Watch out for "automatically added" insurance charge on Norwegian

[mamasylvia]

I just finished paying for our cruise next year, and I'm one of those oddball people who actually reads invoices and confirmations to see what I was charged for. Imagine my astonishment when I saw a $556 charge for insurance. I did NOT authorize that! So I called and was told it was added automatically but we could "opt out." Rep removed the insurance charge and said it would be refunded to my credit card.

 

I know we have to pay service charges and port fees, but are there any other sneaky extras that I can get out of?

[jjikids]

I just finished paying for our cruise next year, and I'm one of those oddball people who actually reads invoices and confirmations to see what I was charged for. Imagine my astonishment when I saw a $556 charge for insurance. I did NOT authorize that! So I called and was told it was added automatically but we could "opt out." Rep removed the insurance charge and said it would be refunded to my credit card.

 

I know we have to pay service charges and port fees, but are there any other sneaky extras that I can get out of?

 

Asylum should have seen it on your confirmation when you booked. Then you should have asked them to remove it so you didn't have to pay.

[bobg529]

I just finished paying for our cruise next year, and I'm one of those oddball people who actually reads invoices and confirmations to see what I was charged for. Imagine my astonishment when I saw a $556 charge for insurance. I did NOT authorize that! So I called and was told it was added automatically but we could "opt out." Rep removed the insurance charge and said it would be refunded to my credit card.

 

I know we have to pay service charges and port fees, but are there any other sneaky extras that I can get out of?

 

 

I understand your surprise, but they probably want proof you opted out of purchasing insurance. Most of the time you're wasting the money when you're lucky enough not to have used it, much like ANY insurance. However the potential costs for a shipboard illness can be catastrophic. For example, a friend of mine recently returned from a cruise on the Breakaway. On his last night he fell ill with chest pains and was taken to the ships hospital where he was stabilized. They did a fine job on board (he has fully recovered) and because they were close to NY anyway he was removed by ambulance once the ship docked. His regular insurance kicked in once he got to the hospital, but it did not cover the incident on board. Fortunately he had purchased the insurance from NCL which covered everything, as his bill came to over $16,000.00. :eek: Remember, that's without any special evac or helicopter ride etc.! If you're buying insurance from a reputable outside vendor because there is a cost savings I understand, but don't be penny wise and pound foolish!

[d9704011]

No problem with trip and/or health insurance, what I'd find annoying is having a default on the booking process where insurance is added and it's left up to me to 'opt out' rather than 'opt in'. Next it will be the cruise line adding a fancy hotel to my travel plans the night before the cruise solely for my convenience!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[wdsted]

We've booked 5 cruises online this year and never had insurance defaulted in. I did once get connected to a cruise consultant to change a booking and that person added the insurance. Did you book via a person?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Moby0215]

1) I have never not been asked if I wanted the insurance

2) my insurance is only $58 for 2 people. What was the $556 for?

 

Was this through a TA?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Crusin6]

No problem with trip and/or health insurance, what I'd find annoying is having a default on the booking process where insurance is added and it's left up to me to 'opt out' rather than 'opt in'. Next it will be the cruise line adding a fancy hotel to my travel plans the night before the cruise solely for my convenience!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

 

You are complaining for the sake of complaining and to stir the pot

 

 

Being you are a diligent individual with your charges you should have seen the Insurance charge before you paid it

 

I know I would have noticed if my cruise cost was $556 higher than I agreed to but in all honesty if you took the free ubp or sdp you would have had so many extra charges you might have missed it

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[amydandrea]

recently while on the phone booking a cruise, the agent said, "and with the travel insurance included it is $xoxox total cost. I'm ready for your credit card when you are" so they basically did not discuss it with us at all, just added it and hoped we wouldn't decline. I told him I had my own through Amex and didn't want it. At which point he took it off. I can understand how a new cruiser could be EASILY misled to think it was not optional when it is handled this way. Out of all our other cruises, however, they either asked if we wanted it or didn't mention it at all. Hit or miss I suppose.

[mamasylvia]

I did book via phone because I need an accessible cabin and NCL didn't let me specify that online, much less pick the room. No TA involved. The $556 broke down to (roughly) $250 each for DH and me, $25 each for our adult children who are travelling free in our cabin, which makes me think it was based on the fare cost. Absolutely no clue as to what was covered or excluded.

[Cafedumonde]

I just finished paying for our cruise next year, and I'm one of those oddball people who actually reads invoices and confirmations to see what I was charged for. Imagine my astonishment when I saw a $556 charge for insurance. I did NOT authorize that! So I called and was told it was added automatically but we could "opt out." Rep removed the insurance charge and said it would be refunded to my credit card.

 

I know we have to pay service charges and port fees, but are there any other sneaky extras that I can get out of?

 

This happened to us. We actually put our cruise on hold WITHOUT trip insurance. One of these cruise consultant people called us and asked us if we wanted to put down a deposit and book. We decided yes. After he took our deposit we noticed on the receipt that there was cruise insurance. I was a bit annoyed because I instantly realized that the cruise consultant must have added it without consulting me at all. I ended up cancelling the booking and would never ever use one of ncl's "cruise consultants" again.

