Anything I should know before booking my cruise with RCCI TA?

[bride93006]

I'm going to be booking my cruise through the cruise line TA.

 

Anything I should know? What will they ask?

 

Any questions I should be sure and ask them??

 

Thanks!

[Honey's Gal]

It might help to know what area of the ship you would like your cabin.. You can look at the deck plan on their website for the ship you want.

 

You will need your credit card (to pay your deposit), you will need the correct names and address of the person(s) your are booking for and I think they asked for a phone number and/or email address.

 

Have fun

[Nliedel]

You will need your legal name (I bet you know that) along with the legal names of everyone you are booking for.

 

You will be asked if you prefer early or late dining. Do not count on your request being honored. I'm guessing here, but I think they are able to accomodate about half the people that ask and the closer to the cruise the less chance you will get what you want. Do not panic if this happens. It can be fixed most of the time.

 

You will need to make a decision about insurance. Some of the features are not available if you wait to book it later.

[ciderapple]

You will need your legal name (I bet you know that) along with the legal names of everyone you are booking for.

 

You will be asked if you prefer early or late dining. Do not count on your request being honored. I'm guessing here, but I think they are able to accomodate about half the people that ask and the closer to the cruise the less chance you will get what you want. Do not panic if this happens. It can be fixed most of the time.

 

You will need to make a decision about insurance. Some of the features are not available if you wait to book it later.

 

What exactly do you mean about the insurance and some features not being available if you book it later? When I booked our cruise last December through RCI the agent said I could book the insurance later on (obviously!) so I left it.

 

I'm worried now as I was going to book the insurance through RCI soon and don't really want the hassle of shopping around for others.

 

Please can you explain further? Many thanks :)

[Nliedel]

What exactly do you mean about the insurance and some features not being available if you book it later? When I booked our cruise last December through RCI the agent said I could book the insurance later on (obviously!) so I left it.

 

I'm worried now as I was going to book the insurance through RCI soon and don't really want the hassle of shopping around for others.

 

Please can you explain further? Many thanks :)

 

It is my understanding, and I am pretty sure I am right on this, but I have been known to make errors. That some pre-existing conditions may not be covered if you do not buy travel insurance when you book. Further, if you are traveling in hurricane season you need to book your insurance before the storm you may wish to make a claim for is named.

 

There is some good information in this post: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=83487&highlight=insurance+limitations

 

I could paraphrase it, but the posters here did a really good job.

[ciderapple]

It is my understanding, and I am pretty sure I am right on this, but I have been known to make errors. That some pre-existing conditions may not be covered if you do not buy travel insurance when you book. Further, if you are traveling in hurricane season you need to book your insurance before the storm you may wish to make a claim for is named.

 

There is some good information in this post: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=83487&highlight=insurance+limitations

 

I could paraphrase it, but the posters here did a really good job.

 

Thanks for getting back to me so quick and for providing the link. I think we are okay as we don't have any pre-existing conditions. But it's made me realise I need to book it now, today even! I have been putting it off :o !

 

Many thanks :)

[Nliedel]

Thanks for getting back to me so quick and for providing the link. I think we are okay as we don't have any pre-existing conditions. But it's made me realise I need to book it now, today even! I have been putting it off :o !

 

Many thanks :)

 

I don't wany anyone to panic. In fact I sometimes cruise without insurance. It's a dice roll either way.

[ciderapple]

I don't wany anyone to panic. In fact I sometimes cruise without insurance. It's a dice roll either way.

 

We need it! We don't have medical insurance in the US as we're only here for a while. We are covered medically in the US by other means but not in the Caribbean.

 

Thanks again for the info

[emilygrace]

Also keep in mind the pre-existing clause also covers other family members besides the ones traveling. For example, you might be in perfect health but your mother or father (or grandparent) might have a heart condition or high blood pressure. It doesn't matter that they are not going on the cruise. Then right before you leave for your trip one of them has a heart attack or stroke (this is an example only!) and you need to cancel. I'm sure the insurance company would consider this a pre-existing condition. I'm pretty sure the insurance companies go to great lengths to try to connect something so it will be pre-existing.

[Ella2]

Also keep in mind the pre-existing clause also covers other family members besides the ones traveling. For example, you might be in perfect health but your mother or father (or grandparent) might have a heart condition or high blood pressure. It doesn't matter that they are not going on the cruise. Then right before you leave for your trip one of them has a heart attack or stroke (this is an example only!) and you need to cancel. I'm sure the insurance company would consider this a pre-existing condition. I'm pretty sure the insurance companies go to great lengths to try to connect something so it will be pre-existing.

Oh NO, the pre-existing condition clause only pertains to those TRAVELING in the group! If a family member (as definied by the policy) NOT traveling dies and you can't travel, or is so sick that you need to stay home, that IS covered.

 

Please, read your policies carefully to understand them.

 

There is also a policy through an outside insurer that covers pre-existing medical condition as long as it purchased within 24 hours of FINAL PAYMENT -- the CSA Comfort Policy.

 

I always advise clients to get the insurance at final payment time, which is way in advance of the actual cruise and when you could lose your deposit. It's also far enough in advance to cover you should there be a hurricane (which, as pointed out, would NOT be covered if you purchase the policy after it becomes a named storm).

[Sun Lover]

I was planning on checking into insurance through either AAA or American Express. I have an elderly mother and need to make sure that if something were to happen with her health, it would be covered. I have a cruise booked for April, 2007. When would you say I should purchase the insurance? There seems to be differing views on this. Someone said there is absolutely no need to purchase it prior to shortly before you leave, but then another person said preexisting conditions would not be covered if it wasn't purchased at time of booking. This has me concerned. What would be considered preexisting conditions?

[Ella2]

Sun Lover, is your mother traveling with you? If she is, then check into the CSA Comfort Plan, which covers pre-existing medical conditions as long as it is purchased within 24 hours of the time you make your FINAL PAYMENT. This is a UNIQUE plan, most insurers require you to purchase plans that cover pre-existing medical conditions within 14 days or so of making your DEPOSIT.

 

If your mother is NOT traveling with you and you are just worried that YOU would have to cancel due to her health, and you don't have any pre-existing medical conditions, you can choose from many different policies that will cover you (I like the CSA Freestyle Plan).

 

I always recommend purchasing insurance at the time you have a potential financial loss to cover, which for most people is at the time you make FINAL PAYMENT. It's after that point that cruise line penalties kick in should you cancel.

 

If you decide to wait even past that point and are sailing in hurricane season, you also run the risk of not having the hurricane coverage included. Most insurers will tell you that once a tropical depression turns into a tropical storm and is named, they will NOT cover any loss resulting from that storm, because it is a "forseeable event". If you purchase the policy PRIOR to that, then you are covered.

 

Of course that only matters if you are traveling to hurricane-prone areas. :)