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When do you need trip insurance when taking a cruise? The simple and shortest answer is that you always need travel insurance, in my humble opinion. I wouldn’t dream of starting any type of vacation, land or sea, without purchasing the correct travel insurance to cover me for the duration of the trip.
If you become ill while on board the ship, then the only option is to head down to the ship's Medical Center and get checked out, but have you any idea how expensive that can sometimes be?
I have been there myself, twice, and each time I have left feeling like I was robbed – and my complaints weren’t even that serious. On one visit I had something in my eye. I was in the Medical Center for less than 20 minutes and my bill was over $350 – hopefully that puts into perspective the importance of having travel insurance. Should your complaint be serious, or if you had to have a medical evacuation arranged because the situation was literally life or death, then costs could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars — but it can all be covered for a small payment before you even step aboard.
I think sometimes people also forget the other things that travel insurance covers: theft of personal property, port cancellations, winter sports, damage to your valuables, loss of luggage, delayed flights and so much more. It really is worth taking out the extra little bits of cover – for a few extra dollars – just to have that peace of mind that you are 100% covered against as much as you possibly can be. I even take out cell phone and laptop coverage on my policy. I think the extra charge was around $40, but it means that if my phone were to be lost or damaged, or even spontaneously combust because of the heat, then I am covered for a replacement and I don’t have to worry about the cost.
My top tip when booking your travel insurance would always be to shop around. You have to also be sure that your insurance specifically covers cruises as some companies will simply quote you for a vacation to the part of the world that you have selected. Cruise coverage is usually an optional extra and this is probably going to be the most important part of your entire policy – so read it carefully. If your policy doesn't mention cruise coverage, then move on to another provider, you must have cruise-specific insurance.
When choosing a trip insurance plan, make sure to know that there are plans available from the cruise line as well as third-party companies that offer more extensive options that cover the costs of the cruise as well as costs associated with trip cancellation, delays, medical expenses, evacuations, loss or delays and 24/7 assistance if necessary. Some cruise insurance plans even offer cancel-for-any-reason coverage, which gives you the ultimate flexibility when your plans change.
Depending on the policy, travel insurance can also cover you for unexpected costs incurred before your trip, such as airline delays or unavoidable difficulties getting to the cruise port. Most travel insurance plans also include 24/7 assistance services to re‐book flights and hotels on your behalf and act as a personal travel assistant while you are away from home. As with all travel insurance plans, always carefully read each Description of Coverage (DOC) to learn the boundaries of your coverage before purchasing the plan.
Another tip is to tell the truth. There’s no point paying for insurance and then lying about any medical conditions you may have because this is going to make the policy null and void. OK, you might pay a little extra for some medical complaints, but trust me, it is better and more sensible to be honest about them from the beginning. If you suffer from a serious medical issue, then it might be best that you take insurance through a cruise-only insurance provider or a company that specifically covers people with serious medical conditions. There are also companies out there that only offer policies to those over a certain age; they are good to consider too if you are, let’s say, growing old gracefully.
We all want to purchase vacation insurance and then never have to use it, but it really is best to have it for those just-in-case moments. As I said, insurance covers so much more than just medical expenses and you should never, ever leave the country without it.
