Travel insurance for cruises

Expert tips for choosing the right travel insurance for cruises

Our travel insurance expert, Adrian Taylor, has some top tips on choosing the right travel insurance for your cruise holiday.

Make sure your activities are covered

When purchasing travel insurance for a cruise trip, consider what cover you need at sea and on land at any ports your cruise visits, especially for any activities you want to partake in.

Declare any ports of call

If you’re going on an international cruise, be sure to declare where your cruise is visiting ports of call, too; otherwise, you might not be covered for those destinations. Depending on your insurer, you may be able to select ‘South Pacific’ or ‘Europe‘ as a destination for blanket cover of the countries within those regions.

Get international travel insurance for domestic cruises

Even domestic cruises need international travel insurance with medical cover. If you become sick or injured on your trip, your Medicare or private health insurance typically won’t cover you.

All about travel insurance for cruises

Do I need special travel insurance for a cruise?

While some comprehensive policies automatically offer cover for cruises, cruise cover must be purchased as an add-on for most travel insurance policies. If you depart on a cruise without cover specifically for cruises, then you won’t be covered for any losses that happen onboard.

It might be more expensive for a travel insurance policy with cruise cover, but without this cover you’ll have no financial protection if something goes wrong.

Do I need travel insurance for a cruise in Australia

Whether cruising around a small part of Australian waters or setting sail on a river cruise around Europe, international travel insurance could help cover your offshore medical expenses. That’s because you won’t be covered by Medicare or your private health fund the moment your ship leaves an Australian port, even if you’re not visiting any international ports.

Most doctors on cruise ships are private practitioners, meaning consultations, medical treatments and medications are charged at private rates. It’s important to consider travel insurance for any unexpected medical attention or repatriation needed at sea.

Most cruise operators will suggest that passengers take out international travel insurance that includes cover for overseas medical expenses, regardless of whether you’re taking a domestic or international cruise.

Things to consider when getting covered for your cruise

Here are some things that may be useful to keep in mind when purchasing travel insurance for your cruise.

• What activities will you be partaking in? Cruises often include snorkelling, scuba diving and other activities when stopped at different ports, whether in Australian waters or on the oceans around Indonesia, Fiji or New Caledonia. You may not be covered for these types of activities unless you’ve purchased an adventure sports add-on.
• Are your medical costs covered? If you’re worried about falling ill or getting injured on your trip, consider a travel insurance policy that covers overseas medical expenses, medical or emergency evacuations and even pre-existing medical conditions.
• Reimbursement if you miss out on activities. If you must cancel your cruise or any pre-paid onshore excursions or activities for unforeseen reasons, travel insurance could help you get your money back (depending on your policy).
• Looking after your gear. If your formalwear is stolen, lost or damaged for any reason, your travel insurance may cover its worth, up to your benefit limits. This can also extend to belongings like your phone, camera and laptops.

Insurance policies may not cover all of the above, so remember to read the PDS before you purchase to know exactly what you’re covered for and what exclusions apply and check your insurer’s Target Market Determination (TMD) to see if the policy is suitable for you.

Inclusions and exclusions

What does travel insurance for a cruise cover?

Travel insurance can give you the peace of mind that you’ll be financially assisted if things don’t go as planned. Travel insurance with cruise cover can include cover for:

• Overseas medical assistance and hospital expenses
• Medical evacuations back to Australia
• Cabin confinement due to sickness
• Cancellation costs for pre-paid travel arrangements
• Trip delays and rescheduling fees
• Missed ports, cruise departure or pre-paid shore excursions
• Lost, damaged or stolen luggage and personal belongings
• Additional expenses
• 24-hour emergency assistance.

Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply, so be sure to check your policy’s PDS.

What is excluded in travel insurance for cruises?

It’s important to remember that travel insurance policies come with general exclusions. For example, travel insurance may not cover claims for:

• Pre-existing conditions that were not disclosed to your insurer, or your insurer did not agree to cover
• Lost, damaged or stolen belongings that were left unattended in a public space
• Incidents due to intoxication, drug use, risky behaviour or acting illegally
• Travelling against government advice (check Smartraveller for updates)
• Acts of war, terrorism or civil unrest
• Travellers past the policy age limit.

If you’re a senior traveller, you should always check the PDS of your policy to understand the insurer’s age requirements. Depending on the policy, some insurers will cover travellers up to 99 years or older; however, age limits will vary between insurers. Read our pages on travel insurance for over 65s and over 85s for more information on travel insurance for seniors.

To understand any potential exclusions of your policy, you should always read the PDS before purchasing a policy for your cruise trip.