Stephen and Diane Snell had deliberate their first cruise after three years of no sailings for the top of 2022.
However the couple of their 70s, who had booked a cruise to New Zealand between November 25 to December 8 with Princess, had been in shock after they came upon the price of insurance coverage.
“I did a store round on-line and acquired a quote from Allianz, NIB and HCF which quoted me exorbitant quantities. I used to be quoted $840 by NIB, $1,222 by HCF and $679 by Allianz for a cruise departing from Sydney and returning to Sydney,” mentioned Mr Snell.
“We nearly determined to cancel. And this might be the case for a lot of child boomers seeking to journey. We’re simply getting charged a lot by journey insurers who appear to be worth gouging.”
The Snell’s had been at their finish’s wit. However Mr Snell discovered a loophole which may assist guarantee cruisers get Covid cruise journey insurance coverage for departures from Australia.
“We had a buddy who had a Citibank Platinum card. They had been informed by the financial institution that as a result of they’d spent greater than $500 in direction of their journey, paying the complete quantity of the cruise for example, utilizing their Citibank card, they had been eligible for Covid coated journey insurance coverage. And the journey insurance coverage supplied by Citibank is underwritten by Allianz.
“We too had discovered a Citibank Platinum and located their insurance coverage coverage is underwritten by Allianz. So, we spoke to a wonderful marketing consultant who came upon we had been coated, as we had spent $500 in direction of our abroad journey. We simply needed to adhere to the eligibility standards in addition to as a pre-exisiting medical situation questionnaire earlier than we got the coverage.
“However in any other case, it pays off to maintain investigating and verify all of your choices together with your bank card earlier than selecting a journey insurance coverage coverage.”
Mr Snell and his spouse had deliberate again to again cruises in America subsequent 12 months. However resulting from household issues and the massive price of journey insurance coverage for abroad cruises, he and his spouse have determined to cancel their vacation.
“We acquired extraordinarily fortunate with our Australia to New Zealand voyage. However for our worldwide journey, the insurance coverage was going to price us $10,000.”
Mr Snell’s coverage specified the next eligibility standards:
You and the opposite travellers are eligible for canopy underneath the group coverage issued to Citi on the premise that you’ve got disclosed to us that you just fulfill the next eligibility standards:
- you’re the cardholder of a Citi issued Status Card, Citi Premier Card, Citi Rewards Card, World Card or Citibusiness Gold Card; and
- you and the travellers listed beneath reside in Australia and your journey commences in Australia; and
- journey is for not more than six (6) consecutive months when the cardholder holds a Citi issued Status Card, Citi Premier Card, Citi Rewards Card, World Card and for not more than three (3) consecutive months when the cardholder holds a Citi issued Citibusiness Gold Card; and
- earlier than leaving Australia the abroad journey ticket for every of the travellers listed beneath was obtained by one or a mixture of the next strategies:
- charging the price of the abroad journey ticket to the account holder’s card account; or
- acquiring the abroad journey ticket underneath the Citi Journey Program; or
- acquiring the abroad journey ticket through the cardholder’s airline frequent flyer program, supplied {that a} minimal of 15,000 factors had been transferred to that frequent flyer program from factors earned on a Citi Rewards, over a 12 month interval previous to acquiring the abroad journey ticket; and
- every of the travellers listed beneath (apart from the cardholder) are travelling with the cardholder for a minimum of fifty per cent (50%) of the interval of canopy supplied to the cardboard holder for the cardholder’s journey
A spokesperson from Citibank responded to Cruise Passenger and mentioned, “The shopper should learn and perceive the eligibility standards, phrases, situations, limits and exclusions which will apply based mostly on their journey and their particular person circumstances. That is one thing we can’t affirm, so we can’t affirm if they’ve cowl and the ins and outs of the duvet.
“As an total rule we state there isn’t a express cruise cowl underneath the Citi Complimentary insurance coverage coverage similar to what you get once you buy a retail journey insurance coverage coverage they usually ask if you’re taking a cruise the place it’s essential add on a cruise pack. There are specific provisions for cruises as a part of the Citi Complimentary insurance coverage coverage underneath its worldwide insurance coverage coverage, but it surely have to be checked out along side the eligibility standards, phrases, situations, limits and exclusions which will apply, so it isn’t a broad sure there may be cruise cowl.
“Additionally to be clear, there isn’t a COVID cowl.”