Booked a Cruise? We’ll Help You Decide on the Best Cruise Travel Insurance

You’ve finally booked that cruise you’ve wanted to take for years now. Maybe you’re doing a friends’ trip, a week away with your partner, or a family spring break.

With the dates in your calendar and the tickets purchased, have you bought the best cruise travel insurance for your needs yet? What even is the best cruise travel insurance?

Travel insurance for cruises is the coverage you need to be more prepared for unexpected emergencies while traveling. Get coverage for unexpected cancellations, medical emergencies, and much more.

 

But First, What Is Cruise Travel Insurance?

So, what is cruise travel insurance, and is cruise travel insurance worth it? Your cruise experience should be exciting and memorable. Unfortunately, travel blunders and emergencies sometimes happen when you’re away from home.

Your flight could be delayed, causing you to miss your cruise departure. Your luggage could be lost, stolen, or damaged, causing you to spend money on replacement items that you hadn’t accounted for in your budget. You could become seriously ill while on vacation or suffer an injury before you depart that causes you to cancel the trip altogether.

This is where cruise travel insurance could help. Cruise travel insurance plans feature a Trip Cancellation benefit as well as other benefits like Baggage Damage or Loss, Trip Interruption, Emergency Accident and Sickness Medical Expense, and more. You can even opt into cruise travel insurance with Cancel for Any Reason coverage to make sure you’re covered if for some reason you decide to cancel your trip.

A cruise travel insurance plan like Atlas Journey® from WorldTrips® can give you the coverage you need for unexpected emergencies while on vacation.

 

 

What Does Cruise Insurance Cover? (5 Common Cruise Ship Mishaps)

It might be hard to imagine what could go wrong during your cruise. Below is a list of some of the most common cruise mishaps.

While we hope you don’t experience any of these on your trip, it’s important to know what benefits and travel assistance services you should look for in your cruise travel insurance to ensure you have coverage for these situations. Review your specific plan to answer the question “what does your cruise insurance cover?”

 

Your Flight Is Canceled or Delayed Due to Inclement Weather and You Miss Your Cruise Departure

Your trip could be disrupted due to extreme weather conditions. Travelers who plan to fly to their cruise departure point could run into issues along the way with flight delays or cancellations.

A cruise won’t wait for you if you are late. This could mean you miss your cruise altogether (and most cruise lines won’t offer a refund if you arrive too late).

 

Benefits and Travel Assistance Services to Look for in Your Cruise Travel Insurance:

• Missed Connection Benefit – Coverage for your additional transportation costs to join the departed trip and reimbursement for unused, prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses if you arrive late to your departure point and miss your cruise for a covered reason
  
  
• Travel Delay Benefit – Coverage for necessary accommodations, meals, transportation, and other expenses while your flight is delayed (often for five hours or more) 
  
  
• Hotel Accommodations Service – Get recommendations and assistance booking hotel reservations
  
  
• Airline Reservations Service – Assistance in booking airline reservations around the world

 

Learn more about how to handle a delayed or canceled flight before your next trip.

 

An Unexpected Illness Requires You to Cancel Your Cruise

You could be packed and ready to leave for your trip when you suddenly start to feel unwell. You visit the doctor and they advise you not to travel, so you cancel your cruise trip.

You can’t control whether you get sick before a trip, but you can purchase coverage that reimburses you for your unused, prepaid, and nonrefundable travel expenses when you cancel your trip due to a covered reason, like your doctor advising you not to travel.

 

Benefits and Travel Assistance Services to Look for in Your Cruise Travel Insurance:

• Trip Cancellation Benefit – Coverage for a trip cancellation due to a covered reason, such as a sickness or injury that prevents you from traveling, the delay or cancellation of your common carrier due to inclement weather, and more

 

Your Luggage Is Lost While Traveling

Sometimes your luggage won’t show up when you need it, especially if your airline en route to your cruise departure is delayed or you have connecting flights. Your luggage may even be lost altogether and never recovered.

A cruise travel insurance plan can help cover costs for repurchasing items. 

