Cruise Insurance: The Ultimate Guide

Oh Buoy! It’s easy to sea why more and more Australians are choosing cruising holidays every year. Having cruise insurance can protect your possessions on board; provide cancellation cover if the weather or port authorities cause you to miss a pre-paid tour; and offer 24/7 emergency medical assistance, covering medical costs should you or your travel companion become sick or injured and even protecting your formal wear for those big cruise events if it gets damaged or stolen.

But do I have to include every destination on my insurance? What if I'm cruising in Australian waters, or on a river? And what does cruising cover? There's so much to consider - but don't worry, we know a thing or two about cruising…

Why do I need Cruise Insurance?

Cruising is an international trip and it’s always prudent to be covered when you’re away from home, but cruises have a few extra risks that make this insurance even more important. You’ll be passing through multiple countries, so also keep in mind some of these may require insurance as a condition of entry. Some things though, even insurance can’t protect against, so, what are the top 5 things that go wrong on cruises?

• Seasickness: don’t let your cruise be ruined by constant nausea, do your research before you go and have some seasickness remedies at the ready!
• Sunburn: the UV levels on the open water can be extreme and extremely damaging, so be sure to protect yourself! Use a high SPF broad-spectrum sun cream and reapply it regularly every day, and don’t be afraid to take a break indoors if the heat is getting too much.
• Dehydration: it can be tempting to take advantage of the free tipples available on many cruise ships but ensure you’re drinking plenty of water too! You’ll possibly be sailing and docking in hot conditions so keep a water bottle on you and refill it as you go!
• Norovirus this is basically a stomach virus, caused by contaminated food in a lot of cases, but it tends to run rampant on poorly run cruise lines. Be sure to check out reviews before you book and avoid any providers with a reputation for illness on board.
• Falling trips and falls can happen easily on dry land, so its fair that they would be a bit more prevalent on board a moving ship. Just always remember your insurance will not cover your expenses if you were intoxicated at the time of the incident!

Is Cruising Automatically Covered?

Depending upon your insurer, you will likely have to select Cruise Cover as an add-on to your travel insurance policy. Some insurers automatically cover cruising, provided you have selected an international policy, so be sure to check if you need to purchase or not. When getting a quote with us simply select the cruise button and it will be automatically included in the price you see.

What If I'm Cruising In Domestic Waters?

Did you know that once your ship leaves port, even if you're cruising Australian waters, you’re no longer covered for hospital or medical expenses by Medicare or your usual private health care provider. So to make sure you’re covered on an Australian cruise select ‘Pacific’ as your destination.

What If I'm Going On A River Cruise?

River cruising is a popular tour option in many regions, including Europe and China. Each insurer has different rules about whether you need cruise insurance when cruising on a river, or if you're only cruising for a couple of days. We've compiled their rules in our river cruise insurance table.

Don’t Get Hit With Titanic Medical Expenses

Health care costs on board a ship (or outside of the country) are very expensive. Hospital bills can be as much as $5,000 per day. Treatments, consultations and medications on board a ship are charged at private rates. Don't base your insurance decision on the assumption of 'it won't happen to me'. The unexpected does happen and the right cruise travel insurance can provide you with peace of mind.

What's Covered With Cruise Insurance?

A cruise policy will cover you from ship to shore – giving you peace of mind should the worst happen. Remember, not all cruise insurance policies are created equal, so events covered by cruise insurance will vary but can include:

• Medical expenses: Cruise liners have doctors on board, but these are private professionals. If you get a bout of sea sickness (or worse) expect to get a very expensive bill afterwards for any treatment you might need if you haven’t got yourself covered.
• Medical evacuation: If your condition is too serious to be treated on board, you may need to be evacuated to the nearest city or hospital which could cost thousands, so make sure your policy has a high payout limit for this one.
• Delays: In the case that bad weather, strikes, or even civil unrest leads to a delay in your plans, a lot of plans cover the costs you incur due to this.
• Cancellations: Life happens. If your flight is cancelled due to bad weather and you miss your cruise, or you have a close family emergency and can’t make your boat the right insurance can give you peace of mind and make sure you’re not out of pocket.
• Family emergencies: If the worst happens while you’re cruising, like a relative becomes unexpectedly ill, injured or passes away some policies will cover the cost of you returning home early to be with your loved ones.
• Luggage and personal items: While we don’t recommend you bring your most prized possessions onto the open seas, a lot of insurers will cover your personal belongings, meaning if your favourite camera is stolen on the pool deck, you’re covered.
• Formal wear: Some cruises host stunning events which require you bring your glad rags and travel with pricey formal wear. If this clothing gets lost, damaged or stolen some policies will compensate you for your loss.
• Cabin confinement: We hope this doesn’t happen but if you fall ill on your cruise and end up stuck in your cabin for the duration, you’re covered, meaning you can consider a take 2 and try cruising again in the future.
• Missed departure: If you miss your boats departure due to some transport issues, weather conditions or a natural disaster, some policies will cover the costs of getting you to your next port so you can keep enjoying your trip.
• Missed port cover: Your cruise probably has a lot of ports planned, but if weather conditions or natural disaster means your cruise doesn’t dock at some of its planned stops some policies will pay you out a small sum per stop missed.

