A covid related holiday question

capt_slog
capt_slog Posts: 3,945
edited July 2021 in The cake stop
My wife and I are taking my aging mum on holiday in September.

We've been advised by the self catering place that we're going to that we should have/get travel insurance, however, travel insurance that includes a 97 yr old (with medical conditions) comes to more than the cost of the accommodation for the 4 nights we're going!

I think we're going to have to call someone and find this out, BUT does anyone know...

1. Would I be doing anything wrong if I just insured Mrs Slog and I, bearing in mind that we would still go to said hol if mum could not make it (locked down in the care home for example)?
2. If I could insure just me and Mrs Slog, would my insurance be invalid if they found out someone else was going?

All I really need is covid cancellation cover.


Ta


The older I get, the better I was.

Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,485
    I assume this is in the UK? If so, why would you need travel insurance other than to cover your costs in the event that it gets cancelled. If you would still go anyway then you are only losing the costs of your mother. I suspect Covid cancellation cover will be quite high if you can get it so take a view on whether the cost of insurance is worth the risk of losing the money you have paid for the booking. I really don't see what business it is of the place you are staying and assume they are just advising you as their policy is not to refund if you have to cancel.
  • ballysmate
    ballysmate Posts: 15,921
    I am assuming this is within the UK
    AFAIK you can't be compelled to take out insurance. If you don't you are liable for the cost of cancellation.
    If you insure Mr&Mrs Slog you will be covered if either of you have to cancel. but not the dowager Slog, which you appear to be OK with.
    If I were to take out cancellation insurance, that is the way I would go.
  • capt_slog
    capt_slog Posts: 3,945
    edited July 2021
    Pross said:

    I assume this is in the UK? If so, why would you need travel insurance other than to cover your costs in the event that it gets cancelled. If you would still go anyway then you are only losing the costs of your mother. I suspect Covid cancellation cover will be quite high if you can get it so take a view on whether the cost of insurance is worth the risk of losing the money you have paid for the booking. I really don't see what business it is of the place you are staying and assume they are just advising you as their policy is not to refund if you have to cancel.

    They are just advising, I've been there several times now with mum, and i know that they wore the whole of the cancellations themselves when the lockdowns happened and we were unable to travel. I don't want to get into the rights or wrongs of their policy here.

    Cost of the hol is £600ish, I'm more concerned over what happens if Boris is still a 'see you next tuesday' over some decision or other

    And yes, UK


    The older I get, the better I was.

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,485
    edited July 2021
    Ah you'll be fine then. Boris gave a pinky promise that there'll be no reversing (unless he has his fingers crossed).
  • womack
    womack Posts: 566
    I have never considered insurance for a UK break to be honest.
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,674
    What potential loss are you insuring against?

    I think you have answered your own question when the cost of the insurance is higher than the cost of the holiday.
  • capt_slog
    capt_slog Posts: 3,945
    edited July 2021
    orraloon said:

    What potential loss are you insuring against?

    I think you have answered your own question when the cost of the insurance is higher than the cost of the holiday.

    Okay, I'll admit there was a bit of hyperbole there.

    The actual hol costs about £650. If I try to insure us as a party of three, it's £425!!

    For just Mrs Slog and me, it costs from £9.76. (for what that might be worth if I ever needed it)

    I've since checked the terms and conditions of the booking (you know, that thing you just usually tick and never read) and I think it turns out that I would get my money back if they were not able to offer the holiday if they had to close due to circumstances beyond their control, such as it burning down or closure due to covid. If we had to cancel, we might get some money (minus admin) back if they can re-let.

    They themselves recommend a company that will insure for about £56, regardless of who is going, and based on the cost of the holiday rather than the party.

    @womack I did once insure a daytrip and that was through the meercat bunch. It cost me just £1.76 for a journey i never made, and got me a years worth of 2 for 1 cinema :smiley:

    Thanks
    It was nice to be able to bounce it off someone else to get it right in my head.


    The older I get, the better I was.

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,243
    No need for travel insurance in the UK.
    If you need to cancel and lose a deposit, this is likely to be less than the cost of the travel insurance, so no point
    left the forum March 2023
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    capt_slog said:

    orraloon said:

    What potential loss are you insuring against?

    I think you have answered your own question when the cost of the insurance is higher than the cost of the holiday.

    Okay, I'll admit there was a bit of hyperbole there.

    The actual hol costs about £650. If I try to insure us as a party of three, it's £425!!

    For just Mrs Slog and me, it costs from £9.76. (for what that might be worth if I ever needed it)

    I've since checked the terms and conditions of the booking (you know, that thing you just usually tick and never read) and I think it turns out that I would get my money back if they were not able to offer the holiday if they had to close due to circumstances beyond their control, such as it burning down or closure due to covid. If we had to cancel, we might get some money (minus admin) back if they can re-let.

    They themselves recommend a company that will insure for about £56, regardless of who is going, and based on the cost of the holiday rather than the party.

    @womack I did once insure a daytrip and that was through the meercat bunch. It cost me just £1.76 for a journey i never made, and got me a years worth of 2 for 1 cinema :smiley:

    Thanks
    It was nice to be able to bounce it off someone else to get it right in my head.

    Speaking as someone for whom travel insurance can be expensive (lifelong health condition), that £425 appears to be covering health-related eventualities related to your mother... which, given you're holidaying in the UK which has the NHS, seems excessive.

    Personally, I wouldn't bother with the insurance. Does your home insurance perhaps cover something? Or if you pay on the credit card, are there inbuilt insurances with that?

    FWIW, I don't think you're in breach of anything if you choose to cover just you and your wife.
    Ben

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  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,385
    edited July 2021
    If your Mum couldn't go for some reason but you could go, would you? (in other words, would you go without your Mum if she couldn't make it?)
    Wilier Izoard XP

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