Best Cruise Travel Insurance Plans (2024)
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Best Cruise Travel Insurance Plans (2024)

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  • Cruise trip insurance offered through the cruise lines is often rather limited and can lack important coverage for the rest of your trip – like flight and shore excursion coverage.
  • Our analysis revealed that the best cruise travel insurance plans are offered by TinLeg, Faye, IMG, John Hancock, & Travel Insured International. (Skip ahead to view these plans)
  • At a bare minimum, your cruise travel insurance plan should offer emergency medical assistance and medical evacuation coverage.
  • We also recommend buying a comprehensive plan that covers travel delays, storms, missed tours and connections.
  • Using a comparison tool is the quickest way to filter through the best cruise insurance plans and get multiple quotes from several providers at once.

Our picks for the best travel insurance for cruises

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Best Coverage for Cruises Overall

Full Policy Details

Tin Leg

4.6
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Tin Leg Adventure
Covers COVID
Yes
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$100,000 / $1,000,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

Tin Leg Adventure provides one of the best cruise policies on the market. This policy covers important cruise-related factors such as cancellation, providing 100% of the trip cost and 150% of the trip cost for trip interruptions. In the enclosed environment of a cruise, you are far more susceptible to illnesses such as COVID-19 and Tin Leg Adventure offers coverage for cancelations due to COVID-19 sickness.

On top of this, Tin Leg Adventure offers $100,000 worth of medical coverage and a comforting $1,000,000 worth of medical evacuation coverage. For those who are worried about missing their connection, $500 per person is offered up and covers you after just a 3-hour delay.

PROS

  • Higher than average medical evacuation coverage
  • Coverage for pre-existing conditions
  • Cancelation & interruption coverage
  • Coronavirus-related medical expenses covered

CONS

  • Lower medical coverage
  • No “interruption for any reason” upgrade available

Many Customizable Add-ons & Amazing App

Full Policy Details

Faye Travel Insurance

4.5
Check Pricing via the Faye website
Preferred Plan
Faye Travel Protection Plan
Covers COVID
Yes
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$100,000 / $500,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

Faye is a new travel insurance disruptor that offers an innovative solution to travel insurance with a digital-first approach. What sets them apart is their user-friendly solution to a traditionally bureaucratic system. With Faye, users can manage everything online or via the Faye app – including the entire booking and claims process. Although it’s a newer provider in the travel insurance industry, Faye is already rising as a fan favorite among young, tech-savvy travelers and digital nomads who want quick, convenient, and reliable travel insurance without having to go through an agent.

Apart from their online-first approach, Faye is easy to use and caters to all types of travelers including those who may want help via phone support.

Another feature that sets Faye apart from the competition is their plan offerings. Faye offers one base plan with an array of comprehensive coverage and optional add-ons to customize your plan.

Potential Add-ons include:

  • Pet care
  • Rental car care
  • Cancel for any reason
  • Vacation rental damage
  • Adventure & extreme sports

If you are looking for a convenient and cost-effective way to insure your vacation, consider opting for Faye travel insurance. *Note: Coverage limits and availability may vary by state of residence.

PROS

  • Friendly agents
  • Easy-to-use mobile app
  • Fast reimbursements for eligible claims
  • Prompt replies to questions

CONS

  • Long wait times for reimbursement
  • Difficulty reaching Faye outside of email & virtual chat

Great Value & Great for Senior Travelers

IMG

4.2
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
iTravelInsured Travel LX Basic
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$500,000 / $1,000,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

This plan is great for travelers of any age and offers extremely robust coverage for a low price. Depending on your trip parameters, this plan can work out to be hundreds of dollars cheaper than similar plans while still offering great coverage and a 10-day money-back guarantee.

As an example, you will be covered for up to $500,000 of primary emergency medical coverage, meaning you won’t have to pay first and wait to be reimbursed should you need unexpected medical treatment while traveling. IMG will pay the bills for you up to $500,000. You also get travel cancellation, interruption, and travel delay coverage as well as protection for baggage delays and baggage loss comes standard. All of this makes IMG an ideal provider for insuring your next cruise.

PROS

  • 10-day money back guarantee
  • Generous limits for trip delays, emergency evacuation, and more
  • 24/7 emergency travel assistance included
  • Coronavirus-related medical expenses covered
  • Rental car coverage included

CONS

  • Recently developed pre-existing conditions may not be covered
  • CFAR and IFAR coverage only available as an add-on with premium plans

Covers Pre-Existing Conditions

Full Policy Details

John Hancock Insurance Agency, Inc.

