Should I Buy Cruise Insurance? Complete Guide to Coverage

Table Of Content

• When Can I Buy BookSafe?
• Essential Guide to Norwegian Cruise Health Insurance: Benefits and Coverage Explained
• How to Find the Best Travel Insurance
• Safety Aboard our Ships
• What Happens If I Have To Cancel My Trip?

Standard will provide a credit of 75% of your funds if you cancel your cruise with Norwegian. A sensible alternative to Norwegian’s Cancel for Any Reason coverage would be the Cancel for Any Reason protection that is embedded into many Comprehensive Travel Insurance policies. Please note the plan provides other reasons for cancellation/interruption coverage, so please review the BookSafe Travel Protection Plan for details. The BookSafe plan cost may be paid at any time from deposit up to and including final payment; however, trip cancellation coverage takes effect only upon payment of your Travel Protection cost.

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When Can I Buy BookSafe?

But perhaps most importantly, many travel insurance policies will cover medical expenses you incur while on a cruise. Some will even cover the cost of evacuating from a foreign destination if you are in the midst of a medical crisis. Cruise-line insurance usually offers secondary coverage (see below) and is more limited than similarly priced coverage you can buy on your own.

Essential Guide to Norwegian Cruise Health Insurance: Benefits and Coverage Explained

Many cruise travel insurance policies will also offer an addendum for rental car coverage. Obviously most cruise passengers won’t opt for this coverage since it’s rare to rent a car given that you are in port only for a day at a time. Extreme weather and hurricanes are typically not covered if the cruise commences as scheduled, though you might be eligible for trip interruption coverage if weather cancels the cruise or cuts the itinerary short. There are also insurance plans that offer trip reimbursement if a destination on your itinerary is under a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-issued hurricane alert or warning. Indeed, you will see this $100k figure in almost every comprehensive travel insurance available in the wider US market. The only time we are comfortable with less than $100k of travel medical insurance coverage is if the traveler has alternative insurance in place that the travel insurance can supplement.

How to Find the Best Travel Insurance

Because a cruise is a significant investment, most cruise lines offer some form of insurance to protect their passengers from financial loss in the event of an emergency. Details and prices vary from cruise line to cruise line, as do coverage limits and exclusions. A Berkshire Hathaway WaveCare cruise-specific plan was $202, quite a bit more than average, but with the most medical evacuation coverage. Only a few travel insurance companies currently offer “interruption for any reason” coverage, such as Nationwide, Seven Corners, Travel Insured International and WorldTrips. Medical evacuation travel insurance covers the costs to get you to the nearest adequate medical facility or even back home if it’s medically required. Your travel insurer’s emergency assistance team can also help arrange for the medevac.

You’re our first priority.Every time.

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Cruising is a great way to explore multiple destinations in one trip. The tandem approach — buying both travel insurance and a separate medevac transport membership — is a good option, Hallman said. Cruise disablement coverage pays a benefit if the traveler is confined on a ship for more than five hours without power, food, water or restrooms.

Not all travel insurance policies provide top-notch coverage for cruises, so we evaluated 37 travel insurance policies with missed connection coverage to find the best cruise insurance. We scored policies based on cost, trip cancellation, trip interruption and medical expense benefits. One of the key benefits of Norwegian Cruise health insurance is the coverage it provides for medical expenses. While onboard medical facilities are available on Norwegian Cruise ships, they are not free of charge. In case of illness or injury, having health insurance can alleviate the burden of hefty medical bills. Norwegian Cruise health insurance plans typically cover doctor visits, hospital stays, prescription medications, and medical treatments.

Travel Medical Evacuation Insurance

Here's what you need to know about each type of cruise travel insurance. In such cases, if your cruise line goes out of business before you sail, you could get all — or at least some — of your money back. In all of these situations, you might benefit from having cruise travel insurance — keyword "might." By referring to this guide, you will gain valuable insights into Norwegian Cruise Health Insurance, allowing you to make informed decisions when selecting the right coverage for your needs. Whether you are a first-time cruiser or a seasoned traveler, this guide will serve as a valuable resource to ensure you have the necessary protection for a worry-free cruise experience.

