Insurance tips for ocean and river cruising

Choosing the right travel insurance package when cruising is vital but there are different rules depending on whether you’re going on an ocean cruise or a river cruise.

OCEAN CRUISING

If you’re on an ocean cruise, it’s important to have a travel insurance policy that covers cruising.

+ Urgent medical evacuation costs can be astronomical, and even basic health care costs on board a ship are expensive.

+ Ocean cruising is not automatically covered in most travel insurance policies, so you’ll need to select cruise cover as an add-on.

+ Many cruising companies won’t even let you on board the ship without first seeing your travel insurance policy.

+ Cruise insurance cover will cover you for unexpected medical expenses and medical evacuation, plus things like delays and cancellations, and loss of luggage and personal items.

+ Some adventurous activities on board the ship may be excluded. If you plan to hang five on the ship’s surf simulator or test your mettle on the rock-climbing wall, make sure you check the fine print to see if you’re covered in the event of an injury.

+ Many people mistakenly think that they are covered by Medicare or their private health insurer if they are cruising in Australian waters — but that is not the case — you will still need to add cruise insurance.

RIVER CRUISING

The good news is that most insurers include river cruising in their standard policies. The main reason for this is because it’s not nearly as complicated to get you to dry land for medical treatment if needed. However, this isn’t always the case, so it’s important to do a little research to ensure you are properly protected.

+ As examples, Allianz’ travel insurance policy states that you don’t need to purchase a Cruise Pack if you are going on a river cruise.

+ It’s a similar story with Zoom’s travel insurance which says you don’t need to select a Cruise Pack if you are taking a river cruise or a cruise with one overnight stay providing you select the appropriate geographical region.

+ Travel insurance comparison site comparetravelinsurance.com.au has a comprehensive wrap of what is covered and what is not when it comes to cruising and a list of insurers that automatically includes river cruising in their policies.

+ Always take the time to read your chosen insurer’s policy to ensure you are fully across what is and what isn’t covered.