Travel World Network

Cruises have become a favourite option for those on holiday, with over one million cruises being booked per year. As cruise holidays continue to gain popularity, many brokers are offering travellers cruise insurance to help them stay protected whilst travelling. Whether you are planning a cruise for yourself and a spouse or you are bringing the entire family, it is important to explore your cruise insurance options before finalizing your plans for the trip. Here are a few of our tips regarding travel insurance for cruise and land.

Make Sure Cruises Are Covered in Your Policy

Many travel insurance policies do not provide coverage for cruise holidays, so it is best to speak with a broker before purchasing insurance. If you currently have an annual travel insurance policy, read the details to find out if cruises are covered. If they are not, consider asking your broker to add cruise insurance to your travel policy.

Make Sure All Important Points Are Covered

Here is a checklist of some of the most important things we think cruise insurance should provide coverage for.

Cancellation: If you need to cancel the trip, you should be able to reclaim lost holiday-related expenses.

Delays: If there are unfavourable weather conditions or the cruise is delayed for some other reason, you should be able to reclaim expenses for the day you missed.

Shore Excursions: It is very important that your cruise insurance policy covers you both on the ship and on land. Make sure you find out if there are any excursions that are excluded from your policy, such as water or winter sports activities. You may need to purchase extra coverage for these activities, but it is worth it if you think you may partake in any type of extreme or adventurous activity.

Medical Expenses: The policy should provide coverage for medical expenses and travel fees that you incur due to illness or injury.

Luggage: Some policies will not cover personal items that are lost or stolen if they were in your possession. Yet, if your luggage becomes lost or stolen during travel, you should have coverage for this.

Additional Tips for Cruise and Land Insurance

Here are a few additional tips for purchasing cruise and land insurance.

Keep Detail Records: Make sure to save all of your receipts if you needed to purchase new items due to your luggage being lost or if you incurred medical expenses due to illness or injury. Make detailed notes of each purchase or expense.

File Claims on Time: If you need to file a claim, make sure you do so within the timeframe that you are allowed. You should report all claims immediately; otherwise they may not be covered.

Report Pre-existing Conditions: You need to speak with your broker about any pre-existing medical conditions you have before purchasing insurance. If you are pregnant, you may not be eligible to be covered. If you have certain medical conditions, the insurance company may require a paper from your doctor before you can travel.

While cruise and land insurance may not provide coverage in all situations, such as if you have a pre-existing condition, it is highly important that you are protected in the event that something unexpected happens. We recommend finding a policy that is right for you and will provide you with the coverage you need to be protected during your cruise holiday.