Sail more and worry less with cruise travel insurance

Cruises can be your boarding pass to ultimate relaxation. But if the tide turns and you become sick or injured, your luggage goes on a trip of its own, or you miss a shore excursion, it can be expensive to make the situation right. Cruise travel insurance cover can help ‘correct the ship’ when things go awry.

If you choose to cruise with us, we can help you worry less about the unknown and be there to care for you when the unexpected happens. Our Cruise Cover can protect you against onboard medical expenses, a worst-case medical evacuation, the cost of replacement luggage and even trip cancellation (up to the cover amount you’ve included in your policy).

Yes, our travel insurance for cruising lets you chart the waters ahead with confidence, knowing you’ve got us – an experienced crew – behind you, always. 

Firstly, you’ll want to make sure you read the PDS to check if our cruise travel insurance cover is a good fit for your trip.

It is? Great. Now it’s time to get a quote for your cruise holiday. You can do this by clicking on the ‘Get quote’ button at the top and bottom of this page, or by calling us for a chat on 1300 72 88 22.  

Our plans don’t automatically include cover for cruises, so here’s how to include our Cruise Cover in your policy. When you’re looking at our quote box, follow these steps: 

1. In the ‘Where are you going?’ section: If you’re going on an overseas ocean or sea going cruise, you’ll need to select the country or region you’re going to – or if you’re going all over, select ‘Anywhere in the world’. If you’ve going on an Australian ocean or sea cruise, choose ‘Domestic cruise’ (not ‘Domestic’). You’ll then be offered an international plan. This may sound a little odd, but you’ll need overseas medical expenses cover for your domestic cruise, and our domestic plans exclude cover for any medical expenses in Australia.  
2. Next, choose the dates of your trip, add the age of the traveller(s) you want to include, and then select ‘Get quote’. Now you can select a plan option that suits you, including whether you want a single trip policy or an annual multi-trip policy if the option is available.
3. You’ll then be asked if you are travelling for two or more nights on a sea or ocean cruise. If you’re reading this because you’re interested in our Cruise Cover and going on a cruise for two or more nights, the answer to this question will need to be ‘Yes’ for cover to be added to your policy. If you select ‘No’, you’ll have no cover for anything related to your cruise. Eek! 
   Slightly-boring-but-important information: If you include our Cruise Cover in your policy, an additional premium will apply. To prove you’ve got cover, Cruise Cover will be listed on your Certificate of Insurance when it arrives in your inbox, along with the rest of your policy information.
4. Continue to follow the prompts to complete your policy purchase (read: tell us your details, declare your existing medical conditions, and tell us how you want to pay), and then buy your policy. Easy. 

Great question. When it comes to our cover, where you’re cruising matters. Here’s what to put in ‘Where are you going?’ section when getting a quote:

• Are you cruising within Australia on an inland waterway (e.g. a Murray River cruise) or within Australian coastal waters (e.g. a Kimberley cruise where the cruise doesn’t leave these waters)? You’ll need to choose or enter ‘Australia’ to get a domestic plan. You don’t need our Cruise Cover for this type of cruise – your base plan will provide the cover you need. (You’re welcome!) 
  
  Are you cruising from a port in Australia to other port(s) in Australia and the cruise ship doesn’t stop at a port outside of Australia (e.g. a cruise from Sydney to Brisbane or a Kimberley cruise that leaves Australian waters)? You’ll need to choose or enter ‘Domestic cruising’, as you’ll need an international plan to ensure you’ve got our Overseas Medical and Dental Expenses cover (including emergency repatriation/evacuation) in your policy. 
  
  Are you cruising overseas, possibly stopping in many destinations (e.g. a European cruise, a Caribbean cruise, or a cruise from Hong Kong to Sydney) or cruising from a port in Australia to another port or ports outside Australia (e.g. Sydney to Singapore)? You’ll need to enter every country you will be travelling to or enter a region. 
  
  Are you going on a Kimberley cruise, but you’re not sure if you’ll be leaving Australian waters? It’s always best to check with your cruise provider before you get cover.

Absolutely. All our plans include cover for 30+ existing medical conditions (if you meet the criteria in the PDS, of course), whether you’re hitting the high seas or sticking to land.  

If your condition(s) aren’t all on this list or you don’t meet all the criteria for cover to apply automatically, you can take the online medical assessment during the quote process to apply for cover for all your conditions. If we’re happy to provide cover for your medical condition(s), you may – or may not! – have to pay extra to include the cover in your policy. We’ll let you know when you complete the assessment.  

Oh, and if you decide to tell us about some medical conditions and not others – or don’t want to pay more to include cover for any condition(s) – you run the risk of related claims being denied. Don’t say we didn’t tell you!

Want to know more? Head to our existing medical conditions page for all the details.

It’s always smart to pack travel insurance, but when it comes to our Cruise Cover, there are a couple situations where you won’t need it. Why? Sometimes our base plan can provide you with the cover you need. 

If you are:

• cruising on an international river cruise (e.g. on the Rhine or the Danube River)
• cruising on an Australian river cruise (e.g. on the Murray River)
• cruising in Australian coastal waters (e.g. certain Kimberley cruises)
• not cruising on a cruise ship on the sea or ocean
• only cruising on a cruise ship on the sea or ocean for only one night
• travelling on a ferry  
• sailing  

…then you don’t need to include our Cruise Cover in your policy.