4.2
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Gold
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$250,000 / $1,000,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

John Hancock’s Gold plan is a fantastic insurance plan for those with pre-existing conditions looking to take a cruise. Automatically included in the coverage, this plan allows travelers to be free from the stresses of pre-existing conditions that may hinder them with other providers. Alongside this perk, the Gold plan also offers both trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage worth up to 100% and 150% of the trip cost.

John Hancock’s Gold plan provides top-of-the-range coverage when it comes to all things medical. This plan offers medical emergency coverage worth up to $250,000 and $1 million in coverage for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains - some of the highest across the market.

PROS

  • Travel delay coverage kicks in after just three hours
  • Generous coverage for emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains
  • Optional CFAR upgrade available
  • Baggage insurance comes with generous limits of up to $2,500
  • Terror attack coverage included

CONS

  • Baggage delay coverage requires a 12-hour waiting period

Great Coverage for Cancellations & Interruptions

Travel Insured International

4.4
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Worldwide Trip Protector
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$100,000 / $1,000,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

The Worldwide Trip Protector plan is a fantastic choice, based on the superior coverage it provides. This plan covers 100% of the insured trip cost due to cancellation, 150% of the insured trip cost due to interruption, as well as $1,500 for trip delays and $500 for baggage delays after only 3 hours. It also includes $100,000 worth of medical coverage, $1 million worth of evacuation coverage, and $150,000 worth of non-medical evacuation coverage.

Being primary coverage, you will be free from spending any of your own money, with the insurance provider covering all costs upfront. With hurricane and weather coverage, The Worldwide Trip Protector plan is perfect for taking cruises throughout more volatile regions.

PROS

  • Travel delay coverage kicks in after just six hours
  • Generous $150,000 non-medical evacuation coverage
  • 24/7 emergency travel assistance included

CONS

  • CFAR and IFAR coverage not included
  • Baggage delay coverage only kicks in after 12 hours
  • No rental car coverage

Best When Choosing Medical-only Coverage

Full Policy Details

Generali Global Assistance

4.3
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Premium
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$250,000 / $1,000,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

When you add full trip cancellation reimbursement coverage to your travel insurance plan, the policy premium can get quite expensive. This is especially true for older travelers. Therefore, some travelers may want to forego trip cancellation coverage and opt only for medical coverage.

The Generali Premium plan is an excellent choice as it offers primary medical coverage with high limits for medical and medevac coverage – $250,000 and $1,000,000 respectively. You also get coverage for lost or delayed baggage, travel delays, missed connections for cruises and tours, rental car damage coverage, accidental death and dismemberment payouts, and more.

All of this coverage is offered at an affordable price, which makes this plan a great option if you still want travel coverage but want to save a bit of money in the process. This plan is also one of the top-selling plans on our platform, so it’s been vetted by the masses.

PROS

  • High coverage limits with top tier Premium plan
  • Some plans let you add on CFAR coverage
  • Pre-existing conditions covered in the Premium plan
  • Comes with 24-7 worldwide travel assistance services

CONS

  • The standard plan comes with low plan limits, including just $50,000 per traveler in medical and dental expense
  • CFAR coverage must be purchased within 24 hours of the initial trip deposit
  • A 12-hour waiting period is required for luggage delay coverage
Passport and Plane Ticket

What type of insurance do I need for a cruise?

Travel insurance is usually comprehensive meaning a single plan will include multiple types of coverage. Therefore, it’s important to think of the types of travel coverage you need when buying travel insurance for cruises.

At a minimum, here is a list of what you should include when buying cruise insurance:

  • Cruise coverage: not all travel insurance will cover cruise vacations
  • Medical treatment coverage: in case you need to be treated for injuries or illnesses
  • Medical Evacuation coverage: in case you need to be repatriated or sent to shore for medical intervention
  • Travel delay coverage: in case you are delayed while traveling to the ship
  • Missed connections coverage: in case you miss an excursion or the boat leaves without you
  • Hurricanes & inclement weather coverage: in case a storm cancels or interrupts the trip
  • COVID illness coverage: cruises are hotbeds for COVID

All plans listed on our page include coverage for the above scenarios.

Optional coverage to consider when buying cruise insurance:

  • Action sports & adventure coverage: not all plans cover every type of excursion (i.e. SCUBA or snorkel)
  • Trip interruption coverage: coverage for this varies from plan to plan (i.e. storms)
  • Trip cancellation coverage: coverage for this varies from plan to plan
  • Cancel for any reason coverage: in case you need extra coverage to allow you to cancel for any reason at all
  • Baggage delay coverage: not always included, but great to have
  • Personal items coverage: Not always included, but great for theft, damage, or loss

Keep in mind, some travelers may benefit from more specific types of travel insurance including seniors travel insurance or plans that cover pre-existing conditions.

