Cruise line insurance discrimination

[bmallari]

Hi Cruise Critic friends,

 

My family are Ruby and Platinum members in a reputable cruise line.  This time we decided to try Celebrity Cruise. As discussion went on working on numbers, we decided to take their Alaska Hubbard Cruise. As we go to the details on onboard insurance, Gondi (vacation specialist) firmly mentioned that Celebrity Cruise offers insurances only to Americans. Since we are Canadians, we need to go find our own insurance. Quite discriminatory and disappointing.  Lessons learned to find other cruise lines.

[d9704011]

What kind of insurance?

[LHT28]

Most American ins policies will not cover Canadians

we use a Canadian ins company

 Be sure to read the fine print of any Insurance

[d9704011]

1 minute ago, LHT28 said:

Most American ins policies will not cover Canadians

we use a Canadian ins company

 Be sure to read the fine print of any Insurance

Yes.  The OP needs to understand that Celebrity is not the insurer, just a vendor.  The insurer is AON and they cannot sell insurance in Canada.  Nobody is being discriminated against!

[Fouremco]

Unfortunately, Gondi had it only partially right. As Celebrity can't sell travel insurance to Canadians, it instead provides a link to Manulife for its Canadian customers, a link that should have been provided to you:. See the following webpage:

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/ca/cruise-insurance 

Edited July 27, 2022 by Fouremco

[mom says]

15 hours ago, bmallari said:

Lessons learned to find other cruise lines.

Good luck with that.  Perhaps first do a little reading on the Insurance forum before flinging accusations.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

[Crown Vic]

15 hours ago, Fouremco said:

…Celebrity can't sell travel insurance to Canadians, it instead provides a link to Manulife for its Canadian customers…

Have information from Celebrity that states insurance coverage for Canadians is through Arch Insurance of Toronto. May be worth checking it out. Cheers!

[Magicat]

Welcome to Cruise Critic, I hope you enjoy participating in this community.

[lots-of-km2]

18 hours ago, bmallari said:

As we go to the details on onboard insurance, Gondi (vacation specialist) firmly mentioned that Celebrity Cruise offers insurances only to Americans. Since we are Canadians, we need to go find our own insurance. Quite discriminatory and disappointing.

 

It was actually good of Gondi to tell you this. The insurance that the US-based cruise lines sell are contracts subject to US law, with US-centric details.   If an insured person has to be flown 'home' for medical reasons, these contracts consider the US to be home.  And if, heaven forbid,  an insured passenger's body has to be repatriated, these contracts stipulate that the body gets flown to the US.  Or let's say that the Canadian government issues a traveller's advisory against cruising after you've paid your cruise in full.  A US contract wouldn't pay heed to a Canadian government directive.   If there's any dispute related to the insurance, the insured party would be fighting it in a US court.  Prepared for any of that?  I'm guessing no. 

 

So you really need to go with medical and cancellation policies issued in Canada for Canadians.

 

Even though many other US travel agents will try to sell you the US policies. 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2022 by lots-of-km2

[bmallari]

Hi,

I understand your point. I can share my personal experience when I opted to get the insurance outside the cruise company. An issue came up that It took me 2-3 months just to be refunded for my expenses. But when I tried to secure my insurance with the Cruise line and had a problem onboard, the issue was immediately attended and resolved by the Guest service. I believe convenience to the passengers for the 'what ifs' brings comfort  when things, matters, issues does come up with the insurance within the Cruise line. 

[bellevuemountain]

I also discovered the problem through my TA.  The insurance is often offered by a third party, not the cruise line.  I was able to add the insurance package when booking online.  My TA later told me that the said insurance package was not available for the province of Quebec.  I had not read the fine print five links away 😉.  My best advice, read the fine print before purchase, that was my responsibility… live and learn.  At least I was able to change everything before the cruise took place.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

5 hours ago, mom says said:

Good luck with that.  Perhaps first do a little reading on the Insurance forum before flinging accusations.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

Looks like they do not deal with the public 

[Fouremco]

6 hours ago, Crown Vic said:

Have information from Celebrity that states insurance coverage for Canadians is through Arch Insurance of Toronto. May be worth checking it out. Cheers!