Nope. Cruises are their own unique kind of holiday, so we keep this cover separate to our base plans.  

This means if you’re travelling for two or more nights on a sea or ocean cruise, you’ve got to tell us when getting a quote so we can provide you with the cover you’ll need.

So, if you’re taking a multi-night cruise (except for river cruises), you must answer ‘Yes’ when asked about cruising on the ocean or sea when prompted during the quote process. You’ll have to pay the additional premium to include the cover in your policy, but if it means you can relax more and worry less, it’s worth it, right?

To dive into the details of our travel insurance cover for cruises, read the PDS.

Cruising is for the young – and the young at heart. This is why our Cruise Cover is useful for all travellers, whether you’re 29 or 79. (That said, if you’re 100 or over and still hitting the high seas, we can’t sell you a policy online, so give us a buzz and let’s chat.)

Yes, all our plans include some cover for COVID-19 (because the pesky virus is still out there). If you include our Cruise Cover in your policy and you fall ill with COVID-19 while on board a cruise, we can help you financially and provide emergency assistance support if you need it.  

We suggest taking a snoop at the PDS and our COVID-19 page for all the details, including what is and isn’t covered for COVID-19-related situations while you’re on a multi-night cruise.

You can, but we always recommend buying cover before you leave home. If you’re already on board and realise you’ve forgotten to pack travel insurance, we can help.  

You can get a quote using the current date as your departure date and buy your policy as normal, but here’s the only catch: you’ll have a 3-day ‘no cover’ period. This means if you have a holiday hiccup during this time (read: you miss a port or need to see a doctor on board), you won’t have cover. But once those three days are over? Your cover kicks into gear.

You can still call us if you need our help during those three days – we’re always here for you – but you just won’t have financial cover for any incidents that occur.

To find out how much it costs to include our cruise travel insurance cover in your policy whether you’ve left home or not, get a quote online now.

How annoying! If you (or your bags) miss the boat because of a delayed connection, our Cruise Cover option may be able to get you back on board.

If the cruise ship takes off without your bags, and your Cover-More policy includes our Cruise Cover option, our delayed luggage cover can reimburse you for reasonable expenses incurred to replace delayed items.

If you’re planning on travelling with expensive items, you might want additional cover if you want them insured. This extra level of cover can be added to your policy when you buy it.

For more information regarding our delayed luggage cover and benefit limits, read the PDS.

Our Cruise Cover includes onboard medical and emergency dental cover, plus ship-to-shore medical cover if you need to get help on dry land. This means if you get sick or injured, we can help – whether it’s financially or accessing the health care you need. As always check the PDS for the terms and conditions of our medical cover before you buy. 

You can call our 24-hour emergency assistance team whenever you need to ask for help – even if you’ve just got questions. But if you do end up being hospitalised while you’re on the cruise, please contact us as soon as it’s safe (or a loved one to do it). You never know how we’ll be able to offer you support!

Useful cover bits and bobs for cruisers of all ages:

• If you require urgent medical attention, you may need to be evacuated from your cruise ship and taken to hospital. If you do, don’t stress – this isn’t our assistance team’s first rodeo. We know how to help you and get you to where you need to be, safely.
• While cruise ships do have medical assistance on board, the medics are usually only there to stabilise your condition. If you can’t get the help you need without leaving the ship, we’ll help you get to the care you need on land.

Cruise ships are fabulous, but they are usually only equipped with basic medical assistance. If you need more detailed medical attention to prevent long-term medical illness or death, you will need to be evacuated from the ship.

You’ll be delighted to know our Cruise Cover can protect you from having to fork out for your medical evacuation costs, which can be super-expensive. For more information, check out the PDS or look at the cover table at the top of this very page.

Lucky you, you international traveller, you. We are all for cruises with multiple stops, so we’re here to cover you.  

When getting a quote, you can select multiple destinations under ‘Where are you going?’. You can even select a region – such as ‘All of Africa’ or ‘All of Europe’ – or ‘Anywhere in the world’ to cover you when you’re cruising through multiple destinations.

Then, when we ask you if you’re travelling on a sea or ocean-going cruise for two or more nights, select ‘Yes’. You’ll have to pay the additional premium to get cover, but once you do, you can worry less knowing we’re here for you.  

Want a bit more help getting your head around protecting your multi-country cruise? Call us on 1300 72 88 22.

We're sorry to hear this! If sudden illness, injury, or an unexpected weather event stops you from hoisting the flag of adventure on your cruise, our Cruise Cover can help.  

It includes cover for non-refundable, unused, prepaid expenses (such as deposits or onshore bookings) if your situation meets the criteria in the PDS, up to the level of cancellation cover you added to your policy. Just be sure to include Amendment and Cancellation Costs cover in your policy when prompted to access it.

Don't forget: the cover limit for cruise cancellation depends on the Amendment and Cancellation Costs cover you choose when buying your policy. Check out the PDS for details.

Good news: you can do it online at anytime from anywhere! Our straight-forward claims process means you’re able to quickly upload the documents you need to file for your claim with ease. Just head over to our online claims tool to begin.  

You'll hear back from us within 10 working days of us receiving your claim, but if you need to know more, we’re here for you. Call us on 1300 36 26 44.

If you can’t use the online tool, you can post your claim to us, and you’ll find the details of what you’ll need and the address to post to here.