Should I Buy Cruise Insurance

Most Comprehensive Coverage: World Nomads

World Nomads

• Extensive coverage with high limits for medical and emergency evacuation

• Protects your bags, computers, and sports equipment when traveling

• Explorer plan covers adventure sports

• Most pre-existing conditions are not covered

• Not all policies cover adventure sports

World Nomads is a good insurer for those looking for adventure. The Australia-based provider is a solid choice for worldwide travel with few excluded activities. Policies are underwritten by various insurers including financially strong and well-known Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Generali Global, AIG, and Lloyds.

Coverage includes terrorist attacks, assault, medical repatriation, equipment and baggage, and overseas medical and dental. The high-end Explorer Plan covers activities including snow sports, water sports, aviation, motorsports, athletics, and high-adventure experiences. More than 200 activities are named and many are specifically excluded by other insurers.

For the Explorer Plan, a solo 35-year-old would pay around $200, depending on inputs like age and state of origin, for a month in Thailand, which is very reasonable for such extensive coverage. The lower-coverage Standard Plan costs around $100 for the same trip, but it makes sense to choose higher coverage levels if youre worried about something going wrong.

While it doesnt have the same insurance reputation as some other providers, it works with very reputable companies to underwrite policies and gets generally good reviews.

Royal Caribbean Travel Insurance

Royal Caribbean Travel Insurance will be offered to you when you buy your cruise. Take the time to compare travel insurance options in the wider travel insurance market in order to get best value for money and peace of mind. More importantly, make sure that you have sufficient critical cover in place in the event of a serious illness or accident. Do ensure that any pre-existing medical conditions are covered.

Safe travels.

Do You Have Any Dangerous Allergies That Could Flare Up On Vacation

A simple allergy wont likely cause problems during your vacation, but some allergies with rapid, severe reactions could require more extreme medical care if there is a problem. Those medical expenses may not be covered through standard health insurance, but extra cruise vacation insurance may help.

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Real World Travel Insurance Example

For comparisons sake, lets look at the cost of two different policies covering a 40-year-old passengers seven-night Caribbean cruise costing $589 per person.

For the example below, we compared Carnivals Vacation Protection policy with what our passenger would be offered via a price comparison search at TripInsurance.com.

While the Carnival Vacation Protection premium is the better bargain at $79, it also proves to be a case of you get what you pay for.

The coverage and benefit amounts almost across the board are substantially lower than whats offered by shopping travel insurance yourself.

The cruise lines policies will vary in regard to coverage for pre-existing health conditions.; Many of them have a 60 day look back period to determine if pre-existing health issues will be covered.

So if you have had any new diagnosis of a health issue, changes in diagnosis for an existing condition or any changes in medications or treatments for a condition, then a claim made on the policy can result in a denial if the reason is related to that health condition.

Should I Buy Cruise Insurance Complete Guide To Coverage

A step-by-step guide to cruise insurance, what it covers, and if you need it.

Note:;Cruzely.com nor the author is an insurance professional. Be sure to review any policy and ask your insurance company any questions you might have.

We are an affiliate of InsureMyTrip, linked below. We receive a small commission if you buy travel insurance through the links included in this article, at no cost to you.

Most people dont like to think about the bad things that can happen when you are on vacation. But the truth is that accidents, cancellations, theft and other mishaps can occur, even while youre on your dream trip. For example:

• You get sick after eating the local food, leading to two days in the hospital.
• You get pickpocketed in a crowded market, and the thief takes your passport.
• You miss a connecting flight, meaning you have to unexpectedly pay full price for a hotel room.

The list is endless of what could happen. But they all share one major theme. They can ruin your vacation and potentially cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. These mishaps can be compounded when you are on a cruise. With a cruise ships tight schedule, any delays could cause you to miss the boat. Of course, that means having to purchase lodging, transportation, meals, and more while you try to make arrangements to get back home or catch up with the ship.

To decide if its the right choice for you, weve researched all the ins and outs of cruise insurance to help you out.

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When You Don’t Need It

Consider your vacation an investment. Would you be OK losing that money? On a whole, if you’re spending a relatively small sum on your trip, insuring that investment is probably not worth it.

• Skip It: For U.S. travel

Traveling to Florida? Road-tripping around the American Southwest? You can probably skip any extra insurance. Travel within the U.S. is typically a less expensive investment and most people tend to plan only a few weeks in advance. ValuePenguin estimates the average domestic trip spans about four days and costs $576 per person.

Plus, if you have medical insurance, you’re typically covered for any emergencies that occur. As always, double check the fine print, but experts generally recommend opting out of trip insurance for short trips within the U.S.

• Skip It: If your card offers it

Check your wallet before buying any travel insurance, since some credit cards actually offer it as a perk. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card offers built-in trip interruption insurance that reimburses up to $10,000 per person if your trip is cancelled or cut short because of situations such as an illness or severe weather. The Citi Prestige and Citi ThankYou Premier cards also offer baggage and trip cancellation protection.

