Community Chat

[Clover29]

On 7/28/2014 Tinkrbl44 said:

On 7/27/2014 Clover29 said:

On 7/27/2014 Tinkrbl44 said:

I knew a travel agent that specialized in cruises (I think) and she always emphasized that if you can afford the cruise, you can afford the insurance ...... too many things can go wrong other than illness .... hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes ..... you get the idea.

BTW ...... how much is cruise insurance? Anyone know ?

I wondered the same thing, so I went looking. Here's one example, since I think you just wanted a ballpark type idea:

"If you're between 35 and 59 years old and plan to insure a cruise fare of $1,599 per person, the cost of Travel Guard's Gold plan would be approximately $95. The per-person cost bumps up to $125 for travelers of ages 60 to 69 and $175 for travelers between 70 and 74 years of age. (Cancel for Any Reason coverage is available as an add-on for 1.4 times the base plan cost.)"

This is what it covers:
Trip cancellation = 100 percent of insured trip cost
Trip interruption = 150% of insured trip cost
Trip delay (maximum of $150/day) = $750
Missed connection = $250
Baggage and personal effects loss = $1,000
Baggage delay = $300
Medical expense = $25,000
Dental = $500
Emergency evacuation/repatriation = $500,000
Accidental death & dismemberment =$10,000

Clover, was there supposed to be another zero on the last item?

It seems odd that you'd get a half million for an emergency evacuation, but if there was an accidental death or dismemberment, you'd only get 10 grand ... ????

Nope, I just went back to the site I copy/pasted, and it is $10K.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=274

[betty423]

On 7/28/2014 millieshops said:

On 7/28/2014 betty423 said:

Yes they should have bought insurance and didn't. However, Norwegian is out no money if they offered a full credit towards another cruise. No where in my mind could I imagine saying to this family "too bad, so sorry". People make mistakes and to ease this family's mind, I'd offer the credit. That's just me.

Betty

Although I suspect the cruise line will eventually work with this family (if they haven't already). how can you say they are not out of money if the family rebooks? Unless they can sell those 3 spaces the family didn't use for the price the family paid for them, they're out that money as well as the money they have to spent to reprocess the family and whoever does buy those spaces.

It's true that people make mistakes. The question is who should pay for the mistake.

I understand your point. It would seem to me that by holding the family's $$ in the form of a credit the cruise line is out no money. If there's a processing fee, how much could that be??? Can it be more than insurance? Charge the family a reprocessing fee when the cruise is rebooked to process the new reservation.

Also, I'm not so sure that the family was offered any type of credit when they had to cancel. It doesn't even sound like they are in the cruise line's statement. It just says they'll be happy to assist them in booking another cruise - they don't say they're offering a credit or a refund. That's why I think the family went public.

In these matters, I try not to judge. If it were my child, I don't know what I'd do or how I'd react to anything. My instinct is to say I'd be upset to be out the money and the cruise for my child's sake (maybe I could use the $$ now or I'd want the credit to reassure my child he'd have his great trip when he was well). Surely the health and well being of the sick child is paramount to anything else.

Just my thoughts - the cruise line will do what is best for all I'm sure.

betty

[pinkskates4]

On 7/28/2014 Tinkrbl44 said:

On 7/27/2014 Clover29 said:

On 7/27/2014 Tinkrbl44 said:

I knew a travel agent that specialized in cruises (I think) and she always emphasized that if you can afford the cruise, you can afford the insurance ...... too many things can go wrong other than illness .... hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes ..... you get the idea.

BTW ...... how much is cruise insurance? Anyone know ?

I wondered the same thing, so I went looking. Here's one example, since I think you just wanted a ballpark type idea:

"If you're between 35 and 59 years old and plan to insure a cruise fare of $1,599 per person, the cost of Travel Guard's Gold plan would be approximately $95. The per-person cost bumps up to $125 for travelers of ages 60 to 69 and $175 for travelers between 70 and 74 years of age. (Cancel for Any Reason coverage is available as an add-on for 1.4 times the base plan cost.)"

