13 costly travel insurance lessons after missing my cruise ship
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- čas přidán 30. 07. 2024
- After an epic flight delay on Air Canada caused 4 fellow passengers and I to miss our cruise ship, we learned 13 expensive lessons about travel insurance and Canadian flight delay compensation. The hardest lesson was that most of our travel insurance policies didn't cover most of the costs to meet the ship - including the insurance products sold by the cruise line (Princess Cruises). Only one policy came close to covering most of the expenses in the end - and it was the option we least expected.
The travel insurance products in our group were: Princess Vacation Protection, Princess EZAir, RBC WestJet World Elite MasterCard and RBC Deluxe Single Trip.
#cruisetips #travelinsurance
📽️ RELATED VIDEO
I missed my cruise ship! Part 1: 12 planning lessons learned • 12 planning lessons le...
📓 CHAPTERS
00:00 Start
00:34 Intro
02:09 Air travel delay compensation
03:38 Princess EZAir experience
04:20 Cruise line compensation
07:10 Expense and policy summary
08:13 Princess Vacation Protection
08:43 Princess EZAir
09:21 RBC WestJet World Elite MC
10:06 RBC Deluxe Single Trip
10:50 Travel agents
11:26 Submitting claims
12:55 Recap
13:57 Two questions for Princess
I’m sorry you had to go through this horrible experience.
Even the best trip cancellation policy won’t cover all your expenses. Unless you’re driving to a port, my advice would be to arrive at the minimum 24 hrs before departure. Flying in on the same day isn’t worth the risk.
Good advice! Thank you for watching and sharing your perspective.
Depending where you live, 24 hours is not enough. We arranged to be in the departure city 30 hours ahead of time and still very nearly missed our cruise. Long story short, we had a 24+ hour long haul flight to get to the destination port. Our flight was delayed 2 hours, then another two hours. At that point I went to the counter and after a lot of stressful arguing back and forth, got our flight changed, getting us the last two seats out on a flight that night. 30 minutes later, the flight we were supposed to be on was cancelled and passengers were told to come back 28 hours later at the earliest, when they would try to get people onto flights, but couldn't guarantee it. Some people on our flight had had their flight the day before cancelled due to a fire in the departure terminal, then got their replacement flight that day cancelled. They missed the wedding 30 of them were going to. If I hadn't taken the initiative and fought hard to get on another flight before they cancelled our original flight, we'd have missed our cruise. I never want to experience the stress of that again, and will make sure we are in the departure port 48 hours ahead of time when departing on a long-haul flight out of a city with nighttime curfews.
NEVER fly to the cruise port city the day of the cruise. You're just asking for trouble if you do that. Paying for a night at a hotel in that city is much cheaper than missing the cruise. The main reason we buy travel insurance for cruises is for the medical coverage, especially medical evacuation, which can be insanely expensive. And read the terms of your insurance before buying. Costs for anything from the medical dept on the ship are also much higher than in your home area.
Thank you so much for documenting your experiences. This reminds me of the looney tunes cartoons of insurance policies that are so filled with loopholes they're of zero value.
Looney Tunes indeed! Thank you for watching and for sharing your feedback!
Sorry to hear about all your troubles but how interesting that provided a comparison of all the insurance options. What a surprise that the most expensive and comprehensive insurance is three worst!!
Wow....I can't even believe that with the airline industry being in the situation it's in today Princess is advising their passengers to fly in not only the day of their cruise but two hours before. It sounds like they want people to miss their cruoses and have to go through this. Cruising 101: Plan to be in your embarkation city 24 hours before your boarding time. That way you have time do deal with any issues that come up.
I agree! It's irresponsible for Princess to have such unrealistic guidelines.
This video was marvelously detailed. Thank you so much for all of the information. I am sorry you had such difficulties on your vacation.
Thank you for the feedback! I hope the video was helpful.
