Should I Buy Cruise Insurance
If you want to have some peace of mind on your trip, then yes. However, the vast majority of cruise passengers will never use their insurance.
The problem is that for issues that do come up, the expenses can be large and unknown. For instance, there is no price list of having to be evacuated medically from a cruise ship. The cruise insurance offers valuable peace of mind.
If you do decide to purchase, we highly suggest that you shop around for prices and also read your plan carefully . And while every cruise line strongly recommends purchasing some sort of insurance for your cruise, we dont recommend purchasing insurance offered through them, as traditional plans offer better coverage for a similar price.
Unable To Travel Due To Lockdown Restrictions Or Is A Border You Want To Cross Closed You May Get A Refund
We’ve an overview of the different scenarios, and what your travel firm or airline should do for you in each:
If your flight or holiday is still running and you have travel insurance, it might cover you for overseas trips where it’s illegal for you to travel but only if your policy covers coronavirus cancellation. This will usually only be the case if you took out the insurance and booked the trip before mid-March 2020, but check. If the trip or hotel was booked later, travel insurance is very unlikely to help you.
The same goes for those who simply change their mind travel insurance won’t cover this scenario regardless of when you took out the policy or booked the trip. See more in I’ve bought travel insurance am I covered? below.
Do I Need Cruise Medical Travel Insurance Or Health Insurance While On A Cruise
Not all medical plans will cover you when you travel overseas. If you have a medical emergency when youre cruising, you could be faced with thousands of dollars of bills that you have to pay on the spot. Travel insurance can help pay hospital and doctor bills if you get sick or injured when youre onboard, and can cover the cost of the medical evacuation to transport you from ship to shore to an adequate medical facility.
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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 .
Can You Buy Cruise Insurance After Booking
You can buy cruise insurance after booking your trip, right up until just before departure. The downside to waiting is that you likely wont be able to cover pre-existing medical conditions, and youll lose the option to add cancel for any reason coverage.
Buying right after you book also lets you lock in trip cancellation coverage right away.
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What Is Not Covered With Travel Insurance
Though not an all-encompassing list, travel insurance policies rarely cover:
Bad Weather:Travel insurance is not a rain check. If you didnt get to participate in your shore excursion because it rained in port, your policy will not provide a refund.
Itinerary Changes:If your cruise line changes your itinerary for any reason and you miss a port or are taken to a different port, your travel insurance wont refund you anything.
Emergency Dental Care: Dental care is limited in many policies. Even if youve lost a tooth, are in extreme pain, or are otherwise in dire need of dental care, your travel insurance policy isnt likely to cover a lot of this bill.
In addition, if you purchase Travel Protection directly from your cruise line, you typically wont be covered if your cruise line financially defaults, goes out of business, or otherwise ceases operations. Most third-party travel insurance policies include this type of coverage.
What Does Travel Insurance On Your Cruise Cover
One misconception about travel insurance is that it’s only necessary for travelers in ill health, those who pack valuable items in their suitcases or those who plan wildly expensive trips. It’s important to recognize that travel insurance policies can bail us out of a multitude of quagmires. For example:
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Should You Take Your Ehic Or Ghic On A Cruise
Ehic and Ghics are free medical card, which can be used throughout the EU . Both entitles you to treatment in state hospitals at the same price as residents of the country you’re visiting.
If you have an Ehic already, it will still be valid until it reaches its expiry date. But now that the UK has left the EU the Ehic has been replaced by the Ghic, which is almost identical but isn’t valid in any non-EU countries.
It’s advisable that you take your Ehic or Ghic with you if your itinerary includes stops in any EU countries, as it could allow you to access state healthcare.
Medical facilities onboard a cruise are usually operated by private, non-state funded, healthcare companies. As a result, your Ehic or Ghic is unlikely to be accepted as a way of getting medical treatment.
You can find out more about how this work in our guide to the Ehic and Ghic.
Will My Travel Insurer Cover Me If I Move My Holiday
If you are one of the many who had to postpone your holiday and rearrange it, you might find that you can still use your current travel insurance policy. To move the insurance dates, or extend your annual travel insurance policy, you will need get in touch with your insurer. But in short:
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What If I Have A Pre
A pre-existing medical condition is a short or long term illness or injury you have or have had before you buy travel insurance. This includes having symptoms, tests, diagnosis or medical treatment for a condition.
