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Hey cruisers! I’m going on my first big cruise next year and I’m on the fence about buying cruise insurance. It adds a few hundred dollars to the total cost, and I’m wondering if it’s really worth it. Have you ever been really glad you had it, or do you think it’s mostly an unnecessary expense? Trying to decide if I should shell out the extra cash. What’s your experience?
I used to think travel insurance was unnecessary since my credit card offered some benefits. However, when a flight cancellation caused me to miss the first day of my cruise, my credit card’s coverage was secondary and didn’t fully cover the missed port excursion. Now, for trips where I’ve invested a significant amount, like a $5700 cruise, the $220 I spend on a separate, more comprehensive policy gives me better protection for various unexpected events.
I recently had a kidney stone attack on board a ship, and my travel insurance paid the medical costs without any problems. The $150 I spent on coverage for my family of four was well worth it when compared to the over $400 bill for the ship’s doctor and an injection. This experience taught me that even seemingly minor medical issues on a cruise can be surprisingly expensive.
I always use insuremytrip.com to compare different policies, and for a recent $2200 cruise, I found a policy for about $150. It’s important to read the fine print, though, because cheaper “Cancel For Any Reason” (CFAR) policies often have many loopholes. Make sure the policy covers what’s important to you, whether it’s medical, evacuation, or cancellation.
As an older cruiser, unexpected health events are a bigger concern for me. For my last cruise, the insurance was less than $100, and it covered things like medical emergencies and trip interruptions. Seeing stories of people being airlifted off ships with bills upwards of $40,000 makes me realize that the cost of insurance is minimal compared to that potential financial burden.
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