THE RESULTS TOGETHER WITH ERIK VON ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 5 GETTING RESULTS.
VON ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT
5 GETTING RESULTS. Greatness Lives Here. >> MATT: IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
DREAM VACATION AMONG FRIENDS,
BUT THEY SAY IT HAS TURNED
INTO A NIGHTMARE. THE CREWS
THEY BOUGHT.
>> LISA: NEVER HAPPENED. IT
WAS CANCELED DUE TO COVID AND
MONTHS LATER. THEY ARE STILL
TRYING TO GET A REFUND.
INVESTIGATOR LOUIS BOLDEN IS
WORKING THIS ONE FOR US AND
HAS SOME INFORMATION THAT
EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT.
CRUISING LOUIS. THAT’S RIGHT.
THESE 2 COUPLES BOTH SPENT
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THIS
VACATION AND ANOTHER 1000 ON
THE TRIP INSURANCE TO PROTECT
THEIR INVESTMENT.
>> SOUNDS LIKE THEY COVERED
ALL THEIR BASES, BUT THEY ARE
STILL FIGHTING FOR A REFUND
EVEN AFTER THE UNTHINKABLE
HAPPENED.
>> SINCE WE’VE BEEN TOGETHER
NOW, LAST 37 YEARS, WE’VE
DONE.
>> AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF
TRAVELING. HARVEY WASSERMAN
AND HIS WIFE ARLENE HAVE
ALWAYS LOVED TO TRAVEL. HERE
THEY ARE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.,
AND PARIS AND VIENNA. SO WHEN
THEY GOT A BROCHURE TO TAKE A
15 DAY VIKING CRUISE THROUGH
THE PANAMA CANAL AND CENTRAL
AMERICA, WASSERMAN SAYS HIS
WIFE COULDN’T RESIST. AND THE
FIRST VERY FIRST CREWS THAT
ARE IN AND I DID TOGETHER WAS
THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL.
>> AND WE WERE REALLY EXCITED
ABOUT GOING BACK AND SEEING IT
AGAIN, ACCORDING TO THESE
DOCUMENTS, THEY PAID MORE THAN
$12,000 FOR THE CRUISE WHICH
INCLUDED MONEY FOR TRAVEL
INSURANCE, WHICH THEY SAY THEY
PURCHASE THROUGH VIKING. THEY
ALSO INVITED. THEY’RE GOOD
FRIENDS, DEBRA AND AL, THE
BLANKENSHIP. WE’RE KIND
EXCITED ABOUT GOING WITH
AMANDA.
>> BECAUSE WE’RE CLOSE
FRIENDS. THE BLANKENSHIP’S
PAID MORE THAN $10,000 WHICH
ALSO INCLUDED TRIP INSURANCE.
BUT THEN THEY GOT THIS NOTICE
THAT THEIR CREWS WAS BEING
CANCELED DUE TO COVID. THE
COUPLE CHOSE TO REBOOK ON A
FUTURE CRUISE. BUT BEFORE IT
COULD HAPPEN, ARLENE PASSED
AWAY AT 75.
>> IT’S NOT A LIFE. A PLANNED.
I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO GO
FORWARD. WASSERMAN KEEPS HIS
WIFE’S REMAINS CLOSE BY. BUT
AFTER THE SERVICE, HE DECIDED
HE COULD NOT TAKE THE CRUISE
ALONE. THE IDEA OF GOING TO
SOME PLACE NEW AND ENJOYING
MYSELF. IT’S UPSETTING. JUST
THINK ABOUT IT AND SAYS HE
TRIED TO GET A REFUND BUT WAS
DENIED THE SAME FOR THE
BLANKENSHIP’S. HERE’S WHY WHEN
THEY AGREE TO BE REBOOKED ON
THE SECOND CREWS, THEY
ACCEPTED A VOUCHER FOR A
FUTURE CRUISE CREDIT.
