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Cruise travel insurance

Cruise travel insurance can cost as little as $6 a day. Pop in your trip details, filter to see cruise options and compare quotes from 11 brands – that’s more than any other site in Australia.

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Do I need extra travel insurance for a cruise?

Most travel insurers let you add cruise cover on to your policy. In addition to all the benefits you get with standard travel insurance, such as cover for cancelletions and COVID, it can include:

  • Onboard medical expenses. This can include medicatation, nursing, surgery, and dental. Pre-existing conditions may also be covered – just let your insurer know about them during the application process.
  • Emergency evacuation. If you require medical attention, cruise cover can pay for your emergency evacuation, such as a helivac, to the nearest hospital.
  • Missed ports. This covers you if bad weather or mechanical breakdowns mean you aren't able to port.
  • Missed cruise departure. This can cover you if you miss the departure because of an unforeseen cancellation of your scheduled transportation. It can also cover pre-paid shore excursions.
  • Cabin confinement. If there's an outbreak on a cruise ship, and you're confined to your cabin, this can pay you a daily benefit.
  • Formal cruise attire. Some cruise policies cover you if your formal attire is stolen, damaged or misdirected. It can also cover other expensive items such as your phone, camera or laptop.
  • Marine rescue diversion. This pays you an allowance if your cruise has to diverts from its scheduled course to help with a marine rescue.

Can you get travel insurance for COVID on a cruise?

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.

Do I need cruise travel insurance?

You are not usually covered by Medicare in Australian waters so cruise travel insurance is really important. It can cover evacuation expenses to get you to an Australian hospital as well as all the other benefits of cover, including cancellations, missed ports and cancelled pre-paid shore excursions.

When cruising domestically, most insurers will prompt you to select the Pacific region - this will usually include New Zealand, Bali, the south-west Pacific and Norfolk region. If you're still unsure what region to select for your domestic cruise, check out your insurers product disclosure statement (PDS) for confirmation.

An example of how cruise travel insurance might work

Carol and Vincent, a couple in their 70s from Brisbane, were getting ready to depart on a worldwide cruise. Unfortunately, in the week before they were due to depart, Carol fell over in their yard and broke her ankle, which meant they would have to cancel their holiday. Because they had taken out a travel insurance policy that covered cancellation, they were able to be reimbursed for more than $20,000 worth of lost deposits.

Compare cruise travel insurance benefits

Based on our research, we believe these are the most important features of a cruise travel insurance policy.

BrandsAge limitOverseas medical expensesEmergency evacuationMissed port coverCabin confinementApply
Medibank logo84 years
Up to $1,000$100 per day
Bonus
Get quote
ahm logo84 years
Up to $1,000$100 per day
Bonus
Get quote
InsureandGo Logo100 years
Up to $1,000$75 per day
Bonus
Get quote
Covermore logo99 years
Up to $1,000$100 per day
Bonus
Get quote
TravelInsuranceSaver110 years
Get quote
Freely logo99 years
Up to $1,000$100 per day
Bonus
Get quote
1Cover Logo130 years
Up to $750$150 per dayMore info
Webjet logo99 years
Up to $1,000$100 per dayMore info
Picture not described120 years
$50 per dayMore info

Note: This information was last updated September 2022
*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.

How to find the best cruise travel insurance

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.

Number 1

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.

Number 2

Compare brands. Some brands cover more than others and come with higher limits for certain benefits.

Number 3

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.

Number 4

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.

Cruise
3 million Australians setting sail in the next 12 months
15% of Australians, equivalent to just over 3 million people, plan to book a cruise in the next 12 months, according to Finder's consumer sentiment tracker. Millenials made up the largest percentage (20%) of people planning a trip.

Cheap cruise travel insurance

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 CoverTravel Insurance SaverInsure4less
Policy typeBasics 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.

Angus Kidman

Meet our travel expert Angus Kidman

Angus Kidman is the international editor-at-large at Finder. He's an award-winning journalist, avid travel enthusiast and passionate frequent flyer. Angus appears regularly on Sunrise, Today, The Project, Seven News and other TV and radio shows to share his expert tips.

Angus's top cruise insurance tips

  • Remember, you're not covered by Medicare on a cruise, even if it's only in Australian waters. Make sure you get cover - on-ship treatment is super-pricey.
  • Comprehensive insurance should cover missed connections, but reduce the risk by allowing plenty of time for connecting flights if you're not cruising from your home city.
  • Drinks package warning: travel insurance likely won't cover your for inuries that occur while you're drunk.

Why you can trust Finder's travel insurance experts

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We're free

Our travel insurance engine is completely free to use. You pay the same as buying directly from the insurer. Better still, we regularly run exclusive deals that you won't find on any other site.
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We're experts

We've researched and reviewed almost every travel insurer on the market as part of our Finder Awards and our in-house experts regularly appear on Sunrise, 7News and various news publications.
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We're independent

Unlike other comparison sites, we're not owned by an insurer. That means our opinions are our own and we work with lots of travel insurance brands, making it easier for you to find a good deal.
help

We're here to help

Since 2014, we've helped over one million people find travel insurance by explaining your options simply. We'll never ask for your number or email to see prices. We're here to help you make a decision.

More questions about cruise travel insurance

  1. $6/day is based on a 30 year old traveling on a cruise for 7 days to Bali. Quoted on 26th July 2023.
  2. Finder consumer sentiment tracker July 2023
  3. Travel insurance methodology

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