60 days B4 trip, wife diagnosed with Cancer, what likely position from Agressor?

[edclee]

We have 200 dives, all in the last 2 1/2 years, but this is our first liveaboard. Trip is all set up and paid for and wife just diagnosed yesterday with cancer :depressed: and set up for surgery in the next two weeks. Not going to be able to make our trip on the Cayman Agressor in 60 days. Customer service only available during the week so I cant ask. Has anyone got any experience with a situation like this? Can I get a credit for a later trip, can I send someone else, if I can find someone that wants to take the trip and eat some of the cost so they have a bargain, will Agressor allow the change.

Damn, I am concerned for my wife's health and dont really want to have to worry about this trip, but...I have to.
Ed

 

[Wineaux]

I don't have an answer for you other than to ask if perhaps you purchased any kind of trip insurance when you booked and forgot about it with all the other things going on. As someone who has been touched by cancer in family members twice in the last year, I didn't want to read this without replying to say I'm so sorry for your wife's diagnosis and I hope her surgery and subsequent treatments go well and she has a full recovery.

 

[Scott]

Sorry to hear about your wifes diagnosis.

Did you happen to purchase travel insurance?


From their website Know Before You Go


We strongly recommend each guest purchase comprehensive accident, medical, baggage and trip

cancellation and interruption insurance when space is reserved. Trip insurance will protect you fromfinancial disappointment if you are prevented from making your scheduled trip due to illness, family illnessor in the event that unforeseen circumstances prevent the airline or yacht from making its scheduled trip. Inthe event you cancel your trip, be familiar with Aggressor Fleet’s cancellation policies, which can be found​

on www.aggressor.com. More information can be found on Diveassure or Divers Alert Network insurance​

on our website.

They also listed contact information

Cell Phone (after hours) +1-706-664-0111

Email: wecare@liveaboardfleet.com
(Delay in travel and emergency only)
​

 

[tracydr]

I wasn't able to go on a trip with the Truth Aquatics this month due to a medical problem. They gave me, my husband and our friend a rain check on a trip at any time in the future with no expiration date and no penalty. I notified them about two weeks before the trip, when I found out I wouldn't be able to dive and needed surgery.
Best wishes to you and your wife. I do hope you have DAN trip insurance or another trip insurance. I'm sorry you're having to go through this.

 

[drbill]

I don't know their policy in such cases but do want to wish your wife a successful surgery and treatment.

 

[edclee]

No, did not buy travel insurance, 69 years old and traveled all over the world and never bought insurance. We are both healthy, never any prior health issues and did not even consider it. I understand it is going to cost me, but surely they will allow me at least to find someone else to go even if I have to pay an incentive for them to do so. Costing me $4000 plus the plane fare when there is still 60 days to accomplish something so the boat will not lose the booking doesn't make sense whether or NOT I bought insurance?

 

[Hawkwood]

You certainly have my sympathy and I wish your wife the best.

I had three trips planned and paid for before I got my cancer diagnosis in March. In fact, one was bought and paid for the day I went to see the doctor for a strange "lump".

We had trip insurance on all three trips, whether through the credit card used or trip-specific insurance. Fortunately everything ended up working around the trip dates and I did not need to cancel any of them.

As you have no insurance, you might have a tougher time with the airfare if you do not have a fare that allows changes or cancellation.

Aggressor might be straight forward, especially if you are able to provide them two warm bodies for your berths.

Good luck,

Bill

edit: As an aside, we are in our 50's and early 60s and are healthy as well. Don't just think that trip cancellation insurance is just for you or your spouse. The only time we have had to use our insurance was the time our son was involved in an accident at work and we had to cancel to deal with his issues.

 

[tracydr]

I'm 48 and healthy. You simply never know when something will happen that will cause your trip to be canceled. We also didn't have trip insurance, although our trip was not expensive, didn't require airfare and luckily, Truth Aquatics was very good at working with us. They are a great company to work with.
Aggressor, on the other hand, doesn't have the best track record, from what I've heard.
Best of luck, I do hope your wife does well with her surgery and treatment, that of course is the most important thing.
BTW, my husband was able to get on the Galapegos trip that we took by being on the waiting list so I do believe that the Aggressor might allows fares to be swapped. Although, this was through a dive shop so that cold possibly be different. ( I was signed up for Galapegos by myself before I met my husband and as soon as we met I put him on the waiting list. We were able to take the Galapegos trip as our honeymoon!)

 

[diversteve]

Call on Monday, ask for Anne - Wayne's (owner's) wife

Anne Hasson, Vice President
Reservations & Advertising
Tel: 800-348-2628
+1-239-593-0191
anne@aggressor.com

You're inside their 90 day no refund window but I don't see why you shouldn't be able to sell/assign your spaces to someone else. People do that regularly.

 

[photog]

Don't see it mentioned. edclsee, do you have a DAN N.A. membership? DAN membership with the Preferred insurance is cheap (+$75) and covers a limited amount of trip cancellation ($10,000 max) for medical problems that prevent the policy holder from diving as well as other risks, emergency evac... etc. Everyone diving should have this. Would cover your wife's trip, probably not a spouse, but still that's a lot better.

Have had several people use this over the years. And, in fact, have 3 spaces available on my Oct/Nov trips now due to medical problems that will be covered if the diver's have this DAN policy.