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Question on Travel Inconvenience Benefit - port cancellation


Andy B

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Question on the Travel Inconvenience Benefit.   Has anyone encountered this situation before?  If yes, any info would be appreciated. I'm booked on Symphony of the Seas in April.

 

I purchased Travel Insurance well before the Coronavirus outbreak.  I am noticing that under the "Travel Inconvenience Benefit" of my policy, it states the benefit will be paid if:

[d]: Cruise Diversion - the Insured's cruise ship does not stop at a scheduled port of call due to ...a medical incident involving another passenger on the ship.  If the ship cancels a port visit due to someone being infected with flu (or Coronavirus) or any other medical incident that causes the ship to not dock (or be allowed to dock), would insurance pay this defined cash benefit?  In my case it is $750 per insured (times 4 insured people)?  I think a ship being banned from a port due to someone being sick on board would be considered a medical incident.  Thanks for any explanation or previous experience you can provide.  I reached to my travel insurance company via email, but expect it will be a while before they respond.  Thanks in advance!!! -Andrew

 

Full policy text for reference (key part bolded):

The Company will pay a benefit to the Insured for the amount shown in the Schedule or Declarations Page if,
while on a Trip, any of the following Unforeseen events occurs:
(a) Flight Delay – the arrival of the Insured’s airline flight at the Destination or Return Destination is delayed
by 12 or more hours by the Common Carrier, based on the arrival time at the ticketed arrival airport. In the event
of a dispute regarding the length of the delay, information from the U.S. Department of Transportation or other similar
governmental sources will be considered the final authority;
(b) Flight Cancellation – the complete cancellation of a Common Carrier flight on which the Insured had a
confirmed ticket;
(c) Runway Delay – the Insured’s Common Carrier flight is delayed on the runway for 2 or more consecutive
hours. In the event of a dispute regarding the length of the delay, information from the U.S. Department of
Transportation or other similar governmental sources will be considered the final authority;
(d) Cruise Diversion – the Insured’s cruise does not stop at a scheduled port of call due to Inclement Weather,
a Terrorist Incident, a medical incident involving another passenger on the ship, or a Natural Disaster;
(e) River Cruise Diversion – the Insured’s river cruise is unable to sail due to insufficient or excess water levels, and
the Travel Supplier provides only land-based alternative accommodations.

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Is that the entire contract? Sometimes insurance policies will give coverage then “take coverage away” in the Exclusions section of the policy. 
 

Note: I work in Auto Insurance...so while I’m an expert on the auto policy I just have a general understanding of other insurance policies. 

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I also work in insurance..need to see the full policy language including the declaration page to determine the coverage amounts and if this falls under any exclusion.  

With how I read that quoted language, this does not constitute a diversion that would be covered as it's outlining specific reasons that they would cover it.  Diverting an entire ship due to coronavirus concernd is not a medical incident.  Definitely also consult the policy definitiond page and see if they more clearly define medical incident.

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As others have said, the full contract would supersede anything we speculate here.  But even if you don't receive any cash benefit simply for missing an island (like your nonmonetary loss for missing the fun of stepping foot on that island vs. having an additional sea day), you might be able to claim direct expenses for any ports missed.  For instance, if you booked a non-RC excursion and are looking at losing your deposit, that could be a claimable event.  However most non-RC excursion companies will refund deposits when the ship doesn't dock, but you could have a rare exception. 

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