DO NOT waste your money on cruisecare insurance from Royal Caribbean!

[auntiedodo]

We have a b2b cruise in a suite booked for March and always buy cruisecare insurance. My husband had a sudden detached macula and retina, emergency surgery, and we can't go on our cruise that we booked a year ago, and bought cruisecare insurance a year ago too. I cancelled as soon as he was admitted to the hospital, the same day we found out . NOW we are being told that we are in "the PENALTY" phase and will only get back a few dollars IF the insurance claim is accepted. DO NOT waste your money on cruisecare insurance through Royal Caribbean!!!

[goneclear]

Thanks for the info. We always use it and thank god we have never had to claim. I have had friends who had an emergency situation while on an Alaska cruise and they have nothing but good to say about it.

[Ourusualbeach]

We have a b2b cruise in a suite booked for March and always buy cruisecare insurance. My husband had a sudden detached macula and retina, emergency surgery, and we can't go on our cruise that we booked a year ago, and bought cruisecare insurance a year ago too. I cancelled as soon as he was admitted to the hospital, the same day we found out . NOW we are being told that we are in "the PENALTY" phase and will only get back a few dollars IF the insurance claim is accepted. DO NOT waste your money on cruisecare insurance through Royal Caribbean!!!

 

 

If you are being told that you will only get a few $ back by Royal then that is correct. Royal will give you back what they owe you and you file a claim with the insurance company for the balance.

[cruisinfanatic]

We have a b2b cruise in a suite booked for March and always buy cruisecare insurance. My husband had a sudden detached macula and retina, emergency surgery, and we can't go on our cruise that we booked a year ago, and bought cruisecare insurance a year ago too. I cancelled as soon as he was admitted to the hospital, the same day we found out . NOW we are being told that we are in "the PENALTY" phase and will only get back a few dollars IF the insurance claim is accepted. DO NOT waste your money on cruisecare insurance through Royal Caribbean!!!

Was this a preexisting condition?

[StolidCruiser]

What is the reason they are giving for not providing the coverage you say you paid for?

[CGoguen]

If you are being told that you will only get a few $ back by Royal then that is correct. Royal will give you back what they owe you and you file a claim with the insurance company for the balance.

 

 

 

I agree. I think this was just a case of miscommunication. If insurance covers the event, they were the ones to pay you out. Royal only has to pay the part that you would get back regardless.

[voyager70]

That seems odd. That certainly sounds like a medical emergency that would be covered. I know you can cancel for any reason up til the last minute and at least get a 75% credit for a future cruise, as I've had to do that a couple times.

[Ken076]

We have a b2b cruise in a suite booked for March and always buy cruisecare insurance. My husband had a sudden detached macula and retina, emergency surgery, and we can't go on our cruise that we booked a year ago, and bought cruisecare insurance a year ago too. I cancelled as soon as he was admitted to the hospital, the same day we found out . NOW we are being told that we are in "the PENALTY" phase and will only get back a few dollars IF the insurance claim is accepted. DO NOT waste your money on cruisecare insurance through Royal Caribbean!!!

 

 

Not knowing your specific situation:

The cruise contract will tell you your cancellation penalty depending on how many days before sailaway you cancel; Unless you're cancelling late and the penalty is 100$, Royal Caribbean cruiseline will refund you the difference.

 

Your Cruise Insurance company, once you file a claim documenting your medical situation and indicating how much Royal refunded you, will pay the amount you forfeited (if covered by the policy) - UNLESS, they determine this was a "pre-existing condition" (the definition is in the online policy) then no reimbursement from the Insurer.

 

No matter what, you can invoke the Cancel for Any Reason Coverage and get a 75% Future Cruise Credit.

 

An advantage of so-called 3rd party policies is that if you purchase within 14-21 days of booking, they waive the "pre-existing condition".

 

Ken

[nelblu]

Thanks for the info. We always use it and thank god we have never had to claim. I have had friends who had an emergency situation while on an A nbaska cruise and they have nothing but good to say about it.

 

 

When I used the insurance offered by RCCL, I had very good success. On one of our cruises, my daughter was rushed to the hospital and we had to get off in San Juan & fly home. We filed claim with the insurance company and was reimbursed for the unused cruise nights and the flight differential. Disappointed that the insurance company did not reimburse for $100+ in telephone costs.

 

Someone had posted that the insurance company offered by RCL these days will not reimburse for flights costs if booked independently of Choice Air.

 

To the OP: Did or will you file a claim with the insurance company.

[cruisenfever]

We have a b2b cruise in a suite booked for March and always buy cruisecare insurance. My husband had a sudden detached macula and retina, emergency surgery, and we can't go on our cruise that we booked a year ago, and bought cruisecare insurance a year ago too. I cancelled as soon as he was admitted to the hospital, the same day we found out . NOW we are being told that we are in "the PENALTY" phase and will only get back a few dollars IF the insurance claim is accepted. DO NOT waste your money on cruisecare insurance through Royal Caribbean!!!

You have to understand that not all claims are accepted for reimbursement and that is why they use the word "if".

 

We have had to file twice through CruiseCare and each time we were reimbursed the entire amount less whatever was refunded back to us from Royal. The first time we had to cancel was less than a week from departure and we were reimbursed everything.

 

RCI will refund you back your port taxes and fees and anything else you might have pre-purchased. Your CruiseCare insurance, of course, will not be refunded. After you receive that total figure from RCI, deduct that from your total payment to RCI, and that is the amount that you will file a claim for. It might take 4-6 weeks once you have sent in your claim, but do not give up. Your husband did not have a pre-existing condition, so you will get everything back.

 

Thoughts and Prayers being sent that your husband makes a full recovery,

[cruisenfever]

Someone had posted that the insurance company offered by RCL these days will not reimburse for flights costs if booked independently of Choice Air.

