Canadians can protect their cruise vacation with travel insurance
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For information relating to policies purchased prior to October 23 2024, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For plans purchased after October 23 2024, please see below.
Whether you’re basking in the sunshine as you’re cruising the Caribbean, or taking a river cruise through the wine regions in France, there are plenty of exciting opportunities for Canadians looking to vacation on the high seas.
Hopefully your cruise will be smooth sailing, but with any international travel outside of Canada, there’s always the possibility of unexpected surprises. We encourage you to check out some of our tips for staying safe on your cruise and we recommend you look into cruise travel insurance.
When you book your cruise, there are usually plenty of dining options, entertainment, and onshore excursions. You’ll have the opportunity to plan everything ahead of time to make your cruise perfect. There are some things that can’t be planned for though.
If there’s a named storm, it may cause your cruise to be canceled. If you get hurt on a zip-lining excursion in Jamaica, you’ll need to get medical care. These definitely aren’t welcome surprises, but they can happen. Because there are so many things you can’t plan for on your cruise, it could be a good idea to get a quote and purchase cruise travel insurance to help protect you and your investment.
Some benefits of cruise insurance could include:
World Nomads covers more than 250 activities for Canadian residents. When you get a quote and purchase your travel insurance plan, you’ll need to list your planned activities. Think of all of the things you’ll be doing both on and off the ship, like swimming, hiking or jet skiing. You’ll also want to list cruising as one of the activities. You won’t be able to add or remove activities after you purchase your policy, so make sure you add them all at that time. If you’re participating in an activity that isn’t listed in your policy wording, you can contact us to determine if you will be covered.
You may experience a little case of seasickness on a cruise, but occasionally it ends up being something more that causes you to need medical care. Even if you have a Government Health Insurance Plan, it may only pay a small portion, if any, of your medical expenses onboard your ship or at any of your ports of call.
Cruise insurance from World Nomads includes overseas emergency medical coverage for Canadian travellers. If you suffer a medical emergency you may be eligible to be reimbursed for things like a visit to the ship medical centre or medication that the doctor prescribes to treat your emergency medical condition. You will still need to have Government Health Insurance Plan coverage in your home province while you’re on your cruise though. If you don’t, your total limit for all emergency medical expenses during your trip is limited to CAD $40,000.
If you have a medical emergency while on your cruise and your treating Physician or our medical team (the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team) recommends that you go somewhere to get a higher level of care than they can provide onboard, emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage could help. This is included in your World Nomads cruise insurance and could even assist with getting you home to Canada if your medical team feels it’s best for you to seek treatment there.
Baggage insurance may help reimburse the cost to replace your belongings if your bag was lost by a common carrier (this includes your cruise line). If you flew to the destination where your cruise will depart from, this could also include baggage lost by the airline. World Nomads travel insurance includes coverage for lost bags, as well as delayed bags (up to your policy limits.)
When you’ve dreamed about your cruise for months (or maybe even years), the last thing you want to do is think about cancelling it. Unexpected things can happen though. What happens if you unexpectedly get sick before your cruise and your doctor says you can’t travel? World Nomads offers trip cancellation coverage as a part of your cruise insurance, and that could help if you need to cancel your trip for a covered reason.
If you unexpectedly get hurt while on a cycling excursion during a stop in Australia, you may not be able to participate in other excursions you had already booked throughout the rest of your cruise. Trip interruption coverage could help you be reimbursed for your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if you can’t recover those costs from the travel supplier. If your trip is delay for a covered reason, you may also be eligible for reimbursement for expenses you incur due to the delay for such things as accommodation and meals.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes… with all of the amazing cruise destinations throughout the world, many of them have the possibility of unplanned natural disasters that can affect your cruise. Don’t let that deter you from travelling to these awesome locations though - just consider insuring your cruise. You often can’t plan for the unpredictable forces of nature, but World Nomads offers coverage for Government Travel Advisories, missed connections due to inclement weather and natural disasters that makes your primary residents back home uninhabitable.
All cruise vacations are not the same. A river cruise on the Danube is usually a smoother voyage than a cruise to Antarctica where you may find yourself rocking your way through the Drake Passage. The waterways are completely different, as are the activities you’ll be participating in. The destination and length of the cruise can also determine your overall investment. These are all important things to consider when you’re searching for the best cruise travel insurance.
World Nomads offers two cruise insurance options for Canadian residents – the Standard and Explorer plans. If you’re looking for more coverage with higher benefit limits and/or sub-limits, the Explorer plan may be the one you prefer. We encourage you to compare the coverage side by side though. Every cruise traveller is different, and only you can determine the best cruise travel insurance for your particular needs.
You can easily get a quote for cruise travel insurance anytime. It just takes a few minutes to input the specific information for your trip and see prices for the Standard and Explorer plans displayed side by side.
Once you select the cruise insurance option that you prefer, you’ll be prompted to add activities that you’ll be participating in during your trip. Make sure you select cruising as one of your activities. If you think you’ll be dancing the night away onboard the ship or getting up early to play some pickleball, make sure to select those activities as well.
You’ll also want to include any excursions you’ll be participating in at your ports of call. If you’re scuba diving in the Bahamas or hiking in Alaska, make sure those activities are also added. You won’t be able to add or remove activities after you make your purchase, so make sure you add them all at that time. If you’re participating in an activity that isn’t listed in your policy wording, you can contact us to determine if you will be covered.
When you book your cruise, your cruise provider may offer you an opportunity to add cruise insurance at that time. It is important to consider protecting not just the investment of your cruise; you should also think about all of the other components of your cruise travel vacation. The travel insurance offered by the cruise line may only provide coverage for the cruise itself, and not for any non-refundable prepaid flights and hotel accommodations you booked separately. The cruise insurance plan that is offered by your cruise provider may not always offer the coverage that best suits your needs. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that best meets your needs. Be sure to compare your coverage options.
