In addition to savings, one major reason why it’s usually better to purchase cruise insurance through a third-party provider rather than a cruise line is the cancellation policy. If a cruise line cancels a scheduled voyage, the insured is usually just given a credit toward a future voyage the company provides and then must work within those fairly constrained parameters. In other words, the insured can’t put that money toward another company’s cruise or another kind of vacation. A third party, on the other hand, will provide the insured with a full refund, which can then be applied to any kind of cruise or vacation the insured wishes.
Yes, that’s usually the case…but not always.
Sometimes, a cruise company will refund all of a person’s trip deposit. And this leads to a very intriguing question: if the cruise line returns the entire trip deposit to customers, can these people also get full or partial refunds on cruise insurance?
The short answer is: “Yes, usually.”
In many cases, the insurer will refund most of the money you paid for the policy. First, though, you will need to document that your cruise was cancelled without any penalty. (A copy of the cancellation receipt is fine.)And second, you will need to sign a statement saying that you aren’t going to file any claims because your cruise was cancelled.
In other cases, the insurer—while stopping short of a full refund—may pro-rate the coverage and give you a partial refund. The reason for this is that the insurer has been covering you for cancellation for some time and may offer a partial credit for the balance of the coverage.
So, if a cruise company gives you a full refund for a cancelled cruise, it is absolutely worth checking with your insurer to see what you can get back from your original travel insurance purchase. Whatever the case, it probably means more money you can put toward your next great travel adventure!
If you have additional questions either about this subject or any other aspect of cruise insurance, check out this helpful summary, The Ultimate Guide for Buying Cruise Insurance.
If you would prefer to call us at 1-877-219-8169 or email us at support@tripinsurance.com with questions, then by all means do. You’re under no obligation to buy from us, and we’ll be delighted to help even if you’ve already purchased your cruise insurance from someone else. Our goal is to help people travel with confidence knowing that they’ve made the cruise insurance decision that’s right for them.
