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The unexpected can happen anywhere, whether you’re traveling via car, airplane, or boat. But if you’re planning a cruise, you’ll want to make sure you have insurance coverage that is specifically geared toward cruising. That way, you can relax knowing you have the financial protection you need in case of travel delays, medical expenses, trip cancellations, and more.

As with any travel insurance, you’ll want to make sure you’re covered for things like medical emergencies. But more cruise-specific coverage will include things like missed port of call and medical evacuation coverage. Luckily, there are a variety of great options available. And to help you find the best cruise insurance for your needs, we’ve compiled a list of the top seven providers.

Best overall: Nationwide

Best for affordable premiums: AXA 

Best for seniors: Seven Corners

Best for a cruise-specific policy: AIG Travel Guard

Best for high coverage amounts: HTH Worldwide

Best for adventure-seeking cruisers: World Nomads

Best for long-distance cruises: Travelex 

Compare the best cruise ship travel insurance companies

Best overall: Nationwide

Nationwide is a long-standing and reputable brand within the insurance marketplace that offers cruise insurance plans with solid coverage and reasonable rates.

It has three cruise insurance options: Universal, Choice, and Luxury. The Choice plan, for example, offers $100,000 in emergency medical coverage and $500,000 in emergency medical evacuation coverage.

The right plan for you depends on your budget and coverage needs. But each plan offers cruise-specific coverages like ship-based mechanical breakdowns, coverage for missed prepaid excursions if your cruise itinerary changes, and covered service disruptions aboard the cruise ship.

Best for affordable premiums: AXA 

AXA offers three comprehensive coverage plans: Gold, Silver, and Platinum. Each of these plans offers coverage for issues like missed flights, medical emergencies, lost luggage, and more.

The highest-tier Platinum plan provides $250,000 in medical emergency coverage and $1 million in medical evacuation coverage. The baggage loss coverage is $3,000 per person, and their missed connection coverage is $1,500 per person for cruises and tours. 

In addition, travelers can take advantage of AXA’s concierge service, which provides an extensive network of international service providers. They’ll be able to assist you with things like restaurant reservations and referrals, golf course information, and more. This service could come in handy if you’re stopping at a variety of unfamiliar destinations during your cruise.

The coverage limits on AXA’s policies are on the higher end compared to other providers. And you can buy coverage for a little as 4% of your trip cost depending on your age, travel destination, and state of residence.

Best for seniors: Seven Corners

With Seven Corners cruisers enjoying their golden years can travel knowing they’re covered in the event of an accident or emergency. While other providers do offer coverage to those 80+ years old, Seven Corners is known for its affordable premiums while offering above-average medical expenses and medical evacuation coverage limits — two areas of travel insurance coverage that are even more important as we get older.

Seven Corners also offers the option of a preexisting conditions waiver and CFAR insurance at an additional cost, plus “Trip Interruption for Any Reason” coverage, which you won’t find on many policies. 

You can choose between the RoundTrip Basic or RoundTrip Choice plans, with the higher-tier Choice plan costing more but providing more coverage.

Best for a cruise-specific policy: AIG Travel Guard

AIG Travel Guard offers coverage specifically designed for cruising with three different plans: Deluxe, Preferred, and Essential. When you get a quote online, the first question you’ll be asked is whether you’re flying, cruising, or doing both or neither. Choose cruising, and you’ll be covered (up to the allowed amount) for things like trip delay, interruption, and cancellation. Along with coverage for inclement weather and damaged, lost, or stolen baggage and travel documents.  

As an example, the middle-tier Preferred plan offers $50,000 in medical emergency coverage and $500,000 in emergency evacuation coverage. The Preferred and Deluxe plans also offer CFAR as an upgrade.

Best for high coverage amounts: HTH Worldwide

HTH Worldwide offers three levels of trip protection: TripProtector Economy, Classic, and Preferred. The higher the tier, the more coverage you’ll get for things like baggage delays, trip delays & cancellations, and medical expenses. But their premiums remain reasonable even at the highest tier of coverage. 

Not only does the HTH Worldwide Trip Protector Preferred plan offer higher-than-average medical emergency and evacuation coverage limits ($500,000 and $1 million, respectively), but you’ll also get a baggage loss coverage limit of $2,000 per person and coverage for trip interruption of up to 200% of the trip cost. You also have the option to add CFAR coverage for an additional cost.

Best for adventure-seeking cruisers: World Nomads

For many years now, World Nomads has been a top choice for comprehensive travel insurance. And it’s a great option when it comes to cruise coverage, too.

Even the most basic Standard Plan comes with $100,000 in medical emergency coverage and $300,000 in emergency evacuation coverage. And you’ll get higher coverage limits with their Premium Plan. Plus, unlike many other providers, World Nomads trip cancellation and emergency medical coverage includes COVID-19-related issues.

