Why You Should Avoid Cruise Line Travel Protection Packages

Everyone loves planning for a cruise trip at least once in their lives, be it after retirement or after a demanding quarter at work. Cruise planning is often done in groups of friends or with families, so it requires a significant amount of project management of its own. However, in light of recent outbreaks on cruises, it is becoming increasingly crucial to safeguard all the hard work of the cruise trip planning with the right cruise insurance plan. 

Is Cruise Insurance Worth It?

In an ideal scenario, the best cruise insurance for you is one that you never have to use on your trip. However, the frequency of recent outbreaks, stormy seas leading to the re-routing of cruise ships, and the following examples underscore the importance of cruise insurance. 

• Onboard illnesses and contagious outbreaks (like norovirus)
• Weather-related delays or cancellations (especially during hurricane season)
• Missed port departures due to flight delays
• High costs of emergency medical evacuations from sea
• Lost luggage or theft during excursions

Without insurance, these incidents can result in thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs. Cruise lines may offer credits or partial reimbursements, but rarely full compensation.

Why Should You Avoid Cruise Line Travel Protection Add-ons?

There are several reasons to consider purchasing your cruise travel insurance through an online provider rather than opting for the add-on travel protection packages that cruise lines offer at checkout. These reasons include:

1. It Doesn’t Protect Your Entire Trip
   • While similar to a trip insurance policy, cruise line insurance doesn’t cover the entire cost of your trip, only the cost of your cruise.
   • When purchasing a trip insurance policy, you will insure your total nonrefundable and prepaid expenses, which can include your flight, hotel, tours, and transportation, protecting all aspects of your trip.
   • With a cruise line insurance add-on, you are only insuring the cost of your cruise, so if an unexpected event were to happen, you could lose out on other nonrefundable expenses related to your other bookings.
2. Very Low Coverage Amounts
   • Cruise line travel protection offers very limited coverage, much lower than a standard trip insurance plan. 
   • For example, benefits such as emergency medical evacuation are typically only around $50,000, which likely wouldn’t cover the total cost of an evacuation.
   • Trip insurance policies, however, typically cover up to $1 million for emergency medical evacuation.
   • Emergency medical coverage in cruise line travel protection plans is also very limited compared to standard trip insurance plans.
3. They Aren’t Cost Effective
   • Cruise line travel protection package prices may vary depending on the cost of your cruise. However, comparing prices, they typically run slightly more expensive than a trip insurance plan purchased separately.
   • Even if the cost of the cruise line travel protection plan is similar to a trip insurance plan purchased separately, the coverage you get with a cruise line travel protection plan is significantly lower, making them much less cost-effective.
4. Credit Only Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) Coverage
   • While cruise travel protection plans purchased at checkout may say that they offer Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage, this benefit differs from what you might see from a trip insurance policy.
   • Cancel For Any Reason coverage typically allows you to cancel your travel plans for any reason at all and still receive a portion of your paid funds back.
   • However, with the cruise line travel protection packages, Cancel For Any Reason only gives you future cruise credit, not cash back. 
   • In standard trip insurance plans with Cancel For Any Reason coverage, you can receive a percentage (typically around 75%) of your total prepaid trip costs back rather than just a credit.
5. Potentially Confusing Claims Process
   • When purchasing a travel protection package through a cruise line, there can be confusion when it comes to the actual claims process.
   • The cruise line may have a different cancellation policy that is not associated with the cancellation coverage offered through their insurance partner through the travel protection plan.
   • So, for example, if you have to cancel your trip, there can be some uncertainties about who to call and how to file for reimbursement. 
   • With your trip insurance plan, you can enjoy a smooth claims process as you only have to work with one insurance provider and understand one policy’s fine print.
6. No Options to Compare
   • With cruise line travel protection packages, you don’t have the opportunity to shop around and find a cruise insurance plan; you can only select the premade package available during the cruise’s checkout process.
   • Purchasing your cruise insurance plan allows you to compare prices, benefits, coverage amounts, and more to find a plan that fits your budget and your needs.

Cruise Line vs. Cruise Travel Insurance: What’s the Difference?

Understand the finer details of why a standard cruise line protection package may not be enough for your travel needs. Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison:

Benefits of Purchasing Your Cruise Travel Insurance

Purchasing your cruise travel insurance, also referred to as trip insurance, rather than opting for cruise line protection packages, can be extremely beneficial for a number of reasons.

These benefits include:

• Expanded Trip Protection: Get comprehensive coverage beyond the cruise fare, including airfare, hotels, and excursions.
• Robust Medical & Evacuation Coverage: Access higher medical and evacuation limits, crucial for emergencies at sea.
• Cash Refund CFAR Options: Choose Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) options that refund in cash, not just credits.
• Flexible Plan Selection: Enjoy flexibility in choosing your provider and plan type.
• Convenient Claims Filing Assistance: File claims directly with a U.S.-based insurer, often with faster resolutions.

Which Is The Best Cruise Travel Insurance Plan For Seniors?

For senior travelers, the Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice plan is a strong option. It offers high medical evacuation coverage (up to $1,000,000) and includes a missed cruise connection benefit of up to $250 per day, maximum $1,500 a day: a valuable feature if a delay causes you to miss your cruise departure.

Unlike some plans, it has fewer state restrictions (it is unavailable only to residents of New York and Washington), and it also offers a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver, provided you purchase the plan within 20 days of your initial trip deposit.

It’s well-suited for U.S. residents traveling either domestically or internationally, making it one of the best cruise insurance options for seniors seeking robust coverage and flexibility.

Protect Your Voyage with Cruise Travel Insurance

We understand that it is tempting to add a cruise line protection package to your already booked cruise trip, simply for the convenience of the task, especially if you believe that a cruise protection package will safeguard your investments in the hour of need. But it’s important to understand the details of these protection plans and assess them based on your unique case before making the final purchase decision.

At VisitorsCoverage, we empathize with your dilemmas and offer an easy-to-compare tool to compare and contrast the best plans for cruise travel insurance. Our team of licensed agents will also assist you with the claim-filing process should you need any assistance.