Should I buy cruise travel insurance?

While cruise travel is a relatively safe mode of travel, cruise travellers are among the largest purchasers of travel insurance. This is primarily because cruise trips are relatively expensive trips that are often planned far in advance. But traffic accidents happen, jobs end and people get sick. Cruise travel insurance protects travellers from the losses and risks related to cruise travel. There are few different questions to ask yourself before you decide if you need travel insurance, and if you do, what you need to look for in a policy and coverage.

What are the risks on a cruise?

Even though a cruise is a relatively safe mode of transportation, there are unexpected things that can go wrong on a cruise. Here are a few examples:

• You miss the boat – Maybe you had a traffic accident en route to the port. Maybe bad weather delayed your flight’s arrival time. You, or someone close to you, could become injured or ill before you leave. You get delayed at one of the port of calls and miss the departure. If you have to cancel your cruise or you miss the departure, who will help you?
• Your luggage is delayed or lost – it is less likely on cruise ships than on airplanes, but sometimes luggage can get incorrectly routed which means you’ve got a long wait before you get reunited with your possessions. Or, there is always the chance that your bags get stolen from you or are damaged beyond repair. If your luggage is damaged or stolen, how will you replace those items? If your luggage is late, who will help you track it and help you in the meantime before it arrives?
• You have a medical emergency at sea – medical emergencies at sea are more common than most travellers think. If you or your child are hurt or become ill during your cruise, there may or may not be a medical staff with the necessary training and equipment to help out. You may be forced to evacuate the cruise to get to the nearest medical facility. If you have to do that, who will coordinate the medical transport and how will you pay for it?
• Your cruise is cancelled – Travel suppliers can have financial problems that are hard to know about before you purchase your pass. If the cruise, tour, rentals, on-shore adventure providers, etc. stop operating and close up shop, how will you get back the money you paid them?

Should I Buy Cruise Travel Insurance?

Yes, if you are cruising for more than a weekend, the cost of a basic coverage plan is very reasonable, usually falling between 5 and 9 percent of the cruise vacation. It’s well worth it to build cover into your price. If your cruise is just for a weekend, you don’t have much to lose and you didn’t pay exorbitantly for the cruise, travel insurance may not be your highest priority.

What kind of coverage do you need?

Many cruise company travel insurance plans only offer secondary coverage and while that may seem alright on the surface, it’s important to purchase policies that are primary. What’s the difference? With secondary coverage, there is usually a large delay in response time because you have to wait for any other insurance to be paid and completed before you can begin the quote process with the secondary company. You may be left tapping your foot, waiting for your claim to be processed or waiting for a check in the mail. Primary cover eliminates the wait. Plus with primary cover, like the plans offered at youGo travel insurance, you may be paid for an event or loss outright.

Who should buy cruise travel insurance?

• Travellers on an expensive cruise – you may have waited and saved for a long time to take this trip, so it’s important to protect your financial investment. If the trip costs more than you can lose, it’s important to have adequate travel insurance coverage.
• Honeymooning couples – There is no reason to spend your newlywed vacation worrying about any expensive travel problems that may come up on the cruise. Missing a flight connection can cause you to miss the boat and cost more money to catch up with the boat, but with travel insurance, the problem is taken care of.
• Families travelling with kids – Just like you plan for emergencies and accidents at home, you need to be equally prepared on your cruise. Your child could get sick before the trip and cause a cancellation, or they could get hurt on board and travel insurance takes the worry about the financial aspect of it all.
• Seniors taking a cruise – Medical emergencies can happen anywhere and with a travel insurance policy that offers 24/7 medical support, you will be prepared. Don’t take that risk and get a policy with adequate coverage for your cruise.

Should you buy through the cruise company or get a standalone policy?

Just about every cruise line on the planet offers its own travel protection program but keep in mind cruise lines are in the vacation business, not the insurance business. Cruise-line insurance usually offers secondary cover, and it’s usually more limited than similarly priced cover you can buy on your own. You’ll want to be sure that your policy is underwritten by a reputable and licensed insurer; companies are regulated by state insurance departments. Once you’ve vetted the providers on your short list, your best bet is to comparison shop.

More often than not, you’ll find that a standalone policy from a company like youGo Travel Insurance will be your safer bet and the better deal. You won’t have to worry about the company trying to get the best of you or overcharging for your policy.

youGo clearly spells out what is covered, you can customise your plan to fit your needs and there are travel insurance experts available to answer any of your questions as they come up. Choose a youGo travel insurance plan for your next cruising adventure and rest at ease, knowing you have travel insurance expertise at your back to protect you against any unexpected problems.