Have you ever gotten a refund from cruise line due to medical emergency?
May 2nd, 2008, 06:54 PM
#1
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Have you ever gotten a refund from cruise line due to medical emergency?
Ok so 10 days before our Holland America cruise, my uncle had a heart attack and has to undergo major surgery. I know that the website says you can't get a refund without more advance notice. Has anyone ever BEGGED them for a refund anyway and gotten a partial or full one? And no they didn't get trip insurance because they didn't think either of them would get a heart attack.
May 2nd, 2008, 10:55 PM
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Sorry about your uncle. When you book a cruise, whether with cruise line directly or with TA, they always advise (or at least should advise) you it is a good idea to buy insurance. If you decline it, that means you make a choice to take chances. You are not entitled to refund. On the other hand, cruise line supervisors and managers have a lot of power and can make exceptions and I know they did for my friend, it was not a medical situation though. Give it a try.
May 3rd, 2008, 09:10 AM
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I hear about this week in and week out, not just on cruises but all kinds of travel.Insurance is cheap, and IMHO, should be a part of the cost of the trip.Period.I have a friend whose mom went on a cruise.In Cozumel they were entering a restaurant and someone who was leaving bumped into her, knocked her down a flight of stairs.The rest coould be entitled The Financial Disaster of Brandon's Mom....My TA will NOT sell any package, cruise, landtour,anything except an airline ticket, without insurance.If they walk out of his office and he loses the sale, so be it. I've never heard of Holland America caving, but anything goes in travel.There are exceptions to every rule.Best of Luck.
May 3rd, 2008, 01:02 PM
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They might work with you to switch you to another date. Maybe contact them and explain the situation. You never know. I agree with the other posters however that unless you pay for insurance you won't get a refund.
May 3rd, 2008, 07:41 PM
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The most important insurance to buy is medical. If a trip is cancelled although it is a lot of money you will just be out what you paid. On the other hand if you travel without medical coverage it could be as beachboi said "Financial Disaster" Good travel medical will pay for flights home etc for the person with the medical problem and those accompanying them. I am qualifying that by saying Good Travel Insurance. We always get the Automobile Assn. insurance but there are lots of other excellent companies.
May 3rd, 2008, 09:29 PM
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Sorry about your uncle and hope he is eventually OK.
But also, sorry, I have to agree with above posters. Why should I spend the money for trip insurance (that I have never used) and then watch as someone gets the same benefit for free. No one books a vacation thinking they are going to have a heart attack 10 days prior. Just be glad he is fine and that the heart attack happened before the trip rather than during
(Do not know age of your uncle or cruise itinerary, but if hs is over age 65 is he aware that Medicare does not cover medical expenses outside of US?)
But also, sorry, I have to agree with above posters. Why should I spend the money for trip insurance (that I have never used) and then watch as someone gets the same benefit for free. No one books a vacation thinking they are going to have a heart attack 10 days prior. Just be glad he is fine and that the heart attack happened before the trip rather than during
(Do not know age of your uncle or cruise itinerary, but if hs is over age 65 is he aware that Medicare does not cover medical expenses outside of US?)
May 4th, 2008, 04:49 AM
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Have you tried checking with your credit card company to see if they include travel insurance? I am not sure of what all they cover but I think Discover includes travel insurance when you pay for your trip if you use them. Maybe your company does, too...It's worth a shot! Good luck!
May 4th, 2008, 06:34 AM
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Sounds like you are stuck. You could try CN Traveler mag. and write to the ombudsman editor to plea on your behalf especially given the circumstances. Good luck and I hope you uncle is doing well.
May 4th, 2008, 08:03 AM
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I'm sure ombudsman will tell you they should have purchased trip insurance. Of course, they weren't anticipating a heart attack, but any number of other circumstances, covered by travel insurance, may have prevented them from going.
May 4th, 2008, 08:29 AM
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Actually if you read ombudsman you will see that they can sometimes help get some sort of settlement, even when prior attempts by the individual have been unsuccessful. It can help to have an advocate with more influence than a single person. Again good luck.
May 4th, 2008, 02:30 PM
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To the OP: Anohter possibility is emailing the fellow below who is the ombudsman for National Geographic. I read his column weekly in a local newspaper and have seen his influence get results when all seems lost.
[email protected] <[email protected]>
Again, good luck.
[email protected] <[email protected]>
Again, good luck.
May 5th, 2008, 05:11 AM
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Forget the Ombudsman, or another other magazine/editor/writer.He/they get thousands upon thousands of requests for assistance weekly.Unfortunately for the OP there is nothing "unique" about their situation.Except, they declined the insurance.Pure and simple.I too read the columns, and in several instances in which the TT declined the insurance, said Ombudsman IMHO elicited a direct plea for all travellers to consider travel insurance of some sort.
