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Ian T

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Everything posted by Ian T

  1. I run an international claims team for a major insurer so can't condone what you are suggesting and, without reading the policy documentation of course, I doubt you would get the pay out that you are looking for... the intention of an insurance policy of this nature is typically to provide cover on an indemnity basis; namely to make you whole for your direct financial outlay in relation to the cruise in question. FCC is not a direct financial outlay but a credit from NCL (you did not have the money in the bank prior to booking so cannot claim for it post cancellation of that booking). It is still available to you but you are choosing (for your own good reasons, I know) not to use it, which is a matter between you and NCL, not the insurance company. I know we all bemoan the cost of our insurance premiums (me included! ?) but two major factors are generally taken into account when pricing risk - 1, the physical risk being covered and 2, the moral hazard, or the chance that the level of risk will be greater/lower due to the behaviour of the insured. This is why auto insurance is typically more expensive for younger and/or less experienced drivers. Further, the insurance industry is, rightly, very highly regulated. This brings a lot of operating costs and, believe it or not, insurance companies typically work to narrow (often single digit) percentage margins (and given the number and scale of natural catastrophes in recent years many have even been operating at a loss) so there is not a great deal of wriggle room in which they can work. The insured has an obligation in law to notify the insurer of any material factor of which they are aware before taking out the policy. Without sugar coating it, failure to do so is fraud and if the insurer has reason to believe on the balance of probability that an insured has intentionally withheld or misrepresented such information they have the legal right to withdraw the policy cover and recover any money paid to the insured. It can also lead to criminal action. Insurance fraud is a billion dollar issue for the global insurance industry and, by extension, for all of us as policyholders too as someone has to pay for it... going back to my earlier point this is a moral hazard and is factored into the premiums paid by each and every one of us, so even if you did succeed in receiving a pay out, the money in your bank would essentially be money taken from ours. ? Needless say therefore, my advice is don't do it! ?
  2. Wow! ? I guess there really is little rhyme or reason in the pricing! Thanks Andrew
  3. Thanks to everyone for your insights. Sadly the difference in our case is not minimal (£231pp x 2 = £462/$562), but it's a vacation after all and I'm naturally pretty risk averse so I expect we'll end up choosing our own cabin... and then hope that my wallet forgives me! And sorry @Matt - I realise I should have posted this on the discussion board, not this one ?
  4. I know this has been discussed before but I am wondering just how much a risk leaving it to RCCL to assign a cabin presents. Is there such a thing as a bad choice of balcony cabin, particularly on the newer ship classes? I realise there are some obstructed view cabins and guess that there is a risk we may be allocated one of those, but selecting our own adds a whopping £500/$600 to the bill. I would gratefully welcome any views. Thanks ?
  5. We should be flying to the US today for a combined NY stay and Oasis sailing to Coco Cay but that's not now happening of course. ? However we did receive our FCC certificates for the Oasis sailing yesterday - Yay! ? so in an effort to cheer ourselves up we have been browsing 2022 cruises (we'll all be back cruising with current events largely a distant memory by then, right?... right?? ?) and it seems we have stumbled across an anomaly... The UK site lists a Jan 31st 11 night Southern Caribbean cruise out of Cape Liberty on Anthem; however as I am thinking about using the services of MEI Travel (about which I have heard so many good things), I checked the US site too, but the sailing is not listed there. Does anyone know why this might be? If you are wondering why it is bothering me so much, I don't want to go booking it only to find out later that it is listed on the UK site in error (not least given the time it is taking to receive refunds at the moment!) as given the US is by far the largest of the two markets for RCCL I am assuming this site is more likely to be correct. BTW the FCC was correct to the penny, but FCC for Cruise Planner purchases and refund of taxes and fees etc still awaited.
  6. Based upon my experience I'd say it's not a UK thing... I am a Brit and looked to L&S my October 17th 10 night Canaries sailing. The only similar sailing within the qualifying window is 11 nights - same ship (Anthem) and, with one exception, the same ports but in a different order. I was told categorically that as it is a longer sailing I can't L&S.
  7. I'm with you. I have an Anthem sailing to Canaries booked for October but am not super excited about the other itineraries out of Southampton as I have seen most of Northern Europe already. Itineraries from the U.S. are another story however, and I can't wait to be able to fly across the pond again to take advantage of them (keeping my fingers crossed for our February Coco Cay sailing, also on Anthem, but holding off from booking our flights with Virgin as, despite my hopes for everyone working there - they are headquartered here in my home town - I am yet to be 100% convinced that they will still be operating by then). This said, as mentioned by several others, the on board experience will also be a key factor in the reality ultimately living up to the dream.
