New Canadian Travel Guidance - Cruising Still Officially a No-Go....

[Dr. Cocktail]

From the Canadian Press this morning ....

 

OTTAWA - The federal government has lifted a global advisory asking Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside the country, but continues to advise against travel on cruise ships.

The global travel advisory was put in place in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2021.

 

No explanation provided with respect to their reasoning on maintaining the existing Cruise Ship guidance....

[Roxxy]

oh well ....  

advising but not 'officially'

 

[Oceangoer2]

45 minutes ago, Roxxy said:

oh well ....  

advising but not 'officially'

 

Level 3 still, isn't it?  That's a caution against travelling and I think the insurance companies will still not cover unless you've purchased a 'special' addition to the policy where available.

[Fouremco]

21 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Level 3 still, isn't it?  That's a caution against travelling and I think the insurance companies will still not cover unless you've purchased a 'special' addition to the policy where available.

No, the Level 3 general travel advisory to avoid all non-essential travel has been dropped altogether. To what extent insurance companies will react remains to be seen. From a cruise perspective, things remain unchanged.

[CRUISINGCANUCKS99]

So who is flying out of Canada to go cruising?

What are those of you who are cruising, doing for insurance?

We have a full payment due on Oct. 31 for our cruise on Princess in January. We know our testing protocols but the entire trip hinges on booking the proper insurance.

Any guidance out there would be appreciated.

 

Gord

[Fouremco]

There are numerous threads here dealing with insurance that you might want to wade through, but the bottom line is that there are a few insurance companies (Blue Cross and Johnson for example) that are offering coverage for COVID-related medical costs but not for trip interruption or cancellation due to COVID. This in spite of the GOC travel advisory against cruising. The majority of insurers, however, will not provide any insurance for any losses due to COVID while the advisory is in effect. 

 

Johnson, and possibly others, have different group policies, some including and some excluding COVID coverage. When you speak to a company, be very sure of exactly what coverage you are discussing. 

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, CRUISINGCANUCKS99 said:

So who is flying out of Canada to go cruising?

What are those of you who are cruising, doing for insurance?

We have a full payment due on Oct. 31 for our cruise on Princess in January. We know our testing protocols but the entire trip hinges on booking the proper insurance.

Any guidance out there would be appreciated.

 

Gord

We just pulled the trigger on Blue Cross for our upcoming trip next month. Emergency medical only, including COVID, no trip interruption etc, and they are having a monster sale on right now giving coverage for a full year, unlimited trips up to 17 days max each, for the price of a single trip.  We therefore have coverage for our next four cruises between late November 2021 and late November 2022, two adults, total came to all of $187. We used Blue Cross a few years ago, though on that trip only for expenses relating to a delayed cruise return, and they paid out no problem. 

[Liverpoolfan181]

Ditto for blue cross! Sailing in January 

[Jack1]

6 hours ago, CRUISINGCANUCKS99 said:

So who is flying out of Canada to go cruising?

What are those of you who are cruising, doing for insurance?

We have a full payment due on Oct. 31 for our cruise on Princess in January. We know our testing protocols but the entire trip hinges on booking the proper insurance.

Any guidance out there would be appreciated.

 

Gord

We are booked on a river cruise late Feb 2022 and have been wading through all the posts on insurance for Canadians.  Our final payment is late Nov so we still have a bit of time.

It seems like there are different rules/coverage for different companies and for different provinces.  Blue Cross seems to gave good coverage for covid but couldn't find anything similar on AB blue cross website.

Today I looked at Manulife policy called Cover Me.  If you read the policy (small print ) it seems to cover covid and  cruises as long  as you have been doubly vaccinated. This policy was updated Oct 21, 2021 so it might be reflecting the updated advisory in place.

 My TA sent me  link to Medipac that also appears to cover covid and cruises.  She had a client who just bought this insurance for a cruise.

You really do have to do your own research as to what will work for your own needs and province.

It's my hope that shortly we will see a shift in travel insurance for cruises but maybe not in time for your final payment date. 

Good luck.

Gord, Somehow I replied in the quote..good luck with your search.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Jack1

[3bouysandmom]

8 hours ago, CRUISINGCANUCKS99 said:

So who is flying out of Canada to go cruising?

What are those of you who are cruising, doing for insurance?

