If you're planning to take to the sea, don't forget to pack your cruise travel insurance. While you may have an ideal trip free from illness, injuries, mishaps, and delays, it's wise to prepare for potential misfortunes that could bring your good time to a grinding halt.

 

Cruise travel insurance can cover you if you sustain an injury on an island expedition or a common shipboard illness sweeps the cabins. Often referred to as "trip cancellation insurance," cruise trip insurance can also reimburse you if your cruise is unexpectedly delayed, cancelled, or interrupted due to a covered reason.

 

Keep reading to learn more about what cruise insurance is, what it covers, and why it may be a wise investment for your high seas adventure.

 

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Why Do I Need Cruise Travel Insurance?

A cruise is one of the most enchanting ways to see the world, but it's important to understand and prepare for the potential risks involved. Here are just a few reasons why you may need cruise insurance for your trip:

• Cruises are often delayed due to unexpected weather conditions. Unfortunately, cruise delays due to bad weather or fog are fairly common, and there's no guarantee your cruise line will compensate you for the meals and accommodations you have to pay for during a long delay (12+ hours).
  
  
• Cruise ships can be hotbeds for stomach bugs. For example, nearly 300 passengers on Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess cruise ship fell ill with vomiting and diarrhea between February 26 and March 5, 2023. The likely cause of the gastrointestinal illness was norovirus, according to the cruise line.
  
  
• Recreational activities in unfamiliar territory can result in injury. As you explore each port, you'll likely want to participate in activities such as hiking, rock climbing, or beach volleyball. Unfortunately, these types of recreational sports and activities carry risk of injury.
  
  
• Your cruise line's own insurance plan may not be the best cruise insurance for you. The policy available through your cruise line may reimburse you for missed departures or weather delays, but coverage for important benefits like Medical Evacuation & Repatriation of Remains or Emergency Accident and Sickness Medical Expenses may be extremely limited—or excluded entirely.
  
  
• Your regular health insurance may provide limited or no coverage in international waters. If you don't have international health coverage as you travel outside your home country, you'll be solely responsible for medical expenses you incur on your cruise. That's why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends travel medical insurance to nearly all individuals traveling on a global scale.
  
  
• You may need to supplement your regular health insurance as you cruise the U.S. Taking a domestic cruise in the U.S.? Travel insurance can supplement your regular health insurance if you are a U.S. citizen or resident. 

 

 

How Much Is Travel Insurance for a Cruise?

The cost of your cruise travel insurance policy will depend on your age, total trip cost, and number of travelers.

 

If you were a thirty-year-old U.S. citizen planning to insure your $1,000, four-night, five-day cruise to Belize, your options for an Atlas Journey trip cancellation plan from WorldTrips would range from $34 - $69*.

 

In this scenario, you would have the option of choosing from the following three plans:

• Atlas Journey Economy– $34 (lowest cost, lowest benefit amounts)
• Atlas Journey Preferred – $44 (mid-level cost, mid-level benefit amounts)
• Atlas Journey Premier – $69 (highest cost, highest benefit amounts)

 

Your actual cost per person may be higher or lower than this example based on the insurance provider you choose and the factors outlined above.

_{*Cost as of March 2023.}

 

What Does Cruise Insurance Cover?

Cruise travel insurance protects non-refundable investments related to your trip. It reimburses you if you have to cancel your international cruise unexpectedly, prior to your departure, due to a covered reason. 

 

It also provides medical coverage for unexpected injuries and illnesses as well as trip protection benefits like reimbursement for lost baggage, delayed baggage, or a travel delay.

 

Here's an overview of a few key benefits you'll get when you purchase an Atlas Journey travel insurance plan from WorldTrips: 

 

TRIP CANCELLATION

The core of any good cruise travel insurance policy, Trip Cancellation coverage reimburses you for the full cost of your prepaid and nonrefundable travel expenses—up to your policy maximum—if you have to cancel your cruise due to a covered reason.

