Why You Should Avoid Cruise Line Travel Protection Packages

When planning and booking your cruise, you may notice that during the checkout process, your cruise line asks if you would like to pay extra for travel protection.

Cruise travel protection programs can work similarly to travel insurance, however, they also have some key differences.

While travel protection for a cruise is always a good idea, it is important to understand what these cruise line travel protection packages actually cover and the alternative options you have that can give you significantly better coverage at a price equal to or even less than what your cruise line offers.

What Does Cruise Line Insurance Cover?

Travel protection purchased through a cruise line can cover your cruise costs in the event of a cancellation or delay for a covered reason along with other benefits including emergency evacuation and accident and sickness coverage.

Cruise insurance benefits can include:

• Trip cancellation
• Trip delay or interruption
• Baggage loss
• Baggage delay
• Accident & sickness
• Emergency medical evacuation

Is Cruise Line Travel Protection Necessary?

Having coverage for your cruise is highly recommended as it offers protection against the unexpected for just a small upfront cost.

However, securing protection through your cruise line during the checkout process isn’t recommended for coverage for a variety of reasons. 

Rather, it is highly recommended to purchase your own cruise insurance policy for your trip to get the best price, value, and coverage.

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

There are several reasons to consider purchasing your own 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 includes:

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.

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 are also very limited compared to standard trip insurance plans.

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.

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.

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 cancelation 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 of who to call and how to file for reimbursement. 

With your own 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.

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 just select the premade package available during the cruise’s checkout process.

Purchasing your own individual 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 Trip Insurance Benefits Compared

This comparison chart shows the different benefits and coverage amounts offered by cruise lines, as well as SafeCruise, a VisitorsCoverage cruise travel insurance plan.

As you can see in the chart above, purchasing your own cruise insurance, such as the SafeCruise trip insurance plan from VisitorsCoverage, gives you significantly more coverage for emergency medical situations, baggage loss, and overall gives you a better value for about the same or even lower cost than cruise line protection plans.

What Are the Benefits of Purchasing Your Own Cruise Insurance?

Purchasing your own 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:

• Ability to shop around and compare plan prices and benefits to select a policy that best fits you and your family’s needs
• Get better value for your money
• Secure adequate coverage for emergency medical situations
• Have the opportunity to insure your entire trip, including things like your hotel, flight, and more
• A smoother claims process and better customer service when you purchase through trusted travel insurance providers like VisitorsCoverage

Buying a cruise travel insurance policy separate from your cruise line can give you the freedom and opportunity to get the best coverage for the best price.

Get Cruise Insurance Coverage Today!

There’s no doubt that protecting yourself during your cruise vacation is imperative, especially when it comes to potential unexpected medical emergencies abroad. However, this doesn’t mean you have to settle for cruise line travel protection packages.

Compare the best cruise insurance policies and find a plan that offers the protection you need at a price that fits your budget today, or reach out to our Customer Success Team for further assistance.