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Travel is full of the unexpected, which can be part of the fun. But when you get on the high seas for a cruise vacation, your risks grow exponentially. Sea sickness can be the least of your worries should something go wrong. So you'll want to make sure you have the best travel insurance coverage that won't leave you exposed in an emergency.
Best Cruise Insurance
- Nationwide Travel Insurance: Best Overall
- AXA Assistance USA: Best for Affordable Premiums
- Seven Corners Travel Insurance: Best for Seniors
- Travel Guard: Best for Cruise-Only Coverage
- HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance: Best for High Coverage Amounts
- World Nomads Travel Insurance: Best for Adventure Seekers
- Travelex Travel Insurance: Best for Long-Distance Cruises
Next Step: Compare rates on more than 100 travel insurance policies in minutes
Compare The Best Cruise Travel Insurance
Cruise Travel Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
If you're booking a cruise, we recommend purchasing a travel insurance plan when you make your first trip payment. That could be for the cruise itself or an expense like airfare to get you to your cruising destination. This way, if you have to cancel your trip, you'll have the most extended coverage period possible.
A cruise is a fantastic way to see the world, but only if you have adequate travel insurance. A standard travel insurance policy that covers cruises is sufficient. But insurance plans tailored to cruises with coverage like missed port of call or restriction to your stateroom can be considered for an added sense of security.
As a rule of thumb, you can expect to pay between 4% and 8% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses for cruise insurance coverage. The price will vary depending on factors like your age, your travel destination, and whether you require additional coverages.
Several great travel rewards credit cards offer trip protection, which can come in handy under certain circumstances. But if you're planning a cruise and have a lot of prepaid expenses associated with your trip, it's best to purchase a more comprehensive cruise insurance policy. You can read Insider's guide to the best credit cards with travel insurance to learn more about credit card insurance coverage.
Cruise Travel Insurance Company Reviews
Nationwide Travel Insurance
Nationwide Travel Insurance is a long-standing and reputable brand within the insurance marketplace that offers cruise insurance plans with solid coverage and reasonable rates.
It has three cruise insurance options: Universal, Choice, and Luxury. The Nationwide Choice plan, for example, offers $100,000 in emergency medical coverage and $500,000 in emergency medical evacuation coverage.
The right plan for you depends on your budget and coverage needs. But each plan offers cruise-specific coverages like ship-based mechanical breakdowns, coverage for missed prepaid excursions if your cruise itinerary changes, and covered service disruptions aboard the cruise ship.
Nationwide Travel Insurance Review
AXA Travel Insurance
AXA Assistance USA offers three comprehensive coverage plans: Gold, Silver, and Platinum. Each of these plans offers coverage for issues like missed flights, medical emergencies, lost luggage, and more.
The highest-tier Platinum plan provides $250,000 in medical emergency coverage and $1 million in medical evacuation coverage. The baggage loss coverage is $3,000 per person, and their missed connection coverage is $1,500 per person for cruises and tours.
In addition, travelers can take advantage of AXA's concierge service, which provides an extensive network of international service providers. They'll be able to assist you with things like restaurant reservations and referrals, golf course information, and more. This service could come in handy if you're stopping at a variety of unfamiliar destinations during your cruise.
The coverage limits on AXA's policies are on the higher end compared to other providers. And you can buy coverage for a little as 4% of your trip cost depending on your age, travel destination, and state of residence.
Seven Corners Travel Insurance
Seven Corners Travel Insurance lets cruisers enjoy traveling in their golden years with the knowledge they're covered in the event of an accident or emergency. While other providers do offer coverage to those 80+ years old, Seven Corners is known for its affordable premiums while offering above-average medical expenses and medical evacuation coverage limits — two areas of travel insurance coverage that are even more important as we get older.
Seven Corners also offers the option of a preexisting conditions waiver and CFAR insurance at an additional cost, plus "Trip Interruption for Any Reason" coverage, which you won't find on many policies.
You can choose between the RoundTrip Basic or RoundTrip Choice plans, with the higher-tier Choice plan costing more but providing more coverage.
Seven Corners Travel Insurance Review
AIG Travel Guard
Travel Guard offers coverage specifically designed for cruising with three different plans: Deluxe, Preferred, and Essential. When you get a quote online, the first question you'll be asked is whether you're flying, cruising, or doing both or neither. Choose cruising, and you'll be covered (up to the allowed amount) for things like trip delay, interruption, and cancellation. Along with coverage for inclement weather and damaged, lost, or stolen baggage and travel documents.
As an example, the middle-tier AIG Preferred plan offers $50,000 in medical emergency coverage and $500,000 in emergency evacuation coverage. The Preferred and Deluxe plans also offer CFAR as an upgrade.
AIG Travel Guard Insurance Review
HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance
HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance offers three levels of trip protection: TripProtector Economy, Classic, and Preferred. The higher the tier, the more coverage you'll get for things like baggage delays, trip delays & cancellations, and medical expenses. But their premiums remain reasonable even at the highest tier of coverage.
