A Fort Bragg family was denied a cruise refund after a military deployment because its "cancel for any reason" insurance contained specific exclusions for acts of war.
Dana Arnold and her partner, First Sgt. Chris Beadles, had to cancel a long-planned cruise and discovered their travel insurance didn’t work the way they believed.
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The Arnolds say they tried to do everything right before booking a trip with Royal Caribbean. They purchased a policy advertised as “cancel for any reason,” expecting it would protect them if something unexpected came up. The policy allowed guests to cancel for any reason up to two days before sailing and receive up to a 90% refund in cruise credits.
In March, Beadles found out that he'd be deployed the Middle East amid rising tensions tied to the conflict in Iran, effectively ending any chance of making it on their cruise, scheduled for mid-April.
Arnold said the emotional toll was immediate. So was the financial one, she said. Arnold said she quickly contacted both the cruise line and the insurance provider, Aon, expecting a straightforward refund.
“I kind of figured that it would just be really simple,” she said.
But it wasn’t.
“They told us that because we were being deployed for a declared or undeclared act of war, that we were not entitled to a refund,” Arnold said.
That explanation concerned Arnold, who pointed out that the policy they purchased was labeled “cancel for any reason.” Yet when the family tried to cancel for a military deployment, they were denied.
That’s when Arnold contacted WRAL 5 On Your Side.
After reviewing the policy language, 5 On Your Side found a separate clause that appeared to contradict what the family had been told. It stated that if military leave is revoked or a service member is reassigned, the situation may be covered, as long as there is written confirmation from a commanding officer. It means Beadles could get coverage as long as he had a letter from his commanding officer. But when WRAL pointed out the clause to both Aon and Royal Caribbean, neither company acknowledged it.
Even still, Arnold is planning on filing a formal claim and working to obtain the documentation from Beadles.
Even though the policy was not honored, pressure from WRAL 5 On Your Side led to results.
The family received about $1,100 back through a combination of credits and refunds from Royal Caribbean, roughly 60 percent of what they lost.
“You said, ‘Hey, we’re going to put some pressure on you. This is not right,’” Arnold recalled. “And then they decided to reach back out.”
What to do if your insurance claim is denied in North Carolina
If an insurance claim is denied in North Carolina, review the denial letter for specific reasons, gather supporting evidence (photos, estimates and records), and file a formal internal appeal with the insurer.
If the appeal is denied, people can file a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Insurance or seek legal counsel.