You can declare your pre-existing medical conditions during the quote process to see if we can offer cover. If youre unsure what needs to be declared or if you’re unable to find your condition on the medical conditions list, please contact us on
Your pre-existing medical conditions wont be covered unless youve:
- Received written confirmation that well cover your medical condition
- Paid any additional premium in full
Policy terms and conditions apply. Please note, if youve had a positive diagnosis of Covid-19 and been prescribed medication, received treatment, or had a consultation with a doctor or hospital specialist for any medical condition in the past two years, this needs to be declared on your policy.
If you dont tell us about your pre-existing medical conditions or give us incorrect information, your policy may be invalid, and we may refuse all or part of any claim you submit.
For a quote with us, click the green button above.
How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost For A Cruise
Most travel insurance policies will cost between 5 to 8 percent of your cruise fare. So, youd expect to pay up to $25 per person for a three- or four-night cruise, and well over $100 per person for a 14-night vacation.
Again, though, prices can vary widely and a pricier policy isnt necessarily better. Just as its not always a good idea to book your cruise solely based on price, buying the cheapest travel insurance policy doesnt necessarily make it the best deal. Its important to understand what youre buying and that the coverage meets your needs. Buying the perfect travel insurance policy for you is well worth the additional cost.
Comparison websites like TripInsurance.com allow you to easily compare policies from a number of different insurers and see your costs upfront for easy shopping.
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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 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 fro $36 – $69*.
In this scenario, you would have the option of choosing from the following three plans:
- Atlas Journey Economy $36
- Atlas Journey Preferred $44
- Atlas Journey Premier $69
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 April 2021.
If My Flight Or Holiday Is Cancelled Can I Get A Refund
As restrictions ease, many will be considering booking a holiday in the UK or abroad. But with millions of trips cancelled as a result of the pandemic and ongoing uncertainty about the future, you may be concerned about what happens if you can’t go.
Fear not. Whether you’re looking at booking a new trip or trying to get a refund for a cancelled one, we’ve a round-up of your rights below.
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Unforeseen Events That Travel Insurance Does Not Cover
While travel insurance specifically excludes losses caused by reasonably foreseeable events, that doesn’t mean every unforeseen event is covered, either. When you purchase travel insurance from Allianz Global Assistance, your plan names specific covered reasons for trip cancellation or trip interruption. Reasons that aren’t named aren’t covered. Also, like other travel insurance plans, your Allianz Global Assistance plan excludes losses caused by things like:
- War , acts of war, military duty
- Civil disorder or unrest
- Participation in or training for any professional or amateur sporting competition
- Participating in extreme, high-risk sports
- Flying or learning to fly an aircraft as pilot or crew
- Nuclear reaction, radiation or radioactive contamination
- Natural disasters
- Air, water or other pollution or threat of pollutant release
- Terrorist events
- Government prohibition or regulations
- Epidemic
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To learn more about your policy’s covered reasons, we advise simply reading your plan documents.
Have questions? No problem. Call us at 1-866-884-3556, and our travel insurance experts will walk you through the policy documents and explain your benefits. If youre not satisfied with the coverage, you have 15 days to request a refund, provided you haven’t started your trip or initiated a claim. After this review period, your premium is nonrefundable.
Tips For Buying The Best Cruise Insurance
Whether its your first cruise or one of many, having the right travel insurance is important. The highest numbers of claims from cruise passengers come under trip cancellation, travel medical expenses and trip interruption coverage, according to Jason Schreier, CEO of April Travel Protection.
Here are good starting points for coverage youll likely want in a cruise insurance plan:
Trip cancellation insurance: This reimburses you 100% for the pre-paid and non-refundable deposits you lose if you have to cancel for a reason covered by the policy.
Trip interruption coverage: This will reimburse you a percentage of the unused trip costs, such as 100%, 150% or 200%, if your trip is cut short because of illness, injury, death or other reasons.
Emergency medical expenses: This pays for medical expenses associated with injuries and illness you get while on the trip. The top travel insurance plans have $500,000 in travel medical insurance, but you might find $100,000 to be sufficient for a cruise. If youre a senior, good travel medical coverage is crucial.
