The appeal of cruises is that so many of the activities and amenities are included for you. But you may want to add cruise insurance to your packing list.

You may not always be required to have travel insurance for a cruise vacation, but having cruise travel insurance may ease your mind if an unforeseen event were to occur on your trip.

What Is Cruise Travel Insurance?

Cruise travel insurance is an added layer of coverage to your travel plans, specifically geared toward cruise trips. It is a type of travel insurance you would purchase specifically geared to protect against cruise-specific incidents:

• Port-of-call itinerary changes made by the cruise line

• Last-minute cancellations made by the cruise line

• Ship mechanical problems or breakdowns

• Disruptions to shipboard services

• Missed port connection
  

Where travel insurance covers protection against injury or illness, expenses for lost luggage, or cancellations, cruise travel insurance can cover those, plus events that may happen on your cruise. Cruise travel insurance typically includes benefits for:

• Trip interruptions

• Trip cancellations

• Medical evacuations or emergencies

• Sickness or injury

• Ship disablement

• Lost luggage

• Missed connection

• Inclement Weather

  Cruise travel insurance can reimburse eligible prepaid, non-refundable expenses such as airfare, hotels, and expedition deposits.

  AXA’s Cruise Explorer plan includes benefits for many of these situations, including Missed Port of Call, Itinerary Change, and Missed Connection. It also includes Travel Inconvenience, which applies to qualifying disruptions such as a covered cruise diversion or being confined onboard without essential services.

Does Cruise Travel Insurance Cover My Flight?

Yes! AXA’s Travel Protection plans can offer coverage for certain prepaid, non-refundable expenses, such as airfare, associated with your cruise. Additionally, many plans offer missed connection coverage, which helps if you miss your cruise due to flight delays. Under AXA’s Cruise Explorer plan, Missed Connection may reimburse up to $2,000 when a covered delay of 3 hours or more causes you to miss your cruise.

You can also benefit from baggage delay coverage, for essential items if your luggage is delayed. Cruise Explorer’s Baggage Delay benefit may reimburse up to $ 500( $250 per day) when bags are delayed 6 hours or more. It’s essential to review the specific travel insurance coverage details in your plan document to understand what is included.

Is Cruise Travel Insurance Mandatory?

Not always. Cruise travel insurance may not always be required; some carriers may allow you to board without it. Emergencies can occur anywhere, anytime, and you don’t want to be without coverage if any unfortunate situation arises on your cruise trip (or before it).

Do I need Travel Insurance for Domestic Cruises?

Your cruise line may or may not require travel insurance to cover your medical expenses and emergency evacuations, but there can be several other situations that may warrant travel insurance. For instance, if you’re on a river cruise, last-minute cancellations or unforeseen events like bad weather can disrupt your plans. These include last-minute cancellations or unforeseen events like bad weather, ship breakdowns causing significant delays, itinerary changes, or missing your ship.

Does AXA Travel Insurance Cover Cruises?

Yes, AXA offers travel protection benefits to help cruisers steer with confidence on their next cruise voyage. AXA’s Cruise Explorer plan includes benefits specific to cruise travel, alongside core travel insurance benefits. The specific coverage provided can vary depending on the plan you choose, but some of the common coverages that may be included in AXA Travel Insurance for cruises are:

• Trip Cancellation: This coverage can reimburse you for non-refundable expenses if you have to cancel your cruise due to a covered reason such as illness or injury.

• Trip Interruption: This coverage can offer reimbursement for unused portions of your cruise if you have to interrupt your trip due to a covered reason, such as a medical emergency.

• Emergency Medical and Dental Expenses: This coverage may assist with payment for medical or dental expenses incurred while on your cruise due to illness or injury due to a covered reason.

• Emergency Evacuation: This coverage may include payment for emergency medical transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility due to a covered reason such as illness or injury while on your cruise and require medical attention that is not available on the ship.

• Baggage Loss or Delay: This coverage can reimburse you for the cost of replacing lost or delayed baggage.

• Missed Port of Call (Cruise Explorer): This coverage may reimburse up to $500 if your ship skips a scheduled port for a covered reason.

• Itinerary Change (Cruise Explorer): This coverage may reimburse up to $500 if the cruise line changes your itinerary before departure without your approval. A separate benefit may reimburse up to $500 for eligible unused prepaid shore excursions affected by an itinerary change during the cruise.

• Travel Inconvenience (Cruise Explorer): This coverage may provide a payment of up to $250 for qualifying disruptions, such as a covered cruise diversion or being confined onboard without essential services.

COVID coverage: If your trip is interrupted or even cancelled due to COVID**-19 as a covered reason, eligible** unused prepaid expenses may be reimbursed, subject to the plan’s terms and conditions.

