Financially sunk if you sail without right cover
MakE sure you have the right travel insurance when booking a cruise or you could end up all at sea.
Only a third of travel policies cover cruise holidays as standard and you could be left shelling out if you fall ill on board.
You will have to pay the ship’s medical officer for any treatment or in a medical emergency fund the cost of being airlifted to a hospital hundreds of miles away.
You may also be left high and dry if, say, you miss your ship’s scheduled departure or are confined to your cabin with a contagious illness such as norovirus.
More than 1,750 travel insurance policies were reviewed by the comparison site GoCompare.com, which found that only a third of single trip and 37 per cent of annual policies provide cover for cruises as standard, while some exclude cover or charge an additional premium. Some insurers offer cruise-specific cover but financial protection varies greatly so check the policy meets your needs.
alex Edwards, travel insurance expert at GoCompare, said cruise holidays are booming in popularity but can be more expensive than other types of breaks: “It is important to ensure you have the right travel insurance otherwise you could be left seriously out of pocket.”
He said cruises are like several different holidays rolled into one so you need to make sure all your destinations and activities are covered and you can claim compensation for changes to itineraries.
You may also need higher limits for loss or damage to baggage.