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In addition, look for coverage if you get sick and need to isolate away from home. "Some plans offer additional trip delay coverage, put in place as a result of needing additional or higher limits for instances that might include if the policyholder gets quarantined in a location," Sandberg adds. Cruise insurance is worth it if you don’t want to risk losing the non-refundable money you invested in your trip if the unexpected happens. Cruise insurance can pay for you to rejoin the cruise if you can’t board on time because of an issue covered by the policy, such as severe weather. AIG’s Travel Guard Preferred plan provides solid benefits at a very low average price. Optional pet, wedding, security, baggage, medical, adventures sports and travel inconvenience upgrades allow you to customize a policy to fit your needs.
Can I cancel a cruise without insurance?
It’s important to note that financial default coverage is generally a time-sensitive benefit, so be sure to look into purchasing your travel insurance soon after you make your initial trip payment. It is important to read the details of the plan as some do restrict coverage for financial default of the travel supplier, tour operator, travel agency, organization or firm that you purchased the trip from. AXA Assistance USA offers three travel insurance plans, each with its own level of protection, with the Silver Plan being the most affordable of the options. Based on the sample above, the Silver Plan costs 2.83% of the total trip expenditures, which is much lower than the industry standard (usually between 4 to 10%). Keep in mind that your exact premium may be higher depending on your age and trip cost, among other factors. Nonetheless, you can expect your cruise insurance cost to be within the market average, if not lower.
Best Cruise Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
The policy's $750-maximum trip delay coverage begins after a six-hour delay and includes kennel fees for up to $100 per day, along with coverage for additional meal and accommodation expenses. Baggage loss insurance covers your luggage if it is lost, damaged or stolen during your trip. Review your policy to be sure the plan you’re buying will cover your adventurous fun.
Best for pre-existing conditions
Some vacationers must return to land by medical evacuation, whether by helicopter directly from the ship or by plane from a port. This service costs tens of thousands of dollars, and your regular health insurance generally won’t cover this. Due to an increase in demand for travel protection while at sea, many travel insurance providers offer plans specifically built for cruisers. Our insurance experts reviewed 40 aspects of 37 travel insurance plans to find the best cruise insurance. WorldTrips offers the best cruise travel insurance, according to our analysis. If you’re shopping for travel insurance for a cruise, use this guide to compare the cost and coverage of top-scoring plans.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Excursions?
Is travel insurance worth it? - CNBC
Is travel insurance worth it?.
Posted: Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
For travelers concerned with cancellation, Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) offers the most trip cancellation flexibility and is the only option available to cover fear of travel. CFAR is an optional, time-sensitive benefit with eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify. If eligibility requirements are met, reimbursement is up to 50%-75% of the insured pre-paid non-refundable trip cost. Locating this coverage in your average comprehensive plan will be difficult. This is a rare benefit that is defined as a part of emergency evacuation. Essentially, the travel insurance company will assist with making arrangements to get you off the cruise ship and to an onshore hospital if your condition warrants an evacuation.
The policy also offers detailed, robust COVID-19 coverage, including reimbursement for medical care if you contract COVID-19 while traveling. Its coverage also includes meals, local transportation and lodging if you're delayed six or more consecutive hours due to quarantining with COVID-19. A cancel-for-any-reason optional upgrade offers the most flexibility. You can get a refund of up to 75% if you cancel your voyage for reasons not usually covered by travel insurance.

The coverage will reimburse for the cost of transportation to the nearest medical facility or your home. TravelSafe provides optional add-ons, such as an extended personal protection package, additional death and dismemberment coverage and rental car damage. If you buy the Classic plan, you may also add CFAR, which gives you up to 75% protection if you cancel your cruise trip for any reason.
See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Catch up on CNBC Select’s in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date. A pre-existing conditions waiver applies when you purchase coverage within 15 days of the initial trip deposit.
Best for Preexisting Conditions: AIG Travel Guard
If unvaccinated passengers arrive and do not hold the required travel insurance policies, they will not be allowed to board and they will not get refunds for their cruise. Your travel insurance can cover any prepaid cruise expenses that are nonrefundable, including food and beverage packages and onboard entertainment. The cost of cruise insurance can vary greatly by company and plan, so it’s a good idea to compare plans before buying.

Often, cruise lines won’t offer any refunds if you cancel within a certain period before your cruise, such as 14 or 30 days. In our research, AXA's Silver Plan stood out as the top budget plan for its mix of affordable premiums and essential coverage. CNBC Select also named AXA one of the best overall travel insurance providers. Travel medical insurance can cover medical expenses you incur while on and off the ship. But if your excursions involve adventure activities or extreme sports, be aware that many travel policies exclude these from coverage. 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.
If your excursions are included in the cruise cost, you would simply insure the cruise trip cost. 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. You can buy cruise insurance from your cruise line, through a travel agent or from a travel insurance agent or company. Additionally, the Travel Guard Preferred plan includes benefits if (under certain conditions) you must start your trip earlier than planned—a feature not found in all policies. Travel Guard has other add-ons that are only available with the Preferred and Deluxe plans such as coverage for lodging expenses, trip exchange, security evacuation and trip saver. The Basic plan doesn’t include nonmedical evacuation, death and dismemberment coverage or coverage for itinerary changes.
The tandem approach — buying both travel insurance and a separate medevac transport membership — is a good option, Hallman said. If you want the ultimate flexibility to cancel for such a reason or any other, you'll want to look into a more expensive cancel for any reason travel insurance upgrade. Those percentages include illness and accidents that happen to cruisers just before a trip, making travel impossible. But, in many cases, such claims result from illness and injuries that occur during voyages. We searched for quotes from several companies for a seven-day trip in February 2023 from the U.S. to Mexico.
While evacuation/repatriation is generally included in top-of-the-line policies, you may also purchase more comprehensive, standalone evacuation policies from companies like MedJetAssist. The first thing to know is that your insurance policy only protects you; if you want the rest of your family or travel companions to have the same protection, then they must be added to your policy (or take out their own). The one exception is that some policies cover children under 17 traveling with an insured guardian at no additional charge. You're unexpectedly stricken with appendicitis a week before your cruise embarks. If you don't have trip insurance and cancel your cruise now, you'll be hit with an excessive cancellation penalty and may even lose out on the value of the trip altogether.