What’s Not Covered With Cruise Insurance?

Like all travel insurance policies, some things just aren’t covered. Most cruise policies won’t cover you for the following:

• Being a tad tipsy: We know the unlimited supply of alcohol and treats is hard to say no to, however if you’re under the influence of alcohol and drop your clutch bag overboard, or slip on the deck and hurt your back you might find your insurer is less sympathetic than usual.
• Lack of enjoyment: If your trip wasn’t as sunny as you’d hoped, travel insurance won’t cover you just because it rained and you didn’t have a good time.
• Risky business: Perhaps your cruise liner has a zip-line going across the desk, or a surf machine? Maybe one of your ports offers scuba diving or parasailing? Check with your insurer before you join in because some adventurous activities aren’t covered.
• Pre-existing medical conditions: normally conditions that exist before your holiday aren’t covered, but to be sure check your policy for a full list of what is and isn’t covered.
• Some cancellations: If the cruise company cancels your pre-booked trip then it’s their responsibility to book you on another one, or offer a refund. Travel insurance doesn’t offer compensation when you’re already due reimbursement from the cruise carrier.
• Cruise company collapse: Many insurers have general exclusions to do with travel company insolvency, so if you think your cruise company is a bit crafty, consider an insurance policy that covers insolvency.

Covid-19 and Cruise Insurance

We’ve already said medical expenses and cancellations are usually covered by cruise insurance, but what if Covid-19 is the reason you can’t make the trip? Due to the status of Covid-19 being a pandemic, a lot of insurers do not cover cancellations caused by this particular illness. Additionally your costs will not usually be covered if you must undertake a mandatory quarantine, or if you travel to a country with a ‘Do Not Travel’ warning from the Australian Government.

All of your medical expense coverage remains in place as normal if you require treatment for Covid-19 while abroad, so long as you have purchased the relevant cruise package, so you’ll still be in good hands if you fall ill.

Watch Out For Cruise Companies Cancellation Terms

It’s a good idea to check your cruise company’s cancellation policy and terms and conditions should the worst happen and your cruise is cancelled. Terms will vary across cruise providers and fare levels so be sure to look into your own booking.

For example P&O Cruises allow you to have a full refund if the cancellation is made 181 days or more from the departure date. If the cancellation is made:

• 180 – 76 days, then the deposit amount is charged
• 75 – 31 days, then 75% of the total fare is charged
• 30 – 15 days, then 90% of the total fare is charged
• 14 days or less, then 100% of the total fare is charged

The policies differ with Princess Cruises who will also allow you to have a full refund if you cancel 181 days or more before your departure. Following this the following tariffs are incurred; if the cancellation is made within:

• 90 - 180 days, the deposit amount is charged
• 43-89 days, 25% of the fare is charged
• 15-42 days, 50% of the fare is charged
• 14 days or less, 100% of the fare is charged

Living The Dream With Multiple Destinations

So, you’re going big and cruising to multiple different locations? Exciting, but you’ll need to make sure you select the right region based on your specific cruise destinations. This can vary by insurance provider but generally:

• Pacific: New Zealand, Bali, South West Pacific and Norfolk Island. (Also pick Pacific for Domestic cruises around Australia!)
• Asia: Asia (Excluding Russia and Japan)
• Europe: Europe, Russia and the United Kingdom
• Worldwide: All destinations (including, Japan, USA, Canada, Africa, and the Middle East)

Claiming On Your Cruise Travel Insurance

Before you raise the anchor, it’s vital to read your policy and the insurers product disclosure statement (PDS) to ensure you understand what is and isn’t covered with your particular policy. If there’s something you don’t understand you should contact your insurance company directly. Not all insurance companies handle claims in the same way, and some have better reputations than others for their claims processes. To see what the claims process is like across a variety of insurers, why not check out a few of the thousands of real customer travel insurance reviews on our website.

Not All Bargains Are Created Equal

Smart travellers will always spend time doing a cruise travel insurance comparison. Our site compares a platoon of reputable travel insurers with policies that cover you whilst on a cruise. Remember, cheapest doesn’t always mean best. Consider all factors like your destination, planned activities, age, health status and the length of your trip before jumping into a cruise insurance policy. And don't forget, comparing online with us will give you the same competitive price as buying direct – we just take out the legwork of shopping around.