Scary Medical Emergency - Cruise Credit Chance

[Kever1818]

I am inquiring if I have any hope in obtaining a credit from Royal Caribbean. The day before our cruise my daughter had a medical emergency at the airport. She was taken in ambulance from the airport, it was a scary scene and will require many medical followups but will be okay.

 

After getting her stabilized and many hours later my wife pleaded and pleaded for me to take my oldest daughter (off to college next year) still on the cruise, we were able to get on the last flight that night. 

 

We did not buy any insurance (that will change next vacation), any hope or suggestions that may allow for a travel credit for my wife and daughter?

 

Thank you 

[Mark_K]

Check the benefits of the credit card you used.

[seba1]

You can also try to email the executive team and see if they can help. We had an issue and they were wonderful to work with: ex-co@rccl.com. Also, I hope your daughter will be ok.

 

Stephanie

[RosieRoo]

There was just a huge discussion about this on this thread

 

 

[swoopy2110]

I am glad your daughter is ok! Must have been scary for you indeed.

 

This question comes up all the time, and the usual replies are that if cruise lines allowed 'exceptions' for all the reasons people came up with why they couldn't make their non-refundable cruise then they'd go bankrupt. You can try asking the cruise line if they'd be able to assist you, but this really is the reason why travel insurance exists.

[DirtyDawg]

@Mark_K and @seba1 posted great advice. 

Check you credit card you used for any travel related benefits. If nothing there, contact Royal.

All the best finding a solution. 🤞

And hoping your daughter will be OK.

 

[Starry Eyes]

I’m so glad your daughter will be OK.  I am also glad the emergency happened on land.  

I suspect it would have been even scarier if you had been in the air when it occurred.  It might also have been terrible if it had occurred on the cruise or in port without travel insurance (your regular health insurance may not have paid; you may have needed to pay for return airfare for the family from a foreign port in addition to foreign hospital bills).  Not only are you fortunate that the child will recover, you are are also fortunate that the lesson was much less expensive than it might have been.

How old is the child?  Depending on her age and writing ability, an email from her to the executive office might be more effective than one from the parent.  Still, you (or the kiddo) should be prepared to hear “no.”  Insurance is supposed to cover these situations.

 

Edited April 6, 2023 by Starry Eyes

[smokeybandit]

This is what travel insurance with trip interruption coverage is for

Edited April 6, 2023 by smokeybandit

[GJustice]

Glad she's ok. 

 

You won't get anything from them if you don't ask. Worst they can say is "no".

[HicksRA]

Situations like this are why they offer insurance. If you don’t buy it, you take your chances. Royal is not obligated to reimburse or compensate you for such an unfortunate event. 
Sorry, but you made the choice to not have insurance. 

[BennyandBo]

I'm actually getting fed up with people who have this question. I pay $120 per person, per trip, for travel insurance. Why should anyone else get special treatment. I'm sorry for anyone who gets sick and wish them well. But I don't get a refund if I don't use the insurance, why should others get off the hook for the cost of it by asking for special favors. 

[dunrobbin]

We always buy medical, but do not buy travel insurance.  Storm of the century on 23rd Dec closed Canada  by road and flights. No way to get to our cruise port.

First time we ever lost money after many many holidays. We always said if we lose one we will start getting both medical and Travel.

Instead we got a credit card that covers both.

No refund from Royal, and we didnt expect one.

What really bit though,  was that even though we paid for the cruise, we did not get our Crown and Anchor points. 😞  

[lovesthebeach2]

1 hour ago, GJustice said:

Glad she's ok. 

 

You won't get anything from them if you don't ask. Worst they can say is "no".

I say this to my husband all the time when I have requests that he thinks will get a “no” response…..and I always say to him, I doesn’t hurt to ask and worst they can say is no.

 

To the OP, glad your daughter is ok, that’s really all that’s important in this situation..

Edited April 6, 2023 by lovesthebeach2

[dleahy4444]

1 hour ago, dunrobbin said:

We always buy medical, but do not buy travel insurance.  Storm of the century on 23rd Dec closed Canada  by road and flights. No way to get to our cruise port.

First time we ever lost money after many many holidays. We always said if we lose one we will start getting both medical and Travel.

Instead we got a credit card that covers both.

No refund from Royal, and we didnt expect one.

