What does cruise insurance cover?

All cruise insurance plans are unique, and some have different coverages than others. However, most travel insurance plans for cruises cover the following:

Trip cancellations, interruptions and delays: This kind of coverage is important any time of the year, but especially during hurricane season (typically June to November) when storms can impact your cruise plans.

Medical emergencies: This type of coverage will help pay for unexpected medical bills if you get extremely sick while on the ship or hurt when you're off the ship on a shore excursion. Many plans also provide coverage for emergency evacuation to the nearest hospital or even to your home country.

Itinerary changes: Weather out on the open ocean is rapidly changing and in some cases, a cruise ship may need to divert to a different island or stay at sea and skip a destination originally on the itinerary for safety reasons. Cruise travel insurance plans will often offer reimbursement for situations like this, so you'll get some money back if your itinerary changes from the route you were originally hoping to enjoy.

Cruise disablement: Cruise disablement is when a ship becomes damaged or disabled due to a mechanical or other issue. In these cases, the ship typically cannot continue the journey and you may end up stuck on the ship for a certain amount of time. Most policies include coverage if you are confined to your cabin for a certain amount of time. Cruise travel insurance can help you recoup money for the vacation time you lost out on and any hardships you endured while stuck on the disabled ship.

Lost or delayed baggage: Coverage for luggage is important for cruises just like any other trip. This type of insurance can pay for essential items you need to buy if your bags are lost or stolen and don't make it on the ship.

With each of these protections, a coverage limit is listed with your plan. This means you may get reimbursed for your losses or prepaid travel expenses up to this limit, but only when a covered reason applies to your claim.

The 3 Best Cruise Insurance Plans of 2025

Travelers who have booked a cruise will certainly be looking forward to a relaxing vacation sailing on the ocean or along a scenic river, likely with some fun activities and excursions planned at various destinations along the way. However, unforeseen issues like severe weather, mechanical problems or an onboard emergency could cause the ship to divert and your itinerary to change. In these cases, you'll miss out on the places you were scheduled to visit and the tours you were planning to enjoy.

But if you purchase cruise travel insurance, you'll be able to get some money back for those prepaid excursions and for the inconvenience that comes along with a cruise ship diversion or schedule change. Cruise travel insurance also protects policyholders in the case of illness or injury, offering coverage for emergency medical situations and emergency evacuation, if needed. It can also reimburse travelers for missed connections, trip delays or interruptions, and lost or delayed bags.

1. Nationwide Insurance

Nationwide offers traveler’s three cruise-specific plan options, which means there are plenty of choices based on the type of coverage you might seek for your cruise vacation. All three plans (the Universal Cruise Plan, the Choice Cruise Plan and the Luxury Cruise Plan) provide protection for standard things like trip cancellations, trip interruptions, lost or delayed luggage, and emergency medical coverage. There are also cruise-specific protections in these plans, including coverage for itinerary changes.

Nationwide's Luxury Cruise Plan is the most comprehensive, featuring:

Trip cancellation coverage of 100% of insured prepaid trip costs, up to $50,000
Emergency medical coverage up to $250,000
Up to $1,000 in trip delay coverage ($250 per day)
Itinerary change coverage for prepaid excursions up to $1,000
Missed connection coverage up to $2,500
Inconvenience coverage in the event of a ship disablement or delay up to $250
Optional cancel for any reason add-on; recoup up to 75% of prepaid trip costs

2. Seven Corners

Seven Corners has multiple travel insurance policies that vacationers can decide between, including single-trip, multitrip, medical and cruise travel insurance. The cruise-specific plan is the top option for travelers planning a cruise vacation, thanks to its coverage for things like missed prepaid tours or excursions, cruise disablement, itinerary changes and trip delays. Plus, the cruise travel insurance from Seven Corners also comes with protections for trip cancellation or interruption; lost, delayed or damaged luggage; passport replacement; emergency medical situations; and emergency evacuation and repatriation.

The Seven Corners Cruise Insurance plan is the best cruise-specific option from this provider. It comes with:

Trip cancellation coverage of 100% of nonrefundable insured trip costs, up to $30,000
Up to $500,000 in emergency medical coverage
Up to $1,000 in coverage for trip delays ($250 a day)
Itinerary change coverage up to $500
Missed tour or cruise connection coverage up to $1,500 ($250 per day)
Inconvenience coverage if the ship becomes disabled up to $500
Optional cancel for any reason upgrade; up to 75% of nonrefundable trip payments

3. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

There are several travel insurance options from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, ranging from affordable to mid-range to luxury policies. Berkshire Hathaway also provides category-specific options like travel insurance for adventure travel and cruises. WaveCare is the company's specialty cruise travel insurance, which comes with coverage for trip cancellation, lost or delayed bags, missed connections and medical emergencies, in addition to reimbursement for cruise disruption, itinerary changes and cruise disablement.

WaveCare is the best policy to protect your cruise vacation, where you'll get: