Vacations are a significant investment, so purchasing cruise insurance is something many travelers consider. Though not always required, travel insurance for cruises can provide vital protection and peace of mind.
Before you embark on your cruise, it is important to do your research to determine whether or not travel insurance is mandatory for your specific cruise. Even if it isn’t required, all travelers should consider having cruise travel insurance for added protection on the open seas.
Should You Buy Cruise Insurance?
While cruise insurance isn’t always mandatory for certain travel itineraries, it is highly recommended to have for your own protection.
Cruise insurance can offer short-term coverage for trip issues, whether your bags went missing or the flight on the way to your cruise port got delayed, as well as medical coverage in the event of an unexpected injury or illness while on board.
Things to consider when deciding whether or not you need travel insurance for cruise ships include:
- Travel agency or cruise line requirements, which may require passengers to book travel insurance for their cruise as part of their booking terms and conditions.
- One or more of your cruise destinations may require travelers to have travel insurance as a condition of entry or in order to obtain a visa. So it’s important to check visa and entry requirements for any destination ports.
- If you are participating in high-risk activities during your cruise, such as scuba diving, cruise insurance may be required or highly recommended. Additionally, some cruise lines may strongly recommend or even require passengers to have travel insurance for destinations known for natural disasters, political instability, and other risks.
What Does Cruise Insurance Cover?
HHere are the five key coverages cruise ship insurance offers:
- Medical expense coverage: Cruise insurance can cover medical costs if you get sick or injured on your trip, protecting you from potentially enormous bills.
- Trip delay, cancellation reimbursement: If you must cancel your cruise unexpectedly, insurance can refund you for non-refundable expenses like the cruise fare, airfare, hotels, etc. Additionally, if your cruise is delayed due to weather or mechanical issues, or cancelled for a covered reason, insurance can reimburse additional costs like hotels, meals, and transportation.
- Delay coverage: If your cruise is delayed due to weather or mechanical issues, insurance can reimburse additional costs like hotels, meals, and transportation.
- Lost/damaged baggage and belongings: If your luggage or belongings happen to get lost, stolen, or damaged either on or off the ship, insurance may reimburse you for necessities and personal belongings. This includes if your possessions were lost, stolen, or damaged while you were on your way to the ship port.
- Emergency transportation/evacuation: Insurance can cover the substantial cost of emergency medical evacuation or transport back home for health reasons.
Is Travel Insurance Worth It for a Cruise?
Yes! Generally, cruisers describe their vacations as smooth sailing. But if something were to happen unexpectedly, things could quickly take a turn.
Because of this, purchasing cruise insurance is just as important as packing your camera, passport, or phone charger. Even if cruise insurance isn’t required, it requires a small upfront investment that can prove to be a lifesaver if you experience an unexpected trip interruption.
The Benefits of Travel Insurance for Cruise Trips: An Overview
Let’s put things into perspective. Depending on your needs and circumstances, there are specific benefits worth consideration.
Here are some highlights that further speak to the value travel insurance can offer during your cruise trip.
Mitigates Potentially High Medical Bills
Your regular health insurance may not provide coverage during the cruise. If any illness, injury, or other health issue occurs on board or during the trip, it may not be covered, resulting in high medical expenses for those involved. Alternatively, although cruises may have medical staff on board, these resources are generally limited. Staff on board may only be versed in general medical care and not specialized treatment. Even if they are able to treat you, the cost involved can be very high, and this isn’t usually included in the price of your cruise.
Offers Leverage in Case of Delays, Cancellations, or Interruptions
Having travel insurance can protect you during unpredictable scenarios that could cost a high amount. Luckily, travel insurance may cover up to 100% of your prepaid nonrefundable expenses and recoup your financial costs if you experience a situation that causes a trip delay, interruption, or even a cancellation. Here are a few scenarios:
Trip Delay: While on your way to Florida to board your cruise to the Bahamas, your flight to Florida gets delayed to the point that you would have to miss your embarkation. This can be a huge headache, but with travel insurance, it can help pay the cost to catch up to your cruise at the next port.
Trip Interruption: Imagine you are on your cruise, when the captain announces that the ship is experiencing a mechanical issue and will have to cancel for the rest of the trip. Now, you are stopped at the nearest port trying to figure out what to do next. The cruise line will help passengers during these kinds of scenarios, however, travel insurance will reimburse you for any kind of out-of-pocket expenses that the cruise line might not cover. This includes coverage for any hotels you might have had to stay in while waiting for a flight back home or transportation costs.
Trip Cancellation: Your much-anticipated cruise trip is in a week, when all of a sudden, you break your leg. Instead of paying the potentially large cancellation fee from your cruise line, travel insurance may cover the prepaid, nonrefundable costs you had to pay for your trip, meaning your cancellation fee could be covered.
Provides Health & Travel-Related Coverage
Travel insurance provides you and your loved ones the opportunity to receive reimbursement for urgent medical and travel-related expenses. The latter generally covers prepaid, non-refundable expenses if you need to cancel all or a part of your trip. This might be due to weather/natural disaster or an unforeseen interruption during your trip. Travel insurance ultimately protects you from these inevitabilities.
Gives You a Peace of Mind
Instead of worrying about the what-ifs when it comes to either your health, belongings, or safety, you can sit back and stay fully immersed in what you paid for—an exciting and satisfying getaway.
Which Cruise Lines Recommend Cruise Insurance?
While cruise insurance is not mandatory for all cruise lines, many highly recommend it to their passengers. Let’s take a look at a few cruise lines that encourage travelers to purchase cruise insurance:
- Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean often recommends travelers consider cruise insurance for added peace of mind.
- Carnival: Carnival encourages passengers to explore cruise insurance options to protect their investment in case of unforeseen events.
- Disney Cruise Line: Purchasing travel insurance is not required to book a cruise package with Disney Cruise Lines.
- Princess Cruises: Princess advises buying travel insurance for cruise ships for medical/evacuation coverage.
- Celebrity Cruises: They strongly encourage insurance for medical emergencies and cancellations.
While these are just a few examples, it’s always a good idea to check with your specific cruise line to determine if they recommend or require travel insurance.
Which Countries Require Cruise Insurance?
In addition to checking with your cruise line, it’s important to consider the requirements of the countries you’ll be visiting during your cruise. Some countries may require visitors to carry health insurance, which may be included in your cruise insurance policy.
Here are a few popular cruise destinations and their requirements:
- Cayman Islands: There are no longer any restrictions for anyone traveling to or within the Cayman Islands.
- The Bahamas: While travel insurance is not mandatory to visit the Bahamas, it is strongly recommended. Medical services, minor and major, can be expensive specifically for non-residents without insurance coverage. It is important to keep in mind that your U.S. healthcare may not cover international medical expenses.
- Bermuda: A valid passport and the completed Bermuda Arrival Card, available online, are the only requirements for entry into Bermuda. Travel insurance is no longer mandatory.
- Cuba: Visitors must carry non-US medical insurance, which may be included with your cruise fare or is purchasable at the port.
- Galapagos Islands: Travel medical insurance with medical evacuation coverage is required for the Galapagos Islands, but optional for the rest of Ecuador.
- Qatar: To enter Qatar, all international visitors must possess a recognized and approved medical insurance policy that remains effective throughout their stay.
- Saudi Arabia: A medical insurance fee is included in the eVisa cost for American visitors.
- Schengen Visa countries (26 in Europe): Travel insurance is required for stays beyond 90 days, covering emergency medical care, repatriation, and death-related expenses. These countries include Italy, Spain, Greece, and others.
Protect Your Vacation with Travel Insurance for Cruise Ships
While not universally mandatory, opting for cruise insurance is strongly advised to safeguard your investment and ensure a worry-free cruise vacation.
With travel insurance for cruise ships in place, you can enjoy your vacation with confidence, knowing that unforeseen events are covered. Compare the best cruise insurance policies to find a suitable plan for your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When should I buy cruise insurance?
Like any other kinds of travel insurance, it is recommended to purchase a policy plan around the same time you book your trip. That way, you have strong coverage for your accommodations and overall trip so you can prepare your cruise with more confidence. Additionally, purchasing travel insurance in a timely manner can unlock benefits such as Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) insurance and pre-existing condition waivers, both which are typically accessible only within 14-21 days of your initial deposit.
Can you add cruise insurance after booking?
While you can acquire travel insurance after booking your trip, it’s generally advisable to secure insurance as early as possible. Delaying the purchase may lead to missing out on certain benefits such as CFAR and pre-existing condition waivers that are only available within 14-21 days of your initial trip deposit. If you also purchase on the earlier side, you are covered for unexpected events that may occur between the purchase date and your departure. This allows you to cancel for the covered reasons under your policy and recoup your prepaid nonrefundable expenses.
What is not covered by travel insurance?
Travel insurance coverage can vary by plan, so it’s important to read your policy details carefully to understand exactly what is and isn’t included. That said, most trip insurance plans do not cover:
- Routine medical checkups
- Pre-existing conditions (unless covered under a waiver)
- Injuries from high-risk activities not listed in the policy
- Traveling against medical advice
- Losses due to intoxication or drug use
- Canceling your trip for a reason not listed as a covered event
When it comes to fear of flying or change of mind, they are also not covered. However, that is where CFAR coverage can help you out. Keep in mind that CFAR does need to be purchased at a specific time, typically 14-20 days after the initial trip deposit date.
Does cruise insurance cover hurricanes?
Cruise insurance can cover hurricanes that are considered named or a “known event” if you purchased the policy before any natural disaster like a hurricane. It is important to keep in mind that travel insurance only covers natural disasters that happen unexpectedly, meaning that if a natural disaster is reported and deemed named before you purchase a travel policy plan, you likely won’t be covered for your travel interruptions.
The key phrase to keep in mind is unexpected natural disasters. To receive coverage, you need to purchase a plan before any severe weather event like a hurricane is reported. Again, travel policies do vary, so we encourage you to compare plans that could cover you from unexpected events.
Is travel insurance necessary for international travel?
Depending on your destination, overseas travel may require travel insurance. For destinations that do not require travel insurance, it is still highly recommended. For example, if you happen to get in a situation where you need to seek medical attention, it is very likely that your U.S. healthcare won’t cover overseas medical care. That means you would have to pay out-of-pocket, which can be expensive in most countries.
How much is cruise insurance?
The cost of cruise insurance varies by different factors, such as age, trip length and cost, and the type of coverage you decide to choose. Generally, cruise travel insurance can cost about 4-10% of your total trip cost. Even higher-tier plans with stronger coverage usually don’t add much to the overall cost and can be well worth it for the protection they provide. It is overall best practice to compare plans and understand travel insurance quotes that best fit your needs and budget.