 

Benefits and Travel Assistance Services to Look for in Your Cruise Travel Insurance:

• Baggage Damage or Loss Benefit – Reimbursement for theft, damage, or destruction of your baggage
   
• Baggage Delay Benefit – Reimbursement for the cost of necessary additional clothing or personal items, laundry expenses, and/or costs to expedite your misdirected baggage if it is delayed (often for 12 hours or more)
  
  
• Prescription Replacement Assistance – Assistance in arranging to fill a prescription that has been lost, stolen, or forgotten; assistance arranging for the shipment of replacement eyeglasses/corrective lenses or medical devices; assistance arranging an appointment with a local medical provider on your behalf
  
  
• Lost Luggage Assistance – Assistance in locating your lost luggage
  
  
• Lost/Stolen Travel Documents Assistance – Assistance in replacing your passports, airline documents, birth certificates, or other travel-related documents

 

You Become Seriously Ill While on Your Cruise

You’re excited to explore new locations at each of your cruise stops. But no matter your destinations or the activities you choose, there is a chance you could experience an illness during your trip (sometimes because of a cruise ship outbreak) and even need medical attention for treatment.

Some primary healthcare plans do not provide coverage outside of your home country. You cruise travel insurance plan could mean you have coverage for emergency medical expenses while you are traveling. 

 

Benefits and Travel Assistance Services to Look for in Your Cruise Travel Insurance:

• Emergency Accident & Sickness Medical Expense Benefit – Coverage for eligible emergency medical expenses that occur during your trip
  
  
• 24-Hour Nurse Help Line Service – Access to a registered nurse who can provide you with education and general health information as well as identify the appropriate care for your health needs based on your reported symptoms
  
  
• Medical, Behavioral, Mental Health, Dental, and Pharmacy Referral Service – Assistance in finding medical or dental professionals and pharmacies in your area (including Western-style medical facilities and English-speaking providers when possible)

 

You can’t predict when you might get sick, even if it is during your cruise vacation. Learn about how to handle getting sick while at sea so you are more prepared if it does happen.

The U.S. Department of State Issues a Level 3 or Higher Travel Advisory for Your Destination After You’ve Booked Your Trip

You checked for any level 3 or higher travel advisories for your destination before you booked your cruise. Now that you’re preparing to leave for your trip, you decide to check the travel advisories again.

You find out the U.S. Department of State has issued a new level 3 advisory for your destination. (These advisories can change quickly to align with local emergencies.) Due to the new advisory, you decide to cancel your cruise.

Unfortunately, getting reimbursed for your prepaid expenses could be tough if you didn’t purchase a cruise travel insurance plan.

 

Benefits and Travel Assistance Services to Look for in Your Cruise Travel Insurance:

• Trip Cancellation Benefit – Coverage for a trip canceled for a covered reason, such as a travel health notice or travel advisory being issued for your destination, the delay or cancellation of a common carrier due to inclement weather, and more
   
• Travel Risk Brief Service – Receive a country or city security overview that includes information about crime, civil unrest, transportation, cultural info, embassies, vaccines, and health infrastructure

 

Are you confused about travel advisories? Discover what travel advisories mean and how they might impact your trip.

Compare Cruise Travel Insurance Plans

Use the chart below to compare cruise travel insurance benefits. Atlas Journey trip cancellation insurance from WorldTrips offers three levels of coverage: Premier, Preferred, and Economy. Compare the three different levels of the Atlas Journey® plan and the Atlas Travel® medical insurance plan with two major cruise company sponsored travel insurance plans – Carnival Cruise Vacation Protection and Royal Caribbean Cruise Prior Travel Protection.