We have a full payment due on Oct. 31 for our cruise on Princess in January. We know our testing protocols but the entire trip hinges on booking the proper insurance.

Any guidance out there would be appreciated.

 

Gord

Spoke to ManuLife, BlueCross, TD insurance, Desjardins.  None will cover cruises as Canadian Government still has level 4 travel advisory issued.  You Are covered on a cruise for non-covid related medical issues(heat attack, broken bones, etc)  I found a company that will cover canadian travelers for covid while on a cruise.  Insubuy.com and it is the safe travels international coverage.  Doesn't cover me in the USA but my TD Credit card travel insurance covers me for that. Hope you find coverage that works for you.

[lx200gps]

7 hours ago, 3bouysandmom said:

Spoke to ManuLife, BlueCross, TD insurance, Desjardins.  None will cover cruises as Canadian Government still has level 4 travel advisory issued.  You Are covered on a cruise for non-covid related medical issues(heat attack, broken bones, etc)  I found a company that will cover canadian travelers for covid while on a cruise.  Insubuy.com and it is the safe travels international coverage.  Doesn't cover me in the USA but my TD Credit card travel insurance covers me for that. Hope you find coverage that works for you.

Interesting. The Blue Cross web site clearly says:

 

$5,000,000 coverage per insured person and per trip, including:

• Hospitalization costs
• Fees for nurses, physicians and other health professionals
• Repatriation to the province of residence, depending on the insured person’s health condition
• Ambulance expenses and additional transportation costs
• Vehicle return to the province of residence
• Emergency dental care following an accident (up to $2,000)
• Accommodation, meals and taxi transportation if return is delayed due to a medical emergency (up to $3,000)
• Medical care for COVID-19 if you get it while travelling

Also, during the booking process you have to select the type of trip, and one of the first selections is "Cruise or Various Countries", so medical expenses related to COVID are covered.

 

It's important to note that this Blue Cross coverage is not available in all provinces, but it definitely IS available in Quebec, and I believe that folks from Ontario are also able to purchase it.  Also, it clearly does NOT cover COVID-related non-medical issues like trip interruption, cancellation, etc.

[Liverpoolfan181]

9 hours ago, 3bouysandmom said:

Spoke to ManuLife, BlueCross, TD insurance, Desjardins.  None will cover cruises as Canadian Government still has level 4 travel advisory issued.  You Are covered on a cruise for non-covid related medical issues(heat attack, broken bones, etc)  I found a company that will cover canadian travelers for covid while on a cruise.  Insubuy.com and it is the safe travels international coverage.  Doesn't cover me in the USA but my TD Credit card travel insurance covers me for that. Hope you find coverage that works for you.

Blue cross 100% covers covid-19 for cruises even with Federal advisories and it’s under their FAQ page and confirmation. Just purchased a few weeks back for our fam. Best to speak with an agent/ they were so helpful to guide. We purchased the emergency medical coverage

 

under the FAQ;

 

Have a look at their FAQ page for detailed answers:

Do you cover COVID-19 if government advisories have been issued?

Emergency Medical Care benefit

Yes, if you meet the pre-existing medical condition requirements of your contract. For example, if you tested positive for COVID-19 or had symptoms before the effective date of your contract, you will not be covered for this illness. However, while the travel advisories of the Government of Canada do not affect your coverage, we recommend that you follow government and health authority recommendations.

 

Can I purchase travel insurance even though “Avoid non-essential travel” or “Avoid all travel” advisories have been issued?

 

 

Emergency Medical Care benefit

Yes. The travel advisories of the Government of Canada do not affect your insurance eligibility. However, we recommend that you follow government and health authority recommendations.

 

what it doesn’t include is trip cancellation/interruption 

 

hope this helps 

Edited October 23, 2021 by Liverpoolfan181

[Fouremco]

10 hours ago, 3bouysandmom said:

Spoke to ManuLife, BlueCross, TD insurance, Desjardins.  None will cover cruises as Canadian Government still has level 4 travel advisory issued.  You Are covered on a cruise for non-covid related medical issues(heat attack, broken bones, etc)  I found a company that will cover canadian travelers for covid while on a cruise.  Insubuy.com and it is the safe travels international coverage.  Doesn't cover me in the USA but my TD Credit card travel insurance covers me for that. Hope you find coverage that works for you.

