Widow warns: Trip insurance may not cover emergency

A warning for cruise travelers: Your emergency may not be covered, even though you have trip insurance.

A grieving widow reaches out to 10 News for help, “Not only am I out the money for the cruise, I lost my husband,” says Royal Caribbean passenger Maurene Leggett.

Leggett and her husband, Charles, had booked a getaway as he coped with cancer, but he relapsed before they could say “bon voyage.” She’s still struggling to get a refund even though she had insurance.

“We wanted to go on Royal Caribbean,” says Leggett. She knew a week cruise on Vision of the Seas with her husband may be their last big vacation as 72-year-old Charles battled colon cancer. He’d been feeling good to travel, so the couple booked the trip in January through AAA. Just a few weeks before they were due to set sail in March, he went into the hospital, and they had to cancel the cruise. He died in April.

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Widow fights for cruise refund after husband dies
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“We trusted Royal Caribbean and this is what happened, and I lost him,” says Leggett. She says the travel agent sold her on Royal Caribbean’s trip insurance, instead of AAA’s, “cancel for any reason” policy.

“Instead of purchasing their policy, she thought it would be cheaper to go through Royal Caribbean’s policy, that’s what she told me,” Leggett says. While Royal Caribbean’s insurance, called Aon, covers illnesses the fine print says a “pre-existing condition” is not covered.

“The travel agency did say they knew he had cancer. They knew we were taking out the insurance because he had cancer,” Leggett says.

The insurance company has offered Leggett 75% of the prepaid trip in cruise credit, which she still hasn’t received.

“You and your partner can have credit. Well, what good is a credit going to do, he’s not here. He’s gone. And what good is it going to be for me to go on a cruise without him,” says Leggett. “I think in good faith and ethically they should refund my money.”

LEARN MORE:Read Royal Caribbean’s policy

Right now, AAA, Royal Caribbean and Aon are all looking into what went wrong for Leggett and working to make it right.

Experts say it’s important to know what you’re buying and at the very least, make sure it covers what you need.

TravelGuard explains that the cost of travel insurance depends on the age of the traveler and the cost of the trip, and that typically you can expect to pay between 5 to 7 percent of the total trip cost. Prices of insurance vary depending on the level of coverage you desire.

Cruisers can expect to pay about 40 percent more if they want to purchase “cancel for any reason” coverage, which can be added on as an upgrade to any of the aforementioned plans.

AAA suggests: Purchase your travel insurance from an independent insurer like Allianz Global Assistance through AAA Travel Agency when you make your deposit for a trip. This is usually the best time because the policies contain an exclusion that can be waived for existing medical conditions when purchased within 14 days from paying your trip deposit.

While many cruise lines and tour operators offer their own travel insurance, they may carry less coverage, benefits may stop between 24 and 72 hours before departure and, should the supplier go out of business or into bankruptcy, your policy may be worthless. Through Allianz Global Assistance, policies are available that allow you to cancel anytime up to the last minute. Subject to certain exclusions.

Before your travel insurance purchase, request a copy of the contract to understand what the policy covers and does not cover — terms, limitations and exclusions apply — and examine your other existing insurance policies. AAA Travel Agency suggests you review auto insurance, umbrella policy, medical insurance and other policies you may have.

Here’s Royal Caribbean’s policy: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/vacationProtectionPlan.do