A cruise can turn from a once-in-a-lifetime dream vacation into a nightmare if something goes wrong — whether that's missing your departure or spraining your ankle at a port of call. Thankfully, cruise insurance reimburses many non-refundable expenses like these.
What's more, a good policy can help you get your money back if you need to cancel or cut your trip short for a covered reason.
CNBC Select analyzed more than 20 cruise insurance companies and selected the best, based on cost, coverage, customer service and more. For more on how we made our selections, see our methodology.
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Best for families: Travel Guard
Who’s this for? Travel Guard Preferred includes coverage for one child up to age 17 with each covered adult, making it a great pick for a family cruise.
Standout benefit: Useful add-ons include wedding cancellation insurance for those setting sail for a family member's special day.
- Adult policies include coverage for one child under 17
- Immediate coverage options available for travel on a short notice
- Travel delay benefit of $1,000 is available after five-hour delay
- Cancel For Any Reason policies only reimburse up to 50%
- Standard medical coverage limit lower than some competitors
- Not all products are available for purchase online
Best for affordability: AXA
Who’s this for? AXA Assistance USA is a standout for budget-conscious cruisers, with consistently affordable travel insurance rates for cruises.
Standout benefit: AXA's Silver Plan can reimburse eligible travel costs if you lose your job, while the Platinum plan adds up to $3,000 coverage per person for lost bags.
- Up to $3,000 for lost baggage with AXA’s Platinum plan
- Up to $1,500 per person for missed connections on cruises/tours
- Pre-existing conditions waiver available for Gold and Platinum plans
- No add-ons available with Silver plan.
- Cancel for Any Reason coverage only available with Platinum plan
Best for seniors: TravelSafe Insurance
Who’s this for? While some companies have restrictive age limits, TravelSafe's Classic plan insurance is a standout for older people, with coverage available to travelers up to age 100.
Standout benefit: TravelSafe has a generous 21-day window to buy Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) insurance, longer than the 10 to 14 days most insurers offer.
TravelSafe Insurance
Policy highlights
Basic and Classic plans, with add-ons including rental car damage, CFAR insurance, extended personal protection and flight-only death and dismemberment coverage
Cancel For Any Reason coverage
Add-on with Classic plan that reimburses 75% of nonrefundable trip costs if you purchase within 21 days of booking
Pre-existing condition waiver
Available with any plan if purchased within 21 days of trip deposit.
Pros
- Up to $2,500 per person for missed connections lasting at least three hours
- Pre-existing condition waiver available for any plan within 21 days of deposit
- CFAR coverage is available within 21 days of first deposit
- Up to $300 in points or miles returned on eligible flights that are changed or canceled.
Cons
- Limited number of add-ons available
- Plans more expensive than many competitors
Best for pre-existing conditions: Seven Corners
Who’s this for? Seven Corners is a great choice for travelers concerned about health issues. The lookback period — or the timeframe during which a company can consider past health issues to exclude them from coverage — for the Trip Protection Elite plan's pre-existing conditions waiver is shorter at 60 days, compared to 120 (or even 180) for many other providers.
Standout benefit: The Trip Protection Choice plan includes a pre-existing conditions waiver for plans purchased within 20 days of your initial deposit, a more generous window than many competitors.
Seven Corners Travel Insurance
Policy highlights
Seven Corners offers single-trip, annual and student plans and travel medical insurance. Optional add-ons include Cancel For Any Reason and Interruption for Any Reason (IFAR) coverage and protection for rental cars, sports equipment and event tickets.
Cancel For Any Reason coverage
Reimburses up to 75% of nonrefundable trip costs if purchased within 21 days of booking.
Pre-existing condition waiver
Available with Trip Protection Choice plan if bought within 20 days of initial deposit
Pros
- $2,000 limit for trip delay
- $1 million coverage for medical evacuation
- Interruption for Any Reason coverage available
- Coverage available up to age 99 on most plans
Cons
- Coverage for delayed baggage requires 12-hour delay
Best for luxury cruises: Berkshire Hathaway
Who’s this for? With reimbursement limits that are higher than most competitors, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance LuxuryCare is the smart move if you're shelling out big bucks for a luxury cruise.
Standout benefit: LuxuryCare offers trip cancellation coverage of up to $100,000 per traveler, a trip delay benefit of up to $2,000 and lost baggage reimbursement up to $2,500.
- Cruise-specific plans can reimburse you up to $500 for missed connections and cruise delays
- Up to $75,000 in medical coverage for cruise plans
- Pre-existing coverage waiver available with all plans
- CFAR policy only reimburses 50% of prepaid trip costs
- No add-ons available
Best for adventure travelers: World Nomads
Who’s this for? World Nomads caters to thrill seekers due to its coverage for over 200 activities, including surfing, sailing and safaris. Extreme or risky sports activities are often not covered by most standard travel insurance policies.
Standout benefit: In addition to baggage, the Explorer Plan reimburses stolen, lost or damaged sporting equipment at up to $1,500 per item or $3,000 total.