This is an excellent example of pitfalls of travel insurance. I am a huge fan of my West Jet MasterCard. Over my years of cruising, I have never bought travel insurance. I have spoken to so many who have had similar issues of not getting the coverage they thought they had. Don't forget the cost of buying it. I am a firm believer that you should insure what you can't afford. So I spend my money on Health Insurance. I would hurt to lose $10,000. In travel. But it would be devistating to have a million dollar plus health bill.
Thank you for watching and for sharing that helpful perspective!
This is a great video. The cruise line and insurance industries need to be patronized with a large dose of caution and skepticism as I’ve also learned. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I think a final tip would be to use small claims court as final recourse.
Thank you for watching and for sharing your feedback! Really appreciate it.
Most travel agents will suggest you fly in the day before your cruise and so will all cruise CZcamsrs. It's unfortunate this happened to you. When you flew in was your choice. And not following the guidelines of the air transportation insurance no matter how unreasonable was also a choice. I am grateful that twice travel insurance has reimbursed us for a good portion of our expenses. You have some good suggestions for people and hope you will see the good side of this.
With the recent storms in Houston, this got me thinking, even though we are flying in the day before, if flights are cancelled because of storms, you may not have the option to just take a later flight. We are risking not only the flight but cruise fare, transportation, and our pre cruise accommodation and activities already paid for. We won’t have thousands of dollars to fork out up front so hopefully we can find insurance that will cover what we’ve spent if we iust can’t go.
I consider Princess a cruise line that would NOT push back so much. You have VERY CLEARLY shown the is not the case; especially since you demonstrate you are all dedicated Princess cruises. You should expect MORE from Princess. The reason Air Canada didn't pay is unclear - safety issue not covered?? Best of all, your explanation of Royal Bank credit card coverage was good. I am not in Canada but my credit card has similar. The best part of your video is YOU made me go check my coverage before my 9-day cruise in September! Thanks and keep up the great videos!!
I'm so glad that you found the video helpful! Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts. I hope you have a wonderful cruise next month - fall is a great time to cruise!
Wow. Thank you so much for this. I’ve been wondering about travel insurance too and since we had a rather rough return trip from a cruise last December. We were stuck in New Jersey trying to get back to Ottawa and it took four extra days not really any compensation for the hotels, and even the flights that kept getting cancelled were unbelievable. Finally got my daughter to drive from Ottawa to pick us up in Toronto to bring us home!
A fellow Ottawan! I'm so sorry to hear about your experience! That was indeed a rough return trip. I hope you at least enjoyed the cruise!
Great video! Seems like insurance companies are very good at finding loopholes so that they don't have to pay claims.
I have also been a naysayer on having travel insurance. Me wife calls it bravado, you have just confirmed to me its a waste of money.
I have not tested the emergency medical aspect of travel insurance (and hopefully never will) but that is certainly coverage I would never go on a cruise ship without.
The cruise line insurance is garbage. There are other insurers that cover everything, its a matter of how much you want to spend.
@@ejohnson3837Which ones please? I'd be most grateful for your suggestions!
Is _Whatever Happens insurance_ a thing?
I’m sorry this happened to you. I wish this was the only story like this I’ve heard but it’s not. We rely on these services to help us and pay quite a lot for them but in the end they look for any reason to do nothing and blame it on us. Makes me wonder if we’re just not paying for a false sense of security.
Thank you!
Usually more costly than "insurance" but way less costly than a ""claim", we ALWAYS arrive at least one day before the cruise. This takes all the stress out of the vacation.
thank you for posting.
Thank you for watching!
I've been cruising for 40 years and have never purchased insurance and have always arrived the day before the cruise, even for crises where we drive to the port! At least you got to enjoy a nice hotel on a nice island for the extra money you had to spend, so it's not like it was wasted. You just arrived three days early this time for your embarkation 😛.
Haha - a great way of looking at it!
We always fly in 1 or 2 days ahead of time, and stay the day after a cruise also. Have seen ships come into port hours late because of medical problems during the week.
