Cruise travel insurance

Is cruise insurance worth it?

For the vast majority of cruisers, yes. In fact, most cruise lines require you to have cover in place - and may even ask you to prove it. The pertinent question isn't whether cruise insurance is worth it, but how much cover you actually need.

Cover is especially important on ocean cruises. Ships can travel far from shore, and medical facilities on board are not hospitals. In addition, cruise lines do not run an NHS at sea; these should be seen as private medical practices. A member of the World of Cruising staff recently went on a cruise, and a simple visit to the onboard doctor for a small ailment ended up costing $99.

If you fall seriously ill at sea and cannot be treated on board, the cost of getting you ashore can be astronomical. Data from international air ambulance service Travel Care Air estimates that costs can range from $15,000 for a helicopter evacuation in coastal waters to over $200,000 for complex missions to remote destinations such as Antarctica.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises UK travellers to take out comprehensive travel insurance before any overseas trip — and that advice applies with particular force at sea.

River cruises are slightly different. You're never far from land, ports and hospitals, and the evacuation risks that drive costs are reduced. That said, river cruise passengers still benefit from cover for trip cancellation, cabin confinement, missed departure and the relatively high upfront cost of river cruise bookings, which leaves a lot of money at risk if something goes wrong before or during the trip. But even for this type of cruise, medical and evacuation costs should not be entirely discarded.

Cruise holidays are rarely cheap. If the answer runs into thousands of pounds, the cost of insurance is modest by comparison.

What should cruise insurance cover?

What's typically covered:

• Medical treatment and evacuation: The core of any cruise policy. This should cover the cost of treatment onboard, in port, and — critically — the expense of getting you to a hospital if the ship's medical facilities aren't sufficient.
• Personal liability: This will cover costs if you unwillingly damage something or injure someone. Importantly, you won't be covered if you are deemed to have acted recklessly, including when under the influence of alcohol (more on that later)
• Legal costs: If you're involved in an incident during your cruise, a dispute over personal liability, or need to pursue compensation for an injury that wasn't your fault, legal fees can mount quickly. A cruise policy with legal expenses coverage will typically fund some of the costs
• Lost or delayed luggage: If your bags are lost, stolen, or damaged in transit to or from the port, luggage cover reimburses you for the value of your belongings up to the policy limit.
• Trip cancellations: If you can't go on your trip for a reason outside of your control, there must be a way for you to get your money back

The typical add-ons:

• Missed departure: If you miss your ship's departure due to a travel delay, breakdown, or accident on the way to the port, your cruise policy should cover the cost of catching up with the vessel at the next port of call, or of alternative accommodation if that isn't possible.
• Cabin confinement: If you're confined to your cabin by illness or injury — and it's a doctor's order, not preference — most cruise policies will provide a daily benefit to compensate for the activities and excursions you're missing.
• Itinerary and excursion disruption: If bad weather or operational decisions mean your ship can't dock at a scheduled port, some policies will cover the cost of pre-booked excursions you therefore can't take.

Who needs specialist cruise cover?

Standard cruise insurance suits most healthy adults on a straightforward ocean or river voyage. But for certain groups, getting the type and level of cover right matters more:

• Older travellers: Medical claims are statistically higher among older travellers, and many insurance providers have policies designed for those over a certain age.
• Travellers with pre-existing medical conditions: As noted in the coverage section above, a pre-existing condition must be declared. Beyond disclosure, travellers with chronic conditions - heart disease, diabetes, a history of cancer - need to confirm that their specific condition is covered, and to understand exactly what the policy best suits their needs.
• Expedition cruise travellers: Antarctica, the Arctic, the Galápagos, and similar remote itineraries carry evacuation risks that dwarf those of mainstream ocean cruising - and costs to match. Many standard cruise policies exclude these destinations entirely, or don't cover the activities central to expedition travel: zodiac landings, kayaking, ice hiking. Before buying, confirm the places you're travelling to are included, that activities on your itinerary are covered, and that medical and evacuation limits are high enough.

How much should you pay for cruise insurance?

So many factors impact the cost of travel insurance that giving a 'from' price is relatively unhelpful. Cover for USA cruises is usually more expensive than European itineraries; longer voyages cost more than shorter ones; expedition sailings require higher cover than regular ones; and age and health factors also play a role. Prices will also differ depending on whether you take a single or multi-trip policy.

More important than looking solely at price, we'd recommend checking the provider's reputation before committing. In the UK, Defaqto independently assess insurance providers, giving them ratings from one to five stars. A five-star rating is reserved for the most comprehensive policies on the market.

But checking Defaqto alone is not sufficient, as it does not take into consideration things like customer service. For that, we recommend checking what consumers have said about the providers on websites such as Trustpilot. Companies like Staysure combine a five-star Defaqto rating with an excellent 4.7 out of five score on Trustpilot.