The simple travel insurance fix helping us overcome our cruise fears

Australians might be cruising more than ever, but we have to overcome some pretty big fears before we board our cruise ships and according to online travel insurance provider, InsureandGo, there’s only one way to do that.

New survey results from InsureandGo have revealed that, above all else, we’re most concerned with having a medical emergency on the water with more than half of respondents listing some sort of medical issue as their biggest cruising concern.

“We’re not surprised travellers are most concerned about on-board medical issues as medical assistance from the middle of an ocean can be a complicated and stressful process,” said Jonathan Etkind, Head of Sales, Digital and Marketing at InsureandGo.

“We’ve found that medical repatriation and evacuation from cruises are very common.”

The travel insurer also found that, although not nearly as prolific, other cruise concerns included lost or stolen belongings (8%), mechanical failure (7%) and onshore incidents (7%).

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The cruise fear cure

While we’re genuinely concerned about any potential medical mishappenings that could take place on board of our favourite cruise liners, we’re actually opting to cruise more now than ever before which begs the question, how can we quell our biggest boating fears?

According to Etkind, the fix is pretty simple - make sure you’re properly insured.

“As medical issues can happen on-board a cruise ship, it’s important to have the right travel insurance policy to help cover the costs which can easily balloon,” he said.

“We encourage all travellers to do their research and find a travel insurance policy that suits their needs and declare all pre-existing medical conditions to ensure they receive the coverage they need.”

What to look for in a cruise-friendly travel insurance policy

When it comes to picking out the perfect travel insurance policy for your cruise, there are a few things you want to look out for.

• Cruise cover: First things first, does your policy cover cruises automatically, or is it an optional extra?
• Cancellation cover: If you ever need to cancel your cruise, you’ll want to have cancellation cover as part of your policy so that you don’t lose out on thousands of dollars.
• Medical expenses: Squash your biggest fear with medical expense cover for onboard incidents and onshore accidents. Just make sure this extends to destinations outside of Australia.
• Personal belongings and baggage cover: Scared of your bags getting lost? This level of cover will make sure you’re not out of pocket when it comes to your precious belongings.
• Activity cover: Maybe your cruise liner has a built-in rock wall or ice rink that you want to make the most of, but make sure your policy covers you for these specific activities.

Now that you know what you’re looking for, head over to Mozo’s customisable travel insurance comparison tool to find a policy that suits your destination. Just make sure you tick the ‘ocean cruise’ option and you’ll be well on your way to a comprehensive level of cover.