Spending your holidays on a cruise ship, combining relaxation with tourism in good company, is the dream of many travellers. Spend your days at sea, stop in emblematic cities, live new experiences…

However, it is important to bear in mind that this type of trip has a number of peculiarities that make it special with respect to the typical trip to a particular destination. The most important of all is that, regardless of the flag flying on the ship, the rules for each situation that arises during the trip will depend on the territory in which the ship is at that time.

This is an important factor, especially if you need medical assistance in one of the countries where the cruise is stopping. On European cruises we will hardly have any problems with basic medical consultations if we have the European Health Insurance Card, but if we need health care during other international cruises it can be very expensive to travel without specific travel insurance for cruises.

On the other hand, we must bear in mind that medical care on board a cruise ship can also be very expensive. Therefore, in the case of going on a cruise, we will need good travel insurance for cruises, a policy that covers you from the time you leave home until you return, including the flights you need to reach the port of the cruise, any problems that may arise on board or excursions at the stops made by the cruise.

Medical Assistance to go on a cruise

During any cruise, the traveler may need medical attention on board the ship, just as he may need to be transferred to a hospital upon arrival at the next port. You may also have to leave for health reasons and be repatriated to your home country.

That is why your travel insurance should cover these and other medical contingencies that may occur during the cruise. ERGO Seguros de Viaje offers you a special holiday policy for cruises, specially designed to guarantee health care during your cruise holidays, with cover for:

  • Medical, surgical and hospitalisation expenses for the insured, with limits of up to €60,000 for European Cruises or €150,000 for the rest of the world. In this way, if the insured needs medical attention both on board and at the place where the boat stops, the expenses will be covered by the policy.
  • Dental expenses up to 300 euros.
  • Health services, which in the case of our policy for cruises are included in the medical centres around the world associated with ERGO Travel Insurance.
  • Compensation for hospitalisation. ERGO Seguros de Viaje’s insurance for cruises will compensate the traveller with 50 euros per day of hospitalisation, up to a maximum of 250 €.
  • Extension of hotel stay. If, at the end of the cruise, the insured is obliged to stay a few more days, due to his state of health, in the place where the cruise docked, the insurance covers it with 100€/day up to a limit of 1,000 euros.
  • Repatriation or medical transport of the wounded, sick, deceased, minors, disabled and accompanying persons. If during the cruise the insured needs to be repatriated to his country of origin for any of the reasons contemplated in the policy, the insurance takes charge.

In addition, our insurance also includes coverage for a companion of the insured in the event that he has to be hospitalized. It includes travel of the companion, stay with 100€/day up to a limit of 1,000 euros, as well as medical, surgical and hospitalization expenses up to 30,000 euros.

Coverages for medical expenses can be extended up to a maximum of 48,000 euros.

What happens if during the cruise one of the family members is hospitalized?

Our cruise insurance covers the hospitalization of the insured during the cruise trip, which prevents the continuation of the same.

In the case of a family trip, the accompanying family members will be included, up to a maximum of four people. In the case of a family with minor children, two more would be included, up to a maximum of six people.

Loss or delay of Baggage or other belongings

What happens if your airline loses your luggage before arriving at your cruise departure point, or if your belongings are damaged when boarding? At ERGO Seguros de Viaje we know that a situation like this can give the traveler real headaches.

Ideally, the insurance you take out should cover your luggage both inside the cruise ship and with the airline you have chosen to get to the port where you will take the boat:

  • Material losses with limits of up to 2,000 euros outside Europe, in the event that the airline loses the insured’s luggage.
  • Delay in the delivery of luggage with a limit of up to 200 euros for the purchase of basic necessities.
  • Management expenses for loss of documents with limits of up to 120 euros. If the insured loses his documents, the policy covers these management costs up to a limit of 120 euros.
  • Other coverages relating to the insured person’s belongings: opening and repair of chests and safety boxes, and loss of the keys to the habitual residence, with a limit of up to 60 euros.

These coverages can be extended up to a maximum of 5,400 euros.

Cruise Cancellation/Annulation

The costs of canceling or annulling our cruise trip are among the highest in the market: so much so that sometimes they can represent 100% of the total amount.

For this reason, make sure that your cruise policy includes cancellation cover in order to be able to recover the costs of your holidays, as long as it is for one of the reasons contemplated in your policy. In the case of our cruise travel insurance, these coverages are as follows:

Expenses for trip cancellation and reimbursement for holidays not taken up to 4,000 euros, depending on whether the cruise is in Spain, Europe or another part of the world. This coverage can be extended up to 6,000 euros.

Cancellation fees. If the organizer cancels the cruise, ERGO Seguros de Viaje will reimburse the cancellation costs up to a limit of 600 euros.