A cruise is more than the cost of your stateroom. Your total travel investment may include airfare, hotels, transportation, excursions, special events and other prepaid expenses. Unexpected circumstances can disrupt those plans before or during your vacation.
Cruising for Causes and the Juneteenth Freedom Cruise™ strongly encourage guests to learn about travel insurance and determine whether coverage is appropriate for their individual circumstances.
Travel insurance is not one-size-fits-all. Policies differ in covered reasons, exclusions, benefit limits, deductibles, medical coverage, pre-existing-condition provisions, purchase deadlines and claims requirements.
The appropriate level and type of protection depends on your individual circumstances, existing coverage, non-refundable travel expenses and the financial risks you are comfortable assuming.
Before purchasing any policy, review the actual policy, certificate of insurance or description of coverage provided by the insurer. Do not rely solely on a marketing summary.
Travel protection can help address certain financial risks associated with circumstances that occur before or during your trip.
Cruise fares, airfare, hotels and other travel arrangements may become partially or completely non-refundable as your departure date approaches.
Depending on the policy and reason for cancellation or interruption, travel insurance may reimburse certain eligible prepaid, non-refundable expenses.
Medical treatment, emergency transportation and unexpected travel disruptions can create expenses far beyond the original cost of the cruise.
Your regular health insurance or credit-card benefits may provide limited coverage—or no applicable coverage—for some situations outside the United States. Verify your existing benefits rather than assuming you are protected.
Comprehensive travel-insurance policies commonly provide some combination of the following benefits. Coverage is subject to the specific policy's covered reasons, limits, conditions and exclusions.
May reimburse eligible prepaid, non-refundable trip costs when you must cancel for a covered reason identified in the policy.
May help with eligible unused trip expenses and certain additional transportation costs when a covered event interrupts your trip after departure.
May reimburse certain eligible expenses, such as meals or lodging, when a qualifying covered delay exceeds the policy's required waiting period.
Some policies may provide benefits when a covered delay causes you to miss a qualifying cruise departure or other scheduled travel connection.
May provide benefits for eligible medical treatment resulting from a covered illness or injury while traveling, subject to the policy's terms and limits.
May cover or coordinate qualifying emergency medical transportation or repatriation when medically necessary under the terms of the policy.
May provide benefits for eligible baggage that is lost, damaged or stolen and may provide separate benefits for qualifying baggage delays.
Many policies include assistance services that can help travelers locate medical care or obtain support during qualifying travel emergencies.
Do not assume your regular health insurance provides the same benefits outside the United States that it provides at home. Travelers should verify directly with their health insurer whether international medical treatment is covered and how claims are handled.
Emergency medical evacuation is a separate consideration. An illness or injury requiring specialized transportation from another country can become extremely expensive. Travelers should review both the emergency medical and medical evacuation limits when comparing policies.
The U.S. Department of State recommends that international travelers consider travel health insurance and medical evacuation coverage.
The U.S. Department of State advises that air-ambulance evacuation can cost approximately $20,000 to $200,000, depending on location and medical condition.
Before purchasing additional protection, you may want to review benefits available through your health insurance, credit cards, employer benefits or other existing insurance products.
However, having some travel-related benefits does not necessarily mean you have comprehensive travel insurance. For example, existing coverage may have lower limits, exclude trip cancellation, provide limited international medical protection or exclude emergency medical evacuation.
Contact the company providing the existing benefit and ask specifically what is covered for your cruise, international destinations and travel dates.
There is no single purchase deadline that applies to every travel-insurance policy. Each insurer and policy establishes its own requirements.
Some benefits, optional coverages or pre-existing-condition provisions may only be available when insurance is purchased within a specified period after your initial trip payment or deposit. Waiting until shortly before departure can reduce the options available to you.
Begin researching coverage as early as possible and verify all applicable deadlines directly with the insurer before purchasing.
Do not assume Carnival's onboard medical center will directly bill your health or travel-insurance company. Carnival currently states that onboard medical charges are posted to the guest's Sail & Sign account.
Carnival can provide documentation of the medical services and charges so the guest can submit a claim to the appropriate insurer for possible reimbursement. Reimbursement is determined by the insurer and the terms of the applicable policy.
The travel-insurance information and consumer resources provided on this page are presented for general educational and informational purposes only.
Cruising for Causes and the Juneteenth Freedom Cruise™ do not make a determination regarding whether any particular insurance policy, insurer, insurance benefit or level of coverage is appropriate for an individual guest.
Unless expressly stated otherwise in connection with a specific transaction, Cruising for Causes and the Juneteenth Freedom Cruise™ do not:
The inclusion of an insurance company, cruise-line protection program or comparison service on this page is provided as a consumer convenience and does not constitute a guarantee of its products, services, coverage, claims handling or suitability for any particular guest.
Questions concerning a specific insurance policy or claim should be directed to the insurer, plan administrator or appropriately licensed insurance professional. Questions concerning Carnival Vacation Protection should be directed to Carnival or the applicable plan administrator.
Travel insurance is a personal financial decision. Take the time to understand your existing coverage, evaluate the financial risks associated with your trip, compare available options and read the policy terms before purchasing.
The goal is not simply to have an insurance policy—the goal is to understand what protection you are purchasing and what you should expect if something unexpected happens before or during your cruise.