September 2, 2019

Why You Should Buy Cruise Travel Insurance

Cruise travel insurance is designed to protect you and your vacation investment, should you have to cancel your travel plans due to a wide range of covered reasons.

Without a cruise insurance plan, missed and/or cancelled flights and missing bags can ruin your cruise vacation in an instant. If the cruise is postponed or cancelled due to bad weather, full cancellation cover of your cruise insurance policy can protect you financially.

You may be forced to pay thousands of dollars out of your pocket upfront for a medical emergency, i.e. medical treatment and medical transportation unless you have cruise travel insurance. So cruise travel insurance is there to protect you and your cruise vacation investment.

What Does a Good Cruise Travel Insurance Plan Cover?

Buying a good cruise insurance policy covers:

Cancellations due to a covered reason including sickness, death, and injury of you, a family member, domestic partner, or traveling companion
Travel delays due to inclement weather or natural disasters
The bankruptcy of a travel supplier; i.e. an airline, cruise line, etc. when the policy is purchased within 14 days of the initial deposit
Domestic and international terrorism
Existing medical conditions (subject to certain requirements being met)
Lost, stolen, or damaged baggage
Costs incurred due to any covered medical emergencies during your trip (e.g. on a cruise ship, a resort destination, etc.)
Expenses incurred if your travel is delayed
Emergency medical transportation to an adequate medical facility for covered illness and injury when necessary.

If you incur expenses or penalties for any of the covered reasons, your cruise travel insurance can reimburse you for covered costs.

Read More: 7 Excuses for Not Buying Travel Insurance

Trip Cancellations/Interruptions

You could protect yourself with a cruise travel insurance policy that allows you to cancel your trip for a wide range of covered reasons. It protects you financially in case of last-minute cancellations. Most cruise lines are reluctant to give refunds. Most companies give no refund at all if you cancel less than 14 days before sailing.

A good cruise travel insurance plan will offer refunds when you cancel your trip for a wide range of covered reasons.

These typically include sickness, injury or death of yourself, your traveling companion, or your immediate family member; missing your cruise because of inclement weather or natural disasters; being called into military active duty because of a natural disaster; and for other covered reasons. If your cruise or travel is cancelled by travel suppliers, e.g. cruise lines, you could recover the money you paid them.

Trip delay coverage can reimburse you for the cost for hotel stays, meals, and lost prepaid expenses if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours. Missed connection coverage of your cruise insurance plan can cover the cost of transportation to your cruise’s first port of call, where you can catch up with the ship.

Medical Emergencies

Medical emergencies can happen on cruise ships too. When you are on a cruise ship, you are hundreds of miles from the nearest medical facility center or hospital. You can become seriously ill due to a disease or an injury while onboard. If you have not taken cruise insurance policy, prepare to receive a hefty medical bill if you are treated on the ship. Your regular health insurance will not cover you. Medical evacuations are not uncommon, either.

Cruise insurance can take care of you and your investment by paying for expenses incurred by covered medical evacuation required to transport you from a ship to the nearest medical facility center. Without a cruise travel insurance plan, you may have to pay thousands of dollars out of your pocket upfront for medical treatment and medical transportation. That is why it is so important to protect your trip with cruise travel insurance.

Baggage Protection

photo credit: flickr/Nicole Hanusek

Baggage Protection of your cruise insurance policy provides you with reimbursement for lost, stolen, or damaged luggage during your trip. Baggage benefits or protection can reimburse you with the cash used to replace some of the missing items of your baggage while traveling.

In Summary

It is essential to buy cruise travel insurance for your next cruise vacation. Cruise travel insurance can cover the costs incurred by trip cancellations; lost, stolen or damaged baggage; missed flights; delayed flights during the trip; medical treatment and medical transportation while onboard; and more covered reasons, protecting your vacation investment. That is why it is so important to protect your trip with cruise travel insurance.