'Cruise travel insurance' is typically a normal travel insurance policy with cover for cruising added onto the policy. You'll get all the standard travel insurance benefits, such as cover for cancelletions and medical care, but it offers some extra, cruise specific coverage. This might include:
Travel insurance is almost always worth it, and cruise travel insurance is even more so. The main reason for this is because you will really want medical coverage on your trip.
You're probably won't be covered by Medicare on a cruise, so all medical bills will ahve to be paid out of your own pocket. Medical bills can reach the thousands when they're not subsidised, and cruise ships charge a premium for everything. Cruise insurance can reimburse you if something goes wrong. If something goes really wrong, you can also get cover for evacuation expenses to get you to an Aussie hospital quickly.
Yes, lots of travel insurance policies now cover COVID-related expenses if you catch the virus. This can include onboard medical expenses, medical evacuation and cancellation or rearrangement costs. For example, if you catch COVID before your cruise, you can cancel and get reimbursed for your trip, usually up to $5,000.
A small proportion of Australians (10%) say they don't plan to book a cruise in the next 12 months because COVID has ruined it, according to a 2023 Finder survey.
"COVID still makes up 11% of all claims. On average we are paying out claims for cancellation and travel disruption due to COVID to the value of $1,500, which is a sizeable cost."
Based on our research, we believe these are the most important features of a cruise travel insurance policy.
| Brands | Age limit | Overseas medical expenses | Emergency evacuation | Missed port cover | Cabin confinement | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 99 years | Up to $1,000 | $100 per day | Bonus | ||
 | 99 years | Up to $1,000 | $100 per day | Bonus | ||
 | 79 years | Up to $1,000 | $75 per day | Bonus | ||
 | 125 years | Up to $1,000 | $100 per day | Bonus | ||
 | 99 years | Up to $1,000 | $100 per day | Bonus | ||
 | 99 years | Up to $1,000 | $100 per day | More info | ||
 | 99 years | Up to $1,000 | $75 per day | Get quote | ||
 | 130 years | Up to $750 | $150 per day | More info | ||
 | 99 years | Up to $1,000 | $100 per day | More info |
Note: This information was last updated March 2024
*Missed port cover: Cover if your cruise skips a scheduled port due to weather restrictions or mechanical breakdowns.
**Cabin confinement: Cover if you're confined to you cabin (usually for more than 48hrs) due to a serious illness.
The best cruise travel insurance is a policy that is most suited to your individual needs. It's not just one specific policy. To help you find the best cruise travel insurance, follow the simple steps below.
Choose a single trip or annual multi-trip policy. Think about all the trips you'll be taking over the next 12 months. If there are 2 or more, an annual policy will save you money and time.
Compare brands. Some brands cover more than others and come with higher limits for certain benefits.
Choose a brand you trust. If you've never bought cruise travel insurance, look at forums for reviews. Just be careful, since reviews are written by the general public and are heavily influenced by negative outcomes.
Buy your cruise travel insurance as early as possible. Most insurers will cover your cancellation fees if you have to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances, so it pays to buy early.
If you're travelling on a budget and need an affordable policy, getting cheap cruise travel insurance is possible but you might have to sacrifice a few benefits. The most important thing is to have cover for medical treatments and emergency evacuation. Anything on top of that is a bonus.
The table below shows how the cheapest policies usually cover medical and emergency assistance only on cruises. It also shows the price difference among the cheapest, and why paying a bit more money for a policy gives more benefits for your cruise.
| Fast Cover | Travel Insurance Saver | Insure4less | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policy type | Basics | Bare Essentials | Medical only |
| Onboard medical assistance | |||
| Emergency evacuation | |||
| Missed port | |||
| Missed shore excursions | |||
| Missed cruise departure | |||
| Cabin confinement | |||
| Formal cruise attire lost, stolen or damaged | |||
| Price | $76.99 | $86.00 | $129.38 |
We got these prices in November 2023 for a 30-year-old going on a South Pacific cruise for 14 days, with a standard excess of $200.
"This is what I've learned over multiple cruises in Australia and abroad:
The best travel insurance policies are different for each individual traveller.
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brands
Compare Travel Insurance Direct policies online to save time and money. Travel Insurance Direct offers various policies including Annual multi-trip, The Works, The Basics and Domestic travel.
Qantas Travel Insurance offers various cover choices with the added benefit of travel points rewards for spending money on insurance when booking flights through Qantas.
Beware when swimming at Byron, Ballina, Bondi and Bells.
Tick Travel Insurance offers competitive single trip insurance to suit a range of travellers with three levels of cover to choose from.
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brands
Compare Westpac Travel Insurance, see features, and more.
Domestic travel insurance can provide cover for trip cancellation (domestic flights), loss or damage to luggage and expensive items, car rental excess charges and much more. Find out why domestic travel insurance is worth getting and compare policies from Australian insurers.