What really bit though,  was that even though we paid for the cruise, we did not get our Crown and Anchor points. 😞  

May I ask what company you use for medical? We are in NY. I don’t need that much travel insurance to cover the trip but I have a medical condition that can cause a sudden emergency while on the ship so I’d like to up the medical portion of our coverage thanks 

[lovesthebeach2]

12 minutes ago, dleahy4444 said:

May I ask what company you use for medical? We are in NY. I don’t need that much travel insurance to cover the trip but I have a medical condition that can cause a sudden emergency while on the ship so I’d like to up the medical portion of our coverage thanks 

We have an annual policy from Allianz. Covers medical, emergency transportation, and lots of other things. 

[Denversail]

3 hours ago, Kever1818 said:

I am inquiring if I have any hope in obtaining a credit from Royal Caribbean. The day before our cruise my daughter had a medical emergency at the airport. She was taken in ambulance from the airport, it was a scary scene and will require many medical followups but will be okay.

 

After getting her stabilized and many hours later my wife pleaded and pleaded for me to take my oldest daughter (off to college next year) still on the cruise, we were able to get on the last flight that night. 

 

We did not buy any insurance (that will change next vacation), any hope or suggestions that may allow for a travel credit for my wife and daughter?

 

Thank you 

Did you talk to them at the pier? I can’t recall the specifics but I thought the cancellation policy is different for 3rd and 4th passengers. Assuming you were all booked in the same cabin.

[dleahy4444]

16 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

We have an annual policy from Allianz. Covers medical, emergency transportation, and lots of other things. 

I’ll look into it thanks

[klfrodo]

2 hours ago, BennyandBo said:

I'm actually getting fed up with people who have this question. I pay $120 per person, per trip, for travel insurance. Why should anyone else get special treatment. I'm sorry for anyone who gets sick and wish them well. But I don't get a refund if I don't use the insurance, why should others get off the hook for the cost of it by asking for special favors. 

I'm with you. Sorry the daughter got ill and I hope for nothing but the best for her.

Regarding the missing the cruise and decided not to purchase insurance, hard lesson to learn, but now you know. I know that the option was offered, you can't purchase a trip like this without checking a mark that opts you out of insurance. You (or someone in the party) intentionally chose to self-insure.

[nimbex1970]

Expect a "no" from royal, but hey, you may get some cruise credit.  As others have stated, call the credit company that you used to book the cruise. It's an expensive way to learn the value of saving that insurance money.  Been there too.  When this happened to us, the credit card company was very helpful, although it took several months for some percent of refunds. 

[crazyank]

16 hours ago, BennyandBo said:

I'm actually getting fed up with people who have this question. I pay $120 per person, per trip, for travel insurance. Why should anyone else get special treatment. I'm sorry for anyone who gets sick and wish them well. But I don't get a refund if I don't use the insurance, why should others get off the hook for the cost of it by asking for special favors. 

Totally agree

[rimmit]

If there is anyone on this board that can sympathize with your situation, believe me, I am that person.   I have had more travel snafus than almost anyone on this board.  I do buy trip insurance and trip medical. 
 

In this situation, you have chosen to self insure, and the combined amount saved by not getting travel insurance over the years likely is quite significant based on how much you may travel.   That likely covers some if not all the cost of the trip.

 

RCI will almost assuredly not give you anything, but you can ask.  RCI and the mainstream cruiselines are the least likely to give you any sympathy and they stick to the T&Cs hardcore.  Your hotel, car rental, airline, Disney, or any other tour or travel provider may give you some show of good will but not RCI in 99.9% of cases, but you can always ask.  Your best bet is your CC.  Check your CC benefits. 
 

 

Edited April 7, 2023 by rimmit

[soremekun]

Royal Caribbean:  "All your cash are belong to us."

 

 

Those who know, know.

[BND]

Insurance exists for a reason.  Why should we all buy it if they're going to refund those without it? We have an annual Allianz policy.  Well worth the money.

[nelblu]

At a minimum you will be getting taxes & fees (T&F) as refunds.

 

My only experience was when we had a family sail scheduled for Easter '20.  My wife was hospitalized, and we could not sail.  However, this was right around the beginning of the Pandemic and Royal was flush with cash and probably we in total did not visualize the future impact.  Anyway, I informed my TA who cancelled our cruise and informed Royal of the circumstances.

 

The result was that I received credit to my CC for one of us, plus all T&F--don't know if it was mine or my wife.  The unreimbursed amount, I submitted with all sorts of medical information to Chase Sapphire CC under the "trip interruption/cancellation policy.  Got the balance of the moneys including my TA $100 cancellation fee.

 

As others have said, you got nothing to lose but some time and effort.

 

 

[A&L_Ont]

3 hours ago, soremekun said:

Royal Caribbean:  "All your cash are belong to us."

 

 

Those who know, know.

The higher up C&A you are, the more this is true. 😂