What Is Cruise Insurance?
A cruise is a big investment; it needs to be insured. And while you probably know a lot about auto or home insurance, you may not know what cruise insurance is – and how it can help you.
Cruise insurance is there to help protect you when certain things go wrong on your cruise, and can reimburse you for money you’ve already spent on the cruise and additional prepaid expenses like shore excursions if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip.
If you think cruise vacations can’t have issues, think about storms delaying your arrival to your original departure port of call. Or a medical emergency while cruising. Or your luggage not making it on the cruise with you.
Cruise insurance can help in all these instances.
Why Should You Consider Buying Cruise Insurance?
You should consider buying cruise insurance if you’re worried that:
Something might happen on your cruise or at your ports-of-call
Something might happen to make you cancel or interrupt your cruise
You might have a medical emergency and have to be evacuated off the ship
Your belongings might be lost, damaged, or stolen
You might not know who to contact in an emergency
How Does Cruise Insurance Work?
Cruise insurance is simple protection for cruises. Buy it before you leave on your cruise (ideally within two weeks of making your initial trip deposit) and rest easy, knowing you’re protected by the financial strength and security of A++ rated Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company.
Should you have a problem on your cruise, we make claim submission easy – and fast.
What Does Cruise Travel Insurance Cover?
Most cruise insurance plans cover medical emergencies, trip cancellation, trip interruption and delay, missed connections, medical evacuation, and lost, damaged, or stolen luggage when you’re on a cruise vacation.
Cruise insurance can also cover cruise ship disablement and pre-existing conditions, depending on when you buy coverage.
Cruise insurance can protect you:
- If you have a medical emergency on your cruise and need treatment
- If you need to be evacuated from the cruise ship to receive medical treatment
- If you die or are severely injured on your cruise
Cruise insurance can also protect your stuff – not only your possessions but the ship you’re sailing on:
- If your ship is unable to sail
- If your cruise ship becomes incapacitated while you’re on board
- If your luggage is lost or stolen
- If a fire or disaster destroys your house or apartment back home, and you have to leave your cruise
Finally, cruise insurance can help protect your experiences by reimbursing you for unused prepaid, non-refundable expenses if covered circumstances force you to cancel or interrupt your trip.
To get into coverage specifics, visit “What Does Cruise Insurance Cover.”
When Should You Buy Cruise Insurance?
The best time to buy cruise insurance is right after booking – but depending on your cruise style and your coverage preferences, you can buy cruise insurance almost up until the moment your cruise sets sail.
It’s helpful to keep in mind that if you buy cruise insurance within two weeks of making the first deposit on your trip, you can often qualify for bonus coverages.
Besides right after booking, other great times to buy cruise insurance include:
50 days before departure
Two weeks before departure
The day before you leave
Get more information on when to buy cruise travel insurance.
How Much Is Cruise Insurance?
Cruise insurance can cost from 5% to 10% of your total trip cost, though that amount can be influenced by:
- Your age
- How much you’re spending on your trip
- The amount of coverage you’re choosing
- The number of people covered under your policy
And some plans may even factor into the price:
- Your destination and ports-of-call
- The length of your cruise
You can learn more about the cost of cruise insurance on our “How Much Is Cruise Insurance?” page.
Where Do You Buy Cruise Insurance?
As you might expect, the places where you buy cruise insurance are the places where you buy cruises, plus the places where you buy insurance.
Basically, that means:
1. Directly from the travel insurance provider
2. Online through a travel insurance aggregator
3. Through a cruise travel professional
4. Through a cruise supplier
5. Through an insurance agent
If your travel professional doesn’t offer you cruise insurance when you book, ask about it. If you book online, search for “cruise insurance” after you book to get the widest selection.
It’s important to choose insurance specifically designed for cruises, like WaveCare® from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection. WaveCare includes cruise-specific coverages that many other travel protection plans lack.
You can find out more about buying through these specific channels on our page titled “Where Do I Buy Cruise Insurance?”
How Do You Buy Cruise Insurance?
Buying cruise insurance is simple. All it takes is five steps:
1. Answer a few questions
2. Get a quote
3. Choose your plan
4. Review the coverage and read your policy
5. Buy coverage
If you have second thoughts, many plans let you cancel coverage without obligation for a time after you buy the policy.
Buying directly from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection is one of the easiest ways to buy cruise insurance. Getting a quote is fast, and there’s no obligation.
For more information about the cruise-insurance buying process, visit our page titled “How Do I Buy Travel Insurance For A Cruise?”
And if you’re ready to get a cruise insurance quote, we’re ready to help.