In my opinion the reason the cruiselines book same day flights is because a majority of the time it does work and people are willing to take a chance. It is a risk and as long as there are more than 50 or 60 percent of flights are on time they feel no obligation to warn people. They also have plausible deniability because they don't control the airlines so if something happens they can say its not their fault.
But....the cruiselines don't control the air. They control their ship and the time the ship leaves is a fixed point. I guess they feel if a person is willing to take a chance that "all the stars will align" knowing the current state of the airways ( weather and staffing issues) the cruiselines will let people book these flights.
Agreed! I just wish they made the risks and potential costs involved much clearer.
The EZ Air fliers messed up and probably would have had far less expenses if they had taken the flight offered them (although routed a long way out and back).
Yes they would have. It was a very stressful experience that we were all experiencing for the first time - I just wish the folks at EZAir were a lot clearer and more helpful on how the process works.
I like the idea of arriving the day of the cruise. We just booked a cruise on Princess and are disappointed with how they treated you!!! They should have held the ship and I wonder if it had been 12 potentially NASTY Americans if they would have? We are US based and are looking into travel insurance and travel credit cards to get the best deal. I was told by a travel agene to NEVER buy from the cruise line- in case they go out of business. They seem to be doing much better than 2020 but still don't have all your eggs in one basket. Thanks so much for posting this video!!!
I am so sorry you had this experience. My personal experience was far different. My travel agent was extremely helpful. My insurance paid the max with very little left out of pocket. But we never got even on a plane. We had devastating health diagnosis just 3 weeks prior to out flight out to our cruise. All the booked excursions were refunded, even a private one that was suppose to be non-refundable. Yes, they didn't have to and I didn't ask for it, they just did it. Maybe I was lucky? Maybe because it happened prior to even leaving.? But nice to know that I can't just trust that insurance will cover expenses just because I bought it.
Can you share the travel insurance you used? We're currently looking at all them and trying to decide. Happy you had a positive experience. :)
Which Company PLEASE? Was it: "WHATEVER HAPPENS" insurance?
In the end, regardless of how much everyone wants to should all over them, their travel insurances didn’t have their back. I know that I will be far more careful as I buy travel insurance because there seems to be quite a few “trip wires” that can blow up on you as you try to make claims.
As for the unused travel days, since the cruise ship didn’t re-sell their cabins, not sure that they’re due a refund on that. Yes, many of the problems were outside their control, but their cabins weren’t declared no-shows and re-sold.
Thank you for watching and sharing your perspective. Do you think Princess was justified in not refunding unused fare even for those who purchased their travel protection insurance product?
@@TheChillCruiserThey ought to have offered something: future credit or the like. Seems unprofessional for a billion dollar company.
When we had problems on a Princess Cruise and we documented the problems to their corporate offices they told us, 'there are a lot of cruisers, we don't have to solve problems". Princess is a waste of space on the sea, hope you obtain fair results, but I would not expect them to do anything.
Duly noted. I haven’t been on a Princess cruise but had thought I might book with them on my next cruise but I’ve not been hearing good things lately so I think I’ll pass.
Sorry to hear that was how they responded to you.
I have an upcoming Princess cruise and seriously considering cancelling it. I have to decide before October when final payment is due. Deposit is non-refundable but I don't want to deal with the aggravation should things go awry.
@@madchatteress If there are no other ways to get to the ports of interest, maybe you will get lucky on Princess. If there are other lines going to those ports in your time frame, why risk the possible hassles?
@@madchatteressI would hate for you to lose that deposit. As many have commented, you can almost completely eliminate the risk of flight-related issues and costs if you fly in to your embarkation port at least the day before the cruise. I would also check the on-time performance of your flight on flightstats.com to make sure it doesn't often run have excessive delays or cancellations.
My 1st cruise w/ Princess was earlier this year. Based on my onboard experiences and Guest Services lack of concern for issues we encountered, I have no plans for future cruises w/ this line.