[easyboy]

I did book via phone because I need an accessible cabin and NCL didn't let me specify that online, much less pick the room. No TA involved. The $556 broke down to (roughly) $250 each for DH and me, $25 each for our adult children who are travelling free in our cabin, which makes me think it was based on the fare cost. Absolutely no clue as to what was covered or excluded.

Nice to know you can opt out from it. But if you do, suggest you buy insurance from a 3rd party to cover the unexpected, including non-medical, situations.

[sanger727]

I've never booked via phone, except through a travel agent that doesn't sell insurance so it doesn't come up. But I've noticed when booking through travel websites that often when you come to the final page there will be insurance added with an insurance box checked automatically. So you do have to review it, notice it, and find the box to uncheck. So definitely believe they could try and sneak it into phone bookings.

[denatravels]

my insurance is only $58 for 2 people.

 

 

What insurance plan do you have? And what does it cover?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[spidybabe]

We always take insurance from NCL, and the cost is $58- for 2 people. Don't know where they even got those numbers!!

Safe sailing

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

[hdowney]

We always take insurance from NCL, and the cost is $58- for 2 people. Don't know where they even got those numbers!!

Safe sailing

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

 

The OP mentioned they had to ring in order to book an accessible cabin, so perhaps the insurance price differential may be something to do with pre-existing conditions of one or more of the pax in the cabin?

[pe4all]

We always get trip insurance, but never from the cruise lines, as they never cover pre-existing medical conditions. For a family of 4 (ages 58,57,28,25) I pay around $308 dollars for Travelguard Gold. We are always asked if we want the insurance when we book a cabin, and always turn it down. Will start to double check the invoices from now on just to make sure we are not charged!

[mjkacmom]

recently while on the phone booking a cruise, the agent said, "and with the travel insurance included it is $xoxox total cost. I'm ready for your credit card when you are" so they basically did not discuss it with us at all, just added it and hoped we wouldn't decline. I told him I had my own through Amex and didn't want it. At which point he took it off. I can understand how a new cruiser could be EASILY misled to think it was not optional when it is handled this way. Out of all our other cruises, however, they either asked if we wanted it or didn't mention it at all. Hit or miss I suppose.

 

I just booked our 4th NCL cruise, and had the same experience. In the past, the PC asked if we wanted insurance, I always declined (and purchased it elsewhere). This time, it was a rushed sentence before the final price, easy to miss. I was waiting to be asked if I wanted to decline the insurance, so caught it, barely.

[LrgPizza]

We only purchased insurance through NCL once, and it was $89 for each of the 2 adults, and $59 for our son, for a total of $237 for the 3 of us. This was on the Getaway in 2014.

 

We now pay much less through 3rd parties for much better coverage.

[Sissaaaaaa]

I just finished paying for our cruise next year, and I'm one of those oddball people who actually reads invoices and confirmations to see what I was charged for. Imagine my astonishment when I saw a $556 charge for insurance. I did NOT authorize that! So I called and was told it was added automatically but we could "opt out." Rep removed the insurance charge and said it would be refunded to my credit card.

 

I know we have to pay service charges and port fees, but are there any other sneaky extras that I can get out of?

 

That wasn't a sneaky extra. You didn't tell them not to include the travel insurance. Read the invoice next time.

[Moby0215]

What insurance plan do you have? And what does it cover?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

Whatever the default that NCL provides.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[peacefulOR]

We recently booked the Getaway for a 16-night transatlantic and was asked if we wanted to add insurance. Absolutely! Can you imagine the cost for almost any medical emergency on that kind of trip? It turned out to be $14 more to book through NCL than to purchase independently so that's what we chose.

[jtdlmc]

I booked our cruise a few months ago directly with a PVP at NCL. I told him we did not want insurance and he said he had to add it to our trip for 30 days and then would remove it! We only paid the deposit at the time so I said ok whatever. I noticed sometime after 30 days that it was still on there so had to call to have it removed. I thought it extremely odd that it would have to be "purchased" and kept on our account for 30 days???

[sfaaa]

Book online and you are always given the option to turn down the insurance charge. See how easy it is to avoid this 'auto insurance charge' problem.

[denatravels]

We recently booked the Getaway for a 16-night transatlantic and was asked if we wanted to add insurance. Absolutely! Can you imagine the cost for almost any medical emergency on that kind of trip? It turned out to be $14 more to book through NCL than to purchase independently so that's what we chose.

 

 

I CAN imagine the cost, which is why I book privately-- much better coverage than through the cruise line (and covers more than just the cruise)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Tyfani]

It's funny I should come across this. I just called today for a price adjustment. I didn't notice before but they added it to mine also. (I called and booked I Sept.) when I asked the rep about it she gave me the sale speech on how great it is. So I kept it for now but we will cancel it. Ours was 350. It's a gamble if you get it or not. We have never bought insurance.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Forums mobile app