So even if you are traveling outside the U.S., if your credit card’s coverage is thorough, you won’t need to purchase anything extra.

• Skip It: For flights

• Skip It: Just for flexibility

I Got Drunk And Hurt Myself Will I Be Covered

Probably not! If you are doing something foolish , insurance companies will want to know if putting yourself at unnecessary risk led to the injury. If, after investigating, they find you did, they can;deny your claim. Thats not to say that they expect you to be sober your entire trip, but lets just say youre unlikely to get reimbursed if youre drunk and decide that it would be a good idea to stand in the middle of the road and play chicken.

So, dont;be foolish!;

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Cancel For Any Reason

As the phrase suggests, you can cancel your trip for any reason — a luxury normal insurance policies won’t allow. Most insurers require this policy add-on be purchased between 14 and 21 days following your final cruise payment.

Read the description of coverage to find out what percentage of your trip deposits are reimbursed under this type of “cancel for any reason” terminology. Most policies max out the coverage at 75 percent of the trip costs, but some cover as little as 50 percent.

These policies are more expensive but make sense in certain circumstances — say, a particularly costly itinerary or during a known event such as the world-wide coronavirus pandemic.

Carnival Vacation Protection Prices

You can buy Vacation Protection when you book your ticket, and its the best time to do so if you plan to purchase the plan as it gives you the longest stretch of coverage.

Prices vary depending on the price of your cruise fare, but we found a range from between $49 per person for the least expensive cruises, up to $189 per person for pricier trips. In general, expect the cost to run about 10-15% of your cruise fare, before taxes, fees, gratuities or other expenses. It can sometimes be more or less that this estimate.

If you do decide to purchase the package, it does come with a 10-day review period. If for any reason you change your mind about coverage, then you can cancel within 10 days for a full refund, assuming you havent made a claim.

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How Does Cruise Insurance Cover Covid

Coverages for COVID-19 related travel concerns vary by policy and provider, so travelers are encouraged to use our new COVID-19 recommendation tool. This tool is now part of the quote process and can be selected to help guide you to the plans best suited for these concerns.

Generally speaking, comprehensive coverage may apply in the following unforeseen scenarios:

• Emergency Medical Coverage
• Trip Interruption
• Cancel For Any Reason

Over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, many traditional travel insurance companies have expanded or adapted their existing coverage for travelers. In addition to the coverages above, examples of these may include:

• Reimbursement for covered medical treatment during a trip due to a COVID-19 illness
• Get sick with COVID-19 and must cancel a trip by physicians order
• Physician orders a quarantine before trip
• Lost a job during the coronavirus pandemic by no-fault of your own

For travelers concerned with cancellation, Cancel For Any Reason offers the most trip cancellation flexibility and is the only option available to cover fear of travel. CFAR is an optional, time-sensitive benefit with eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify. Full terms of coverage will be listed in state-specific policy. If eligibility requirements are met, reimbursement is up to 50%-75% of the insured pre-paid non-refundable trip cost.

When Is The Best Time To Get Travel Insurance

While you can get additional benefits at any point during the 15-day window, the best time to purchase your travel insurance is as soon as possible. For most of our plans, you actually start receiving coverage for trip cancellation the day after you purchase your travel insurance.

Say you make a deposit on an all-inclusive resort and you buy your travel insurance that same day. A week later you need to cancel because a family member is sick and requires you to take care of them. Because you booked your travel insurance early, you may be covered.

As youre deciding when to purchase your travel insurance, make sure you consider those pre-departure benefits that could come into play should you need to cancel your trip. Youre not traveling yet, but your Travel Guard travel insurance plan could still be hard at work for you.

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How We Chose The Travel Insurance Companies

To come up with this list of the top travel insurance providers, we looked at more than 30 different travel insurance companies and plans. Major areas of focus included coverage options, claim and policy limits, whats covered, and typical insurance policy costs.

The biggest focus was on insurance coverage limits and what each policy covers. Cost is important, but a difference of $20 for much better coverage is often negligible. The most important features examined in this review are the ones that make your policy valuable and easy to use if you ever need it.

Baggage Delay Insurance And Lost Luggage Reimbursement

If youre traveling on a common carrier and your luggage is lost or delayed, you may receive reimbursement through credit card baggage insurance. This may also be referred to as lost luggage reimbursement or baggage delay insurance.

• Lost luggage reimbursement covers damage or loss of your luggage by the carrier for you and immediate family members on the same trip.
• Baggage delay insurance covers select items you purchase, such as clothes or toiletries, when your baggage is delayed a certain amount of time.

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Where To Buy Cruise Travel Insurance

While cruise lines usually offer their own insurance policies, experts advise looking instead to an independent, third-party insurer. Travel insurance policies from independent insurers tend to be more comprehensive than those you might purchase through a cruise line, McDaniel says. Cruise line insurance is usually secondary coverage, meaning youll first need to file through any private insurance policies that you have before your travel insurance will kick in. This could mean needing to pay out-of-pocket to start.

