Missed private shore excursion due to delayed arrival in port

[Connie Tact]

We recently sailed on RCI Anthem of the Seas and this got in to port at Liverpool later than planned due to bad weather.

By the time we were allowed to disembark, the private excursion we planned (a tour in a special Beatles themed car) had left.

We had spoken to the provider who said he could only wait ten minutes. He had others to take on the tour.

My question is, has anyone else experienced this kind of thing and was a claim for a refund successful?

I asked the third party company (with the initial V) who asked the provider and they said no but, as I would be disappointed, offered me £25 towards another tour.

The trip was £98 and would not be covered by my credit card Section 27 as it is not £100! 
I wondered if anyone claimed successfully on their travel insurance?

Mine want me to fill in online forms and nothing quite fits as it’s mainly about missed flights and holidays, not elements of the holiday such as excursions. 
Maybe it was just the risk we took by booking a private one but as we have always been fortunate before, it didn’t worry me!

Any thoughts?

 

[GeezerCouple]

15 minutes ago, Connie Tact said:

We recently sailed on RCI Anthem of the Seas and this got in to port at Liverpool later than planned due to bad weather.

By the time we were allowed to disembark, the private excursion we planned (a tour in a special Beatles themed car) had left.

We had spoken to the provider who said he could only wait ten minutes. He had others to take on the tour.

My question is, has anyone else experienced this kind of thing and was a claim for a refund successful?

I asked the third party company (with the initial V) who asked the provider and they said no but, as I would be disappointed, offered me £25 towards another tour.

The trip was £98 and would not be covered by my credit card Section 27 as it is not £100! 
I wondered if anyone claimed successfully on their travel insurance?

Mine want me to fill in online forms and nothing quite fits as it’s mainly about missed flights and holidays, not elements of the holiday such as excursions. 
Maybe it was just the risk we took by booking a private one but as we have always been fortunate before, it didn’t worry me!

Any thoughts?

 

 

What type of travel insurance did you get?

And just what does it say about this type of loss (missing something due to late arrival)?

It's not clear who the "third party" is or who the "provider" is, from your writing.  Which is the insurance company?

 

And where is your residence, as the "rules" and choices for travel insurance can vary (a lot) from country to country, and even within the USA from state to state (although not quite as much as among countries).

 

Our travel insurance does cover that type of thing, but we've only had it happen due to illness, not a late arrival beyond our control, etc.  However, each insurer can have their policies written differently, of course.

 

GC

 

 

[klfrodo]

I'm guessing that the 3rd party vendor you purchased the private excursion from is Viator.

I would "guess" that if you filed a claim with your travel insurance AND you added the cost of this tour into your initial "Trip Cost" as a non-refundable prepaid cost,,, then it's worth a shot.

Then again, I could also see them coming back and saying that since you missed the excursion due to the ship being late due to weather,,, they could claim "force majeure".

 

So, in the end, I would measure how much time it's going to cost me in my personal time vs. whats the return.

[ConnieTact]

On 10/29/2021 at 11:31 PM, klfrodo said:

I'm guessing that the 3rd party vendor you purchased the private excursion from is Viator.

I would "guess" that if you filed a claim with your travel insurance AND you added the cost of this tour into your initial "Trip Cost" as a non-refundable prepaid cost,,, then it's worth a shot.

Then again, I could also see them coming back and saying that since you missed the excursion due to the ship being late due to weather,,, they could claim "force majeure".

 

So, in the end, I would measure how much time it's going to cost me in my personal time vs. whats the return.

Thanks for your reply klfrodo. You are correct it was Viator ( I wasn’t sure if I could mention them by name!)

My travel insurance is through my bank and with a very busy company Axa who hardly ever answers phones for hours! I’m in U.K.

I think you’re right. I have to measure up if it’s worth the time to claim. 
Good point about ‘force majeure’. I asked the ship to provide me with a letter to say we were late but it does say we were delayed through bad weather.
I think I’ll also avoid booking private transfers again, as at least with a ship’s tour we would have either got to do the trip or had a refund. 
 

 

[EPICUREAN7]

On 10/29/2021 at 12:58 PM, Connie Tact said:

We recently sailed on RCI Anthem of the Seas and this got in to port at Liverpool later than planned due to bad weather.

By the time we were allowed to disembark, the private excursion we planned (a tour in a special Beatles themed car) had left.

We had spoken to the provider who said he could only wait ten minutes. He had others to take on the tour.

My question is, has anyone else experienced this kind of thing and was a claim for a refund successful?

I asked the third party company (with the initial V) who asked the provider and they said no but, as I would be disappointed, offered me £25 towards another tour.

The trip was £98 and would not be covered by my credit card Section 27 as it is not £100! 
I wondered if anyone claimed successfully on their travel insurance?

Mine want me to fill in online forms and nothing quite fits as it’s mainly about missed flights and holidays, not elements of the holiday such as excursions. 
Maybe it was just the risk we took by booking a private one but as we have always been fortunate before, it didn’t worry me!

Any thoughts?

We missed a few private excursions( prepaid) due to the weather and once due to a change of port.  Our insurance( Nationwide) covered them.

 

[ridge4]

I cannot speak as to your coverage, especially since I am in the U.S.  But I will say that we missed a private tour due to weather (the ship did not make the port at all) several years ago in the British Isles.  The vendor provided me a letter verifying that no refund was due. I made the claim and was reimbursed in full. Give it a try. 

[travelplus]

I booked a Shore Excursion in Mazatlan with Shore Excursion Group and for $10 more they include insurance so that if for some reason there is a change of plans, you get sick and can't do the excursion or the ship misses the port they refund you everything. My Excursion to Stone Island is  $65+$10 Insurance. So if I lose $10 that is damn good! 

 

Also SEG guarantees that you will return back to the ship or else they will pay you and get you to the next port of call even if you have to stay in a hotel, food etc.

[travelplus]

On 10/29/2021 at 3:31 PM, klfrodo said:

I'm guessing that the 3rd party vendor you purchased the private excursion from is Viator.

I would "guess" that if you filed a claim with your travel insurance AND you added the cost of this tour into your initial "Trip Cost" as a non-refundable prepaid cost,,, then it's worth a shot.

Then again, I could also see them coming back and saying that since you missed the excursion due to the ship being late due to weather,,, they could claim "force majeure".

 

So, in the end, I would measure how much time it's going to cost me in my personal time vs. whats the return.

Viator is a hit or miss company. I booked with the Shore Excursions Group team. Their customer service is amazing! Dealt with a nice man who switched me to a better excursion in Mazatlan that met my needs. He transferred the payment and then took the balance due.   Their Insurance policy is great. The people who started the Shore Excursion Group worked for Royal Caribbean Shore Excursion Department and they have never missed the ship and will get you to the next port with their Guarantee. 

 

Also they have small groups and use a good local vendor. If I had booked with the local vendor at the same cost it would be hard to get a refund if there was a  problem. 

 

I've used ViaTor for Airport Transfers and it worked out well. I know Friends who booked a Shore Excursion with Viator and had the same experience you did. 

Edited February 19, 2022 by travelplus