 

Here are some scenarios that are covered under Atlas Journey Economy, Atlas Journey Preferred, and Atlas Journey Premier:

• You fall ill or are unexpectedly injured and your physician insists that you cannot go on your cruise
  
  
• Your traveling companion or non-traveling family member falls ill, becomes injured, or dies unexpectedly and you have to cancel your trip
  
  
• Inclement weather causes the destruction of your accommodations, a delay of your common carrier for more than twelve (12) hours, or a cancellation from your common carrier, causing you to cancel your trip
  
  
• You or your traveling companion are directly involved in an accident (substantiated by a police report) that causes you to miss your cruise ship's departure
  
  
• A terrorist incident occurs in a city listed on your cruise itinerary and your cruise line is unable to modify its route (the incident must occur within the 30 days prior to your scheduled departure date)
  
  
• A natural disaster occurs unexpectedly in your destination and renders it uninhabitable
  
  
• A last-minute legal obligation, such as jury duty, requires you to remain in your home country

 

Note that these situations must occur after your policy goes into effect to be eligible for reimbursement.

 

 

 

TRIP INTERRUPTION

The Trip Interruption benefit reimburses you if you are unable to continue your cruise due to one of the same situations covered under the Trip Cancellation benefit explained above.

 

Unlike the Trip Cancellation benefit, Trip Interruption provides you with reimbursement if one of these covered situations occurs after you depart on your cruise.

 

TRAVEL DELAY

This benefit reimburses you for your covered expenses—up to the maximum benefit of your policy—if you are delayed for a certain number of hours due to a defined hazard.

 

EMERGENCY ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS MEDICAL EXPENSE

The Emergency Accident and Sickness Medical Expense benefit covers health care expenses for necessary services and supplies required to treat a covered injury or illness.

 

Depending on your plan, a benefit like this could cover eligible expenses such as: 

• Ambulance service
• Physician services
• Charges for cruise ship infirmary and prescribed medication
• Hospital room and board in one of your stopover destinations
• Charges for anesthetics, X-rays, and labs

 

Note that this benefit could be primary or excess depending on the plan. Primary means your cruise travel insurance pays your eligible claim first. 

 

Excess means this policy is in excess of all other insurance (like Medicare or another primary health insurance). If your other insurance is in place when the expenses are incurred, your cruise travel insurance will only cover the excess of the amount paid by your other insurance. 

 

MEDICAL EVACUATION AND REPATRIATION OF REMAINS 

A Medical Evacuation & Repatriation of Remains benefit covers your physician-ordered, emergency air or ground transportation from a hospital or emergency care facility that is ill-equipped to treat you to the nearest hospital that can provide adequate care.

 

This benefit may also cover travel expenses home for your travel companion if you are expected to be hospitalized for 24 hours or more. If you are traveling with a minor, you could also get coverage for their necessary transportation, accommodations, and meals while you are being treated. 

 

In the unfortunate event that you pass away during your trip, this benefit can also cover repatriation expenses to return you to your home. 

 

 

How Do I Choose the Best Cruise Insurance?

The best cruise insurance is the plan that offers the benefits you need at a price you can afford.

 

WorldTrips offers trip cancellation coverage for cruises in three different plan levels, so you can choose the coverage and cost that are right for you:

• Atlas Journey Economy– Lowest premium, lowest benefit amounts
• Atlas Journey Preferred – Mid-level premium, mid-level benefit amounts
• Atlas Journey Premier – Highest premium, highest benefit amounts

 

Don't Need Trip Cancellation Coverage? Consider Cruise Travel Medical Insurance Instead

Maybe you've already purchased insurance through your cruise line that covers a last-minute cancellation, or maybe you're not interested in the trip cancellation coverage that comes with a cruise travel insurance policy.

 

You may still wish to purchase medical insurance in case you need a life-saving medical evacuation or have to seek treatment for an injury or illness abroad.

 

Cruise travel medical insurance policies can be budget-friendly. In fact, an Atlas Travel policy for the 30-year-old traveler to Belize mentioned in the earlier example could get $1,000,000 in maximum medical coverage and a $0 deductible for their five-day trip for less than $13*.

 

You'll also get many supplementary travel benefits similar to those included in a cruise travel insurance policy, such as Trip Interruption and Travel Delay.

 

Cruise travel medical insurance plans like Atlas Travel are available to both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens, though you must be traveling abroad. 

 

Learn more about Atlas Travel insurance here.

 

*Cost based on the Atlas Travel daily rate in March 2023 for a 30-year-old who is traveling outside the U.S. for 5 days with a $1,000,000 maximum and a $0 deductible.