Unable to buy travel ins to cover cancellation due to Volcano eruptions?

[Tkbltracy]

I don’t normally buy travel insurance for my dvc trips due to good health but I am becoming more concerned about Aulani being affected by the volcano eruptions/earthquakes. I called member services since I knew you could buy it up to 10 days ahead and they didn’t really know if I would be covered so they had me call Travelex directly. I was informed that since the volcano had already erupted if that caused an unforseeable closure or evacuation (tsunami maybe) that nothing would be covered. Does anyone know if that would be the case for all travel insurance? Not sure if there is anything to do but cross my fingers? My flights alone were $2000! I don’t know why I didn’t go ahead and purchase it at the time but I didn’t! I leave on June 3rd!

 

[kdonnel]

I would imagine that all travel insurance would have similar exclusions.

Oahu might experience VOG depending on the wind direction. At that distance it should only be worrisome for those with breathing conditions brought on by air contaminants.

 

[DLgal]

The volcanic eruption on the big island will have zero impact on a trip to Aulani (except the potential aforementioned VOG). It will not trigger a tsunami, it's not the right kind of earthquake for that, and besides Oahu is in the completely opposite direction. This is also not the kind of volcanic eruption that causes flight interruptions. It's not a pyroclastic eruption (the kind that throw an ash plume miles into the sky). It's an effusive eruption...basically liquid lava is just flowing out of a fissure crack. The earthquakes are a result of pressure being released, not plates moving around, so there is no tsunami risk at all.

Relax and enjoy your vacation.

 

[Midoria]

I don’t normally buy travel insurance for my dvc trips due to good health but I am becoming more concerned about Aulani being affected by the volcano eruptions/earthquakes. I called member services since I knew you could buy it up to 10 days ahead and they didn’t really know if I would be covered so they had me call Travelex directly. I was informed that since the volcano had already erupted if that caused an unforseeable closure or evacuation (tsunami maybe) that nothing would be covered. Does anyone know if that would be the case for all travel insurance? Not sure if there is anything to do but cross my fingers? My flights alone were $2000! I don’t know why I didn’t go ahead and purchase it at the time but I didn’t! I leave on June 3rd!

Like everyone else has said, the main thing is VOG. The last time this happened, the most I personally experienced was allergy-like symptoms. A volcano eruption 200 miles away isn't going to have any real effect. As I posted below, the Tsunami Warning Center has said there is no real threat.

It will not trigger a tsunami, it's not the right kind of earthquake for that, and besides Oahu is in the completely opposite direction. This is also not the kind of volcanic eruption that causes flight interruptions. It's not a pyroclastic eruption (the kind that throw an ash plume miles into the sky). It's an effusive eruption...basically liquid lava is just flowing out of a fissure crack. The earthquakes are a result of pressure being released, not plates moving around, so there is no tsunami risk at all.

Actually, it triggered a "small and non-destructive" tsunami. It was a whopping 12 inches! But the Tsunami Warning Center has said there is no real tsunami threat at this time.

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...-big-island-trigger-a-localized-tsunami-maybe

 

[DenLo]

We were on the Big Island on May 4th for the two larger earthquakes, 5.4 and 6.9. The 6.9 did move our cruise ship, the Celebrity Solstice up and down and sideways, probably because the water levels changed. But we have spoken to others that were swimming at the time of the 6.9 earthquake and they reported that the water in the coves did recede a couple of feet, enough so that the locals pelted out of the water and the tourists had to be motioned out of the water. One woman was on rocks and fell and broke her glasses and hit her forehead. She doesn't remember the why she fell just that her feet gave out on her, but it was at the exact time of the earthquake.

We often use TravelGuard insurance for our cruises and land tours and they require that you purchase the insurance within days of your first payment for the trip/plane tickets after booking. So for airplane tickets that is right away. You might check them out. But like the others I think that you probably would not need it. Aulani is over 400 miles as the crow flies from the Big Island. The Volcanoes on Oahu are all dormant, so the only earthquakes would be small on Oahu. The islands have quakes less than 1.5 all the time, of course the Big Island has the most because of the lava movements.

 

[buffettgirl]

Here's a little photo someone shared in our neighborhood because too many people kept asking "omg are you ok" Same goes for Aulani. You'll be fine.

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[Midoria]

Aulani is over 400 miles as the crow flies from the Big Island.

Oahu and Big Island are 200 miles away from each other. Not 400. Niihau is the furthest inhabited island from the BI and it's a little over 300 miles away.

 

[mep57]

As far as the Hawaiian Island Chain goes, Midway inhabited and the Kure uninhibited but use to be, are the furthest out. I lived on Kure for a year.