How much coverage do I need for a cruise?

Due to the cost of treatment abroad, expensive repatriation and evacuation costs to the US, and the rising cost of trips for Americans, it’s important to have high enough coverage limits on your travel insurance policy.

Based on these factors, we recommend the following coverage amounts for cruise insurance policies:

Do I need a dedicated cruise travel insurance plan?

You don’t have to buy a cruise-specific travel insurance plan, as most third-party travel insurance policies will cover cruise vacations.

However, it’s important to review the policy exclusions before purchasing to ensure that the policy covers cruises as some plans exclude coverage for cruises or medical evacuations from a cruise ship.

We don’t recommend buying cruise insurance through the cruise operator as these plans often lack important coverages for other parts of your trip, such as during transportation and lodging before and after your time on the cruise ship.

If you prefer buying a travel insurance policy especially built for cruise vacations, consider the Cruise Choice plan from Nationwide or any other specialized cruise insurance plans from Nationwide. These are all solid options.

How much does cruise travel insurance cost?

Travel insurance for cruises is usually slightly more expensive than other travel insurance policies because it includes coverage for sea-related events such as a helicopter evacuation from the cruise ship, and coverage for missed cruise connections and missed tours

We reviewed internal sales data over a one-year period and compiled the average cost of cruise insurance by destination, below.

Location Average Cruise Insurance Cost Average Trip Length
Caribbean $195 9 days
Europe $383 17 days
Alaska $641 14 days
Oceania $536 36 days
Antarctica $492 19 days
Galapagos $2,592 10 days

Based on sales data from Oct 2023 to Oct 2024

If you break the average cost down to a per-day cost, you can see that cruise insurance hovers around $20/day for Caribbean and European cruises.

It’s important to note that the cost of travel insurance varies depending on the location of the trip, trip length, coverage inclusions, your age, and more.

To further explain the cost of travel insurance for a cruise, we used data from the travel insurance provider Squaremouth to find quotes for several top insurance policies

These price examples were found for a 7-night Alaskan cruise for two 42-year-old travelers from California with a total trip cost of $8,000.

Travel Insurance Companies Estimated Plan Costs
Battleface $95.51
AEGIS $135.27
Detour Insurance $151.16
Tin Leg $157.26
AVERAGE COST: $134.80

All prices shown are for example purposes only. The exact cost of travel insurance for your trip depends on your unique profile.

The best way to determine how much travel insurance will cost for your cruise is to get a quote from several providers at once .

Passport and Plane Ticket

Is cruise insurance worth it?

Cruise insurance is completely worth the expense – if you buy it through a travel insurance company.

Note: Plans sold by the cruise line often offer limited coverage and may not be worth it.

The nature of travel insurance is that if you never use it, it may seem like a total waste. That said, if you don’t have travel insurance when something goes wrong on your trip, you will wish you had bought it.

Moreover, cruise holiday insurance doesn’t have to be expensive! There are many cheap travel insurance plans that will cover cruise vacations.

Apart from being able to help save your life if you require emergency evacuation for a medical intervention onshore, medical cruise travel insurance is a godsend for your finances when/if something goes wrong on your trip and you are forced to pay to fix it. A good insurance plan will reimburse you.

Therefore, having travel insurance is worth it. You get financial and medical protection from a range of issues that could easily ruin your vacation, and you get the peace of mind that comes with knowing you are protected while you travel.

What makes cruise travel insurance unique?

Unlike a standard vacation, a cruise has numerous unique scenarios you must consider throughout your trip. From the initial journey to port and boarding your cruise ship, to the variety of activities you will experience both on and off land.

Cruises have varied and unique itineraries, so it’s important to purchase a comprehensive cruise travel insurance policy that covers you for every eventuality.

What is not covered by cruise travel insurance?

Here are some of the situations and circumstances that are typically not covered by a cruise insurance plan.

Cruise ship travel insurance policies tend to include a list of exclusions highlighting what is not covered by the plan in question, and coverage exclusions can vary depending on the plan and the company. Therefore it’s important to take a look at the fine print and see what is not covered by each plan before making any decisions.

When to buy travel insurance for a cruise

Many companies will let you purchase cruise insurance up until the day before departure.

However, you’ll get the best pricing and the best selection of plans if you purchase your policy right away, even as soon as the day you put down an initial deposit on your cruise.

Also, note that some types of coverage must be purchased earlier in your trip-planning journey. For example, most providers who offer cancel for any reason (CFAR) protection make you purchase this add-on coverage within 14 to 20 days of putting down your first trip deposit.