>> WORTH 125% OF WHAT THEY
ORIGINALLY PAID. THE CAVEAT
THAT ALTERS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE
FOR CASH REFUNDS. IT WAS NEVER
REALLY EXPLAIN PROPERLY. THEN
THE COUPLE’S TURN TO THEIR
TRIP PROTECTION PLAN. ONE OF
THE COVERED REASONS FOR
CANCELLATION IS DEATH OF YOU,
YOUR TRAVELING COMPANION OR
YOUR FAMILY MEMBER. ACCORDING
TO THE DOCUMENTS, WASSERMAN
SUBMITTED A CLAIM AND INCLUDED
HIS WIFE’S DEATH CERTIFICATE
BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE
BOOKING WAS PAID USING
PREVIOUSLY ISSUED TRAVEL
VOUCHERS AND SUCH VOUCHERS ARE
NON-REFUNDABLE. WHAT THE DID I
BUY THE INSURANCE FOR NEWS? 6
STARTED CONTACTING BIKING ON
APRIL 19TH THE 20TH AND 21ST.
STARTED CONTACTING BIKING ON
APRIL 19TH THE 20TH AND 21ST. Greatness Lives Here. THE LIKE WE FOLLOWED UP WITH
PHONE CALLS. HI, THIS IS LOUIS
BOLDEN REPORTER AT NEWS 6 AND
THEN MORE E-MAILS EVEN TO SOME
OF THE COMPANY’S EXECUTIVE
TEAM MEMBERS BUT STILL GOT NO
RESPONSE. I DON’T UNDERSTAND
WHY, ESPECIALLY UNDER THE
CIRCUMSTANCES WAY WHY IT’S SO
DIFFICULT FOR THEM HONOR MY
WISHES. NOW, AS WE’VE BEEN
WORKING ON THIS WASSERMAN
TELLS ME VIKING HAS OFFERED
HIM A REFUND FOR HIS WIFE’S
PORTION OF THE CREWS, BUT NOT
HIS. HE SAYS THAT’S NOT GOOD
ENOUGH. WE SPOKE TO A VERY
EXPERIENCED TRAVEL AGENT WHO
SAYS THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN
OFTEN, BUT HE SAID THE ONE
TIME HE HAS SEEN IT IT WITH
WITH TRIP NATE, THE TRAVEL
INSURANCE PROVIDER IN THIS
STORY. AND WITH VIKING.
>> IF WE HEAR BACK FROM EITHER
WILL INCLUDE ANY COMMENTS THEY
HAVE WITH THIS STORY ON CLICK,
ORLANDO DOT COM. SO OBVIOUSLY
HE’S BIG QUESTION. WHY BUY THE
IS THERE ANYTHING PEOPLE CAN
DO TO MAKE SURE THEIR TRIP
INSURANCE ACTUALLY COVERS
THEIR TRIP? YES, THEY CAN.
THERE ARE SOME REALLY SIMPLE
THINGS THAT PEOPLE CAN DO.
FIRST OF ALL, ASK A LOT OF
QUESTIONS AND READ THE POLICY
THOROUGHLY. ALSO, IF YOU WANT
TO BUY SOME PARTICULAR
COMPANIES AND THEIR COVERAGE,
CALL A TRAVEL AGENT, TRAVEL
AGENTS CAN ALSO GET INSURANCE
FOR YOU EVEN ON THE TRIP. YOU
BOOK YOURSELF. AND THE LAST
THING IS, YOUR TRAVEL
INSURANCE DOES NOT HAVE TO
COME FROM THE COMPANY. YOU
BOOK YOUR TRAVEL THROUGH. SO
THAT MEANS YOU CAN SHOP AND
THAT INSURANCE IS NOT CHEAP.
NO MORE THAN 1000. IT JUST
FEELS LIKE YOU COULDN’T
PREPARE FOR THIS SCENARIO THAT
HE FOUND HIMSELF AND THERE’S
NO WAY HE COULD HAVE KNOWN
THAT SHE WOULD NO, NO, AND
THEY WOULD BE IN THE EXACT
SAME SITUATION. HAD THEY NOT
BOUGHT THE TRAVEL