HAL Passenger Beware

[Hlitner]

:confused: I have medical history tthough thankfully not cancer and have never had to answer any questtions as to pre-exisitng when I buy my third party insurance. I always buy it in time t o have pre-existting c overage. They do not ask me any specifics about my healffh history. I have never had to make a claim and always have booked with the same insurer.

That would be the norm in the insurance industry. They will define pre-existing condition in their definitions and specify the policy. At that point it is up to the purchaser to determine if that policy meets their personal needs/wants...or if they need to further shop around for a better fit. Although I am no fan of cruise line policies, they are sometimes the only option for certain cruisers (especially the very elderly)...but it is still an option and does give some cancellation protection. We go back to our previous post where we said that the OP made their decision not to purchase insurance and they thus decided to self-insure. To come back and whine, after the fact, should fall on dear ears. The cruise line has no obligation and for them to give any kind of break to the OP simply negates the value of their own insurance.

 

Hank

[Kenito]

Please allow me to add my condolences to those of others here on CC. Your heart is very tender right now and we can understand your pain. I can only urge you to direct your efforts to something positive instead of anger at HAL.

No good will come from us telling you why we believe HAL has no reason to be ashamed. You are wounded, we can see. Others have offered you some good advice and I hope you will follow it... deal with HAL directly, and write personally to their highest executive officers to plead for some consideration. The first line of defense is paid to discourage you... the higher you go being reasonable and calm, the better your chances are.

Good luck my friend. Lighten your heart, remember the good times you enjoyed on HAL and do your best to relive them soon.

[Tina G]

I was unable to get travel insurance at all until a year after any cancer treatment. :(

 

 

Did you try Travel Guard? They have two different levels of insurance, and you must buy your insurance within two weeks of booking travel. We had to shop around for me. I have been at stage 4 for three years, and I have no trouble buying insurance - well, maybe paying for it! It does cost a bit more. Of course, if you doctor says "No flying", no one will cover you. On one occasion, I did get a doctor's note just to be safe. I was fully covered in August when - surprise - they discovered a nasty tumor in my intestine. Good thing it was found here at home and not overseas!

[Tina G]

Your post is very nicely worded.

 

I have to agree with the above. Planning a cruise around chemo treatments seems risky. They sometimes have to reschedule those treatments based on things like results of blood tests.

I have been planning cruises around my chemo treatments for the past ten years. No problem. Unless you are going on a World Cruise, an extra week does not make that much difference. I can't count the cruises I have been on since I was diagnosed ten years ago! They have been wonderful, and I am very glad I did them! My oncologist and surgeon are all for it! They even ask me for cruising advice.

 

When God send cancer, you can sit around and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get on with your life, as much as time allows. I have seen too many nursing homes with people who didn't get out and do things when they could have.

 

I am pleased to hear that the OP's late wife didn't postpone their trip. She was looking forward to the future, I am certain. It is sad that she didn't get to go, but I am convinced that there is a cruise ship in heaven waiting for me someday - a suite, of course!

[bennybear]

I have been planning cruises around my chemo treatments for the past ten years. No problem. Unless you are going on a World Cruise, an extra week does not make that much difference. I can't count the cruises I have been on since I was diagnosed ten years ago! They have been wonderful, and I am very glad I did them! My oncologist and surgeon are all for it! They even ask me for cruising advice.

 

When God send cancer, you can sit around and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get on with your life, as much as time allows. I have seen too many nursing homes with people who didn't get out and do things when they could have.

 

I am pleased to hear that the OP's late wife didn't postpone their trip. She was looking forward to the future, I am certain. It is sad that she didn't get to go, but I am convinced that there is a cruise ship in heaven waiting for me someday - a suite, of course!

 

Love it! Hope you enjoy many more! It is nice to hear your empathy!

[Florida_gal_50]

I have been planning cruises around my chemo treatments for the past ten years. No problem. Unless you are going on a World Cruise, an extra week does not make that much difference. I can't count the cruises I have been on since I was diagnosed ten years ago! They have been wonderful, and I am very glad I did them! My oncologist and surgeon are all for it! They even ask me for cruising advice.

 

When God send cancer, you can sit around and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get on with your life, as much as time allows. I have seen too many nursing homes with people who didn't get out and do things when they could have.

 

I am pleased to hear that the OP's late wife didn't postpone their trip. She was looking forward to the future, I am certain. It is sad that she didn't get to go, but I am convinced that there is a cruise ship in heaven waiting for me someday - a suite, of course!

You have a wonderful attitude. Thank you for sharing your story. Very inspiring,

[Tina G]

Bull****. Why should I waste my life feeling sorry for myself? I have been around the world because of chemo treatments. Otherwise, I would have died years ago. This time I am going in a wig - well, I'll take several in different colors. So what if my hair is gone again? Just got an upgrade to a Vista Suite, so I am looking forward to it!

