Cruise travel insurance

Compare cheap travel insurance for cruise

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What does cruise travel insurance cover?

Booked a cruise? You need travel insurance to make sure your trip’s protected as soon as you’ve booked. A standard policy will cover lost and stolen belongings, trip cancellation, medical expenses and repatriation.

But there are extra levels of cover designed for cruise holidays including cabin confinement cover, airlifts to hospital, missed ports and unused excursions.

If you tell us you’re going on a cruise, we’ll only show you travel insurance quotes that contain cruise cover. Once you’ve found a travel policy that’s the right price, check the policy to see what you’re covered for on a cruise.

Senior gentleman leaning back in a wicker chair on a cruise

Cover for cruises

Cabin confinement cover

If you fall ill, the ship’s doctor or first aider might tell you to stay in your cabin until you’re healthy again. If your policy covers you, you’d receive a pay-out up to a set limit.

Airlifts to hospital

If you need emergency repatriation, you might need helicopter transport home or to the nearest medical facility to get treatment.

Missed ports

If your ship departs and you’re not onboard because you’ve broken down, been delayed because of a traffic accident, or held up by adverse weather, for example, you’d be covered for alternative travel and accommodation.

Unused excursions

If an illness or accident means you can’t attend a pre-booked excursion, your travel insurance would cover the costs of the activity (unless the accident was of your own making, for example, having too much to drink).

Going on a cruise with a pre-existing medical condition

Providers will cover you if you have a pre-existing medical condition, like high blood pressure or diabetes. If the insurer thinks you’re likely to seek medical attention on holiday because of your condition, your premium will be higher.

If you’re waiting to have an operation, or are half way through a treatment plan, the insurer might refuse to cover you for it.

It’s really important you’re honest about any existing medical conditions when you’re getting cruise insurance quotes. Don’t, and if your condition gets worse, you won’t be covered for it.

Get the right cover for your destination, for the right length of time

If you’re going on more than one cruise this year, or combining a cruise with a city break or a few weeks at the beach, annual multi-trip travel insurance sometimes works out better value for money than buying a single trip travel insurance policy for each break away.

Annual policies cover every trip you make throughout the year, just make sure it covers all your destinations - you can buy European travel insurance or worldwide travel insurance policies, depending on where you’re going.

Multi-trip policies usually have limits to how many days each individual trip can be. If you’re cruising for an extended period of time, look at long-stay travel insurance.

Hints and tips

Here are some things to look out for when searching for travel insurance for your cruise:

  1. Read policy documents carefully as they might include certain exclusions and conditions. For example, some providers won’t cover you if you miss the boat due to an excursion booked independently on-shore

  2. Cruises are a great opportunity to try out activities, but check they’re covered under your policy. More extreme sports require extra cover (age restrictions apply)

  3. Check all of the destinations you’re travelling to are covered under your policy. Some insurers will refuse to insure visits to regions with political unrest

  4. Check the daily amount limit for cabin confinement when comparing policies. Make sure you’d be satisfied with the amount of compensation you’d receive if you couldn’t leave your cabin

  5. If you’re going on a short one or two-day cruise as part of a land-based trip, compare standard travel insurance policies instead - but pick a policy that covers this activity

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