Travel insurance question

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chrisc

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Looking for (primarily) travel cancellation insurance for a trip we plan to do in March 2023.  I know its a long way off, but the cruise line (Holland America) are already 85% booked for this 14 day cruise around Japan and we are meeting UK friends on board

HAL Ts&Cs state:  Full payment due by December 2021 and no refunds under any circumstances.  The amount I have to pay is about R120k

In 2020 we had a cruise booked and paid for from Hong Kong and this got cancelled by the cruise line due to covid.  I got 80% of it back from the cruise line but Qatar Airways declined a refund as the cancellation was done less than 30 days before departure.  Same with AirBnB in Japan.  The trip was insured by Guardrisk.  They declined to pay on the grounds that covid is not mentioned as a risk.  That left me R80k down

So far I have had a 5 written quotes, the most promising from Santam Smartpark which looked ok.  Their Ts&Cs mentioned "certain exclusions" which I eventually found out excludes any cancellation due to covid.  So useless.  Their ladies at their call centre had no idea that this was excluded

So if any of you guys and ladies have any ideas who I can talk to, please mention it

My Bonitas Optimium health plan covers us anywhere in the world with a US$50m limit

So far is has been: 
Momentum (do not do travel, although their website mentions it)
Allianz - declined, no reason given, but it maybe because I am 74
Atlas.  Ok but the maximum cover is R30 000 which is paltry
Hollard - similar to Atlas, maximum cancellation R50 000
And Santam, who exclude covid

Thank you
 
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