When I do die, I hope people say "Well, she did everything she wanted to do, thanks to her doctors and modern medicine!"

[HokiePoq]

That is not the way that contracts work. No, HAL was under no duty, legal or otherwise, to refund the money. That is the purpose of cancellation insurance.

 

We are all sorry for your loss, but this poster is correct. Trip insurance is for this purpose....but hope your credit card has some provision that will help.

[Hflors]

Bull****. Why should I waste my life feeling sorry for myself? I have been around the world because of chemo treatments. Otherwise, I would have died years ago. This time I am going in a wig - well, I'll take several in different colors. So what if my hair is gone again? Just got an upgrade to a Vista Suite, so I am looking forward to it!

When I do die, I hope people say "Well, she did everything she wanted to do, thanks to her doctors and modern medicine!"

 

Good for you!!!! I hope you have many, many more years of cruising (and taking different color wigs) in your life!!!! I hope if I ever face such a diagnosis I have the same attitude!!!

[LH25]

I was unable to get travel insurance at all until a year after any cancer treatment. :(

 

Interesting. I booked about 2 months after finishing mine, through a TA, and as long as I opted for insurance in 14 days after booking they would cover me with the pre-existing condition.

 

Hope you are doing well these days!

[LH25]

I have been planning cruises around my chemo treatments for the past ten years. No problem. Unless you are going on a World Cruise, an extra week does not make that much difference. I can't count the cruises I have been on since I was diagnosed ten years ago! They have been wonderful, and I am very glad I did them! My oncologist and surgeon are all for it! They even ask me for cruising advice.

 

When God send cancer, you can sit around and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get on with your life, as much as time allows. I have seen too many nursing homes with people who didn't get out and do things when they could have.

 

I am pleased to hear that the OP's late wife didn't postpone their trip. She was looking forward to the future, I am certain. It is sad that she didn't get to go, but I am convinced that there is a cruise ship in heaven waiting for me someday - a suite, of course!

 

I love the idea of cruising in heaven! :halo:

 

We are all different, when I was doing chemo I couldn't have imagined going on vacation. Based on how I felt at the time, and the fact that my blood work was often on the edge, we talked a couple of times about postponing for a week or so. We never did, but I wouldn't have wanted the extra stress of having vacation plans to juggle with that. And I had enough to do just getting through day-to-day life and trying to work as much as I could.

 

My Chemo was shorter term, I had 6 treatments over about 5 months. I didn't feel sorry for myself, and I don't now. For the one year "anniversary" of my diagnosis we went to Hawaii and I rode an ATV for the first time! This April, we are doing a cruise to celebrate 2 years out from diagnosis and also for our 25 anniversary.

 

You have a great attitude!

[innlady1]

This thread certainly reinforces the need for travel insurance.

 

 

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[Sage]

Sheila you are right that insurance is needed. When Jim and I went to Hawaii before his stroke, we not only had insurance but something called MedJet to fly us home if necessary.

[sail7seas]

I have been planning cruises around my chemo treatments for the past ten years. No problem. Unless you are going on a World Cruise, an extra week does not make that much difference. I can't count the cruises I have been on since I was diagnosed ten years ago! They have been wonderful, and I am very glad I did them! My oncologist and surgeon are all for it! They even ask me for cruising advice.

 

When God send cancer, you can sit around and feel sorry for yourself, or you can get on with your life, as much as time allows. I have seen too many nursing homes with people who didn't get out and do things when they could have.

 

I am pleased to hear that the OP's late wife didn't postpone their trip. She was looking forward to the future, I am certain. It is sad that she didn't get to go but I am convinced that there is a cruise ship in heaven waiting for me someday - a suite, of course!

 

 

My underline but I was truthfully unable to allow this magnificent thought to go by without it getting speical attention. I SO, SO MUCH hope my late DH is sailing that cruise ship in heaven, right now, in an equivalent to our usual Neptune, and, of course, has reserved a space in it for me when the time comes. :)

[navybankerteacher]

I think we all feel empathy for anyone who has suffered a loss such as that described by OP. But expecting HAL to feel guilt for not being charitable is comparable to my expecting an auto dealer to give me a special discount on a replacement car because I had wrecked my uninsured vehicle.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Interesting. I booked about 2 months after finishing mine, through a TA, and as long as I opted for insurance in 14 days after booking they would cover me with the pre-existing condition.

 

Hope you are doing well these days!

 

The insurer I use covers pre-existing conditions if we buy the insurance within 14 days of making the booking. They never ask if we have any such conditions. The coverage is automatic.

[Tampa Girl]

The insurer I use covers pre-existing conditions if we buy the insurance within 14 days of making the booking. They never ask if we have any such conditions. The coverage is automatic.

 

That's the beauty of pre-existing coverage and of HAL's Cancellation for any reason policy. Actually, for my purposes, HAL's was better because my concern was that my cat would be too ill for us to travel, and that would not have come under the pre-exisitng waiver. Sadly, we had to hug her for the last time two weeks ago. Haven't been able to let it go yet. Day by day . . .