It is a good idea to take out 3rd party insurance once you book your flights even with Choice Air. We use Allianze and have also had to file 2 claims. We were reimbursed the complete cost of the airfare, and one trip was to Barcelona business class.

[auntiedodo]

So you're saying Royal will give us some money back on our credit card and the insurance may cover the rest? That would be fine, but it sure doesn't sound like what we were told.

[Ourusualbeach]

So you're saying Royal will give us some money back on our credit card and the insurance may cover the rest? That would be fine, but it sure doesn't sound like what we were told.

 

 

Yes.

 

The insurance that you buy is totally separate from Royal even though Royal is the one that sells you the policy.

[jfogle2017]

My family ALWAYS takes the insurance because with as much as you spend on a cruise, you never know what can come up - as in your case.

 

That being said, I have only had to use the insurance once and BOY am I glad I had it - long story short - while at port in Puerto Rico, I got deathly sick - throwing up, couldn't keep anything down (not even water), and to the point I was severly dehydrated. I ended up at the sick bay on the ship for half of the day with IVs, etc. Had I not had the insurance, I would have had major expenses in medical bills. I didn't pay a dime. I filed on our medical insurance as well as with the insurance of RCI and expenses were covered AND RCI covered a portion of it as well.......

 

I'm sorry you are having a difficult time but they do have a time frame in which they only can give you a percentage of the money back - I'm sure this is partly due to the chances of them being able to fill the room once you have cancelled. File with your medical insurance - they should cover it and reimburse you!

[saroede97]

So you're saying Royal will give us some money back on our credit card and the insurance may cover the rest? That would be fine, but it sure doesn't sound like what we were told.

 

 

That is the way it was for me several years ago when I had to cancel. RCI gave back the taxes, port fees ( I think) and excursions and the insurance company paid the cruise fare.

[lbjen]

Have you filed a claim with Cruisecare? Royal aren't just going to do it for you.

[NJporkroll]

H

 

 

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[RM]

I had to used the cruise are insurance last year. Royal,will give you the small percentage and tell you how to file the claim with the insurance. After submitting all the paperwork, etc you will get paid. It takes time and patience but you will get back your money. Good luck and I hope your husband is doing better.

[Ken076]

So you're saying Royal will give us some money back on our credit card and the insurance may cover the rest? That would be fine, but it sure doesn't sound like what we were told.

 

Unless you cancelled very late in the 100% penalty window, you should recover some money from Royal Caribbean (in addition to your Taxes & Fees and any pre-paid Gratuities), then you file a claim with the Insurance and (unless this is a pre-existing condition) you should recover the remainder of your cruisefare from the insurance company.

 

If the above somehow falls apart, you still get your Taxes & Fees and any pre-paid Gratuities back from Royal Caribbean, and a 75% future cruise credit (which I believe actually comes from Royal Caribbean).

 

Ken

[bala1130]

If you book your cruise with a Chase Sapphire Card, it includes insurance at no extra charge. Here is a summary of the benefit. There are more details at their website.

 

TRIP CANCELLATION/TRIP INTERRUPTION INSURANCE

If your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather or other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours, and hotels.

[Palmetto Pilot]

I thought Royal had a cancel for any reason plan?

[cruisenfever]

So you're saying Royal will give us some money back on our credit card and the insurance may cover the rest? That would be fine, but it sure doesn't sound like what we were told.

Just from our experience, but take the advice from those that have filed a claim here on CC and not an RCI rep that probably has never been on a cruise before!! It's sad but so true.

 

CruiseCare will email you the necessary forms. The reps at CruiseCare and very nice and will help you step by step. You will get a claim number that you can follow as it is being processed.

 

Make sure that you have the doctor fill out the part where he has to detail the illness and then he has to sign it.

[alexkrn46]

So you're saying Royal will give us some money back on our credit card and the insurance may cover the rest? That would be fine, but it sure doesn't sound like what we were told.

 

 

If they do not pay the claim I would file with your attorney general for fraud, but I am guessing this was. Mix up.

[trihawks1]

I broke my left leg, left elbow, and messed up my left knee 6 weeks before our cruise in 2015 (oct. 29). I had "cancel for any reason" insurance thru a company, not RCCL. I cancelled dec. 2 for a December 12 cruise. I was actually hoping to go, but I ended up staying in the rehab nursing home until 12/31/15. Then still wheelchair bound until mid February 2016. I had to send about 35 pages of documents from hospital bill, dr letter, bill from nursing facility, original proof of when I booked the cruise, pages from RCCL showing $2,200 not refunded...pain to do it all....but I ended up getting 100% of my cost of the trip that was not refundable back within 7-10 days.

 

 

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[tsconley19]

We have a b2b cruise in a suite booked for March and always buy cruisecare insurance. My husband had a sudden detached macula and retina, emergency surgery, and we can't go on our cruise that we booked a year ago, and bought cruisecare insurance a year ago too. I cancelled as soon as he was admitted to the hospital, the same day we found out . NOW we are being told that we are in "the PENALTY" phase and will only get back a few dollars IF the insurance claim is accepted. DO NOT waste your money on cruisecare insurance through Royal Caribbean!!!

 

I had to cancel 2 cruises booked with Royal Caribbean due to medical issues. The first cruise I purchased cruise care insurance. They wouldn't cover my pre-existing condition and refused to reimburse me. Royal Caribbean was then contacted and refunded me in full!

The second time I had to cancel my cruise one week before sailing. This time I had not purchased cruise care insurance. Royal again reimbursed me but at 60% of my cruise fare plus taxes.

If you have problems with cruise care, follow up with a specialist at Royal Caribbean for help.

Tom