Community Chat

[Lucky Charm]

On 7/27/2014 garmer said:

As others have said, that's what travel ins is for. They are probably not the only ones who couldn't make the trip for some reason.

Shame on them. They should be more concerned about their sick child instead of using him for potential financial gain. His recovery should be the only thing on their minds, not a missed vacation. Probably thought the dough would come rolling in from strangers when they went public.

I'm sorry for the boy but, the parents actions are disappointing. I don't think the network should have even aired this. It seems so obvious that this is a money grab.

I agree!

I'll add my own thoughts:

Announcing to the world their child has cancer is a violation of his rights. Yes he should have a right to privacy. Perhaps he wouldn't want the whole world to know he's fighting cancer possibly fighting for his life.

Yet there are his parents, for all the free publicity at his expense. Screaming for justification that they deserve a refund.

Shame on them.

[shoekitty]

Oh give me break. Give them another cruise. Geesh. That said, I personally would never book a cruise without insurance, you never, ever know. You might not just get sick, but a family member could die, you could die and partner would be out bucks

I have 2 friends who booked cruises and one bought insurance the other didn't. The one who had insurance had quite a story to tell. Her husband had terminal cancer, but they booked a cruise to be his last. . He was in a remission when they took off by plane to fly to destination, to board ship. He had an attack at the hotel the night before they were going to board ship. The insurance paid all transportation expenses, they paid for hotel room for 6 days before he could be from hospital to go home. They paid taxis, meals for her, and refunded all costs. The payments to hotel and such were immediate. She praised the insurance to the highest degree.

My other friend had an aneurism a couple weeks before cruise. Doctor would not let them go. They were out 10,000!!

[lizzief]

While I feel for the family, I have to agree with others. We ALWAYS get the travel ins when we go on cruises. It's very reasonable -only $85 pp for a 7 day cruise - and covers a broad spectrum of issues, not only if you or a family member gets ill prior to the cruise, but if someone gets injured during the cruise and everyone has to be flown home. You have to attest that you are well when you book the cruise, which begs the question - how does one not know their child is ill when have a tumor in the liver? You would think the child would have shown some signs of illness way before a couple of weeks prior to the cruise. I hate to think the worst of people, there just seems to be more to the story, as some if you have already mentioned. I hope the poor kid wasn't some pawn in their parents scheming - goodness knows it's happened before. I hope the child at least has medical insurance and gets the care he needs!

[gazelle77]

On 7/27/2014 Lila Belle said:

On 7/27/2014 gazelle77 said: Anyone who would book an expensive cruise like that SHOULD HAVE bought cruise insurance just in case an emergency comes up....no matter what it is. It is their fault not to have purchased insurance.

Really. How inconsiderate it was for that child to get cancer just before their cruise.

I suppose they've learned their lesson the hard way.

That is why people buy insurance.....to cover the unexpected....duh.......

[Kachina624]

We had a similar experience in my family in 1992. Parents and I booked a cruise in Alaska on Glacier Bay Cruises. I was to meet them in Seattle as they were driving their motor home. Somewhere in Idaho, dad became deathly ill and had to have major surgery. Mom, who didn't drive then due to being legally blind, called the cruise line and asked that they change one ticket to my sister's name and we'd forfeit one ticket. These people insisted she come to their Seattle office IN PERSON to change the ticket. She had to have her brother in Oregon fly to where she was in Idaho, then then made a dash to Seattle by car to change the ticket. Of course she was frantic with worry about dad. So my sister and I went to Alaska and mon and dad never did see it. The cruise line was a real horses' patut about the whole thing, making it as difficult as possible. We never asked for a refund.

[millieshops]

essentially what this says is that my illness (or in this case our son's) is more unexpected than yours and someone else should pay our way. It works because everyone feels so sorry, so uncomfortable when a child suffers. But it does happen and that family should have known that kids wind up in hospitals quite often. Isn't that why there are whole wings for children, even whole hospitals?

Who should buy trip insurance if all you need is a sad story to tell and then someone else suffers the loss?

[Deb1010again]

On 7/27/2014 Vivian said: Yes, travel insurance would have made this case easier. However, someone in authority at the cruise company could have done something extraordinary in this extraordinary situation. The family could have been offered a raincheck to be used when the child is better. What great publicity it would have been for the company in addition to a being a simpe human kindness. Cruise lines already have a boatload of bad publicity (pun intended), with gastrointestinal illness, mysterious deaths, missing people, and fires among the many problems passengers have faced. What a missed opportunity for the cruise line and how cruel and greedy they seem.

This was an extraordinary situation and ITA with your well written post.

[BeckiWV]

Poor little fellow. I truly hope he makes a full and speedy recovery. None of this mess is his fault.

My other thoughts are:

1. Parents could have, and should have, bought travel insurance. It sounds like it is certainly cheap enough compared to the cost of the cruise;

2. Parents could be hoping that donations will come in for them (and they probably will);

3. I rather dislike people going public over everything these days; for one thing, it eggs other people on to do the same;

4. It would have been nice of the company to help them, for the boy's sake;

5. As someone else said, though, the line could have been very willing to work with the parents privately without making a big fuss about it (because it sets a precedent - see below);

6. Cruise lines have had a very tough year publicity-wise for various reasons, and that includes Norwegian, so they did have an opportunity here to look good, although risky (again - see below);

7. However, IF Norwegian did give this family another cruise for free, it would be a bit risky as it sets a precedent for anyone else who has to miss a cruise without insurance to raise a hue and cry for their free cruise.

[Linders Back]

On 7/27/2014 Deb1010again said:

On 7/27/2014 Vivian said: Yes, travel insurance would have made this case easier. However, someone in authority at the cruise company could have done something extraordinary in this extraordinary situation. The family could have been offered a raincheck to be used when the child is better. What great publicity it would have been for the company in addition to a being a simpe human kindness. Cruise lines already have a boatload of bad publicity (pun intended), with gastrointestinal illness, mysterious deaths, missing people, and fires among the many problems passengers have faced. What a missed opportunity for the cruise line and how cruel and greedy they seem.

This was an extraordinary situation and ITA with your well written post.

Sadly, this was NOT an EXTRAORDINARY SITUATION. For this family it was, but not in the World at large or travel insurance would never be necessary. Illness and calamities can strike anyone at any time.

I feel bad for them but feel worse for the boy because of the actions of his parents. They seem to think they are unique and entitled to special treatment. I suggest they spend the time they would have been on this cruise in the childrens ward of the hospital where their son is being treated talking to the other suffering parents rather than performing for the media on morning TV. They might learn something.

[Financialgrl]

I cruise a LOT - and battled cancer 3 years ago. Even before the diagnosis, I NEVER cruised without insurance, period. It's sad that the child was diagnosed with cancer and is only 5 but this is a business decision, nothing more nothing less. Its why we all pay for any kind of insurance - homeowners, auto, etc - in the off chance that something does happen.