What is your cruise destination? Likely it is the Caribbean Sea which spans 2.75 million square kilometers, has roughly seven thousand islands and more than 20 bordering countries. The Caribbean offers sun-bathing temperatures all year round. Or is it old-world allure you are seeking on the Mediterranean Sea?
Cruising may be the easiest way to take a family vacation, explore your inner pirate, enjoy ‘no housekeeping’ time or to simply get away for an exciting and relaxing adventure. With exclusive luxury, a vast array of destination options and planned activities to choose from, a cruise can be your perfect vacation.
While you are planning your cruise, you may not want to think about everything that could go wrong, before or during your adventure. Unforeseen events can put you at risk of losing thousands of dollars. That’s why there are three kinds of travel insurance coverage you need..
Be protected before you leave port with Trip Cancellation travel insurance
You can purchase travel insurance any time before the date of your departure, but it is best to purchase Trip Cancellation coverage as soon as possible after booking your cruise. If you need to cancel your trip before your scheduled departure, trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid cruise travel arrangements that can’t be recovered from another source. The insurance may also pay cancellation penalties that your cruise provider may charge.
Why would you cancel your cruise? Perhaps your travel companion can’t come with you due to a death in their family, or someone in your family is very ill. These situations may over-turn your cruise plan. But here is what really happened to Jeff.
Jeff, a 70-year-old retiree, booked a cruise trip around the Caribbean for the summer*. He had been eager to go—this was his first trip away from home in many years, and he’d even bought travel insurance early on not to forget. Several months before he left for his trip, Jeff began experiencing sharp chest pains and went to get examined by a doctor. His physician strongly advised cancelling his trip because further tests revealed that he had problems requiring additional medical treatment and that he would not be medically fit to travel as planned.
Although Jeff was disappointed to have to cancel his cruise, he appreciated buying TuGo Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance. As a result, TuGo was able to save him the cost of the cancelled cruise and allow him to focus on regaining his health instead.
* Real-Life Traveller Claim Stories: Trip Cancellation by TuGo – based on actual claims with specific traveller details changed to protect privacy
Want more information on what is and isn’t covered by Trip Cancellation Insurance? Read this.
Ensure you are covered with Trip Interruption insurance
Getting to your departure port can sometimes be challenging, especially in the winter. If winter weather makes your port inaccessible or delays your flights, the cruise ship cannot wait for you. Trip Interruption travel insurance may be able to help. More often than not it will help when you need to catch up to your ship in its next port of call and may reimburse you for the reasonable cost of alternate transportation.
Imagine a hurricane hit one of your ports of call during your cruise, or the cruise line has to keep the ship in port for repairs. If your cruise is shortened by two or three days due to these unscheduled events, the cruise line will likely offer a make-up voucher for future travel. That is considered a refund and disqualifies you for a trip cancellation claim. However, with Trip Interruption coverage in place you may be able to file a trip interruption claim if you miss at least 50% of the length of your trip due to a travel carrier delay or other covered reasons. Plus, your travel insurance does provide important protection for other costs you may incur, such as refunds for costs such as a hotel room, meals, and transportation in the event your vacation is interrupted. Your trip interruption coverage may also reimburse you for expenses incurred to get home or to another destination.
There is always a chance you might need to leave the cruise early due to a sudden family emergency. This can mean an immediate need to get off the ship as soon as possible. Trip Interruption travel insurance may help you get home quickly and without the worry of additional costs for a new flight.
Put Emergency Medical Travel Insurance in place
Injuries and illnesses can become particularly expensive at sea, even though cruise ships have medical facilities on board. If you have a serious health crisis, emergency travel medical insurance provides coverage for transport to the nearest appropriate medical facility, or back to a Canadian hospital.
Remember, when you travel outside your home province or territory, even if you’re still in Canada, there are limits on how much your government health insurance plan will pay – and they typically only pay a very small portion of medical expenses incurred abroad. Costs that may not be covered include air and ground ambulance, emergency dental treatment and prescription drug expenses, and fees charged by hospitals or facilities.
Emergency medical travel insurance helps with these costs, so it makes sense to have it when you’re cruising. If you have a medical emergency and don’t have this coverage, you may be facing thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.
Here’s another tip. When you get to your ports of call, carefully consider the activities offered, and make certain you are covered for any high-risk activities. Some travel insurance policies may not cover you if you are injured, during these high-risk activities, so it’s important to understand the specific provisions of your travel insurance before you are tempted to try something risky.
Plan your Cruise travel insurance now
While you search online for your cruise package, go online to SBIS to learn about how you can choose from multiple travel coverage options in minutes. When you book your cruise, don’t wait – get your travel insurance right away. You and your loved ones can rest at ease knowing that your cruise is covered. Packages are available for Emergency Medical coverage for every member of your family. You can also purchase All-Inclusive insurance coverage for Emergency Medical, Trip Cancellation and Interruption, Baggage Loss, Damage and Delay, and Flight and Travel Accidents. If you require any assistance at any time in the travel insurance purchase process, you may call us at 1-800-667-0429 during our regular business hours or email us at general@sbis.ca for prompt service. Bon voyage!
