Cruise Travel Insurance Benefits
Protect your cruise holiday from medical expenses and more
Whether you’re on a cruise to the Pacific Islands, sailing through the Caribbean, or exploring the seas of Australia’s tropical north, cruise travel insurance benefits can help protect your trip from costs if something goes wrong.
At Cover-More, our goal is to provide you with quality cruise insurance benefits to help keep you safe. If you’re going on a multi-night cruise on the sea or ocean, you must tell us about your cruise for Cruise Cover to be added to your policy and an extra premium will apply. (This cover is not required for river cruises within Australia or international destinations.)
Still deciding whether to take a cruise or not? Read our helpful guides on how to choose the best cruise for you, and essential travel advice for your cruise. (Plus, check out our useful holiday preparation list, too.)
If you have specific questions about our Cover-More cruise insurance benefits, read our Cruise Cover benefits FAQs.
Skip to read:
- Why do I need cruise travel insurance benefits?
- Will Medicare cover me for a cruise in Australia?
- What happens if I get sick on a cruise?
- Does Cover-More travel insurance include cruise insurance benefits?
- What are Cover-More's cruise travel insurance benefits?
- How do I buy Cover-More's Cruise Cover?
- Do Cover-More's cruise travel insurance benefits cover medical costs?
- Do Cover-More's Cruise Cover benefits cover emergency evacuations?
- Does Cover-More travel insurance cover existing medical conditions on a cruise?
Why do I need cruise travel insurance benefits?
Cruises are a great way to relax, bask in the sun and enjoy the sea breeze while exploring new destinations. So, it may come as a shock if your cruise experience isn’t exactly smooth sailing.
From delayed luggage to falling seasick, it can be difficult to predict what will happen on board – let alone the money you may lose if you must cancel your cruise before you even leave home.
Cruise Cover benefits can provide cover for medical costs on board, help you if you need to be medically evacuated off the ship, and provide reimbursement for lost luggage and non-refundable expenses (up to the cancellation amount you have added to your policy).
To enjoy the cruise holiday you deserve, we recommend you consider travel insurance for cruising for extra peace of mind, and support when you need it most.
Will Medicare cover me for a cruise in Australia?
No. Cruise ships are not obligated to have doctors registered to practice in Australia on board. This means if you visit a doctor on board, it may not be covered by Medicare and you may end up with out-of-pocket expenses.
This is why you should consider travel insurance for any cruises you take in Australia.
At Cover-More, our International plans include overseas medical expenses cover when you enter/select “Domestic Cruising” as your travel area and when you tell us about your cruise when you purchase travel insurance.
Our Cover-More cruise insurance international plans can include cruise cover when you tell us you are travelling on a sea or ocean cruise for two or more nights.
What happens if I get sick on a cruise?
Domestic and international cruise ships do offer onboard medical assistance, but the medical staff are only there to stabilise your condition.
If you require urgent medical attention while on a cruise, you may need to be evacuated from your cruise and taken to hospital – which can be extremely costly depending on where you are in the world.
That’s where cruise travel insurance benefits can help when cruise cover is added to your international plan.
With our Cover-More cruise insurance benefits included in your policy, we can not only assist with medical costs, but you’ll have our expert 24-hour Emergency Assistance team on hand to help if you are hospitalised.
Does Cover-More travel insurance include cruise insurance benefits?
Travel insurance benefits for cruising are automatically included in our Cover-More travel insurance plans when you tell us you are travelling for two or more nights on a sea or ocean cruise.
If you are taking a multi-night cruise (except for river cruises within Australia), you must answer “Yes” to the question “Will you be travelling on an ocean or sea cruise for two or more nights?” and pay the additional premium to be protected in the event something goes wrong on your cruise. (This cover is not required for river cruises within Australia or international destinations.)
To see full details of our cruise insurance benefits, read the PDS.
What are Cover-More's cruise travel insurance benefits?
Our Cruise Cover provides travellers with many benefits to assist if an accident, mishap, or delay occurs on their cruise holiday.
Our Cruise Cover benefits and benefit limits per adult are as follows:
| Benefit | Benefit Limit |
|---|---|
| Cruise Cancellation | $Cover Chosen^ |
| Onboard Medical and Dental Cover | $Unlimited~ |
| Ship-to-Shore Medical Cover | $Unlimited~ |
| Sea Sickness Cover | $Unlimited~ |
| Cabin Confinement | Up to a maximum of $1,500 |
| Missed Port (embarkation) | $1,000 |
| Missed Shore Excursions | $1,000 |
Please refer to the PDS for limits, sub-limits, exclusions, and conditions that may apply to our travel insurance benefits for cruising.
