Better safe than sorry

Trip · #1 (**permalink**) April 5th, 2011, 10:22 AM

Who would have thought this sad scenario would have happened & impacted cruising, but, this is another cautionary tale, and, another reminder to buy travel insurance.

Bradenton man upset by cruise line's handling of Japan trip

HawkeyeFLA · #2 (**permalink**) April 5th, 2011, 02:00 PM

I want to empathize with this guy, I mean I really do ... but I just can't find it. For a dollar amount like that, and it sounds like he didn't use a TA? It just boggles the mind it does.

Mike M · #3 (**permalink**) April 5th, 2011, 02:28 PM

The part that bothers me is that Princess says they have no records of him calling. How did he cancel the cruise? Email, Carrier Pigeon or smoke signals?

Not having insurance was not smart on his part and a very common problem. The other problem is that he didn't read the fine print of the cruise contract.

Another example why people should always BUY INSURANCE

Take care,
Mike

AF1 · #4 (**permalink**) April 5th, 2011, 03:51 PM

Maybe if more people read articles about mishaps and travel issues; it will get them to thinking is it really worth losing thousands of dollars; for just a few hundred dollars. This was an expensive lesson to learn.

Donna · #5 (**permalink**) April 6th, 2011, 11:54 AM

It does seem odd that Princess has no record of his call?? Did he use a travel agent?? Again, having an agent may have saved him this headache....Plus, this cruise was not cheap by any means, for the small amount extra, he would of been 90% covered....It tough that we have to learn lessens the hard way and we all see this on our boards all the time. Most claim they have no reason to purchase the extra insurance and we see all the time of this happening. We can never know or plan, so, play it safe and insure your trip, like you do your car and home...

Trackypup · #6 (**permalink**) April 6th, 2011, 12:43 PM

I think it's important to point out that he would have needed "cancel for any reason" insurance for what he did. His cruise wasn't cancelled, there was nothing preventing him getting to his cruise. He elected to cancel. Normal insurance wouldn't have done much.

NevilleJ · #7 (**permalink**) March 20th, 2012, 01:37 PM

Wouldn't a health risk like radiation contact be an acceptable cancellation? It seems like there are so many different insurances from the trip insurance to medical insurance to cancellation for any reason insurance. Is there any company that offers it all in one insurance package?

MercedMike · #8 (**permalink**) March 21st, 2012, 11:48 AM

There is one little line in the article ...

"Princess is sticking by its contract."

What can I say. Is it wrong to stick by a contract? That is how business is done.

Princess is exactly right that it would be very unfair to give him the benefit of something he didn't buy.

Bottom line, he made a choice, then tried to avoid the consequences of his choice.

As a Middle School teacher I had hundreds of students behave this way. This guy should be old enough to have grown up.