This is what it covers:
Trip cancellation = 100 percent of insured trip cost
Trip interruption = 150% of insured trip cost
Trip delay (maximum of $150/day) = $750
Missed connection = $250
Baggage and personal effects loss = $1,000
Baggage delay = $300
Medical expense = $25,000
Dental = $500
Emergency evacuation/repatriation = $500,000
Accidental death & dismemberment =$10,000

Clover, was there supposed to be another zero on the last item?

It seems odd that you'd get a half million for an emergency evacuation, but if there was an accidental death or dismemberment, you'd only get 10 grand ... ????

Emergency evacuation can be extremely expensive - and this is meant to protect you if that happens.

Presumably if you want it, you would already have life insurance and would not be buying this policy for that.

If the death- or dismemberment - is somehow caused by the cruise line, you can always sue them.

[pinkskates4]

On 7/28/2014 betty423 said:

On 7/28/2014 millieshops said:

On 7/28/2014 betty423 said:

Yes they should have bought insurance and didn't. However, Norwegian is out no money if they offered a full credit towards another cruise. No where in my mind could I imagine saying to this family "too bad, so sorry". People make mistakes and to ease this family's mind, I'd offer the credit. That's just me.

Betty

Although I suspect the cruise line will eventually work with this family (if they haven't already). how can you say they are not out of money if the family rebooks? Unless they can sell those 3 spaces the family didn't use for the price the family paid for them, they're out that money as well as the money they have to spent to reprocess the family and whoever does buy those spaces.

It's true that people make mistakes. The question is who should pay for the mistake.

I understand your point. It would seem to me that by holding the family's $$ in the form of a credit the cruise line is out no money. If there's a processing fee, how much could that be??? Can it be more than insurance? Charge the family a reprocessing fee when the cruise is rebooked to process the new reservation.

Also, I'm not so sure that the family was offered any type of credit when they had to cancel. It doesn't even sound like they are in the cruise line's statement. It just says they'll be happy to assist them in booking another cruise - they don't say they're offering a credit or a refund. That's why I think the family went public.

In these matters, I try not to judge. If it were my child, I don't know what I'd do or how I'd react to anything. My instinct is to say I'd be upset to be out the money and the cruise for my child's sake (maybe I could use the $$ now or I'd want the credit to reassure my child he'd have his great trip when he was well). Surely the health and well being of the sick child is paramount to anything else.

Just my thoughts - the cruise line will do what is best for all I'm sure.

betty

I get your point IF the cruise line is able to rebook 3 other passengers for the original cruise.

If not, the money originally paid would cover those 3 fares. An additional cruise would then incur cost for 3 additional fares - so just keeping their money would not cover the cost of 6 fares total.

And yes I know cruise lines offer last minute discounts to fill slots so this is not exact, but then also a later cruise could cost more if the price of oil etc., continues to rise.

So to say they lose "nothing" is just not accurate.

And this does not account for the publicity that - oh I don't really need to buy insurance. If I have a compelling enough reason/tragedy, I can just insist that the cruise line make it all right for me - they did it for this couple after all.

[betty423]

There are assumptions on both sides to be sure. In the end, the family is out way more than the cruise company. That ship leaves port with or without the family. Those three fares may very well be covered by a last minute booking. Maybe it's at a discounted rate but surely the cruise line is not losing $$; they won't sell fares at a loss. If the cruise fare goes up before the family rebooks, then they can and should be charged the difference. People who want to beat the system will always and forever try. The cruise line should have offered the credit from the get-go and this whole situation would have been different. Their loss, if any, would have been minimal.

Betty

[pinkskates4]

On 7/29/2014 betty423 said:

There are assumptions on both sides to be sure. In the end, the family is out way more than the cruise company. That ship leaves port with or without the family. Those three fares may very well be covered by a last minute booking. Maybe it's at a discounted rate but surely the cruise line is not losing $$; they won't sell fares at a loss. If the cruise fare goes up before the family rebooks, then they can and should be charged the difference. People who want to beat the system will always and forever try. The cruise line should have offered the credit from the get-go and this whole situation would have been different. Their loss, if any, would have been minimal.