U.S. health plans generally have very limited or no coverage outside the country. And Medicare doesnt cover medical care outside the U.S., with only very narrow exceptions.
Emergency medical evacuation coverage: This covers the costs to get you to the nearest adequate medical facility or even back home if its medically required.
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Be Wary Of Cruise Line Coverage
Cruise lines often ask consumers booking a cruise to buy the lines own protection at the time of purchase. But if specifics about the coverage are lacking, always ask the line for details in advance, review coverage perks and limits and then compare those to one or two independent travel insurance policies, or your credit cards insurance benefits.
Cruise line travel insurance policies sometimes have quirks. Many cruise companies will only offer a travel voucher or credit for future use in the event of a covered cancellation, not an outright refund.
Also, financial default may not be a covered event in a cruise line-sold policy. But its typically covered with plans from third-party travel insurance companies.
Cruise line policies also can be more restrictive.
Cruise line insurance seems to have become better and has more widespread coverage than in the past, but it typically wont cover air or pre- and post-travel unless those elements are purchased through , said Debra Kerper, a Cruise Planners travel adviser from Carrollton, Texas, who books travel and sells private insurance. This is when private insurance coverage becomes so very important.
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If My Flight Or Holiday Goes Ahead But I Don’t Want To Travel Or Can’t What Are My Rights
NB: Here we’re only talking about trips, either overseas or within the UK, which AREN’T cancelled by the firm you booked with. If your trip is cancelled, see above for full help on how to get a refund.
Important. Check refund policies and DON’T automatically rush to cancel your trip yourself
The table below goes through different airline, tour operator etc refund policies. If you can’t go and you can get a refund, then simply claim that money back and you’re done.
But if you’re not certain to get a refund, and your trip has NOT been cancelled by the firm you booked with, don’t make a rash decision and automatically cancel the trip yourself. That’s because if it later cancels it you’re due a refund, so it’s a bit of cat and mouse.
However, don’t leave it too late and miss out on a voucher or the ability to change the ticket, as there are often deadlines to invoke these policies. Even if there’s a fee, that’s better than losing all your money.
Remember, though if you booked a cancellable hotel, or your airline lets you cancel for no charge, then you can cancel at will.
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When And How To Purchase
As with any type of travel insurance, it is best to purchase a policy around the same time that you book your cruise. That way, your accommodations and your cruise insurance plan are in place and you can prepare confidently for the cruise.
Stipulations can change depending on the policy, but travelers can sometimes purchase a policy up until the day before cruise departure.
When it comes to the process of purchasing the policy, it’s always advisable to compare the different options available, including the different types of coverage that policies include.
Does Cruise Travel Insurance Cover Covid
Most new cruise travel insurance policies offer some kind of coronavirus cover. Depending on the policy, the cover may be limited to only cover your medical expenses abroad if you catch the virus. Some policies also cover you for cancellation for coronavirus-related circumstances.
You can find more about coronavirus and travel insurance in this video from Emma Cruises:
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Cruise Insurance Medical Coverage Vs Your Regular Health Insurance Plan
Travelers often have health insurance back home, so purchasing cruise insurance with medical benefits may seem like a waste of money. However, many health insurance policies don’t cover non-emergency procedures or may treat claims as “out of network.”For example, Aetna covers emergency treatments 24/7 anywhere in the world, but nonemergency conditions may not be covered. Out-of-network claims generally mean that you’ll be paying more out of pocket.
Even if your insurance will cover you internationally or aboard a cruise, the doctor or hospital treating you may not accept it. They could even demand payment upfront before beginning treatment.
Cruise ships are required to have a doctor and hospital facility on board in the event someone is injured or becomes ill. However, these infirmaries are typically designed to stabilize patients and make them as comfortable as possible until the ship reaches its final destination or the nearest port of call.
Depending on your condition, you may need to depart the cruise to continue treatment at a local hospital, or be medically evacuated back home. Medical evacuations are very costly and without insurance that covers them, a cruise-goer would have to pay for those bills out of pocket.
Purchasing a cruise insurance policy gives travelers peace of mind and reduced financial risk in case they become ill or injured during their vacation.