Not only does the HTH Worldwide Trip Protector Preferred plan offer higher-than-average medical emergency and evacuation coverage limits ($500,000 and $1 million, respectively), but you'll also get a baggage loss coverage limit of $2,000 per person and coverage for trip interruption of up to 200% of the trip cost. You also have the option to add CFAR coverage for an additional cost.
HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance Review
World Nomads Travel Insurance
World Nomads Travel Insurance has been a top choice for comprehensive travel insurance for many years now. And it's a great option when it comes to cruise coverage, too.
Even the most basic Standard Plan comes with $100,000 in medical emergency coverage and $300,000 in emergency evacuation coverage. And you'll get higher coverage limits with their Premium Plan. Plus, unlike many other providers, World Nomads trip cancellation and emergency medical coverage includes COVID-19-related issues.
What sets World Nomads apart from many other insurance companies is that its policies cover 200+ adventure sports. This can be important for adventurous cruisers who plan to take part in activities like jet skiing, scuba diving, or parasailing during their cruise.
World Nomads Travel Insurance Review
Travelex Travel Insurance
Travelex Travel Insurance offers two different travel insurance plans, the Travel Basic plan and the Travel Select Plan. What's a bit unique about the Travel Select plan is that it will cover trips of up to 364 days, making it a great option for long-distance cruising. Many providers only offer coverage for trips of 30 days or less.
With the Travelex Travel Select Plan, you'll be covered for up to $50,000 in medical emergency costs and for up to $500,000 for medical evacuation and repatriation costs. You'll also have the option to pay for increased medical emergency coverage of up to $100,000, increased medical evacuation coverage of up to $1 million, and CFAR insurance.
Travelex Travel Insurance Review
How to Pick The Best Cruise Insurance for You
When buying travel insurance for a cruise, consider the additional risks that are specific to cruising. These include hurricanes and other weather-related concerns, strict cancellation terms, high pre-paid costs of a cruise, and the distance to emergency medical assistance.
See our picks for the best international travel insurance »
To find the policy that's right for you, it's best to compare several different cruise insurance policies based on the pricing and coverage they provide. Remember too that all reputable insurance providers will offer a "free-look period." This allows you to return the policy you've purchased for any reason, within a specific time period, for a full refund.
The most important coverages to look for in cruise insurance are:
- Medical coverage — This coverage will pay for medical bills outside the US. But because treatment can be more expensive while onboard, make sure your policy offers sufficient coverage ($100,000+).
- Medical evacuation coverage — This coverage will transport you to the nearest hospital or even back home if you become sick or injured during your journey. But an evacuation from sea will be more expensive than one from land. So you'll want to make sure your coverage has sufficiently high limits ($250,000+).
- COVID-19 coverage — The coronavirus is now considered a "known" event, meaning standard travel insurance won't cover issues that arise from COVID-19. So, you'll want to consider any add-on coverage your provider offers to cover COVID-19 related illnesses.
- Missed connection (missed port of call) coverage — This type of coverage will help you catch up to your itinerary if you miss your port of call for a covered reason, like a delayed flight on the way to the airport.
- Coverage for hurricane warnings — With this type of coverage, you don't actually need to be affected by the hurricane. You can cancel and be reimbursed for your trip if the NOAA issues a hurricane warning. If you're cruising anywhere during (or on the tail ends) of hurricane season, this can come in handy. Just note: You can't buy travel insurance to cover a weather event once a storm or hurricane has been named.
- Cancel for any reason (CFAR) — This is the most comprehensive coverage you can get, as it allows cancellations and reimbursement for pre-paid expenses for any reason. This can be a wise add-on for cruise coverage given the often higher prepaid expenses associated with cruising.
- Preexisting conditions — This coverage ensures that no known health conditions are excluded from coverage.
- Personal possessions insurance — Because of the events and fancy dinners cruise ships hold, you might take more valuable clothing or jewelry with you on a cruise. This type of coverage will insure your belongings against loss or theft while cruising.
- Baggage loss and delay — This coverage will reimburse you up to a specified amount for essentials if your bags are delayed or if your bags get lost en route.
If you're buying travel insurance for the first time, you may want other travelers' perspectives. Personal Finance Insider conducted a 2023 winter travel insurance survey of 971 US adults in December through Momentive AI Audience.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Cruise Travel Insurance
When comparing cruise travel insurance providers, we evaluated them based on the following criteria to come up with our list of top picks:
Customer Satisfaction
We look at ratings from JD Power and other industry giants to see where a company ranks in customer satisfaction.
Financial Stability
We check with sites like AM Best or S&P to check its financial stability. In short, is the company likely to be around 10 years from now?
Policy Types
We look at policy types from standard flight protection and baggage loss to cancel for any reason and sports or pet coverage.
Average Premiums
We compare average premiums per trip. Some companies also offer annual plans, and we compare policies accordingly.
Claims Paid
How frequently do companies pay claims easily and quickly? We check customer reviews and other resources to see which companies honor policies most effectively.
Ethics
We look at the company's overall behavior. Is it operating ethically? Companies can earn additional points for such behaviors.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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