Ahwatukee woman wants travel insurance to pay her $5,100 cruise cancelation claim

PHOENIX (AZFamily) —Cindy Galowitch loves her parents, and knowing that they’re in their 90s, she wanted to do something nice for them. “They have been married 72 years, and we are just so blessed,” Cindy told On Your Side.

So, in December, Cindy purchased a seven-day Hawaiian cruise for more than $11,000. It was for her parents, her adult son, and herself.

However, three weeks after making the purchase, Cindy’s mom started to have some health issues. “Well, mostly it was because of her high blood pressure being erratic,” she said.

Cindy’s mom is 92 and didn’t trust her abnormal blood pressure problem. As a result, Cindy canceled the cruise for all four family members and received around $6,061 from the cruise line.

She says the travel insurance company was to return the remaining balance, but Cindy says her claim was denied.

“They said, ‘Your mom didn’t go to emergency room before you canceled,’” she explained. On Your Side’s Gary Harper asked, “And that was a requirement?” Cindy replied, “Supposedly it’s in the fine print.”

So, Cindy took her mom to her cardiologist, who agreed that flying and cruising with her heart condition was not a good idea.

However, Cindy‘s mom saw the doctor a few days after the cruise was canceled, meaning any remaining refund would be denied according to the company’s terms and conditions for seeing a doctor first. It was appealed and denied three times.

That’s when Cindy emailed On Your Side help. “And my phone rings and it says Gary Harper and I was like ‘Oh my goodness.’”

I asked the travel insurance company to review the matter again, and they are. On Your Side is waiting for an answer, but in the meantime, Cindy says her mom’s note from the cardiologist should be enough to get the rest of her refund.

“I am a widow living on Social Security. (The refund) it wouldn’t mean a lot. I just feel like it’s not fair. We we didn’t do anything wrong.”

On Your Side expects to hear the travel insurance company’s decision soon. I’ll let you know what happens in a follow-up news report.

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