Cruising is the most relaxing way to travel… until suddenly, it’s not. That’s because when you’re on a ship, travel setbacks can suddenly become a Very Big Deal — especially for people 65+.

• Get sick on board? You could be quarantined in your cabin and miss all the fun.
• Experience a medical emergency? Medicare won’t cover you overseas, and so you’ll likely have to pay out of pocket for the costs of medical evacuation and emergency care.
• Have to cancel your cruise last minute? Chances are, you’re not getting a refund.
• Delayed flight? If you arrive too late, you could miss your embarkation.
• Baggage missing? Looks like you won’t make it to the ship’s formal night.

If any of these things happen to you, having the right travel insurance plan can save your cruise. We’ll review a few of the best travel insurance plans for senior travelers, so you can be sure you’re protected.

One note: We sometimes use the term “cruise insurance” as shorthand, but in fact, Allianz Travel Insurance plans can protect any kind of trip—not just cruises! If you’re a frequent traveler, consider buying an AllTrips plan for peace of mind, no matter how you like to travel.

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What’s the best cruise insurance for seniors?

Our most popular travel insurance plan for cruises is OneTrip Prime. In short, OneTrip Prime provides benefits with high maximum limits for the most common challenges senior travelers experience on a cruise:

• Up to $100,000 in  trip cancellation benefits to reimburse your prepaid, non-refundable expenses, up to the maximum benefit in your plan, if you must cancel your cruise due to a covered reason. This is crucial, given that most cruise lines have strict cancellation policies.
• Up to $150,000 in trip interruption benefits to reimburse your unused, prepaid, non-refundable expenses, up to the maximum benefit in your plan, if you’re forced to interrupt your cruise for a covered reason (such as getting sick on board). These benefits also can reimburse you for certain covered expenses, such as extra accommodation fees and transportation expenses if your cruise is prolonged or if you have to head home early.
• Up to $50,000 in emergency medical benefits and up to $500,000 in emergency transportation benefits to cover eligible costs of medical care and transportation for a sudden, unexpected illness, injury, or medical condition. Given the exorbitant costs of medical evacuation from a ship and emergency treatment, these are the most valuable benefits in your plan.
• Plus: travel delay benefits, baggage benefits, trip change protection, concierge and 24-hour assistance!

This robust suite of benefits makes OneTrip Prime one of the best all-around travel insurance plans for seniors going on a cruise. Taking the grandkids with you? Kids 17 and under are covered for free when traveling with a parent or grandparent (not available on policies issued to Pennsylvania residents)!

Learn more and get a quote.

Read more: The Simple Guide to Buying Travel Insurance When You're Over 65

What’s the best travel insurance for seniors who take multiple cruises per year?

AllTrips Premier is our top-shelf annual travel insurance plan. One plan can protect you (and your spouse and/or household) for an entire year, wherever your travels take you. This plan protects not only any cruises you take, but visits to family and friends, weekends at the beach, road trips, etc.

You may think annual travel insurance is expensive, but it might be a more affordable choice for travelers aged 65 and up. Age does not affect the cost of an annual travel insurance plan, so the cost to insure all your trips together may be a lot less than insuring each cruise separately.

AllTrips Premier offers four tiered levels of trip cancellation/interruption benefits. All limits are per traveler, per trip, except for trip cancellation and interruption, which are per traveler, per year.

• Trip cancellation benefits from $2,000 to $15,000
• Trip interruption benefits from $2,000 to $15,000
• Emergency medical and dental benefits up to $50,000
• Emergency transportation benefits up to $500,000
• Travel delay up to $1,500
• Baggage loss/damage up to $2,000
• Baggage delay up to $2,000
• And more

Learn more and get a quote.

What’s the best affordable cruise insurance for seniors?

If you’re struggling to find a travel insurance plan that fits into your budget, one good option is OneTrip Basic. This economical plan offers per-person benefit limits that are high enough to cover most cruises:

• Trip cancellation benefits up to $10,000
• Trip interruption benefits up to $10,000
• Emergency medical and dental benefits up to $10,000
• Emergency transportation benefits up to $50,000
• Plus travel delay, baggage loss/damage, and baggage delay

Learn more and get a quote.

What’s the best insurance for cruises for seniors with medical conditions?

Worried about taking a cruise when you have a chronic illness or injury? Here’s some good news: Pre-existing conditions do not affect the cost of travel insurance. Here’s some more good news: All Allianz Travel Insurance plans can cover losses related to a pre-existing medical condition, as long as you meet certain requirements:

1. Your policy includes the Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver and was purchased within 14 days of the date of the first non-refundable trip payment or deposit;
2. You were a U.S. resident when the policy was purchased;
3. You were medically able to travel when the policy was purchased; and
4. On the policy purchase date, you insured the full non-refundable cost of your trip with us. If you incur additional non-refundable trip expenses after you purchase this certificate, you must insure them with us within 14 days of their purchase.

Here’s the summary version: Purchase your policy within that 14-day window, make sure you’re medically able to travel at that time, and insure the full cost of your cruise (or other trip).

Some of the best cruise insurance plans for seniors with pre-existing conditions are OneTrip Prime and OneTrip Premier. Both include the Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver, along with generous emergency medical benefits.

What’s the best cruise insurance for over 75?

Dismayed by the high cost of travel insurance when you’re over 75 or 80? The most affordable travel insurance option may be AllTrips Prime, which covers all the cruises and other trips you take in a 365-day period.

Be aware that AllTrips Prime has a maximum trip cancellation benefit of $3,000. If your cruise (or any other vacation) costs more than that, you may want to upgrade to an AllTrips plan with higher benefit levels.

Learn more and get a quote.

Read more: Tips for Buying Travel Insurance Over 75

Still not sure which plan is best for you? Contact us anytime and our experts will answer your questions. You have 15 days after purchase to cancel your plan (depending on your state of residence), as long as you haven’t filed a claim or departed on your trip.

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