When a liveaboard trip is cancelled the day you arrive....

[Dogbowl]

Agreed. This is an odd situation and in the end I would be very unhappy with Aggressor as oppossed to any travel insurance company. the OP was put in a terrible situation. Could it have been avoided?

It seems that many people do not understand what situations trip insurance covers. The cheaper the insurance, the less situations that will be covered.

If Aggressor had notified before departure from home, then you likely should have been able to not fly and submit an insurance claim for the unrefunded portion of the flight tickets. But the OP successfully flew so there is no basis for an insurance claim for the cost of the flights.

The OP had elcheapo travel insurance which has some extremely broad exclusions for the liveaboard costs (you get what you pay for). A better travel insurance product would have covered this case of the liveaboard defaulting (mine does). But the OP would still not be able to make a claim as their cost of the LOB was $0. It was a free LOB trip that they won. Nothing to insure.

The only insurance claim I can think of could be a daily subsistence allowance (my coverage is $300 per day per person) but since the boat offered to provide room and board for the week it does not seem like this could be claimed either.

@giffenk , Any chance that you could post a copy of your policy? I went onto their website, filled in everything to get a quote and just got summaries of coverage, not the fine print. I’d be very interested. Thanks!

 

[KeithG]

@giffenk I'm confused. Are you saying your Blue Cross product that covers "way more" than the DiveAssure Liveaboard Rider would cover these instances (and more, such as your "top 10 reasons why the boat couldn't sail")?

Trip Cancellations Due To:

• Trip cancellation coverage due to a missed connection resulting in missing the liveaboard or in additional cost to join it.
• Trip cancellation coverage for missing liveaboard departure due to airline delays.

Lost Diving Days Due To:

• Medical inability to dive.
• Weather conditions not enabling diving/sailing.
• Diving accident to other passenger on boat causing the boat to abort planned diving.
• Expenses not reimbursed by the tour operator for default /mechanical breakdown to air supply.

Yes. My plan would cover all of my top ten. It has no exclusions (other acts of war).

Since it has no exclusion's it also cover's everything the Dive assure LOB rider cover's as part of its normal coverage. There is nothings special about a liveaboard. It is just a small cruise ship that offers diving instead of a casino or night show and piano bar.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Yes. My plan would cover all of my top ten. It has no exclusions (other acts of war).

Since it has no exclusion's it also cover's everything the Dive assure LOB rider cover's as part of its normal coverage. There is nothings special about a liveaboard. It is just a small cruise ship that offers diving instead of a casino or night show and piano bar.

So what is the cruise ship equivalent to a "lost diving day"? Are you saying that if some event were to require the cruise ship to return to port halfway through the trip that your insurance would compensate you for the days you missed out on if the cruise ship line does not? Maybe if it's covered under "trip interruption," but trip interruption insurance usually involves the same conditions as cancellation, such as your own illness (not the illness of a fellow passenger that caused the ship to return to port). Are you saying that if some event were to require the closing of the casino or piano bar that your insurance would compensate you? I'd like to see where in the policy it says those events are covered. Just because it isn't explicitly "excluded" doesn't mean it's covered. A policy only covers whatever conditions it literally says it covers. The "exclusions" exclude things that would otherwise be covered by a literal reading of the conditions of coverage.

In DiveAssure's Terms and Conditions I don't see any "exclusions" that would apply in the OP's circumstances, either. But the conditions that trigger compensation for "cancellation" by the liveaboard don't seem to include the OP's circumstances.

 

[richmonddiver]

While I appreciate this comment in many situations I feel this is not very nice here- I have stated only the facts from my side, and what I was told by the Aggressor President when he called, and from that my best guess as to what I think happened. I am unsure what supporting information I could provide - I didn't come out and bash them- I simply stated facts along with one guess and asked if this had happened to anyone else and if so- what compensation were they given. This is something I never thought could happen so I came to a place to ask advice where others might have an answer.

I agree that my comments were not nice; however, they were not mean either. My comments were neutral. My comments weren't even directed to you. It was a reminder to all that read the thread, or wish to participate, that nothing is factually confirmed here. I don't know what supporting information you can provide, because I am not the one on possession of the facts. You didn't place anything on the table but an unsubstantiated allegation, so why should anyone take your statement as truth? I have no reason to believe you are telling the truth, lying or have a honest misunderstanding over facts with the liveaboard operator.
Think of it this way: I claim not to be an agent of the Aggressor fleet. Why should you believe me?

 

[BDSC]

Think of it this way: I claim not to be an agent of the Aggressor fleet. Why should you believe me?

Why should anyone even care if you are an agent of the Aggressor fleet.

What possible reason would a person have to come on SB and just totally make up a story like hers? What is there to gain? She doesn't need to "place anything on the table" to prove anything to anyone. I believe her word for word because I know that the Aggressor Fleet, a once proud name and leader in the liveaboard industry, is a shell of it's former self.

 

[outofofficebrb]

@giffenk , Any chance that you could post a copy of your policy? I went onto their website, filled in everything to get a quote and just got summaries of coverage, not the fine print. I’d be very interested. Thanks!

This is an "example policy" that they have under "Travel Insurance 101". https://on.bluecross.ca/images/docs/Ont_Sample_Policy-en.pdf

For trip cancellation or interruption benefit, "The Insurer shall pay the benefits specified below, subject to the definitions, limitations, conditions, exclusions and reductions of coverage of this contract, in the case of an accident, illness or other unforeseen fortuitous event that is beyond the control of the covered person or traveling companion. The event must be sufficiently serious, directly affect the covered person or the travelling companion and require that the trip be cancelled, interrupted, extended or modified." We could argue someone with DCS on the boat and having to cancel/interrupt the trip to get them to a chamber directly affects the covered person in that their trip is cancelled/interrupted. Or....do they mean the insured person and/or traveling companion must actually be in an accident or have an illness or unforeseen fortuitous event themselves?

