delayed; and d) in the written opinion of the treating Physician, be so disabling as to delay your arrival on your Covered Cruise Vacation or to prevent you from continuing your Covered Cruise Vacation."

 

If you, like we were, are concerned about the health of an elderly parent, this would cover your return expenses if they were hospitalized, etc. after you left. It will require a physician's statement, etc. For any further questions I would call the underwriter of the insurance if you are unclear.

[RMLincoln]

Sorry you have to look ahead to your cruise with a cloud of doubt and worry hanging over it... but we all understand that life isn't always straightforward.

 

The insurance underwriters will not help you make air arrangements to return to FFL if you need to fly back because of a death in your immediate family. Some travel assist programs will. I think AAA has one; we carry one through Good Sam (the RV club) for about $100 per year for a family plan.

 

Insurance or not, if one of you has a medical event or if one of you dies during the cruise you will get help from the staff on board in making arrangements to get you back, but that's not due to insurance, it's due to HAL's service level.

 

So I think the answers you are seeking depend on what it is you are anticipating might happen, but you haven't said, so it's unclear here. People here have had many different types of experiences that they can share with you, but if you want to maintain some privacy and not post the specifics here (which we totally understand too) you will have to seek info from the insurance underwriter.

 

Hoping you get the info you need to move forward with your cruise with some level of confidence. m--

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

We used the HAL platinum trip interruption once while on a Caribbean Collector's cruise which returned to Ft. Lauderdale in the middle of said cruise for a health reason of my husband. It was not life threatening but we decided we wanted to seek medical treatment at home.

 

We made our own flight arrangements and HAL let us use their telephone so we did not incur any charges there. Since we always buy refundable tickets, we had no charges there.

 

It was a 25 day cruise for which we had 14 nights unused and we were reimbursed for those 14 nights and a one night hotel stay in FLL as we could not fly out until the next day. That is our experience.

[regnig]

Thank you for your input. This is such a difficult and emotional issue.

 

Our circumstances would be the death of a qualifying family member. Depending upon how eminent the timing would be to our cruise we know we can cancel, which is what we would do, prior to boarding. It really is a question as to if we embark on the cruise and then get notification exactly what happens.

 

If I interpret correctly the Post-Departure Trip Interruption will cover us under

"We will pay a Post-Departure Trip Interruption Benefit, up to the amount in the Schedule, if due to your, an Immediate Family Member’s,...death or Other Covered Events as defined: ...... or 2) you are unable to continue on your Covered Cruise Vacation after you have departed on your Covered Cruise Vacation. .......for item 2) above, commence while you are on your Covered Cruise Vacation and your coverage is in effect under the plan; and c) for both items 1) and 2) above, require the examination and treatment by a Physician at the time the Covered Cruise Vacation is interrupted or delayed; .........". Does anyone know, or guess, if a Death Certificate is required or will they accept something like an Obituary naming Surviving Family Members?

 

 

It is wonderful to hear, and I expected nothing less, that the HAL staff onboard will help us make arrangements to disembark and return to FLL to pick up our car.

[lazey1]

This exact scenario happened to us, we had purchased the HAL Platinum Insurance.

 

My mother died while we were aboard the Eurodam and in the Greenland Icefields. Our son called the ship emergency number and was put through to us to notify us of the death at no charge to him in San Antonio, Tx.. HAL made the arrangements for us to get off at the next stop which was St. John, New Brunswick 3 days later and obtained the airline tickets to get us to the nearest airport (El Paso, Tx.) to where my mother lived (Carlsbad, N. Mex.) Hal also let us use the cabin phone at a greatly reduced rate as I had to make the arrangements for the funereal services. On the day we left the ship our room stewart packed all our bags, got a guerney to carry them down to customs (we were the first ones through) came off the ship with us, hailed a taxi for us and handed our luggage over the port fence to the taxi driver to make sure all went with us. Stewart was not allowed to leave the port area.

 

Our travel agent reserved a hotel room for us in El Paso as we didn't get in until close to midnight. TA also arranged for a rental car for us to drive to Carlsbad, 165 miles away.

 

We had to submit receipts for everything to the insurance claims dept. (Berkley Ins). We were reimbursed for the 5 days cruising we missed, for the air tickets, for our breakfast, and for the rental car to Carlsbad. At the time we lived in Phoenix, I don't remember whether we submitted the car rental back home or not, but I doubt it. The items listed that Berkely Ins. paid for were paid 100% with 2 weeks of my submitting the proper documentation which included BOTH a copy of the death certificate and a copy of the orbituary notice listing me as her child.

