Cruise Travel Insurance: What It Covers And Why You Might Need It

What Is Travel Insurance?

A cruise is about fun, and it's about relaxation. Of course, there's always a chance an unlucky circumstance will come up to put your fun and relaxation at risk. That's where travel insurance comes in, giving you a fallback plan in case an unforeseen trip delay or mishap disrupts your adventure.

Without travel insurance, it could feel risky to arrange a complex, multi-stage trip like a cruise. That's when you might wonder how something out of your control, like a flight delay, could put a dent in the whole plan. Whether you're working with a Certified Vacation Planner or putting together your cruise trip on your own, deciding whether to add a travel insurance plan is a vital early step in putting together your itinerary.

Travel insurance is specifically designed to cover common scenarios that come up on cruises and other vacations, protecting your investment and keeping your group's trip on track. There are a few different aspects of travel insurance coverage, which include:

● Expense reimbursement: Knowing your expenses will be covered — for example, emergency medical costs or transportation expenses due to injury or illness — helps keep your mind at ease. A trip delay or missed connection doesn't have to put you in the lurch. This kind of trip interruption can be mere blips on the way to a great experience.

● Item replacement: If your luggage suffers damage or disappears into the ether somewhere in transit, it helps to know that there are covered replacement items on the way to keep you cruising in peace. This replacement coverage is another important piece of travel insurance.

The events covered as part of a travel insurance plan can be relatively small, like a single missing bag, or large, like emergency transportation in a medical emergency. The point is that whatever happens to interrupt your trip and put your bliss at risk, you won't have to deal with it out of pocket.

Travel insurance is something to look into when planning your cruise. If you're a first-time cruiser, it can be especially important to review what's available and decide whether to add coverage to your cruise trip.

Do You Need Travel Insurance For A Cruise?

Asking whether you need travel insurance for a cruise means a few things at once. On one level, no, you aren't required to have coverage to get on board. Cruise trip insurance, either the Travel Protection Program or a third-party option, is an optional add-on to your trip.

To decide whether to take this option during cruise planning, you'll have to ask yourself what's best for your comfort and peace of mind. The reasons not to buy travel protection coverage basically come down to minimizing your upfront sticker price. The reasons to do it fall into two major categories:

● Protecting your investment: A good vacation is worth spending on. It can be the highlight of your year and a major milestone, whether you're going with friends, a romantic partner, the whole family or just yourself. Cruise insurance makes sure that your investment doesn't go away in case of an unexpected incident.

● Preserving your peace of mind: Going on a luxurious trip is a good chance to forget about the world for a while. This is easier if you know that everything, from a single bag's disappearance to an emergency medical evacuation, is available and paid for, with no fuss.

Whether you're planning a special event at sea or just want to see a beautiful part of the world, a cruise is a major item on your calendar. How you plan for it is up to you.

How Do You Choose Travel Insurance?

You can pick and choose between cruise insurance plan options while purchasing a package from the cruise line. Booking a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation doesn't mean you can only select the Royal Caribbean Travel Protection Package.

As with any kind of insurance, you can compare and contrast factors such as ease of purchase, coverage comprehensiveness and insurance cost when deciding between cruise travel insurance plans. Each plan, from every travel insurance company, comes with its own terms, exceptions and limitations. The goal is always to find the best cruise ship travel insurance for you.

Royal Caribbean’s liability for loss or damage suffered by guests is limited by the Cruise Ticket Contract. Purchasing a travel insurance policy, whether that means the Royal Caribbean Travel Protection Program or a plan from another travel insurance company, is the way to cover yourself for loss during your cruise vacation.