What does cruise travel insurance cover?

Imagine onboarding on a gigantic ship with superb facilities that offer diverse activities and thrilling adventures. No matter the purpose, may it be to spend romantic moments with a partner or have quality time with family, a cruise is always a good idea.

Although cruise operators employ measures to safeguard your safety, it’s still highly recommended that you and your loved ones are protected by a cruise travel insurance. This warrants that if things do not go according to plan and you’re faced with various medical emergencies and accidents, you will be indemnified with the financial loss that you may incur.

The benefits of availing a cruise travel insurance is that it protects you anywhere you may be. Cruises often bring you to different cities and different countries, thus, it’s vital that the travel insurance product is geographically all-encompassing. As you enjoy the exquisite beauty of different islands of the Caribbean Sea, or Bahamas, visit Hawaii or Taiwan, you will be sure to be covered and indemnified upon unfortunate situations.

However, it’s important to be aware of what the insurance product covers. All cruise travel insurance products cover Emergency Medical Treatment and Repatriation. Imagine needing unexpected medical attention while cruising in the Pacific. Further, you may find yourself the need to be repatriated. Being uninsured will require you to pay the high cost of hospitalization, accommodation, and flights back to your home country.

The insurance product will also cover the hospital and ambulance cost, as well as your flight tickets going home. It will also pay for the accommodation expenses and transportation expenses of a relative or friend that will assist you during this challenging time. If this happens, the insurer will indemnify you to up to £5 Million.

As options for more comprehensive risk management, you can avail of the following covers with additional premium:

· Cancellation cover

This cover will indemnify you in case you’ll need to cancel your trip. For example, a few days before you head off the cruise, you were prohibited by your doctor to travel due to a certain medical condition and will need to cancel the trip. The insurance policy will then be required to indemnify you of the money you paid (or whatever amount is in the policy).

· Missed port departure

In the event that you missed the departure of your cruise ship because of an allowable disruption (vehicle breakdown, accident, transport strike, etc.), you will be indemnified by your insurer for a certain amount.

· Lost baggage

In case your baggage gets accidentally lost or stolen, this will cover you for a certain amount.

· Other covers

These can include cruise interruptions, unutilized pre-paid excursions, and changes in itinerary that resulted to loss.

Remember, it’s imperative to be conscious of the risks covered and not covered by the standard cruise travel insurance policy.

The beauty of cruise travel insurance is it’s more flexible when it comes to age limits — standard travel insurance only covers up to 65 years old but cruise travel insurance limit reached up to 84–85-year olds. Like other kinds of travel insurance, single-trip policy covers a trip up to 60 days, while multi-trip or annual polices also set a limit on the number of days covered per trip.

To be able to fully enjoy a cruise and sail with confidence, assess the risks that can occur and manage it through a cruise travel insurance policy.