Insuring
Your Cruise
When
you’re looking forward to a cruise, you don’t want to think about anything
going wrong. But there are some events, which neither you or the cruise line
can control, that could disrupt your vacation: extreme weather, airline delays,
illness, lost luggage, etc. The good news is that you can easily protect
yourself by purchasing travel insurance.
And,
insurance is important for any cruise – not just the extravagantly expensive
ones. It’s available for cruises of all types and all lengths. It’s not as expensive
as you may think, either: the cost will be a small percentage of the cost of
the cruise.
Depending
on the coverage you purchase, travel insurance can provide reimbursement for:
·
An illness that forces you to cancel your trip.
Medical treatment while on the cruise: your usual health insurance provider may not cover care needed while you are out of the country, or may cover only part of the cost.
Loss of or delay in receiving your baggage.
Identity theft protection if any of the personal documents you’re required to bring, including your passport, go missing.
Emergency medical evacuation from the ship: fortunately, this is a rare occurrence, but the cost can be significant if you’re not covered
A missed flight or flight delay that causes you to miss your ship.
Job loss that leads you or a companion to cancel your trip for financial reasons.
Cancellation of a cruise due to bad weather, acts of war or terrorist violence (another rare occurrence, but it’s good to be covered).
Some
insurance providers provide optional coverage that goes a step farther: for
example, you can buy coverage the allows you to cancel for any reason,
including simply changing your mind. Add-ons do raise the cost of the
insurance, so be sure they make sense for you.
What
can’t be covered? It would be nice, but there’s no way to insure good weather
for your cruise, or that your itinerary won’t change a little. It’s
disappointing to skip a port that you looked forward to seeing, but when the
captain decides to skip a port or visit an alternate, it’s most often to avoid
rough weather and to keep you and your companions safe.
Before
buying insurance directly from your cruise line, make a comparison with products
from third-party insurers like Allianz, Travel Guard by AIG, Chubb Travel
Protection and Travel Insured International. Third-party insurance can be more
inclusive than the policies offered by the cruise lines. Anita, Your Cruise
Holidays personal cruise expert, can help you review all of your choices.
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