You booked the flight, cruise, and shore excursions. You even made a schedule of the onboard shows you want to see. For some reason though, you keep thinking you forgot something. Then it hits you - you had thought about purchasing cruise travel insurance before your trip, and it totally slipped your mind. No worries - you can still buy cruise insurance once you’re already on your trip.
Most ships have wi-fi available, and you just need a good internet connection to get a quote for cruise insurance. You’ll answer a few simple questions about your trip and follow the prompts that will outline the coverage and benefits offered by World Nomads travel insurance.
While it is possible to get cruise insurance if your trip has already started, there are benefits to purchasing it before you leave. If you buy travel insurance while already abroad, there are waiting periods, and conditions and restrictions on coverage do apply. There will be no coverage for any injury or sickness for a period of 48 hours from the date you purchased your policy.
We get it… it happens… you’re partying too hard in Mexico, lose track of time, and arrive back at the port to see your ship sailing away without you. Unfortunately, your cruise insurance won’t cover the cost for you to rejoin that cruise. Keep an eye on the clock while you’re at your port of call, because even the best cruise insurance won’t cover everything.
A few other things that wouldn’t be covered by cruise travel insurance include:
As cruise travellers ourselves, we’ve learned a few things along the way during our time on the open seas. Before you set sail, we encourage you to consider looking into cruise travel insurance. We also wanted to share a few of our other tips for having a great cruise.
Arrive at your departure city at least a day before your cruise sets sail.
While cruise travel insurance could help with cancelled or delayed flights on the way to your departure port, your ship isn’t going to wait on you if you’re running behind. To avoid the possibility of your ship sailing away without you, try to arrive in your departure city with plenty of time to spare. You may even find some fun things to do there before your cruise.
Book excursions before you leave home. If there’s a shore excursion that you have your heart set on, make sure you book it early. If you’ve been dreaming of whale watching in Juneau and wait too long to book it, you’ll be super bummed if you miss out. Excursions can sell out quickly and there may be limited options once you’re onboard.
Take a carry-on bag. You’ll be boarding the ship before your luggage reaches your cabin, so take along a small bag that includes medication, phone chargers, and anything else you may need. If you’re planning to head straight to the pool, go ahead and throw your swimsuit and sunscreen in your bag as well.
Don’t assume that everything is included in the price of your cruise. Before your trip, review exactly what is included in your cruise package. Some cruises are all-inclusive, but many have drink packages or certain onboard activities that may cost extra. It’s best to know beforehand so you’re not surprised once you get onboard. Sometimes you can also save money if you purchase those packages ahead of time.
Save the phone number and policy number for your cruise travel insurance in your phone. It’s not a bad idea to have a copy of this printed in your cabin as well, but we know our phones rarely leave us. If something happens on the ship or at one of your ports of call, you’ll be able to easily contact us.
Sign up for Registration of Canadians Abroad. If you’re travelling internationally, you can sign up for this free service. You’ll then be notified by the Government of Canada if there’s an emergency at one of your destinations or a personal emergency at home. Registration of Canadians Abroad also enables you to receive important information before or during a natural disaster or civil unrest.
This is only a summary of coverage and does not include the full terms and conditions of the policy. It is important you read and understand your policy as it contains benefits, conditions, exclusions and pre-existing condition exclusions. If you do not understand your coverage, or if you have questions, just ask us.
I arrived in Delhi from Rome. Baggage claim help desk informed me that my bag had been delayed in transit. I was without my bag for almost a week before it was finally delivered to me. It was cold in Delhi (being winter, December) and my warm jacket was in my bag, requiring that I purchase a jacket and other items of warm clothing that I had not taken in my carry-on.
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Here are our most frequently asked questions about cover for cruises. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Help Center or you can ask the customer service team.
Because there are so many things that are out of your control when you’re cruising, you may want to consider cruise insurance. There are many unexpected circumstances that could happen before and during your cruise, and cruise travel insurance provides cover for a variety of unanticipated situations and can help protect you and your travel investment.
A good cruise travel insurance plan could cover things such as emergency medical situations, cancelled trips, lost baggage, natural disasters, and more.
The best cruise insurance depends on your individual needs. For Canadian residents, World Nomads offers two cruise insurance plans - the Standard and Explorer plans. When you get a quote for cruise insurance, you can compare both options side by side to decide which option is the best cruise insurance for you. The Explorer plan offers a higher level of coverage than the Standard plan.
Yes, World Nomads cruise insurance includes coverage for things such as trip cancellation or trip delay if your flight is cancelled or delayed for at least 3 hours because of inclement weather. Our plans also include baggage coverage if the airline loses your bag. If you are considering the travel insurance offered by your cruise line, check to see whether the coverage offered will provide coverage for your flights or other non-refundable pre-paid travel arrangements.
You can purchase cruise insurance before your trip, but you can also buy cruise insurance once you’re already on your trip. If you buy travel insurance while already abroad, there are waiting periods, and conditions and restrictions on coverage do apply. There will be no coverage for any injury or sickness for a period of 48 hours after purchasing your policy.
You can get a quote for cruise travel insurance online. When you input the information about your cruise, you’ll be able to see the prices and coverage for both the Standard and Explorer plans.
You can start a claim online at any time. Make sure you keep all receipts and documentation that you may need for your claim.
Whether you need medical or dental assistance or advice, emergency evacuation or travel assistance, our team are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Telephone +1 866 878 0192 (toll-free from Canada and the Continental U.S.) or +1 416 646 3723 (collect from anywhere else in the world)
Contact the teamBefore your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.