Need to cancel cruise 3 weeks out! Any options?

[Kruzin Karen]

So frustrated! Last cruise was a 28 dayer on Princess, and we're still trying to collect over $1500 in medical expenses we incurred onboard. Since we had trip insurance, they owe us, but we've been trying to collect for 3 months, and they do everything they can to make it difficult; I'm assuming so we'll just give up trying to get reimbursed. I swore off trip insurance forever, and now find myself needing to cancel a cruise 3 weeks out. My booking manager says at this point I'll lose $921 of my $1,400 if I cancel, but they also offer me the chance to buy trip insurance at $99pp. Would this do me any good? Do I have any options? Please help! It seems with trip insurance you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't!! Thanks in advance.

[Drazil65]

Sorry to hear you need to cancel, find out if your cancellation reason would be covered before you purchase anything. On the medical reimbursement from your last trip, was it primary medical insurance? Or did your regular insurance cover up to a limit then you went to the travel medical ins?

[sanger727]

I think the question is why do you need to cancel. If it’s medical, it will be pre-existing at this point so not sure that adding insurance will help. If you plan to collect under a ‘cancel for any reason’ clause; then just make sure you know how much you’ll get back and whether it will be as cash or as a future cruise credit.

 

 

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[Kruzin Karen]

We have had to submit the medical bill to both my husband's primary and secondary insurance companies to prove that they won't pay, and when we can prove that, then they will begin to consider paying us. It's a whole lot of paperwork and time on the phone, and our secondary insurance company is really dragging it's feet. Perhaps not Princess's fault, but the whole reimbursement process is obviously not designed to be user friendly. We are having to cancel because my husband needs to have his back surgery redone, and we can't get enough of a grip on his pain to make the cruise feasible. It all happened very suddenly, of course. Sigh. Thanks for listening.

[1025cruise]

The fact that you are getting any money 3 weeks out is a miracle.

[Drazil65]

We have had to submit the medical bill to both my husband's primary and secondary insurance companies to prove that they won't pay, and when we can prove that, then they will begin to consider paying us.

 

Thank you for clarifying further regarding the medical payment situation and I thought this was the case. We always purchase our travel insurance thru insure my trip and not the cruiseline. We purchase the insurance with primary medical coverage. They pay first before any other insurance kicks in (as well as will advance out of country hospital payments should it be necessary) and have a medical coordinator to represent us with the doctors/hospitals. Then whatever they do not pay falls to our regular coverage here at home (I have verified this with both ends and we are covered). I would rather deal with my own regular medical company at home once the majority is taken care of with the travel insurance first.

 

Hopefully you will get the result you are looking for and have your payment soon.

[Djptcp]

I don't know if this is possible, but do you want to book another cruise at another time? Perhaps you can just transfer this booking to another one. We have done that on Holland America, but I have to admit it was out further than only 3 weeks. Just a suggestion.

[Kruzin Karen]

Drazil65, I can't thank you enough! That tip about insure my trip primary coverage is AWESOME. 1025cruise, I know you're right. Sanger727, thank you.

[pms4104]

Wouldn't it be consideted insurance fraud to buy travel insurance after you know you will need to cancel?

 

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[stevefrisco]

Wouldn't it be consideted insurance fraud to buy travel insurance after you know you will need to cancel?

 

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Why is that?

[klfrodo]

Wouldn't it be consideted insurance fraud to buy travel insurance after you know you will need to cancel?

 

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If I was on the jury with the information given, that’s the way I’d call it.

[gambit57]

Wouldn't it be consideted insurance fraud to buy travel insurance after you know you will need to cancel?

 

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If it's allowed (like a "cancel for any reason"), I don't see how it's fraud. They can just hope they don't have to cancel, even though they almost certainly will. But if the terms allow it, then I don't see a problem. The insurance offers, and they accept.

 

It's just that for OP, I imagine that the $99/person type won't cover for any reason and also excludes preexisting medical, which she would fall into. So the insurance might not be any good as another person said.

 

I'd look into transferring the booking further out. That's a common trick to use with airlines.

[CoastieBMC]

Just a fought I recently purchased insurance after final payment due. It is not for any reason and very limited on specific medical issues I bought with the flu being so crazy why not take a chance and get if I get the flu no way could I cruise. But a scheduled surgery would be a no go from what I learned . If you communicate with carnival they might or might not issue you a future cruise credit!!

 

 

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[sanger727]

Wouldn't it be consideted insurance fraud to buy travel insurance after you know you will need to cancel?

 

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No. Insurance fraud only happens if you lie to get coverage or lie to get a claim covered that shouldn’t be. Simply purchasing when you know you’ll need to cancel is up to the policy to disallow anything pre-existing. In this situation of op buys a policy and then cancels and tries to make a claim the first thing the insurance company will do is check to see when the health issue started. The reason for the cancellation will be ruled pre-existing and payment will be denied. Which is why op will need a cancel for any reason policy. In that event, the company can’t deny covering the cancellation. But I think at this late date it will be hard to get any company to sell this type of policy.

 

 

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