Cruise Insurance for Swine Flu Trip Cancellation
Cancellation Insurance and H1N1 Travel Protection for Cruises
Oct 28, 2009
Most cruise lines have strict refund polices that don’t compensate for trip cancellations that are made close to the cruise departure. Therefore, purchasing a cruise insurance policy with cancellation insurance and a ‘cancel for any reason’ upgrade will offer trip protection for those worried about catching swine flu before their cruise.
Trip Cancellation Insurance for Cruises
Why Purchase Cancellation Insurance? – Cancellation insurance enables the insured to cancel their cruise if they catch an illness like H1N1 prior to their cruise.
Cruise Cancellation Restriction – Trip cancellation insurance protection ends before the start of the cruise vacation. Therefore, the insurance company must be notified before checking-in for the cruise. But, if a pre-cruise hotel was booked through the cruise line, the trip cancellation must occur before arriving at the hotel.
Certification by Doctor Restriction – If a passenger wants to cancel their cruise due to sickness then a physician must certify that the passenger is unfit to travel. Insurance companies usually have a form that they want filled out and signed by the attending physician and the sick person.
What’s Not Covered by Trip Cancellation Insurance? – Most insurance policies will not allow a passenger to cancel their cruise just because of their fear of catching the swine flu. Also, basic trip cancellation insurance does not cover those that change their mind.
Reimbursement for Trip Cancellation – Although the benefit normally covers the total cost of the cruise, be aware that the cost of flights may not be covered. When using the cruise insurance offered by the cruise line, the insurance will not refund the non-refundable cancellation charges if flights were booked independently.
Trip Interruption Insurance for Cruises
Why Purchase Trip Interruption Insurance? – This type of insurance covers passengers for emergencies that arise during the cruise.
Certification by Doctor Restriction – If a passenger has their cruise interrupted due to sickness, then the onboard physician must certify that the passenger is unfit to travel.
Reimbursement for Trip Interruption – The unused days may be refunded as well as the non-refundable hotel and airfare fees. For a passenger that may be denied boarding due to H1N1, airfare to rejoin the original cruise may be covered in trip interruption protection. Cruise insurance policies may vary with the amount that will be reimbursed for hotels, if at all.
Cancel for any Reason Cruise Insurance
Why Purchase ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ Upgrade? – For those that want the flexibility to change their mind about going on their cruise, this is the coverage that is needed.
Extra Cost of Cancel of any Reason – This type of coverage usually costs extra. For example, TravelSafe Insurance offers their Custom policy for $108 for a $3,000 cruise. But to add Cancel for any Reason coverage, it will be an extra $41, and the coverage will only reimbrse up to 50%. On the other hand TravelSafe's Premium coverage is $426 for a $3,000 cruise and will reimburse up to 100%
Cancel of any Reason Restriction – In most cases the cruise must be canceled two or more days before the departure of the cruise. In addition, some insurance policies require that the upgrade is purchased within 24 hours of booking the first trip payment, while others give up to 21 days to book the add-on insurance.
Reimbursement by Cruise Line Insurance – Depending on the cruise line, this extra coverage typically pays between 75% to 90% of the trip’s loss. For example Royal Caribbean's CruiseCare will provide up to 75% of the non-refundable pre-paid cruise cost. On the other hand, Princess Cruises passengers that have upgraded to Princess Travel Care Gold are entitled to up to 90% of the cruise cost.
Keep in mind that most cruise lines will only give a full refund to an uninsured passenger if they cancel their cruise at least 70 days in advance of their trip. Cruise insurance offers added travel protection for an illness (such as swine flu) that is contracted prior to a cruise. And policies that contain ‘cancel for any reason’ clauses even allow the insured to change their mind, practically at the last minute.
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