Their definition of an illness means "a deterioration in health or an organism disorder certified by a physician. In the case of trip cancellation, this deterioration or disorder must be serious enough to prevent the covered person from continuing his trip as planned. Pregnancy is not considered to be an illness, except in the case of pathlogical complications arising within the first 32 weeks."

Their definition of "Accident" means "unintentional, sudden, fortuitous and unforeseeable event due exclusively to an external cause of a violent nature and inflicting, directly and independently of all other causes, bodily injuries during the period of coverage". This suggests that the bodily injuries must be directly to the insured/covered person or traveling companion.

As expected, there are pre-existing conditions exclusion as well. A lot of good questions when you read the fine print. Depending on the answer to the few points above, what is actually covered or not covered can change quite a bit.

 

[outofofficebrb]

We should all keep in mind this is the internet, the great engine of misinformation. There are two sides to each story. Facts that appear clear to one party are sometimes not clear to the other. All we have here is a claim that is not backed with any supporting information. I don't know the OP. I don't assume the OP is a liar. I also don't assume the OP is honest.

I agree that my comments were not nice; however, they were not mean either. My comments were neutral. My comments weren't even directed to you. It was a reminder to all that read the thread, or wish to participate, that nothing is factually confirmed here. I don't know what supporting information you can provide, because I am not the one on possession of the facts. You didn't place anything on the table but an unsubstantiated allegation, so why should anyone take your statement as truth? I have no reason to believe you are telling the truth, lying or have a honest misunderstanding over facts with the liveaboard operator.
Think of it this way: I claim not to be an agent of the Aggressor fleet. Why should you believe me?

Perhaps you meant to say we've only heard one side of the story....Perhaps you also intended to say it would be interesting to see what Aggressor would say about this and how it may differ from the OP's account from a different perspective or what their experience or explanation would be. Those are neutral comments. I think it's difficult for @Erica Watson to not take it personally and feel otherwise when you say it wasn't directed at her when you said "All we have here is a claim that is not backed with any supporting information."...because she did not have any supporting information. Yet, admittedly, you don't know what supporting information she could have provided. I'm not sure it's needed in this case, and if it were, sufficient support would be an airline ticket and a recording with time stamp for the point of communication. It's unnecessary to provide this information in a simple post to share her experience and not needed for this discussion, in my opinion.

Granted, you have a point about maintaining a modicum of skepticism - there have been other posts on Scubaboard where customers have come to complain and it turns out it was a very biased, incorrect account of events when the operator or other party came to discuss and shed some light. However, I really don't see this as being one of them. If anything, she did not go off on full rant like I probably would have and was very respectful. She was more interested in hearing whether this has happened to others or if it was a common occurrence and wanted to share what ended up being put on the table.

 

[richmonddiver]

Why should anyone even care if you are an agent of the Aggressor fleet.

Because I could tell them about the excellent customer service, facilities and variety of diving offered by the best liveaboard fleet in history. Seriously though, I think you missed the point.

What possible reason would a person have to come on SB and just totally make up a story like hers?

The OP joined Scubaboard the day she made her first post. The only content on Scubaboard from the OP is this thread. Aren't you a little curious that there might be another side to the story?
Anyway, I never said that the OP made the story up. The OP might believe what she said is true, but is factually incorrect. The OP might be honest and correct. The OP might be lying. I don't know. I only tried to remind people to be cautious about believing the story either way. Sometimes people are not working with all of the facts. Sometimes reasonable people disagree on the facts. Sometimes people are just crazy. I'll let the Thumbs Down forum speak for itself:

Disagreement on facts:
Gigglin Marlin Dive shop in Houston - STAY AWAY

Just plain weird:
Death threat

Just Bitter:
The worst experience ever

Just Crazy:
Insta-buddy dangers when women take dive trips unaccompanied

What is there to gain?

Maybe something financial? A better deal on a future trip? I don't know because there are no substantiated facts.

She doesn't need to "place anything on the table" to prove anything to anyone.

If you want to prove anything to anyone, you have to place something on the table. How do you think things are proven? Allegations are allegations. Facts are Facts. One proves things, one does not.

I believe her word for word because I know that the Aggressor Fleet, a once proud name and leader in the liveaboard industry, is a shell of it's former self.

You believe the story word for word because you know the Agressor fleet is a shell of its former self? It sounds like you want believe any negative claim against Agressor, irregardless of the facts.

 

[outofofficebrb]

The OP joined Scubaboard the day she made her first post. The only content on Scubaboard from the OP is this thread. Aren't you a little curious that there might be another side to the story?
Anyway, I never said that the OP made the story up. The OP might believe what she said is true, but is factually incorrect. The OP might be honest and correct. The OP might be lying. I don't know. I only tried to remind people to be cautious about believing the story either way. Sometimes people are not working with all of the facts. Sometimes reasonable people disagree on the facts. Sometimes people are just crazy. I'll let the Thumbs Down forum speak for itself:

Disagreement on facts:
Gigglin Marlin Dive shop in Houston - STAY AWAY

Just plain weird:
Death threat

Just Bitter:
The worst experience ever

Just Crazy:
Insta-buddy dangers when women take dive trips unaccompanied

The Dolphin House one was the exact one I was thinking about when I typed up my reply about understanding your message about maintaining a modicum of skepticism. What a great coincidence you linked to that one. Ha!

But, to be fair to the OP, her post and tone is and was very different to the ones you linked to...Thankfully!

 

[Dogbowl]

Unfortunately, the Aggressor Fleet is known to be quiet when anything negative happens. That’s how they’ve dealt with it in the past and I don’t think they’re going to change that policy.