Cruise travel insurance

Do you need special travel insurance for a cruise?

'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:

• Onboard medical expenses,
• Emergency evacuation,
• Missed ports,
• Missed cruise departure,
• Cabin confinement,
• Formal cruise attire,
• Marine rescue diversion, and more.

Is cruise travel insurance worth it?

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.

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.

Jo McCauley
CEO - Southern Cross Travel Insurance

Compare cruise travel insurance benefits

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 Get quote
	99 years			Up to $1,000	$100 per day	Bonus Get quote
	79 years			Up to $1,000	$75 per day	Bonus Get quote
	125 years			Up to $1,000	$100 per day	Bonus Get quote
	99 years			Up to $1,000	$100 per day	Bonus Get quote
	99 years			Up to $1,000	$100 per day	Bonus Get quote
	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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

You pay nothing. Finder is free to use. And you pay the same as going direct. No markups, no hidden fees.

You save time. We spend 100s of hours researching travel insurance so you can sort the gold from the junk faster.

You can trust us. We say it like it is. We aren't owned by an insurer and our opinions are our own.

Frequently asked questions

• Do I need cover for each location I visit?

  You don't need separate policies, but you do need to tell your insurer every place you will be visiting by sea or by land. This helps them work out the price of your quote.

  Most travel and cruise insurance policies provide automatic cover for stopovers of up to 48 hours.

• Does cruise travel insurance cover me if I get sick?

  Yes, cruise travel insurance covers your medical expenses while onboard. It can also give you an allowance if you're confined to your cabin for more than 48 hours due to a sickness such as gastroenteritis. This benefit is called cabin confinement.

• What if I'm just taking a short cruise as part of a longer holiday?

  You will still need cruise insurance, but technically only for the length of the cruise. However, it can be tricky to find a single policy that lets you split your cruise and non-cruise portions.
  Here are your best options:

  • Stick with a cruise policy for the whole trip. Remember, cruise insurance covers you on and off land, and you may find that this option is not much more expensive than a normal policy anyway.
  • Double up by getting a standard policy and a cruise policy. If you're only out to sea for a couple of days, you might consider buying cruise insurance on top of the normal travel insurance that's covering the rest of your trip. You'll be paying twice, but hey, if you save a few bucks, you're still ahead. Just remember you won't be able to make the same claim on both policies.
  • Work out an arrangement with the insurer. If you don't want to double up or pay for cruise insurance when you won't be using it, try contacting an insurer and see if they can create a custom policy for you.

• Can I get insured for my cruise if I have a pre-existing medical condition?

  Yes, it’s possible, especially if you can prove that your pre-existing condition is stable or you haven’t had any significant issues for at least 12 months.

• Am I covered for activities that I'll be doing on the cruise such as snorkelling and other watersports?

  Not necessarily, so check the fine print. You may need to purchase an additional adventure sports pack to make sure you have the cover you need.

• What region should I include when getting cruise insurance?

  When you take out travel insurance, include every country that you'll be visiting. If you miss one, any claim you make could be denied. If you're cruising domestically, probably select the Pacific region, which will usually include New Zealand, Bali, the south-west Pacific and Norfolk region, and the waters in between. If you're still unsure what region to select for your domestic cruise, check out your insurers product disclosure statement (PDS) for confirmation.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Tim Bennett as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Editor, Insurance & Innovations

Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

Gary Ross's expertise

Gary Ross has written 725 Finder guides across topics including:

• Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
• Managing the cost of living

Co-written by

Jessica Prasida

Publisher

Jessica Prasida is a travel insurance expert for Finder. She lives and breathes travel, having worked as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel for over 4 years, then writing about travel insurance with Finder for another 5 years. Jess has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification. See full bio