For those who travel and might even go cruising several times a year, it is worth also comparing annual travel insurance.

Tips for buying cruise insurance

1

Use a comparison tool

Comparison tools do all the leg work for you and allow you to compare multiple plans and providers and easily see the best deals. If you want to make your research as painless as possible, use a cruise insurance comparison service like Compare Deals to research plans. This tool lets you enter your trip details before seeing a range of travel insurance plans that are available to you.

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2

Check included coverages and limits

Make sure any travel insurance policy you’re considering has the types of protection you want and limits that make sense. Generally speaking, it’s better to opt for a plan that has higher limits than you need if you can afford it.

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3

Consider the unique characteristics of your destination

If you are planning to take a cruise, around the Caribbean, northern Canada, the Philippines, or the Mediterranean, it makes sense to have insurance that covers everything that could go wrong based on your specific destination. For example, there may be countries you visit on a cruise that require travel insurance by law.  Additionally, inclement weather (including hurricanes) in places such as the Dominican Republic could also cause your cruise to be canceled or your itinerary to be changed.

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How we chose these plans

We chose these plans from a long list of the best-selling travel insurance plans over the past year based on sales data from Squaremouth. Therefore, all plans have high customer satisfaction ratings.

We filtered this list to identify plans specifically well-suited for cruises. We focused on the most common issues cruisers face to ensure every plan offers adequate coverage.

At a minimum, all plans listed on this page include coverage for the following:

Cruise Insurance FAQ

Do cruises come with insurance included?

Cruises don’t typically come with travel insurance included. However, in some cases, you may be able to buy travel insurance through your cruise line.

That said, there is no major benefit from buying travel insurance through your cruise operator versus through another provider. In fact, plans sold through the cruise line may be more expensive, have less coverage, and offer less customization. In the end, it’s another way for the cruise line to upcharge customers.

Therefore, we recommend looking at third-party insurers as plans can be cheaper and offer more comprehensive coverage.

See third-party plans here

What if I miss my cruise?

If you miss your cruise due to a covered reason outlined in your travel insurance policy, you may get reimbursement for some or all of your prepaid travel expenses.

How is cruise insurance different from other travel insurance?

Cruise insurance can offer coverage that’s specific to cruises, such as reimbursement for itinerary charges and missed ports-of-call, coverage for cruise ship disablement, and more.

Can I bundle cruise insurance and flight insurance?

If the flight insurance package is sold directly by the airlines, you likely can’t bundle them with your cruise insurance. Often, these flight insurance plans aren’t worth it due to limited coverage and flexibility. If you are looking to have both your airfare and cruise covered, a traditional travel insurance policy is a great option. You might want to consider a “Cancel For Any Reason” plan or add-on if you are looking for the most flexibility.

Does cruise insurance cover COVID-19?

Most cruise insurance plans cover and treat COVID-19 as if it were any other illness. However, you should read over the policies you’re considering so you know for sure.

Can you get cruise insurance after booking?

Your insurance company may let you purchase cruise insurance up until the day before your departure.

Can I cancel a cruise without insurance?

You can cancel a cruise any time you want, but whether you get your money back depends on the cruise line’s policy for cancellations.

How do I know what parts of my cruise to insure?

The important coverages for cruises include travel health insurance, coverage for trip cancellation and interruption, medical evacuation coverage, insurance for lost and delayed baggage, and more.

Why do I need cruise insurance?

You need cruise insurance if you want reimbursement for aspects of your trip that go awry, or if an event beyond your control prevents you from traveling.

Does credit card travel insurance cover cruises?

Your credit card may have some basic protections that apply to cruises, such as coverage for trip cancellation or trip interruption, as well as baggage delay coverage.

About the Author

Holly D. Johnson
Holly D. Johnson Personal Finance

Holly D. Johnson is an award-winning personal finance writer who covers topics like insurance, investing, credit and family finance. As a leading voice in the travel and loyalty space, Johnson has traveled with her family to more than 50 countries over the last decade.

The author has also written extensively on the power of household budgeting, and she even co-authored a book on the topic. Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You’ll Love was originally published in 2017, and it teaches families how to use zero-sum budgeting to reach their financial goals. She is also the co-owner and founder of the family finance and travel website, ClubThrifty.com.

Johnson’s 10+ years of writing have focused on helping families make important financial decisions at each stage of their lives. The author also applies the financial principles she teaches to her own life, and she is currently on track to retire in her late 40’s with her partner. She currently lives in Central Indiana with her husband and children, and she is a regular contributor for Bankrate, CNN, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report Travel and many other notable publications.

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