  8. I'm with you. I have an Anthem sailing to Canaries booked for October but am not super excited about the other itineraries out of Southampton as I have seen most of Northern Europe already. Itineraries from the U.S. are another story however, and I can't wait to be able to fly across the pond again to take advantage of them (keeping my fingers crossed for our February Coco Cay sailing, also on Anthem, but holding off from booking our flights with Virgin as, despite my hopes for everyone working there - they are headquartered here in my home town - I am yet to be 100% convinced that they will still be operating by then). This said, as mentioned by several others, the on board experience will also be a key factor in the reality ultimately living up to the dream.
  9. This prompted me to check my 6th Feb sailing on Anthem and I was pleased to see that the cost of the Beach Club pass has dropped from £90.44 to £60.04 since yesterday, so I snapped them up. Thanks so much!
  10. I agree that the 11 day itinerary may ultimately prove to be the kicker, but I will certainly call back and ask the same question again to another rep... as you say, this is still new to everyone and there could well be a number of interpretations out there amongst the RCCL staff. Thanks. Unfortunately itineraries out of Southampton are limited so we may need to stick with the original sailing and hope the 2020 European season doesn't end up a total wash out.
  11. So I called RCCL twice today and the first thing I want to say is that on both occasions I got through to a representative quickly (no more than a couple of minutes' wait) and on both occasions they were extremely helpful and willing to spend as much time as needed to address my queries. The call that is relevant to this thread was the one in which I enquired about LIft & Shift for our 10 night sailing to the Canaries on Anthem out of Southampton in October. Unfortunately it appears it won't work for us because: 1. I was told that Lift & Shift currently only applies to sailings up to the end of August 2020 2. The only available itinerary in next year's qualifying window is same ship, same port, same stops (with one exception - Lisbon instead of Madeira); however as she is due to visit the ports in a different order to this year's itinerary the sailing is 11 nights, not 10 and so, I was told, it falls outside of the "same length" qualifying criterion. ?
  12. We are booked on 6th Feb sailing (following the cancellation of our Oasis sailing, same itinerary and embarkation port, in what would have been 26 days from now ?). Like others on here we will be watching developments with interest and looking to make the ultimate call as the final payment date approaches. We are hoping things will be markedly different by then (my wife is a front line NHS care worker and is starting to see the first tentative signs that things are beginning to improve, and whilst we are of course well aware of the dangers of being overly optimistic, it has got to be better than the alternative view, right? ?) Whether the change to colder weather will give the virus a new lease of life remains to be seen of course, and I guess all we can do is hope... and keep everything crossed that the vaccine will become available to the masses toward the end of this year, rather than into next one.
  13. Thanks so much everyone! It's clear from your replies that we won't go wrong whichever member of the MEI team looks after us ?
  14. That's great news, thanks. Until now I have booked our cruises directly with RC and it's good to know that when it comes to the next one the MEI team will be able to work on my behalf... and thanks for the recommendation of Michelle too!
  15. I have read a lot of good things about MEI Travel, not only from Matt but also from a number of people on these message boards. I would like to get in on the action but my question is as follows... are MEI's services only available for customers in North America or can I also avail myself of them from here in the UK? Thanks
  16. Not sure... I'd try calling tomorrow but expect I will be a long time in the queue and there is no immediate rush to get it done.
  17. Me too... see my post above. Wondered if it may be an issue with the UK site but i see you are in the US.
  18. Very strange... Logged onto Cruise Planner to opt into 125% OBC for my cancelled May 24 Oasis sailing out of Liberty. Questionnaire asked me for the vessel name, so entered as follows: It then asked me for the sailing date - no issue thus far: ... however the next question asked me to select from the following: As it is a mandatory field I cannot progress any further - Aaaargh! ?
  19. Received the RC email with the guest ticket booklet for our Oasis 24th May cruise today... have printed off our luggage tags, but sadly more in hope than expectation!
  20. My wife and I have it the other way round... we are UK citizens due to travel to NY to join the May 24th Oasis sailing out of Bayonne. Needless to say we have booked return tickets with a commercial carrier. That said of course, we are reconciled with the facts that: 1. it is highly likely the sailing will indeed be cancelled, and 2. even if it does go ahead, if the international travel restrictions into the US are not sufficiently relaxed we won't be able to make the trip anyway! Stay safe one and all.
  21. Thanks SweetPea. Do I understand correctly that we should be able to use the FCC to pay the balance on a future cruise for which we have already paid the deposit? I understand that customers in the U.S. can simply cancel and re-book before the final payment date, thereby allowing them to apply the credit when making the new booking; however we can't do that in the UK without losing our deposit. If we can keep the current booking and use the FCC to pay the balance (and also apply the OBC to cover the drinks package etc), then happy days, but everything I have read elsewhere so far seems to talk about the application of the credits to new bookings only. If you can clarify for a confused cruiser I'd be very grateful!
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