Around-the-Clock Assistance Services: Separate from travel insurance benefits, non-insurance assistance services are provided by AXA Assistance USA, Inc. These include travel and medical assistance, concierge services, and emergency travel services, which can be helpful if you need assistance during your cruise.

Disclaimer: It’s important to note that the specific coverage and terms and conditions of each plan can vary, so it’s a good idea to review the plan document carefully to understand the coverage provided and any exclusions or limitations that may apply

How Does Cruise Travel Insurance Work?

Like other travel insurance, you need to be sure you purchase cruise insurance well before your trip. Most agencies recommend you purchase within 14 days of paying for your trip deposit. However, you can buy travel insurance any time after the initial trip payment and before cruise departure. The earlier you purchase the plan, the greater your coverage window. And, like other travel insurance, you’re offered reimbursement or protection against covered incidents. Talk with a licensed agent today to get specifics for your plan’s notification window.

How Much Does Cruise Insurance Cost?

You can expect cruise insurance to run around 5-8% of your total trip prepaid expense cost.
Fill out the AXA quote form to get the plan options as per your requirements.

Does your health insurance cover medical expenses onboard a ship?

Many people assume that their health insurance will cover any medical expenses that may be incurred on domestic cruises—but this isn’t always the rule. Some health insurance providers do not offer medical coverage onboard a ship or if it is an international cruise.

Be sure to check with your healthcare insurance provider before departing. AXA’s Cruise Explorer plan includes Emergency Accident & Sickness coverage of up to $100,000 and Emergency Medical Evacuation coverage of up to $250,000, subject to the plan’s terms and conditions.

Do you or your traveling companion have a pre-existing condition?

AXA offers a pre-existing condition waiver on Explorer Select, Explorer Elite, and Cruise Explorer. The availability and terms of coverage for pre-existing medical conditions may vary depending on the specific plan you choose, the nature of your condition, and your state of residency. 

If you have a pre-existing medical condition and wish to obtain coverage under an AXA travel protection plan, you will need to meet certain criteria:

• Your pre-existing medical condition was diagnosed 60 days prior to your effective plan date

• Your premium for pre-existing medical coverage is received within the time-sensitive period of 14 days of the initial trip deposit date

• You are medically able to travel on your departure date
  

Travel Insurance & Credit Cards

Many major credit card companies offer travel protections, such as trip cancellation or trip interruption reimbursement benefits. In fact, many people even redeem credit card points to fund their travel.

However, it’s important to note that cruise travel insurance may offer additional protection that isn’t covered by your basic credit card benefit. Explorer Select and Explorer Elite offer Cancel for Any Reason, and Cruise Explorer offers it as an optional upgrade. AXA plans also include benefits for baggage loss, medical expenses, and missed connections that may go beyond basic credit card protections.

Do I Need Specific Travel Insurance for a Cruise?

Cruise ships have unique risks, including potential medical emergencies and missed connections due to port delays. Standard travel insurance may not cover these situations adequately.

Cruise travel insurance plans typically include emergency medical coverage that applies to treatment at onboard medical facilities. Additionally, missed connection coverage is crucial if your travel plans change unexpectedly.

AXA’s Cruise Explorer plan combines core benefits like Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, and Emergency Accident & Sickness with cruise-specific benefits such as Missed Port of Call, Itinerary Change, and Travel Inconvenience. It covers trips of up to 90 days, with a maximum insured trip cost of $40,000.

AXA travel insurance offers five plans: Explorer Standard, Select, Elite, OnTrip and North America Explorer. Travelers can choose the one that best suits their needs after comparing the different coverages offered.

How Do I Get Cruise Travel Insurance?

Check out AXA’s Travel Plan Guide to see which plan is right for you.

Need Help Choosing a Plan?

Speak with one of our licensed representatives or our 24/7 multilingual Insurance advisors to find the coverage you need for your next cruise trip. From Medical Coverage to Trip Cancellation protection, our team of travel experts will help you choose the right coverage.

Receive a free quote within minutes
Or call us at  855-327-1441 to speak with our licensed Travel Insurance Advisors.
Monday-Saturday, 8AM-7PM Central Time

Disclaimer

AXA Assistance cannot guarantee the availability of assistance services everywhere or under all conditions, as there may be times when circumstances beyond AXA’s control hinder its endeavors to provide services.

The insurance benefits in the Silver, Gold and Platinum plans are underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies including Nationwide Life Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio. Benefits are administered by AXA Assistance USA, Inc. (in California, doing business as AXA Assistance Insurance Services, License Number 0H74893). Non-insurance assistance services are provided by AXA Assistance USA, Inc. and are not underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

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