Cruise Travel Insurance

They are mostly the same, but some plans have coverages built specifically with cruisers in mind. Cruise insurance is essentially travel insurance that covers your entire trip, including time at sea, at port, and in the air. Some plans are built specifically with cruise scenarios in mind, like missing the ship at a port or being confined to your cabin due to illness, but the underlying structure is the same as any travel insurance policy.

Not necessarily more expensive than other types of trips, but cruise travel tends to involve higher prepaid costs, which is what drives the premium. For example, a $6,000 cruise will cost more to insure than a $2,000 flight-and-hotel trip. As a general rule, cruise insurance typically runs between 4% and 10% of your total prepaid, non-refundable trip cost.

If you are specifically looking for coverage for pre-existing conditions, or Cancel For Any Reason, you must purchase your insurance within 14 to 21 days from your first payment towards the cruise. Otherwise, you can buy a policy anytime after booking, or after declining the insured offered through the cruiseline.

Yes. Many plans include missed connection or travel delay coverage, which can help reimburse extra expenses (like overnight lodging or transport to catch up with the ship at the next port) if a covered delay, such as airline trouble or bad weather, causes you to miss your cruise's initial departure.

Yes. Some cruise-specific plans, like iTravelInsured Choice Cruise, include an itinerary change benefit that can reimburse prepaid shore excursions or other costs if a major disruption, like a natural disaster, mechanical failure, or virus outbreak, forces a significant change to your itinerary.

Trip cancellation coverage reimburses your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if you or a traveling companion gets sick before departure and can't travel. Most policies also cover cancellation if an immediate family member (spouse, parent, child, sibling) who isn't traveling becomes seriously ill or passes away.

Use a licensed insurance marketplace rather than a single insurer or the cruise line checkout page, so you can see several plans side by side. Look for real quotes based on your own trip details, plans from more than one insurer, filters for cruise benefits like evacuation limits and CFAR, and licensed agents you can contact. You can compare cruise insurance plans or get a quote at VisitorsCoverage.

Insure only your prepaid, non-refundable costs, skip add-ons like Cancel For Any Reason if you do not need the flexibility, and compare a few plans before you buy. Watch the limits, though. Our experts recommend at least $100,000 in emergency medical and $250,000 in evacuation coverage.

For most cruise travelers, insurance is a worthwhile investment. While a policy typically costs just 4% to 10% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip expenses, going without it leaves you vulnerable to massive out-of-pocket costs, such as a $50,000 emergency medical evacuation from a ship or the total financial loss of a cancelled cruise.