What is the date of this information, as the Celebrity website currently recommends Manulife? I wonder if they switched from Arch Insurance to Manulife, or if they are now in the process of switching to Arch.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Quote the wrong person , 

I believe Arch only deals in commercial insurance , I could not find a link to them selling travel insurance 

[LHT28]

I do not believe any cruise line underwrites it's own insurance

Check the Underwriter of any policies issued by a cruise line

as in Celebrity case

 

"Underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife) and the First North American Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manulife."

https://www.celebritycruises.com/ca/cruise-insurance

 

[Crown Vic]

31 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

What is the date of this information, as the Celebrity website currently recommends Manulife? I wonder if they switched from Arch Insurance to Manulife, or if they are now in the process of switching to Arch.

Fouremco, received this note on March 29, 2022:-

Thank you for your interest in the Celebrity Cruises Protection Plan. Please visit HTTPS://
WWW.ARCHINSURANCESOLUTIONS.COM/COVERAGE/CELEBRITY for the details of that
plan.
We encourage travelers to read through and familiarize themselves with the details
provided in the above link. If there are additional questions, for the best experience
please use the contact information provided in the plan details.
If now or in the future a claim needs to be filed, please visit www.aontravelclaim.com.
Sincerelv.
Aon CustomerCare

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, Crown Vic said:

Fouremco, received this note on March 29, 2022:-

Thank you for your interest in the Celebrity Cruises Protection Plan. Please visit HTTPS://
WWW.ARCHINSURANCESOLUTIONS.COM/COVERAGE/CELEBRITY for the details of that
plan.
We encourage travelers to read through and familiarize themselves with the details
provided in the above link. If there are additional questions, for the best experience
please use the contact information provided in the plan details.
If now or in the future a claim needs to be filed, please visit www.aontravelclaim.com.
Sincerelv.
Aon CustomerCare

Thank you for the information. Celebrity's travel insurance benefits for US residents are administered by Aon Affinity and underwritten by Arch Insurance Company. As the note that you received makes no mention of Canadian passengers and directs you to Arch's US office, I rather suspect that this was a generic response to anyone enquiring about the protection plan. 

[Oceangoer2]

Have you tried calling them?  They advertise for Canadian travellers.  We have their policy (company sponsored) and they have great coverage.

[Crown Vic]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

Thank you for the information. Celebrity's travel insurance benefits for US residents are administered by Aon Affinity and underwritten by Arch Insurance Company. As the note that you received makes no mention of Canadian passengers and directs you to Arch's US office, I rather suspect that this was a generic response to anyone enquiring about the protection plan. 

Fouremco, in March, called Celebrity. Was advised to call AON. Called AON. The conversation covered my country of domicile. AON sent the note to me shown dated March 29. 
As Alice said…curiouser and curiouser.

Agree with Oceangoer2…a phone call should provide definitive information as to which company is providing travel insurance to Celebrity’s Canadian customers…

 

[Kamloops50]

On 7/26/2022 at 3:49 PM, bmallari said:

Hi Cruise Critic friends,

 

My family are Ruby and Platinum members in a reputable cruise line.  This time we decided to try Celebrity Cruise. As discussion went on working on numbers, we decided to take their Alaska Hubbard Cruise. As we go to the details on onboard insurance, Gondi (vacation specialist) firmly mentioned that Celebrity Cruise offers insurances only to Americans. Since we are Canadians, we need to go find our own insurance. Quite discriminatory and disappointing.  Lessons learned to find other cruise lines.

Celebrity has a site for Canadians to buy insurance.

Here is the link to the site

https://www.celebritycruises.com/ca/cruise-insurance