Chickenpox and travel insurance over there

[minnie29]

We are traveling to Orlando a week today - I was informed yesterday morning by DD's teacher that chickenpox is going around the nursery and school (I was only told because I asked). I decided to take DD back home with me, meaning that the last time she possibly could have been in contact with a carrier would have been on the Friday. I know that she could possibly come out with spots today, tomorrow, everyday is a possibility until we are due to end our holiday due to the incubation period (7-21 days).
I have been on the phone to our insurance who have assured me that we'd be covered under cancellation if any spots appear before we go. My worry is that if she is in the incubation period and they appear, say, 4 days into our trip, how would the insurance handle that? they were a bit sketchy when I put that to them and said not to worry and that they'd work with us if that happens.

My question is - has anyone had the above happen during their trip? and if so, what do the insurance do about this, would they refund half the cost of the holiday or the full amount? or nothing? because if she gets them when we are out there then that would wipe out at least a week (not to mention being stuck in hotel room for a wekk!). Plus we are going on a 3 night cruise near the end of our trip.

Sorry, I'm just soooo stressed with the worry. I know that there is nothing I can do and what will be will be. But, we've spent so much money on this holiday and I'm terrified that we are possibly going to be cooked up in a hotel for half of it (well me and DD anyway) and we'd have wasted all that money.
I've been so happy and excited and since yesterday after speaking to teacher I just feel so stressed!

[jndt]

I think if it's the end of your holiday and you can't fly home you are covered for the extra expenses. If she gets them in the middle you won't get anything.

[minnie29]

Originally Posted by jdndt

I think if it's the end of your holiday and you can't fly home you are covered for the extra expenses. If she gets them in the middle you won't get anything.

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That’s what I’ve been thinking. I’m gutted and kind of hoping she gets some spots in the next few days so that we can go down the cancellation route. If not, I feel our holiday is already doomed because I’ll just be worrying while we are away as well - constantly spot checking.
Thanks for your reply

[jndt]

Fingers crossed for you - trips are a long time in planning and preparation. We had a week in California at New Year and I was ill for 4 days of it!

She hopefully won't get them at all.

[pretty71]

I don't have the answers for you but I didn't want to read and run. I feel your pain though and remember feeling anxious for about 3 years in a row.
The only advice I can give is to try not to worry about something that might not happen. They may not even come so check her every day but get on with your holiday, it is just one of those things.
I am so glad my DD has now had them and I don't have to think about it.
I am sure if the worst happens your insurance company will do the right thing.
Enjoy 😊

[minnie29]

Thank you both x

[Mel49]

We've had it happen to us with 2 of our kids on different holidays ! The first time was near the end of the holiday and we think he actually caught them on the plane going out as when we contacted BA they said oh another one . The doctor we went to was very strict and insisted he could not issue a fit to fly letter until all the spots were fully scabbed over so we had to stay for an additional week. My parents were with us so we managed to at least split up and someone stay at the apartment with DS while DH drove for meals, shopping etc and they had to fly home as booked. Initially our Insurance Company would only pay for one of us to stay but as BA agreed to change our flights free of charge both me and DH stayed. This was about 15 years ago before internet so many phone calls to sort things out but you do not get compensation for being ill on holiday unless hospitalised although our accomodation, car hire and from memory meals were covered together with medical costs.

Next time with middle DS he luckily had a mild case and spots scabbed over in 4 days but we felt really guilty as had been round parks when he would have been contagious. While it impacted on our holiday no insurance claim could be made. When we came back we discovered there had been an outbreak at the Nursery.

Hopefully your DD will be fine as quite often even if kids are in contact with a carrier they do not always contract chicken pox. If she does catch it and you can't go on the Cruise the cost of this should be covered by your Insurance but will keep fingers crossed all goes to plan.

[happytraveller]

Hi this kind of happened to me two years ago. Youngest Ds came down with chicken pox and was fit to fly with days to go before we headed off to Vegas and SAN Diego. Fantastic Not

I completely didn’t think that DS17 at the time,had taken my lack of immunity. I have had chicken pox 3 times. DS17 had already had chicken pox when he was around 3. Well, 6 days into the trip he started complaining of aching limbs and I put it down to him going to the gym everyday. Then one night after he was doing his round of Instagram pictures, someone apparently mentioned they think he might have chicken pox when talking of how he felt. Rubbish we all thought and we flew to SAN Diego.

By the evening, he clearly had chicken pox, next morning he was covered. It was a nightmare and I felt completely useless as a parent. They were the size of grapes. The issue we had, is we needed to fly back to Vegas in a couple of days and then a few days after that fly home. The fact we had taken a side trip seemed to confuse them. They got a doctor out to us and he didn’t know what it was, as they don’t have it over there, they immunise against it and thought it was measles or Zika

Eventually after looking on the internet he agreed it was chicken pox and the insurance agreed to pay for the medical stuff but nothing else. I had to spend nearly 1k in extra hotel fees in SAN Diego. When I got home i put a claim in anyway and they settled up minus my excess so around 750.00 I would have spent more as they wanted me to jump through hoops to help with our flights. Luckily, the flights we missed, were delayed so they gave everybody a 50 dollar voucher each even though we weren’t there to take it and this covered our flights back to Vegas

It was an absolute nightmare and for the first time in my life I really did feel like a single parent. Karen and Daytona Babe were great in lifting my spirits during that time

I really hope it works out for you, but they will reimburse something depending on how your affected. Good luck

[hutton5]

Try not to worry so much. On the last day of our Florida trip my son came out in red spots, he had stepped in an ant nest thing so we assumed it was from that, we went to Disney springs to check In and the guys there on check in desk noticed the spots and pointed out it looked like pox! I explained that my son had been playing outside a few days before and had came in screaming his bottom half was covered in ants, so he was full of bites. They weren't convinced and wouldn't let us check in until we had seen a doctor, this was one of our first trips to Orlando so didnt have a clue where or what to do. We went to the pharmacy and it was confirmed to be chicken pox, we rang virgin and explained. They said one adult could stay with my son but the rest of the family had to return home, I do the driving over there but my husband wouldn't leave me so we said we would just all stay and pay for the rest of the family ourselves, we explained we didnt want to be stuck in a hotel room as there was 5 of us so virgin told me to go back to the villa we had just come from and they would sort it out. A few days later my daughter came out in pox. It didnt ruin our holiday it was an experience lol being in the villa made it so much easier I couldn't imagine being cooped up in a hotel room. Virgin were so amazing helping us out. In the end they told me not to worry about paying for any flights they would sort all the family flights. I couldn't have got thru those few weeks without their help, i actually remember buying flowers for the staff at the virgin office, there was a lot of running back and forward to hospitals (daughter was only 3 so pharmacy wouldn't see her) Bill's from doctors, prescriptions, the extra car hire, extra food etc. But we just made the most of it. We never forgot the time we got stuck in Orlando lol x

[minnie29]

Mel49 and Happytraveller thanks for sharing your experiences with me. It helps for me to read them because it gives an indication of what can/might possibly happen. I just want to be as prepared as possible. From working out dates of last contact with any infected people (sounds like I’m taking about people from a zombie film lol) it would be 3 weeks exactly to the day that we get on the ship to be the end of the full 21 Incubation period. So, she should have spots by the Friday we get on the ship if she’s going to get them. At least I could claim for the ship if we don’t get to board. Other than that we’d be camping out in Animsl Kingdom Lodge hotel room, so not too bad I suppose :/
Thanks again