Safety Aboard our Ships

Still, there are adventure travel policies and optional upgrades that will cover injuries due to activities such as mountain climbing, parasailing, skydiving and hot air ballooning. For example, you could make a “cancel for any reason” claim if you’re worried about being seasick—a reason not covered by standard trip cancellation insurance. Buy this coverage shortly after you make your first trip deposit or the purchase window for it will close. Whether it’s your first voyage or you’re a cruise veteran, having the right travel insurance is important.

Incidents related to terrorism and labor strikes may be included in insurance policies. It's always advisable to carefully check your policy's description of coverage to determine how these events are covered. We examined cruise insurance prices for a seven-day trip in February 2023 from the U.S. to Mexico. The example traveler was 35 years old, from Georgia, and planned to spend $2,500 on the trip, including airfare.

If you do wait, you may not be eligible for many important benefits, such as the waiver of the pre-existing conditions clause. Air ambulance companies that offer these policies will each have specific requirements for evacuations when the insured patient has COVID-19. This means you can't embark on a cruise with the intention of having dental work or minor surgery in a port of call followed by recovery on board the ship. Not only will your policy not cover the treatments, it also will not pay for delays, evacuations, or related medical expenses. Two months before embarkation, your travel partner loses his job and can no longer afford to go on vacation.

Before buying this coverage, compare your options against your credit card benefits. You might also shop for general travel insurance policies to see if you can get a better deal than what’s offered through your cruise line. Trip Cancellation – The most basic coverage with cruise insurance, trip cancellation protection allows you to get your money back that you’ve paid for your trip if you cancel for specific, predetermined reasons. This coverage doesn’t allow you to get repaid if you just decide to cancel because you don’t want to go (though there are policies that can do that). All of these contingencies and more can be covered; it's just a matter of finding the best insurance policy for you. Here's how to evaluate which plan is the right choice for you, as well as five of the best cruise travel insurance plans available.

Remember, too, that you can't purchase travel insurance and expect it to cover events that are already in motion. For example, you book a Caribbean cruise that departs during hurricane season but procrastinate on purchasing travel insurance. Once your local weatherman announces that a hurricane is howling along the path of your cruise itinerary, it's too late for you to buy travel insurance and be covered for any travel cancellations or delays caused by the storm. You'd only be covered if you had purchased the insurance prior to the naming of the tropical storm. This insurance provides extra death and/or dismemberment coverage, but only in the case of an aircraft accident. The insured can select coverage in a variety of dollar amounts; half a million dollars in coverage can cost less than $50 per traveler.

Without insurance, you may be left holding the bag to either pay an additional single supplement to continue with your plans, or to cancel and get hit with the full force of the cruise line's cancellation policy. Cruise travel insurance is add-on insurance coverage that — just like travel insurance — will reimburse you for delays, interruptions, medical situations or other problems during the cruise. But what happens if something goes wrong with your ship, or you can’t make it onboard because of health concerns? Again, for cruise travel insurance, we suggest looking at a site like InsureMyTrip.com. This site searches many companies at once to find the right insurance for you and your trip and bring you all your choices.

Essential Guide to Norwegian Cruise Health Insurance: Benefits and Coverage Explained

Table Of Content

• Getting evacuated for a medical condition is expensive
• Best Cruise Insurance Plans Of April 2024
• It's Finally Time to BREAK FREE

Bookmark these resources to help you make smart money moves as you shop for cruise travel insurance. Travel Guard by AIG offers a basic Essential plan for $133, just a little higher than average, but adding coverage may raise that price. Review your policy to be sure the plan you’re buying will cover your adventurous fun. If it doesn’t, ask about an adventure sports add-on, or consider a company such as World Nomads that caters to the adventurous traveler. Trip cancellation insurance 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.

