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Cruise travel insurance is a travel policy with a cruise option added, which extends cover to the risks that only exist at sea: treatment in the ship's medical centre, evacuation from the ship, being confined to your cabin, and missing the ship at a port. Most standard policies do not cover an ocean cruise unless that option is on the policy.
It applies to domestic cruises too. Smartraveller's advice is that if your cruise isn't leaving Australian waters, you still need travel insurance for your health, because you may be unable to claim Medicare or private health insurance on the ship. A domestic travel policy has no medical cover to fall back on, so for a cruise around Australia you generally need a policy with cruise cover, which with many insurers means international cover with a cruise option.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team ยท Last reviewed
On land, a medical emergency usually means an ambulance and the nearest hospital. At sea it means the ship's medical centre, which generally charges as a private service, and possibly an evacuation by helicopter or tender to a port where the local system may be expensive or limited. Smartraveller warns that a helicopter medical evacuation from a ship can cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Those costs are why insurers price cruises separately.
Smartraveller also notes that some ships require cruise-specific insurance before you can board, so check your cruise line's booking conditions as well as the policy. Smartraveller suggests asking whether the ship has a Medicare-accessible doctor on board, because the answer changes what you can claim for treatment at sea.
A cruise also strings together several countries in a short time. If one port of call is in a higher-cost region, such as the United States, it affects the region and the price for the whole trip. And if a port is rated 'Reconsider your need to travel' or 'Do not travel', Smartraveller warns your policy may exclude that destination.
Cruise options vary, but these are the benefits they commonly include on top of standard cover.
| Benefit | What it pays for | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Medical treatment on board | Consultations and treatment in the ship's medical centre | That on-board treatment is covered for domestic as well as international cruises |
| Medical evacuation from the ship | Transfer to a hospital on shore when medically necessary | Whether the insurer must approve it, and any limit |
| Cabin confinement | A daily amount if the ship's doctor confines you to your cabin | The maximum number of days and the medical evidence required |
| Missed port departure | Costs to catch up with the ship when a covered event makes you miss it | Which causes count; running late from a shore tour usually does not |
| Pre-paid shore excursions | Excursions you cannot take because of a covered illness or event | The limit per excursion and in total |
| Itinerary changes | A benefit if ports are skipped because of weather or mechanical problems | Many policies offer little or nothing here; the cruise line's terms apply |
Insurers define a cruise in their Product Disclosure Statement, and the definitions differ. Ocean cruises nearly always need the cruise option. River cruises, such as on European rivers, are treated as a cruise by some insurers and as ordinary land travel by others, because you are never far from a hospital. Overnight ferries are usually not a cruise. Check the definition before paying for an option you do not need, or skipping one you do.
Cruises are popular with older travellers, and a medical problem at sea is harder to manage than one on land. Declare every pre-existing condition and medication for every traveller, and make sure each accepted condition appears on your certificate of insurance. If you need mobility aids or medical equipment on board, check the luggage and equipment limits as well.
Cruise fares are often paid in full months before sailing, with cancellation charges that rise as the departure date approaches. Set the cancellation amount on your policy to cover the non-refundable fare plus flights and pre- or post-cruise accommodation, and buy the policy when you pay the deposit so the cover is in place for the whole run-up.
Gastro outbreaks and other infectious illness spread quickly on ships. A cruise option generally covers your own medical treatment and cabin confinement if you fall ill. It does not usually compensate you because other passengers were ill or because the cruise line changed the itinerary to manage an outbreak; those are matters for the cruise line's own terms.
Yes. Smartraveller's advice is that even if your cruise isn't leaving Australian waters, you still need travel insurance for your health, because you may be unable to claim Medicare or private health insurance on the ship. Look for a policy with cruise cover; with many insurers that means international cover with a cruise option rather than a domestic policy.
Usually not for ocean cruises. Most insurers require you to add a cruise option, which extends the policy to on-board medical treatment, evacuation from the ship, cabin confinement and missed port departures.
A benefit that pays a daily amount if the ship's doctor confines you to your cabin because of illness, up to a set number of days. It compensates for the part of the cruise you lose; the medical treatment itself is covered separately.
It depends on the insurer. Some treat river cruises as a cruise and require the option, others treat them as ordinary land travel. The definition of a cruise is in the PDS.
The one that covers on-board medical treatment and evacuation for your specific itinerary, accepts your pre-existing conditions, and has a cancellation limit that covers the full non-refundable fare. Compare those three points before price.