 

[shelbell77]

No travel insurance is going to sell you a policy to cover cancellation for an event that already occurred (ie the current kiluea erruptions). That's a losing proposition for the company your premium doesn't come close to covering cancellation costs for you to buy a policy and immediately cancel your trip. You'd have to read fine print to see what/how its covered for events that haven't happened and what is acceptable reason for cancellation. There are some policies that have "cancel for any reason" clauses, but again you need to read the fine print and know that you can't buy it to cover an event that already occured. And be prepared to pay a premium to get cancel for any reason coverage.

 

[Midoria]

As far as the Hawaiian Island Chain goes, Midway inhabited and the Kure uninhibited but use to be, are the furthest out. I lived on Kure for a year.

I generally think of Midway and Kure as being atolls, not islands. Though some say an atoll IS an island, so it could go either way.

 

[HannaBelle]

Here's a little photo someone shared in our neighborhood because too many people kept asking "omg are you ok" Same goes for Aulani. You'll be fine.

View attachment 321161 .

Awesome photo, I love it! We are going to Aulani in December and then sailing on the Pride of America over NYE. People are talking about cancelling their whole trip. I just do not understand why.

What is really funny is your circle almost excluded the active area, it is just that little tip of the island on the right side.



I am editing to add that I am not trying to negate the absolute devastation of the people and property in and around the area, it is horrible. Hawaii depends on tourism for their economy and if everyone cancels their trip, it will be devastating for the economy for other people and the other islands.

Don't cancel, go to Hawaii and be safe. No one can predict what will happen with Kilauea but I can say with 99.9999% certainty it won't affect Oahu or Aulani.

 

[Midoria]

Awesome photo, I love it! We are going to Aulani in December and then sailing on the Pride of America over NYE. People are talking about cancelling their whole trip. I just do not understand why.

Lots of people have no idea about island geography and haven't bothered to learn. Two weeks ago I met a cruiser who didn't know that the Big Island was actually called "Big Island". And this is a person who was due to arrive in less than 24 hours. It doesn't surprise me that people are panicking about the volcano to the point of canceling their trip.

 

[HannaBelle]

Lots of people have no idea about island geography and haven't bothered to learn. Two weeks ago I met a cruiser who didn't know that the Big Island was actually called "Big Island". And this is a person who was due to arrive in less than 24 hours. It doesn't surprise me that people are panicking about the volcano to the point of canceling their trip.

I don't understand spending $1,000's on a vacation and not researching the area. I guess people do WDW & DL this way as well, but I just cannot fathom it...

 

[Midoria]

I don't understand spending $1,000's on a vacation and not researching the area. I guess people do WDW & DL this way as well, but I just cannot fathom it...

Hawaii is not a theme park and can't be compared to any of them in terms of needed planning, research, and education.

 

[corgi_monster]

Here's a little photo someone shared in our neighborhood because too many people kept asking "omg are you ok" Same goes for Aulani. You'll be fine.

View attachment 321161 .

Picture like this one have been blowing up my Facebook feed this past week.

OP, there's no need to worry. There has been a bit of vog hovering around Oahu, but that happens all the time - even when there is low volcanic activity. The threat of a tsunami is always real, but they can come from Alaska, California, Chile, etc. it's going to be hurricane season in a couple weeks, and imo, that's a much larger threat to Aulani than Kilauea is.

 

[olafLover]

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[jodybird511]

And I can tell you that, per our travel insurance, vog is not a covered condition, even with a physician statement restricting travel for someone. And we are actually traveling to the Big Island. Now if you had insurance that would allow cancellation for ANY reason, that's a different story.

 

[jerseygal]

When we went to Aulani, four years ago, we purchased DVC insurance, as we do for all of our trips annually. I was especially concerned since my elderly Mom was living at the time, that if we needed to return due to a covered reason, a medical condition for her, that we could get return quickly and our flight and remaining days of our points would be covered via the trip interruption clause for a covered medical reason. Are you saying that DVC insurance is not issuing insurance for Aulani in general or are you saying that a volcano erupting is not a covered reason? Flights are so $$$, I would definitely purchase DVC insurance if you have the opportunity!

 

[pjacobi]

I suspect the smog in southern California is far worse for your health then any vog that you would encounter in Hawaii. Unless you are in a known danger area, the trade winds will blow the vog out to sea.


-Paul

 

[buffettgirl]

Awesome photo, I love it! We are going to Aulani in December and then sailing on the Pride of America over NYE. People are talking about cancelling their whole trip. I just do not understand why.

What is really funny is your circle almost excluded the active area, it is just that little tip of the island on the right side.

View attachment 322508

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yeah, the circle was meant to just circle the whole island. It wasn't meant to be a 100% accurate depiction of where the lava is. Someone just circled the two islands to show what was happening and where we were in relation to the other island.