I am not defending Princess on this point, but that website arrival time is a recommendation based on everything working perfectly. It is misleading and they need to change that. You, by your own admission and as an experienced cruiser, know that is not a good idea. Princess does not control the flights, and there have been many issues in the airline industry for awhile.
I am truly sorry that your insurance has not been more helpful than they have been. I normally purchase insurance and, even though I try to review the coverages before making a purchase, I am always worried about the process & outcome should I need to file. The one time I had to claim, I was reimbursed for a rental car to cover the last leg of my trip after flights were canceled due to weather.
Thank you for watching and sharing your feedback! I'm glad insurance came through on your last claim.
Well done . Was looking for a RBC resolution. Even though Air Canada dismissed your claim, you still could have made a claim with the CTA (Canadian Transportation Agency). My understanding is AC is now making offers to those who made CTA claims to clear up the cases against them. We didn't for a 5 hour delay and regret it.
I’m super skeptical of travel insurance covering anything except life or death medical evacuation, and the cruise lines are the least trustworthy option for anything else. Lately they have been acting like gangsters anyway. Next few vacations will not be on a cruise ship.
Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts. Your gangster comment made me laugh!
Between tipping policies and this deceit i would NEVER go on a cruise. For 6 g's I'd check into a top flight hotel just about anywhere.
Sounds like you should have planned to arrive at least the day before your cruise. Things can happen to delay flights.
I know it makes most sense to travel night b4 but u should be covered for losses by insurance companies iif there is delays. THAT'S WHY WE BUY INSURANCE
Have you considered Small Claims Court?
Is it true that there is _WHATEVER HAPPENS_ insurance which is much more expensive but its more reassuring if it's real?
Air Canada and flying in same day should not be in the same sentence. As a Canadian, you should know better than to trust Air Canada.
Well…I know that now!
I am assuming this still has not been dealt with through RBC insurance? This is many months later. As a Canadian looking for cruise travel insurance as we speak, this is pretty disheartening.
Sounds like you were cutting it short to begin with, flying that close to the cruise ship leaving. We always fly in the day before a cruise, get a hotel and a good nights sleep before the cruise. Same on flying home. Get off cruise ship, go to hotel and fly out the next day. Unless we cruise from Galveston. We drive from our home an hour away to get there.
amen
The travel agent couldnt help you because she wasnt allowed to. I am also a travel agent and we can offer travel protection that partners with our company or the cruise line travel protection. But we are told not to hazard a guess on what is covered or deal with the claims and most insurance companies only want to talk to the insureds anyway....We are just not licensed insurance agents , so cannot assist. However, most travel insurance policies have a 24 hr number and can assist in rebooking flights and giving advice when you need it.. So sorry this happened to you!
Are you allowed to have 2 insurance policies?
Knowledge lessons are expensive. I’ve been tempted to fly the same day as a cruise embarks but my wife takes precautions and we’ve always flown to the port the day before. The next cruise I’ve booked the flight for 2 days prior to sailing and I paid the extra fee for Air Canada’s economy “comfort seats.” Which supposedly are cancelable. We will spend 2 days at a Ft. Lauderdale beach hotel. However with the comfort choice being cancelable we are looking at a 3 day cruise on another line from Lauderdale before the 2 booked hotel nights that sounds tempting and just might go ahead with that reservation. Ahhh……1 or 2 nights in Florida, 3 day Bahamas cruise, 2 nights on the beach and b2b of two 10 day cruises. What a plan eh! Has anyone taken note of how expensive the cancelation and interruption insurance is? It is far more costly than medical insurance even at my age. This is telling me that you or I am more likely going to have an issue with the trip than you are to get sick or injured. Maybe that is a good thing though. 🤔 I have used my TD visa card insurance for travel and buying cancelation with it. It used to allow me 10 days coverage and I’d have to pay for additional days but that changed to only 4 days when I turned 65. It still is cheaper than other plans i have priced out. Viewers, take the advise given in this video. Happy travels.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experience!
So what happened with RBC insurance??