Adds Page: The advantage of purchasing a comprehensive travel insurance policy through an insurance provider like Travel Guard is that the comprehensive plans may offer additional benefits, such as emergency medical evacuation, which may not be available under protection plans offered through cruise lines.

In addition, cruise line insurance can be more limited than you might expect. Travelers who purchase the cruise lines policy can only insure expenses purchased directly through that cruise line,” says Jenna Hummer, former director of public relations for Squaremouth. “Any outside airfare or expenses would be forfeited in the event of a cancellation.

You can pick up a policy from your travel agent directly through a reputed individual insurance provider , or via an insurance comparison site that lets you compare plans from various insurers .

Check With Your Airline Tour Operator Or Cruise Line Before You Buy

A lot of travel suppliers are taking into consideration, Kenoian says, so travelers need to contact them first, because you might not need to use travel insurance.

Generally, we know that people are scared, but they need to know that they do have options, Kenoian says. Were asking them to please call their travel suppliers if theyve already booked the trip to see what kinds of benefits they are being offered.

Clark.com Travel Editor Clara Bosonetto also recommends calling the issuer of the credit card on which you booked your travel to see if it offers any refund options.

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Disney Cruise Vacation Protection Plan

Disney has Disney cruise insurance coverages that you can purchase through Disney that are underwritten by Transamerica Casualty Insurance Company. When Can You Buy Disney Cruise Vacation Protection Plan?You can purchase online, over the phone through DCL, or via your travel agent any time before your final payment is made. How Much Does Disney Cruise Vacation Protection Cost?8% of the per person sailing fare. Minimum per person cost is $29; maximum per person cost is $399.

Is Cruise Insurance Necessary It Often Is Because Bad Things Can Happen When You Cruise

Obviously, if nothing happened to people when they cruise we wouldnt need cruise insurance.

However, cruise mishaps are surprisingly common. Think about storms delaying your arrival to your original departure port of call. Or a medical emergency while cruising. Or your luggage not making it on the cruise with you.

Countless medical emergencies, evacuations, cancellations, interruptions, and more befall cruisers every year.

It pays to be protected.

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Reasons To Buy Travel Insurance From A 3rd Party Company

There are several reasons to purchase your cruise travel insurance from an 3rd party travel insurance company, including:

Your trip insurance will extend beyond the cruise line and provide coverage from the time you leave home until the time you return.

Your trip insurance will extend to independent travel arrangements before, during, and after your cruise, including flights and hotels at either end, tours and excursions and more.

Your travel insurance can be much more complete and include coverage for trip cancellation, cancellations for work reasons, flight delays, financial default, bad weather, pre-existing medical conditions, medical evacuations, and more. See a complete explanation of travel insurance coverage.

You will be reimbursed in cash as opposed to future cruise line credit vouchers.

Purchasing through a state-licensed travel insurance agent means youll have real travel insurance backed by regulated underwriters.

Purchasing travel insurance for your next cruise is easy using a comparison engine;where you can compare benefits, prices, and features to meet your unique travel needs. You can also purchase your travel insurance directly from a travel insurance company. Start by visiting our travel insurance company reviews page for ratings and information.

Trip Cancellation Interruption And Delay

Trip cancellation coverage reimburses you for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if the tour operator goes out of business or you have to cancel the trip for one of the covered reasons outlined in the policy, such as:

• Your own illness.

Trip delay coverage reimburses you for expenses such as lodging and meals if youre delayed during a trip .

Many package policies cover all three.;These policies are different from the cancellation waivers that cruise lines and tour operators offer, the Insurance Information Institute says. Waivers are cheap, ranging from $40 to $60, and often include restrictions. For example, according to the institute, waivers might not refund your money if you cancel immediately before departure. Waivers are technically not insurance policies.

Some companies offer additional layers of coverage at extra cost. Cancel For Any Reason coverage will reimburse a large part of the trip cost, no matter why you back out. And some companies let you pay extra to cover pre-existing conditions if you cancel for medical reasons.

» Learn more: What you need to know about Chases trip delay insurance

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Iti Travel Lite Travel Insurance

One of our favorite low-cost travel insurance policies is the iTI Travel Lite plan. Here are the protection levels incorporated into the policy.

Time-Sensitive Benefits Cancel for Any Reason: 0% refund Cancel for Work Reason: 100% refund Preexisting Waiver: Yes Time Sensitive Period: 20 days Free Look Period: 10 days Preexisting Look Back: 60 days Regular Benefits Medical Cover: Primary Hospital of Choice: No Covered Cancellation: 100% refund Financial Default: Yes Medical Sickness: $100,000 Medical Evacuation: $250,000

This cheap travel insurance from iTI comes in at $60 for our two travelers. Yet, it has $100k of Travel Medical Health Insurance embedded into it. Remember that Norwegians Platinum Policy has $20k of cover, and costs over $300. Norwegians Standard Policy has $10k of cover. For Travel Medical Insurance, there really is no comparison Norwegians policies make no sense whatsoever. Lets take a look now at our final piece of critical cover medical evacuation insurance.