Betty

In saying the family is out "way more than the cruise line," I guess you are referring to the amount as a percentage of overall income.

Which I guess is supposed to mean that since the cruise line has deep pockets, they should be responsible to make right any problem people with less money have (which would be probably all of their passengers) when those folks choose not to buy insurance.

I guess by that logic, the cruise line should have a policy that you don't really need insurance and you can cancel anytime for a full - or at least substantial refund.

There will always be compelling reasons. In this case it's the child's cancer, but someone could lose a job, or a close relative could die, or they could get sick, or a child or other relative or maybe even a very close friend, or neighbor or roommate could suddenly need their urgent care and attention, etc. etc. etc.

[Alter Ego]

On 7/27/2014 Clover29 said:

On 7/27/2014 Junebug54 said:

Cannot stand people like that. Always wanting something for nothing. And running to the media. They should be embarrassed. Which cruise line is giving them a free trip? I will avoid them..

The CEO who is giving them a free trip asked that his company not be named, because he was touched by their story and wasn't doing it for the publicity. Good or bad publicity.

I'm sure we'll find out who it is when the family posts the trip on Facebook. Nevertheless, it is a horrible situation and something you can never imagine happening. One could hope that others will learn from this, but you know all they will learn is that insurance isn't necessary as long as you can shame the big, bad company into giving you what you want.

[Financialgrl]

I've already weighed in before but here's my take - the chances of Norwegian being out all the money - slim to none. What they'll do is offer people in a lesser cabin an upgrade to this family's cabin and they would discount the lesser cabin and so them being out all the money, usually not true. You see it all the time - websites all over the net offering last minute deeply discounted cruises. If one is retired and has a passport, you can get a pretty good deal many times last minute as long as you have a passport and the ability to pick up and go anytime so guessing Norwegian losing out on this family's full fare is probably not true.

I travel a LOT and don't get travel insurance for most other type trips but anytime I'm on a cruise, I am never without it because you need such a long leadtime to cancel with no penalty and to get your money back.

[betty423]

On 7/29/2014 Dagna said:

On 7/29/2014 betty423 said:

There are assumptions on both sides to be sure. In the end, the family is out way more than the cruise company. That ship leaves port with or without the family. Those three fares may very well be covered by a last minute booking. Maybe it's at a discounted rate but surely the cruise line is not losing $$; they won't sell fares at a loss. If the cruise fare goes up before the family rebooks, then they can and should be charged the difference. People who want to beat the system will always and forever try. The cruise line should have offered the credit from the get-go and this whole situation would have been different. Their loss, if any, would have been minimal.

Betty

In saying the family is out "way more than the cruise line," I guess you are referring to the amount as a percentage of overall income.

Which I guess is supposed to mean that since the cruise line has deep pockets, they should be responsible to make right any problem people with less money have (which would be probably all of their passengers) when those folks choose not to buy insurance.

I guess by that logic, the cruise line should have a policy that you don't really need insurance and you can cancel anytime for a full - or at least substantial refund.

There will always be compelling reasons. In this case it's the child's cancer, but someone could lose a job, or a close relative could die, or they could get sick, or a child or other relative or maybe even a very close friend, or neighbor or roommate could suddenly need their urgent care and attention, etc. etc. etc.

Maybe your logic says the cruise line should have a policy that you really don't need insurance but that's not what I said. What I said was is that I believe the cruise line does not lose by offering a credit. Moreover, if they had shown some compassion and offered a credit subject to availability and future cruise fare increases, they would have helped a customer and spared themselves the bad press. There is always a cost to doing business; the cruise line is in charge of what that cost is. If they're okay with the decision, then great. Other's like us are entitled to their own opinion.

Betty

[Junebug54]

Seems to me they are getting more ""good"" press than bad...