Travel insurance is a necessity on any voyage leaving the United States and can be helpful on shorter, local cruises, as well. Most health insurance plans do not cover international medical costs, and the care available internationally may not be comparable to the care you receive at home.
It is important that you consider the costs associated with seeking emergency medical attention abroad, as well as procuring new flights home and incidental expenses during your medical stay in a foreign country. These can easily reach tens of thousands of dollars. Travel insurance will cover these expenses in most situations.
Moreover, travel insurance would also cover cancellation of your trip in the event you, your traveling companions or if one of your immediate family members becomes ill. Many of our cancelled trips are because of illness of a non-traveling family member, and this would still be covered under any of our recommended travel insurance policies. Cancellation penalties vary by cruise line, but all cruise lines eventually reach 100% non-refundability between at least 15 to 30 days prior to departure. Please also note that our air-inclusive packages are completely non-refundable after final payment. We highly recommend for our guests to purchase travel insurance. Please refer to our Travel Insurance page for further details.