Getting evacuated for a medical condition is expensive

It is important to note that regardless of mandates for proof of a negative COVID-19 test, the cost of the tests themselves are not covered by travel insurance. Only tests ordered by a physician to diagnose and thus treat COVID-19 would be covered, provided your policy covers illness from coronavirus. Lost/Stolen Luggage – Most of the time lost or stolen luggage isn’t so much about the money as the pain of having to replace everything. Even so, cruise insurance should provide some reimbursement expense for your loss, taking some of the sting out of losing your bags. Understand that most times this coverage has special limits for things like laptops or electronics that may not fully replace the lost item. The policy also offers detailed, robust COVID-19 coverage, including reimbursement for medical care if you contract COVID-19 while traveling.

Best Cruise Insurance Plans Of April 2024

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For insured guests who upgrade to BookSafe Platinum Travel Protection, emergency medical transportation coverage is increased to $50,000. If your home is made uninhabitable due to fire, flood, volcano, earthquake, hurricane or other natural disaster, the plan provides Trip Cancellation/Interruption coverage should you need to cancel or interrupt your trip. If “acts of God” such as inclement weather occur and you are delayed in starting your trip, the plan reimburses up to $500 under Trip Delay for additional meals, lodging and transportation expenses to catch up to your cruise. You don’t need a travel insurance plan that’s specifically for cruises.

It's Finally Time to BREAK FREE

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What to do if you get left behind during a cruise stop.

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Look for the following coverage options and compare coverage amounts to determine which third-party plan is the best cruise insurance option for your upcoming trip. You'll often find more affordable rates, comprehensive coverage and favorable terms utilizing third-party insurance companies. You'll have a wide choice of plans, so you can pick the one that works the best for your situation. It’s relatively simple to get alternative travel insurance options for your Norwegian Cruise. At Cruise Insurance 101, give us your travel details, and we share them anonymously with our Travel Insurance Carriers.

NCL Cancellation Protection – Work

Even a low-cost weekend getaway on a cruise to the Bahamas out of Miami can turn costly if you suffer a serious accident or illness requiring medical treatment or an emergency medical evacuation. When it comes to buying travel insurance, don't worry if you've paid for your cruise but haven't yet purchased your airline tickets. You can estimate the airfare cost when buying your travel insurance and then give your provider your exact travel itinerary once those tickets are booked. Likewise, if you're arranging your plane tickets first, buy your travel insurance within two weeks of that purchase, and enter your full cruise fare, even if you have not purchased it or have only paid the deposit. If your plans include the rental of a vehicle, car-rental collision coverage can be useful. One caveat is most policies will only cover cars, not trucks or even vans, so be sure to read the fine print or call your insurance provider for clarification before you reserve your rental vehicle.

TravelSafe Insurance

You will get a credit to be used for future cruises, which is a pretty good substitute. Please note, the BookSafe and Essentials travel protection plans are only available to residents of the 50 United States. Should you need to file a claim and you have purchased BookSafe, contact Aon for a claim form. Aon will advise of the documentation required along with your completed claim form.

Travel Insurance Resources

This addendum allows you to cancel your trip and receive reimbursement, no matter why. Some policies allow you to add coverage to your insurance that allow more flexibility and benefits. Also, it’s important to understand that your benefits are less any refunds you might receive otherwise. So if your cruise is cancelled and the cruise line refunds your fare, you won’t be able to claim the cruise fare as a loss. We receive a small commission if you buy travel insurance through the links included in this article, at no cost to you. TravelSafe's Classic Plan is the best value all-around for the average cruiser, with superior coverage limits at a fair rate.

You might not be covered by regular medical insurance while cruising

This is one of the advantages to buying travel insurance shortly after you book your trip. Without the waiver, medical expenses related to pre-existing conditions that flare up during your trip won’t be covered. These events happen rarely, which is why travel insurance policies include basic trip cancellation coverage for little cost.

Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance

Not all policies offer pre-existing coverage, but among those that do, each insurer dictates its own coverage window. The deadline is usually 10 to 15 days after making that final payment -- or after booking your airfare, if you do that first. As the phrase suggests, you can cancel your trip for any reason (such as concern over traveling to a particular area due to political unrest or disease outbreaks) -- 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. AIG offers policies with an option to name your own family member whose illness would count as a reason for cancelling a trip.

No, we do not currently have any restrictions or limitations for guests with pre-existing health conditions. All guests should assess their individual risk level and consult with their doctor if needed prior to sailing. Local regulations may have booster requirements to enter certain countries – make sure to check Travel Requirements by Country to understand country specific requirements. With Sail Safe, our industry leading Health & Safety Program, we will continue to put our guests and our crew members first by keeping everyone safe and healthy on board our ships and in the communities we visit. Here’s a closer look at our five recommendations for cruise insurance and what makes them unique.

"Adding bells and whistles, like 'cancel for any reason' [coverage], rates can rise to 11% to 12% of the cost of your trip." As we get towards the check-out page, we are encouraged to buy Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance. We are offered not one, but two cruise travel insurance options – ‘Platinum’ and ‘Standard’. BookSafe reimburses up to $20,000 in medical expenses for an illness or injury that occurs during your trip. Benefits are provided for up to one year from the date of your illness, injury and are secondary to any primary and/or supplemental medical insurance you may have.

All reputable insurance companies will offer a "free-look period" during which you can receive a 100% refund on your premium. This allows you to review the policy you've selected and return it for any reason within the period allotted — usually for a small administration fee of less than $10. Travel insurance giant Allianz Global Assistance reports that 53% of all cruise-related "billing reasons" for claims are because of illness for the insured person, while 14% are for an injury. Another 8% are for the illness of a family member, 4% for the death of a family member and 4% for the illness of a traveling companion, among other reasons. You might need to cancel a cruise in advance due to the sudden onset of an illness, such as COVID-19 or the flu.

Read the fine print to find out the deadline to purchase and the specifics of its coverage. Emergency Medical – If you’re worried about getting sick or injured while on your cruise, then know that most plans offer emergency medical coverage. Trip Interruption – Similar to trip cancellation, this coverage pays you for an interruption for specific reasons like the ones mentioned above after your trip has already started or when travel is delayed.

Cruise insurance is worth considering if you can’t afford to lose the money you paid in advance for nonrefundable trip costs if you have to cancel your cruise. Whether you buy travel insurance is a personal decision that will depend on many factors. Would you be willing to absorb the loss of canceling a cruise on short notice due to an illness or accident? Could you afford an evacuation flight from a far-off port if you suddenly became seriously ill? You can receive a quote and purchase a policy online in minutes with any credit card. Although you may think travel insurance should code as "travel" when paid on a credit card and thus be eligible for bonus points on certain cards, that isn't always the case.

It also has very good trip interruption and hurricane and weather coverage at a competitive price. Nationwide’s Cruise Luxury plan provides an array of extensive benefits at a decent price, including superior missed connection coverage and emergency and non-medical evacuation benefits. Under normal circumstances, you don't need to purchase a so-called "cancel for any reason" add-on to your cruise travel insurance policy unless you really need the flexibility. Also, financial default may not be a covered event in a cruise line-sold policy, but it's typically covered with plans from third-party travel insurance companies. If you want to be covered for pre-existing medical conditions, you should buy insurance at the time you make your final cruise payment.

An illness, an accident or an unexpected situation can arise before or during any type of vacation. Such an event might cause you to cut short your cruise or cause your trip to be canceled altogether. Unfortunately, most cruise lines impose penalties for canceling a cruise, up to and including loss of the entire cruise price. We have also enhanced our onboard medical capabilities with additional staffing and enhanced facilities.