[sail7seas]

Cancel for any rreason is the least important feature, to me.

I would only cancel for a reas on that w be would be covered s uch as illness etc.

n

Very sorry to read you have lost your loved cat.

Edited November 8, 2017 by sail7seas

[kazu]

That's the beauty of pre-existing coverage and of HAL's Cancellation for any reason policy. Actually, for my purposes, HAL's was better because my concern was that my cat would be too ill for us to travel, and that would not have come under the pre-exisitng waiver. Sadly, we had to hug her for the last time two weeks ago. Haven't been able to let it go yet. Day by day . . .

 

Aww, so sad. I've been down that road too many times. It's a tough one. I hope your cat is playing with all of mine and Mav & Kazu on the rainbow bridge.

 

Condolences and peace to you and and your family.

[geoherb]

I'm sorry for the OP's loss. I had to cancel a HAL cruise to have a heart procedure last year. I had purchased the HAL insurance that paid back 80 percent of our cruise fare. I was able to get the other 20 percent under my credit card's travel protection coverage. My credit card's coverage also refunded my nonrefundable hotel (booked through Hotwire).

 

We learned the benefits of having travel protection insurance from our parents. My mother and stepfather had to cancel a cruise and were able to go the next year because they had insurance. My mother-in-law was hospitalized in Greece while on a Mediterranean cruise. The insurance company was great keeping my husband informed about her condition. It paid for her hospital stay, covered a hotel room for my father-in-law, worked out the flight changes when she was well enough to travel, and even paid for a student nurse to accompany her on the flights back.

[Tampa Girl]

Thank you, Sail and Kazu for understanding. It helps.

[innlady1]

That's the beauty of pre-existing coverage and of HAL's Cancellation for any reason policy. Actually, for my purposes, HAL's was better because my concern was that my cat would be too ill for us to travel, and that would not have come under the pre-exisitng waiver. Sadly, we had to hug her for the last time two weeks ago. Haven't been able to let it go yet. Day by day . . .

 

 

I totally understand, Tampa Girl. We had a cruise booked on the Oosterdam in February ‘17, and had to cancel last minute. Our Norwich Terrier had breathing issues end of January....no way we’d go on our cruise with a sick Norwich at home.

 

We had the HAL Premium insurance. Thank goodness I always take that.

 

We let things settle down and drove to Florida a couple weeks later for a mini-vacation. Glad to report our Jessie is doing okay...a day at a time.

 

 

 

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Edited November 9, 2017 by innlady1

[summersigh]

My DH has health issues but cruising is something he really enjoys and with a balcony he can do as little or as much as he desires/can.

BUT ....

For that reason we always buy trip insurance including "cancel for any reason" for both of us and "pre-existing condition" coverage for him. We had to use the cancel once and we got all the $$ we'd paid out back.

For us trip insurance is just a normal part of what we do for a cruise.

[mor mor]

In the minority here but we self insure for cancelling even when we travel with 9 family members (we pick up the tab). We have saved so much we certainly can cruise many times over with the savings. If we have to cancel in the future we are still way ahead. BUT we always have medical evacuation insurance and needed it in Mexico 2 years ago. The plane, pilots, and nurse was $300,000. (The insurance company was Travelgard and I believe they got that price reduced.)

[sail7seas]

In the minority here but we self insure for cancelling even when we travel with 9 family members (we pick up the tab). We have saved so much we certainly can cruise many times over with the savings. If we have to cancel in the future we are still way ahead. BUT we always have medical evacuation insurance and needed it in Mexico 2 years ago. The plane, pilots, and nurse was $300,000. (The insurance company was Travelgard and I believe they got that price reduced.)

 

My DH and I self insured fo r a great mnay ruises. We had medical insurance that paidianywherr in th world. We had evacuation and repatriation ... med-jet coverage. (not costly premiums) and did not insure for cancellation. While, or course, we would not want to lose the price of a cruise, it was a set , knnown amount and if we could not afford it, we would not have booked it. We were very lucky to never cancel within penalty phase. HOwever, each year we got older and we went onto Medicare which won't pay out side the country. At that time, we startred to insure, NOT to get cnacellation insurrance urt to get meedical. We were willing to lose the price od the cruise but not risk the unknown and possibly very high amount of medical bills. We saved a VERy large amount of money through the years when we did not buy cancellation insuance. Yes, we were lucky and never had to cancel in penalty phase. Much money saved by not paying premiums for insurrance, we werre not that despereate to have. ... Yess, now, I buy ii t now so I can buy medical insuance l. I have written this in the past and no w t that it is history for me I can state we saved much money in (for us) un necessary premiums.. , it was a very, very good choice, for us.

 

 

If I had a family of 9 traveling, I may have seen it differently. so many people an be exposed to so many chances for cancellation.

Edited November 9, 2017 by sail7seas