 

I was very pleased with the way we were treated by both HAL and Berkely Insurance as well as our long time travel agent .

Edited December 14, 2015 by lazey1

[EbayCruiser]

This exact scenario happened to us, we had purchased the HAL Platinum Insurance.

 

My mother died while we were aboard the Eurodam and in the Greenland Icefields. Our son called the ship emergency number and was put through to us to notify us of the death at no charge to him in San Antonio, Tx.. HAL made the arrangements for us to get off at the next stop which was St. John, New Brunswick 3 days later and obtained the airline tickets to get us to the nearest airport (El Paso, Tx.) to where my mother lived (Carlsbad, N. Mex.) Hal also let us use the cabin phone at a greatly reduced rate as I had to make the arrangements for the funereal services. On the day we left the ship our room stewart packed all our bags, got a guerney to carry them down to customs (we were the first ones through) came off the ship with us, hailed a taxi for us and handed our luggage over the port fence to the taxi driver to make sure all went with us. Stewart was not allowed to leave the port area.

 

Our travel agent reserved a hotel room for us in El Paso as we didn't get in until close to midnight. TA also arranged for a rental car for us to drive to Carlsbad, 165 miles away.

 

We had to submit receipts for everything to the insurance claims dept. (Berkley Ins). We were reimbursed for the 5 days cruising we missed, for the air tickets, for our breakfast, and for the rental car to Carlsbad. At the time we lived in Phoenix, I don't remember whether we submitted the car rental back home or not, but I doubt it. The items listed that Berkely Ins. paid for were paid 100% with 2 weeks of my submitting the proper documentation which included BOTH a copy of the death certificate and a copy of the orbituary notice listing me as her child.

 

I was very pleased with the way we were treated by both HAL and Berkely Insurance as well as our long time travel agent .

 

This is very good information to know. We always purchase the HAL Platinum insurance. We have an upcoming cruise and my mother-in-law is 102 and in failing health. It's good to know that HAL will take care of us if needed.

[ger_77]

I'm sorry you're having to face such a difficult situation, but you can be assured, you will be in good hands with HAL.

 

In February we were medically disembarked in Colon, Panama due to DH's illness, and the HAL employees onboard could not have been more helpful. Everyone from the cabin stewards, the ladies at the front desk, the nurses, etc., were as kind and as accommodating as possible. They were almost too kind, because I'm normally a strong person, but I was becoming weepy with all the beautiful hugs and well wishes we were receiving. As we were departing through the crew area, a number of the servers came over and offered up a quick prayer for DH's safety and recovery - well, if you didn't think that got the tears flowing . . . Fortunately all ended up well and we are looking forward to another wonderful cruise with the fine folks of Holland America.

 

Good luck to you - I hope you are able to enjoy your cruise fully.

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

[regnig]

Many thanks to all of you for the kind words and all the information. I'm now convinced we just need to keep our booking and if necessary there will be folks to assist us and see to it that our arrangements are taken care of.

 

A Blessed Holiday to all.

 

Barb

[Lizzie68]

I'm sorry you're having to face such a difficult situation, but you can be assured, you will be in good hands with HAL.

 

In February we were medically disembarked in Colon, Panama due to DH's illness, and the HAL employees onboard could not have been more helpful. Everyone from the cabin stewards, the ladies at the front desk, the nurses, etc., were as kind and as accommodating as possible. They were almost too kind, because I'm normally a strong person, but I was becoming weepy with all the beautiful hugs and well wishes we were receiving. As we were departing through the crew area, a number of the servers came over and offered up a quick prayer for DH's safety and recovery - well, if you didn't think that got the tears flowing . . . Fortunately all ended up well and we are looking forward to another wonderful cruise with the fine folks of Holland America.

 

Good luck to you - I hope you are able to enjoy your cruise fully.

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

 

That brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. But I am not at all surprised about the servers caring so much and offering up a prayer. Very touching, though. Hope all went well after you disembarked.

 

To larsen - I also think you should take this cruise, take the insurance, and I hope you are able to complete the cruise. A very sad situation, and my thoughts are with you.

[regnig]

Thanks Lizzie for your warm thoughts. It's that damn C disease that is robbing my dearest SIL of the rest of her life. She of all people has insisted we don't cancel. We won't at this time but if she passes shortly before February 29th we will or if after we sail we'll interrupt our cruise if necessary without a second thought. Ironically it was she who got us hooked on cruising back in 1993 and she has joined us on many of our cruises.

Insurance already purchased.

 

Barb