It's unfortunate that you keep repeating this information on different threads when other posters have pointed out that it is erroneous. You clearly aren't asking the right questions - or understanding the answers - when you are speaking to companies.

[Roxxy]

Blue Cross for Alberta is omitting anything to do with Covid Coverage.  To my understanding Celebrity has that covered anyways.  Free medical attention while on board and also 'evacuation' to nearest port to have you flown home.  Not sure about quarantining in the US though??

[CRUISINGCANUCKS99]

Wow! Thanks everyone, all this information gives me a great start to getting where we need to be with insurance!

You people are great! I love this site!

 

Cheers!

[CRUISINGCANUCKS99]

My Princess TA emailed me last night, and says he can provide me with insurance through Princess as long as I don't live in Quebec. It will cover trip cancellation, interruption, lost/delayed luggage, medical and repatriation. I have to verify if Covid-19 is covered as well, as it doesn't specify on the Princess website. It also doesn't say anything about being available to Canadian residents. I will have to verify that too.

 

We will see what he has to say when we talk on Monday.

[zook50]

I am a retired Saskatchewan teacher and have insurance with Blue Cross.  I went over the details in my policy and then called them to confirm.  They treat Covid the same as any other illness on a trip, as long as there are no symptoms pre-trip, of course.  As others have pointed out, no cancellation or interruption coverage is provided, but all other medical benefits for Covid are in place.

[zook50]

The Blue Cross rep also said that cruises are covered the same way.  We were checking for land travel to the States, but we have cruises booked for 2023, so I asked about that too.

[broberts]

There are several parts to covid coverage: medical, isolation / quarantine, and trip interruption. Unless there is specific language including costs associated with isolation / quarantine, I would be doubtful of coverage for those costs.

[zook50]

Good advice, of course.  I think all the specifics and "fine print" need to be carefully checked and rechecked.  And, of course, actually talking to someone and asking specific questions is important, although mixed messages can definitely occur.  A friend who was preparing for travel spoke to an insurance company and had one rep/agent  say one thing and another say something totally different. 

[zook50]

If I remember correctly, he ended up speaking to a supervisor and then getting him to email him detailed specifics about the promised coverage.

[lx200gps]

2 hours ago, CRUISINGCANUCKS99 said:

My Princess TA emailed me last night, and says he can provide me with insurance through Princess as long as I don't live in Quebec. It will cover trip cancellation, interruption, lost/delayed luggage, medical and repatriation. I have to verify if Covid-19 is covered as well, as it doesn't specify on the Princess website. It also doesn't say anything about being available to Canadian residents. I will have to verify that too.

 

We will see what he has to say when we talk on Monday.

The Princess insurance (called Princess Vacation Protection) definitely is available to all Canadians, with the exception of us Quebecers (and very recently, residents of the state of New York). It stopped being available to us a few years ago, as we had routinely bought it for every cruise. It's a bit expensive, and others will point out that there are much better insurance products out there. We bought it largely because we have a specific need for the best feature of this insurance, the "100% back as FCC" Cancel For Any Reason coverage. I am not aware of any other insurer in Canada that does any better than 75% CFAR, which can amount to a large amount of money lost if you have to cancel at the last minute for a non-covered reason.

[CRUISINGCANUCKS99]

1 hour ago, lx200gps said:

e bought it largely because we have a specific need for the best feature of this insurance, the "100% back as FCC" Cancel For Any Reason coverage. I am not aware of any other insurer in Canada that does any better than 75% CFAR, which can amount to a large amount of money lost if you have to cancel at the last minute for a non-covered reason.

 

That is something unique and probably worth the extra $100 or so. But some of there medical $ coverage is not up there with some others. I guess all insurance is a balance of give and take.

My wife and I will get a bunch of questions jotted down for my TA and hopefully get to see something in writing first.

[DHP1]

On 10/22/2021 at 3:09 PM, CRUISINGCANUCKS99 said:

So who is flying out of Canada to go cruising?

What are those of you who are cruising, doing for insurance?

We have a full payment due on Oct. 31 for our cruise on Princess in January. We know our testing protocols but the entire trip hinges on booking the proper insurance.

Any guidance out there would be appreciated.

 

Gord

 

[DHP1]

On the safe side, we purchase Princess Vacation Protection.  Because they have low medical coverage, we also purchase Blue Cross medical. The only thing that is not insured is our flights.