Ready to get a quote? You can generate one online now.
How do I buy Cover-More's Cruise Cover?
Ready to book your cruising holiday and purchase our Cruise Cover to protect it? You can buy a travel insurance policy with cruise benefits through our website or by calling us on 1300 72 88 22.
To get a cruise quote online:
- Enter the area of travel you want cover for in the quote box. For international trips with cruises, choose the country, region, or “Anywhere in the World”. For domestic trips with cruises, choose “Domestic Cruise” – not “Domestic” – and an international plan with overseas medical expenses will be available. Our Domestic plans exclude cover for any medical expenses in Australia. (See below for more details on choosing your destination.)
- Select the dates of your first trip.
- Enter in the ages of travellers.
- Click ‘Get Quote’ to go to the next page.
- Select the best plan for you from the options displayed on the screen, including whether you want a Single Trip policy or an Annual Multi-Trip policy if the option is available to you.
- You’ll then be asked if you are travelling for two or more nights on a sea or ocean cruise. By selecting “Yes”, an additional premium will be added to your policy, and the cruise benefits will be included when the Certificate of Insurance is issued.
- Continue down the page to fill in the rest of your details.
- Declare any of your existing medical conditions.
- Pay for your policy.
Additional helpful information on how to choose the correct destination when getting a quote:
- If you’re 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 does not leave these waters), please chose or enter “Australia” for a Domestic Plan.
- If you're cruising from a port in Australia to another port(s) in Australia that does not stop at a port outside of Australia (e.g. a cruise from Sydney to Brisbane or a Kimberley cruise that leaves Australian waters), please choose or enter “Domestic Cruising” for an International plan which includes SECTION 1: Overseas Medical and Dental (including emergency repatriation/evacuation).
- If you're cruising overseas, possibly stopping in many destinations (e.g. a European river cruise, a Caribbean cruise or a cruise from Hong Kong to Sydney) or from a port in Australia to another port or ports outside Australia (e.g. Sydney/ Singapore), please enter every country you will be travelling to or enter a region.
Before purchasing our cruise travel insurance, read the PDS to ensure a Cover-More policy is right for you.
Do Cover-More's cruise travel insurance benefits cover medical costs on board?
Yes, our Cruise Cover benefits can provide cover for medical expenses incurred on board the ship and if you are offloaded from the ship. Without this type of cruise insurance benefit, you could be out of pocket hundreds or thousands of dollars for a medical incident that happens whilst on a cruise.
One Cover-More customer visited their onboard cruise doctor after a sniffle that developed into influenza. Although quick, the doctor’s visit resulted in a $700 medical fee. Luckily, they had a Cover-More policy with Cruise Cover, and we were able to settle their claim.
To find out how much it costs to protect your cruise, get a Cover-More quote online now.
Note: our claims are subject to approval.
Do Cover-More's Cruise Cover benefits cover emergency evacuations?
Our cruise insurance benefits are vital in helping protect you against more serious medical claims, especially those that result in your emergency evacuation from a cruise.
It doesn’t matter if you’re on a cruise off the shores of Australia or on an overseas cruise, if you’re in the middle of the sea or ocean, it can be incredibly expensive to be transported to the nearest hospital via air or sea.
In 2016, one of our customers fractured their leg on a cruise ship in the South Pacific. The air ambulance cost to bring them back to Australia for surgery totalled $86,000.
To protect your cruise with Cover-More, get a quote online or call 1300 72 88 22.
Does Cover-More travel insurance cover existing medical conditions on a cruise?
Not all existing medical conditions are automatically included in our plans, so you will need to go through the same medical assessment process we use for general travel.
If all of your conditions do not meet the existing medical condition criteria to be automatically included, you will need to complete an online medical assessment and if the cover is approved, pay the extra premium to us for cover. Ensure you disclose all your existing conditions to ensure you have the right cover.
You can visit our existing medical conditions (EMC) page to view a comprehensive list of conditions we cover.
Please note: if you are not approved for your existing medical conditions, we can still provide cover for lost luggage and travel documents, and any illness or injury not relating to your EMC.
Got more questions? Find your answers over on our dedicated FAQs for cruise travel insurance page.
Want us to protect your cruise holiday?
Find our Cruise Cover and get ready to set sail.
~ Cover will not exceed 12 months from onset of the illness, condition, or injury.
^Cover chosen applies per policy.
If you do not tell us about your cruise, claims in any way related to your multi-night cruise, and multi-night cruise travel or that arise while on a multi-night cruise are specifically excluded by this policy.