What sets World Nomads apart from many other insurance companies is that its policies cover  200+ adventure sports. This can be important for adventurous cruisers who plan to take part in activities like jet skiing, scuba diving, or parasailing during their cruise.

Best for long-distance cruises: Travelex 

Travelex Insurance Services offers two different travel insurance plans, the Travel Basic plan and the Travel Select Plan. What’s a bit unique about the Travel Select plan is that it will cover trips of up to 364 days, making it a great option for long-distance cruising. Many providers only offer coverage for trips of 30 days or less. 

With the Travel Select Plan, you’ll be covered for up to $50,000 in medical emergency costs and for up to $500,000 for medical evacuation and repatriation costs. You’ll also have the option to pay for increased medical emergency coverage of up to $100,000, increased medical evacuation coverage of up to $1 million, and CFAR insurance.

Our methodology

When comparing cruise travel insurance providers, we evaluated them based on the following criteria:

You can read more about your ratings process here.

How to pick the best cruise insurance for you

When buying travel insurance for a cruise, consider the additional risks that are specific to cruising. These include hurricanes and other weather-related concerns, strict cancellation terms, high pre-paid costs of a cruise, and the distance to emergency medical assistance.

To find the policy that’s right for you, it’s best to compare several different cruise insurance policies based on the pricing and coverage they provide. Remember too that all reputable insurance providers will offer a “free-look period.” This allows you to return the policy you’ve purchased for any reason, within a specific time period, for a full refund.

The most important coverages to look for in cruise insurance are:

• Medical coverage — This coverage will pay for medical bills outside the US. But because treatment can be more expensive while onboard, make sure your policy offers sufficient coverage ($100,000+).
• Medical evacuation coverage — This coverage will transport you to the nearest hospital or even back home if you become sick or injured during your journey. But an evacuation from sea will be more expensive than one from land. So you’ll want to make sure your coverage has sufficiently high limits ($250,000+).
• COVID-19 coverage — The coronavirus is now considered a “known” event, meaning standard travel insurance won’t cover issues that arise from COVID-19. So, you’ll want to consider any add-on coverage your provider offers to cover COVID-19 related illnesses. 
• Missed connection (missed port of call) coverage — This type of coverage will help you catch up to your itinerary if you miss your port of call for a covered reason, like a delayed flight on the way to the airport. 
• Coverage for hurricane warnings — With this type of coverage, you don’t actually need to be affected by the hurricane. You can cancel and be reimbursed for your trip if the NOAA issues a hurricane warning. If you’re cruising anywhere during (or on the tail ends) of hurricane season, this can come in handy. Just note: You can’t buy travel insurance to cover a weather event once a storm or hurricane has been named.
• Cancel for any reason (CFAR) — This is the most comprehensive coverage you can get, as it allows cancellations and reimbursement for pre-paid expenses for any reason. This can be a wise add-on for cruise coverage given the often higher prepaid expenses associated with cruising. 
• Preexisting conditions — This coverage ensures that no known health conditions are excluded from coverage. 
• Personal possessions insurance — Because of the events and fancy dinners cruise ships hold, you might take more valuable clothing or jewelry with you on a cruise. This type of coverage will insure your belongings against loss or theft while cruising.
• Baggage loss and delay — This coverage will reimburse you up to a specified amount for essentials if your bags are delayed or if your bags get lost en route.

FAQs

Meghan Hunter

Meghan Hunter is a personal finance and travel expert who has been writing about travel, credit cards, and miles and points since 2015. Previously, she worked as a writer and editor at Million Mile Secrets and The Points Guy. She covers travel, credit cards, and travel insurance for Personal Finance insider.
Beyond travel, she’s passionate about real estate investing and encouraging women toward financial independence. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her looking for her next investment or reviewing her retirement goals.
Meghan lives in Portugal with her adventure-loving daughter. 

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Lina Roby

Insurance Editor, LIA, MLO

Lina Roby (she/her) is a Personal Finance Insurance editor at Insider. She covers pet, travel, auto, and other common insurance products. She is also a licensed property & casualty insurance agent. Her goal is to help readers make informed decisions for all their insurance needs and plan for the unexpected, especially in a constantly evolving insurance marketplace. 
As a licensed insurance agent, she worked closely with clients and insurance carriers to quote and bind homeowners, auto, liability, and other insurance plans for personal and business. As a licensed mortgage loan originator, she was also able to more effectively quote and bind homeowners insurance policies meeting mortgage lender requirements. With a love for writing, she has also assisted with marketing for her local insurance marketplace. You can reach Lina at [email protected]. 
Learn more about how Personal Finance Insider chooses, rates, and covers financial products and services 

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