World Nomads Travel Insurance
Policy highlights
Standard, Explorer, Epic single-trip plans and annual/multi-trip plan, with CFAR available for top-tier policies
Emergency medical: $125,000 for Standard Plan, $150,000 for Explorer Plan, $250,000 for Epic Plan
Medical evacuation: $400,000 for Standard Plan, $500,000 for Explorer Plan, $700,000 for Epic Plan
Personal effects: $1,000 for Standard Plan, $2,000 for Explorer Plan, $3,000 for Epic PlanCancel For Any Reason coverage
Add-on for Explorer and Epic plans that covers 75% of nonrefundable costs if purchased seven days before initial deposit. (Not available in New York.)
Pre-existing condition waiver
Available with Explorer and Epic plans purchased seven days before first deposit.
Pros
- Affordable rates
- Coverage can be extended mid-trip
- Covers 200+ adventure activities like scuba diving and bungee jumping
Cons
- Lower trip cancellation limits than other companies
- CFAR add-on must be bought within seven days of booking
- Only issues policies to travelers 69 and younger.
What is cruise insurance?
Cruise insurance is a specific type of travel insurance that covers trip cancellations and delays, medical emergencies, lost baggage and other unexpected events, including the ship becoming disabled.
Many basic travel insurance policies cover cruises, or you can often purchase cruise insurance directly from the cruise line when you book. But there are also standalone cruise-specific policies designed to deal with the many moving parts involved.
What does cruise insurance cover?
Cruise insurance plans offer a range of coverage options, including:
- Trip interruptions or cancellations
- Trip delays
- Delayed or lost baggage
- Travel to and from the cruise
- Pre-existing conditions
- Medical evacuation
- Emergency medical care
- Missed connections
- Job loss cancellation
- Ship disablement
However, there are coverage limits and exceptions. Many plans won’t cover pre-existing medical conditions unless the company has a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver. You can get this waiver by booking within a short window — typically around 14 days — after you make the first payment for your trip. Some companies have more generous windows than others: Travel Insured International’s Trip Protector Plus plans require you to buy a policy within 21 days of booking the trip to qualify.
How much does cruise insurance cost?
Cruise insurance normally costs 4% to 10% of the full cost of the cruise, but it can be much higher depending on your age, the length of the trip and if you get add-ons like CFAR coverage.
Shop around to ensure you’re getting the best price for the coverage and limits you need. Before you purchase a separate cruise travel insurance plan, see if your trip is already covered by your credit card or any other travel insurance policy.
How to choose the best cruise insurance
To get started with choosing the best cruise insurance for you, gather multiple quotes to compare. You can do this easily on individual brands' websites or by using an aggregator like Squaremouth, which gathers quotes from dozens of different travel insurance companies.
SquareMouth Travel Insurance Marketplace
Policy highlights
SquareMouth is a travel insurance marketplace that allows you can compare top-rated providers, including Berkshire Hathaway, Nationwide, Seven Corners and Tin Leg.
24/7 assistance available
Yes
Read our SquareMouth travel insurance review
Pros
- Includes more than 30 travel insurance companies
- You can compare providers side-by-side on the website
- SquareMouth doesn't add additional markups or fees
- Carriers that don't adequately address a customer complaint are removed
Cons
- Doesn't provide travel insurance policies of its own
Make sure to choose the same limits for each policy so you can compare the costs directly. Then, look at the covered reasons for cancellation and any add-ons you need, like coverage for pets. From there, you can choose the most affordable policy.
Is cruise insurance worth it?
Compared to other vacations, cruises are relatively long and expensive and involve many more moving parts — from getting to the departure point to your stay onboard to visiting multiple ports of call (often in foreign countries).
With that many opportunities for things to go sideways, getting cruise insurance can be a smart choice.
Cruise insurance FAQs
When should I buy insurance for a cruise?
You can purchase a policy up to 24 hours before your departure, but sooner is better. Some benefits, like a pre-existing condition waiver, are only available if you purchase coverage shortly after booking your trip.
What is a pre-existing condition waiver?
Travel insurance typically won't cover a medical condition that has been diagnosed, worsened or changed during the policy's look-back period, which is usually 60 to 180 days. A pre-existing condition waiver allows you to be covered, but you must typically buy the policy within a few weeks of your first trip deposit.
Does cruise insurance cover missed ports?
Cruise insurance may cover itinerary changes, but each policy has different limits on how much you'll be reimbursed and what exactly you'll be reimbursed for. Read your policy before you purchase it.
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Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every cruise insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of travel insurance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Our methodology
To determine the best cruise insurance plans, CNBC Select analyzed 20 travel insurance companies that offer cruise-specific plans. We focused on rates, types of coverage, coverage limits and optional add-ons.
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
Sample rates assume that payments were made on the date of the quote. Rates were based on a cruise with the following details (when applicable):
- 40-year-old male
- Living in New York, New York
- Sailing for seven days in April
- Total trip cost: $2,800
- Destination: Mexico
- Flying to the port of departure
Based on these criteria, our picks for best cruise insurance are:
- Best for affordability: AXA
- Best for seniors: TravelSafe Insurance
- Best for pre-existing conditions: Seven Corners
- Best for families: Travel Guard
- Best for missed connections: Nationwide
- Best for luxury cruises: Berkshire Hathaway
- Best for adventure travelers: World Nomads
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