A moving vessel, international waters, and the nearest hospital hours away.
Get a QuoteCruises are a different beast. You're on a moving vessel, sometimes days from a hospital, in international waters, visiting multiple countries. Standard travel insurance covers some of this — but cruise-specific gaps can leave you paying for evacuations, missed ports, and onboard medical care.
Onboard medical facilities are limited and expensive — a visit to the ship's doctor can cost hundreds. If you need serious care, you may need evacuation from the next port, which can be a helicopter or charter flight. Standard travel insurance covers this — if your policy doesn't exclude it.
The ship's medical center is not a hospital. It's an infirmary. Serious conditions require evacuation to a shore hospital — and the nearest one may be hours away. The cruise line bills you for onboard care; your travel insurance reimburses you if it's covered.
If you have a medical emergency at sea, the ship may divert to the nearest port — but if you need urgent care, you may be evacuated by helicopter or boat. This is where air ambulance coverage matters. Check that your policy includes it.
If the ship leaves without you (because your flight was delayed), you're responsible for getting to the next port. Trip interruption coverage can help with those costs — but only if your policy includes it and the reason is covered.
Make sure your travel insurance covers onboard medical, port evacuations, and missed connections — not just the basics.
Get a Quote Learn more about Canadians leaving CanadaOne night in a Canadian ICU can top $14,000 — without coverage, that's on you.
Cost reality