Why did you not leave 2 days before your cruise it makes sense we do.
Because some people have a life
I’m sorry this was such an awful experience, but it did make for a good video with all the different travel insurance plans. It seems your group barely recouped the price of the insurance
Thank you - I hope it was helpful!
So we are traveling starting Jan 2024 for 4 mths this includes 7nweeks of cruising.
Now I wondering which insurance company will actually pay up if something were to happened?
Basically its up to them, they write up a 50 page inssurance policy so hopefully you trip on one of them.
Heres one if you have made a deposit more than 6 months ago you insurance is not covered.
Really so that means the $100 deposit we made 18months automatically disqualifies us?
What the heck would that be in there for?
Sounds like you have quite the adventure coming up! I've never heard of that kind of policy language. If it's the policy you've already purchased, I would definitely call the insurer to clarify.
@@TheChillCruiser No I haven't bought any insurance yet. This automatically disqualifies us from that policy
I mean how do you buy insurance when your only putting down a measly $100 deposit maybe a year or two out! Simply ridiculous!
Any one want to recommend the one like the best
Gábor Lukács organization Air Passenger Rights Canada would likely disagree with AC's interpretation of your rights. Due to it being an international flight The Montreal Convention also likely applied but isn't mentioned in this video. His organization and Facebook group also provides support for people filing small claims cases against AC.
Thank you. I assumed that since Air Canada’s policy matched the regulations of the Canadian Transportation Agency, it was the end of the story. I will do some more digging. Thanks again.
If you have so many cruises, you should know not to fly in the day of the cruise. It’s not the cruise ships fault that you were late.
I never said it was
We would not use Air Canada ever again if we can help it because of bad experience in the past during covid when we were doing the right thing and they chose to srew us over.
So which insurance covered your loss?
Not sure what you mean - can you be more specific? There are several policies mentioned in the video.
Should have bought insurance thru Allianz ,or Insure My Trip. Cruise line insurance is just a money grab.
Good to know. I didn’t realize you can buy plans directly from Allianz.
Same here
IN the USA we would turn that into a class action lawsuit. They will pay rather quickly if it means a stain. MOst of these clauses in their insurance policies HAVE NEVER BEEN TESTED, they are so good at discouraging people to even file. I would spend a hundred bucks to threaten a lawsuit to see if their tune changes. You did what reasonable people should do but the game was rigged. I would pursue it.
Moral of the story, don't trust airlines and cruise lines to do the right thing.
Sadly, that just about covers it!
Which is why I will never fly Air Canada.
They definitely seem to be delayed more often than any of the other airlines I’ve experienced.
What would’ve happened if the other cruisers had clearly understood and followed the EZAir instructions?
Ask me that question when you’re in your 60s and after you’ve gone through 15 hours of flight drama starting at 4am in the morning and ending with an empty port with no instructions or communication from the port or cruise line or any idea of what to do. Then call EZ Air and talk to an unsympathetic rep who provides mixed messages on next steps and then we can talk.
@@TheChillCruiser Perhaps you missed my point. Not casting blame. I am in my 60’s and have used EZ Air. I was curious what EZAir would do if their instructions had been clearly stated by them and followed by the other cruisers. Would they have been made whole or what?
Conspiracy!
Is it deliberate? $10,000 lost in their system times 1 million plus customers this year alone is a lot of bux.
The travel agent, cruise line and insurance company all are being blamed for your error.
All these experienced cruisers and all on a same day flight. Take your lumps and move on.
Flying in on the same day of departure is a risk you’re taking and the best cancellation policy won’t cover all of your expenses. At minimum, I arrive 24 hrs before departure. If it’s a port city I haven’t been to before, I’ll fly in 2 or 3 days before departure and see the sites.
@@mario4762
Yep.. it’s MUCH CHEAPER to pay for “2 nites-stay” in a port hotel… than THOUSANDS trying to catch up with a cruise ship! 😳 just sayin’…
hire an attorney
I wouldn't buy insurance from any of these.