Cruiser Travel Insurance Plans	Atlas Journey® Premier	Atlas Journey® Preferred	Atlas Journey® Economy	Atlas Travel® Medical Insurance	Carnival Cruiser Insurance Vacation Protection	Royal Caribbean Cruise Travel Insurance Prior Travel Protection
Trip Cancellation	100% of trip cost up to $150,000	100% of trip cost up to $150,000	100% of trip cost up to $10,000	-	100% of cruise cost	100% of cruise cost
Trip Interruption	150% of trip cost	150% of trip cost	100% of trip cost	Up to $10,000	100% of cruise cost	100% of cruise cost
Travel Delay	$2,000 maximum (up to $200 per day) (5 hours or more)	$2,000 maximum (up to $150 per day) (5 hours or more)	$500 maximum (up to $100 per day) (5 hours or more)	Up to $100 a day after a 12-hour delay period requiring an unplanned overnight stay (maximum 2 days)	Up to $500	$500
Missed Connection	$2,000	$1,500	$500	-	-	-
Travel Inconvenience Benefit	$750 maximum (up to $150 per person)	$750 maximum (up to $150 per person)	-	-	-	-
Emergency Accident and Sickness Medical Expenses	$150,000 (primary coverage)	$100,000 (excess coverage with optional upgrade to primary coverage)	$25,000 (excess coverage)	$2,000,000 overall maximum limit per injury/illness	$10,000	$10,000
Medical Evacuation & Repatriation of Remains	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$250,000	$1,000,000	$30,000	$25,000
Baggage Damage or Loss	$2,000 ($500 per article limit) (excess coverage)	$1,500 ($500 per article limit) (excess coverage)	$1,000 ($250 per article limit) (excess coverage)	$1,000 for lost checked luggage	$1,500	$1,500
Accidental Death & Dismemberment	$25,000	$20,000	$10,000	$25,000	$30,000	-
*Waiver of the Pre-Existing Conditions Exclusion	21 days of initial trip deposit	21 days of initial trip deposit	21 days of initial trip deposit	-	-	-
Trip Cancellation for Any Reason	Optional upgrade for up to 75% of trip cost	Optional upgrade for up to 75% of trip cost	-	-	Up to 75% of trip cost in travel credits	Up to 75% of cruise cost in travel credits

*Pre-existing conditions will NOT be excluded from Atlas Journey coverage if both the following apply:

• you purchase your Atlas Journey plan within 21 days of the date you made your first payment toward your trip; and
• you are medically able to travel on your coverage effective date.

If you do not purchase your Atlas Journey plan within 21 days of your initial trip payment, a 90-day lookback period will apply to pre-existing conditions. Visit the Atlas Journey page to see what qualifies as a pre-existing condition.

Charges resulting directly or indirectly from any pre-existing condition are always excluded under Atlas Travel, except as covered under the Acute Onset of Pre-Existing Condition benefit. Visit the “Insurance Exclusions” tab of our Atlas Travel page to see what qualifies as a pre-existing condition and what qualifies as acute onset of a pre-existing condition.

 

Which Is Right for Me?

Use the above chart to better understand your options for cruise travel insurance. Remember that plans offered directly by a cruise line often don’t provide coverage for activities outside of the cruise.

For example, you may not get coverage for flights to and from your cruise departure point. You also may not be covered for extended stays in other destinations not associated with the cruise.

Decide what kind of coverage best fits your needs and your travel companions’ needs to ensure you have adequate coverage for your cruise trip.

 

 

How Much Does Cruise Insurance Cost?

The price of your cruise travel insurance can vary depending on your age, trip cost, and optional upgrades. For example, an older traveler with a higher trip cost purchasing more optional upgrades should expect to spend more on their cruise insurance policy than a younger traveler with a lower trip cost and fewer optional upgrades.

To give you a baseline for your cruise insurance cost, let’s look at the Atlas Journey plan.

How much does travel insurance cost for a cruise with Atlas Journey protection?

Here’s an example. Let’s say José and Jennifer are both 30 years old and are taking a seven-day cruise along the western shores of North America starting in Vancouver. Their total trip cost is $1,500 per person or $3,000 total.

If they want a premium cruise travel insurance plan from WorldTrips, their cost of coverage would be $138 with Atlas Journey Premier (or $69 per person). Their plan would cost $112 total (or $56 per person) if they went with Atlas Journey Preferred. If they would prefer a more budget-friendly option, their cost of coverage would be $92 with Atlas Journey Economy (or $46 per person). 

 

 

 

What’s the Best Cruise Travel Insurance for Seniors?

The best cruise travel insurance for seniors is a plan that offers comprehensive coverage for a variety of trip emergencies. Whether you’re taking a slow-paced river cruise or an exciting international adventure, a good travel insurance plan can make you feel more prepared.

When it comes to the best cruise insurance for seniors, look for a plan with great Emergency Medical Evacuation coverage, as well as Travel Delay and Missed Connection coverage. You’ll want to consider coverage options in the event of a hurricane or other extreme circumstances too.

Flexibility in your plan can also be valuable. You might want to find a plan with optional upgrades to allow you to cater your plan to your specific needs. This might mean upgrading to include Cancel for Any Reason or Interruption for Any Reason coverage.

Forbes has rated WorldTrips’ Atlas Journey Premier plan as one of the best senior travel insurance plans. With 4.5 stars from Forbes Advisor, it could be the senior travel insurance plan you need to provide you with comprehensive coverage for your cruise.