Carnival Cruise Insurance Guide (Vacation Protection)

Cruise travel insurance is a crucial element to consider when planning a cruise vacation. It is the insurance intended to cover you and your loved ones in matters such as medical expenses, trip accidents, loss of luggage, trip cancellations, interruptions and any other loss that you may incur during a cruise trip. Carnival Cruise Insurance is an essential part of preparing for your cruise.

When planning to go on a cruise trip, you should consider that things could change at any given moment. Many times things don’t go as planned and as such you could lose a lot of money due to unforeseen events. Most people take a vacation to have a peaceful and relaxing time away from home. The only way you can have this is by having a cruise insurance plan.

While there are many independent travel insurance bodies that offer cruise insurance, considering one offered by your cruise provider would not hurt either. That’s why we have decided to write a guide on one such cruise.

This guide takes a look at the Carnival cruise insurance cover. It aims to provide you with important information about it such as what it covers, benefits offered, and why you may need it. The guide also answers some of the most common questions asked about the cover.

It aims to provide you with important information about it such as what it covers, benefits offered, and why you may need it. The guide also answers some of the most common questions asked about the cover.

A Look at Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival cruise is a cruise vacation company headquartered in Miami, USA. It has a vacation protection plan which it offers to its clients at a cost, in addition, to purchase of a cruise vacation. This vacation protection plan consists of three packages including Trip Cancellation waiver program, Travel insurance program and Worldwide emergency assistance program

What is Carnival Vacation Protection?

Carnival Cruise Line partnered with Transamerica casualty insurance company and came up with an insurance cover called Carnival Vacation Protection plan. Which’s main aim is to protect you, a traveling companion and a family member together with your belongings and your financial investment when vacationing with them.

What does Carnival Vacation Protection cover?

Carnival insurance offers three neat packages to cater for all your traveling insurance needs. These packages vary from trip cancellation protection, medical and evacuation coverage to a 24/7 worldwide assistance. Check them out.

Trip Cancellation

Covers some of the most common reasons that may cause you to cancel your vacation. It could be anything from sickness to something coming up at work or some natural disaster that hits your town.

Whatever it is, as long as it is covered in their cancellation and interruption fee waiver package, you are sorted.

Carnival cruise insurance offers a trip interruption and cancellation waiver plan that offers 100% cash refunds for the most common reasons for cancellation as covered by it.

There are other common reasons not covered by the 100% cash refund benefit. These reasons are, however, catered for in their 75% future cruise credit offer.

Travel Insurance

This cover consists of trip delays, baggage protection, medical and evacuation emergencies.

Covered to a Maximum Benefit Amount as Follows:

For trip delays- you get up to $500 for unused land and water travel arrangements, and (catch-up) expenses like meals, transportation, and hotel accommodations.

For baggage protection- you get up to $1500 for baggage problems such as lost luggage, stolen and damaged baggage. And $500 as a reimbursement in case you have to buy some important items if your bags are delayed for over 24 hours.

For medical emergencies, they offer up to $10,000 in medical coverage in case you get sick or injured on your vacation.

For emergency evacuation, they offer up to $30,000 for emergency medical evacuation.

24/7 worldwide carefree travel assistance- They offer carefree travel, medical, and emergency assistance services. In this cover, just like the name suggests you will not have a care in the world when using their 24/7 worldwide travel assistance cover.

Trip Cancellation

With Carnival cruise, you can cancel some trips without necessarily incurring additional charges, but please note that most of Carnival’s promotional trip packages have a non-refundable policy that doesn’t give refunds on cancellations.

To protect yourself from losing your pre-paid vacation investment, purchase the carnival cancellation waiver package offered in their cruise insurance program.

A common question frequently asked about the Carnival insurance cover is:

What Does Carnival Trip Cancellation Cruise Insurance Cover?

Carnival cruise insurance offers a cancellation waiver program. This program waives all non-refundable fees found on your cruise ticket contract upon cancellation (if canceled for the covered reasons, of course) of a trip.

By taking this cover package, you stand to get a refund in cash of your otherwise non-refundable prepaid vacation, in case of a cancellation.

Carnival’s cancellation waiver program, however, covers only some certain reasons.

These reasons as given in your cover, offer you and anyone you are traveling with a 100% cash refund in case of trip cancellation.

Trip Cancellation Reasons that are Covered 100% by Carnival Insurance.

These reasons are:

1. If you, a traveling companion and any members of your immediate families suffer an injury or sickness or unfortunately die having been diagnosed and treated by a doctor at the time of cancellation.
2. If you are terminated from your one year plus employment involuntarily.
3. If you miss your cruise due to involvement in a traffic accident on your way to departure.
4. If your home is destroyed by a natural disaster.
5. If you are required for jury duty or are needed in court.
6. If you are called in for military service to offer aid and relief for a national disaster.
7. If on your way to or if at the port of embarkation, a watch or a severe weather warning is issued by the National Atmospheric Administration within 48hrs of your scheduled departure.
8. If you miss more than 50% of your vacation by delaying to reach your port of embarkation caused by bad weather while using common transportation modes.

You also receive a waiver on any charge made to you due to your companion canceling the vacation on any one of the reasons listed above.

Note that all these reasons apply only after the final payment for the purchase of Carnival’s cancellation waiver program is received by the cruise line.

For clarity purposes, Carnival also lists a number of other reasons not covered in the 100% refund offer despite their similarity to the reasons listed above.

Those reasons are as follows:

1. Medical conditions that require diagnosis, treatment or a change in medication that first presented themselves in the 60-day period before the purchase of the cancellation waiver package.
2. Any condition caused by elective abortion, use of drugs and alcohol for reasons not prescribed by a doctor.
3. Any psychological disorder that does not require hospitalization.
4. A normal pregnancy that does not need hospitalization.
5. Any reason emanating from obligations in business, education or of a contractual nature of you and any other person you are traveling with.
6. Any war declared or undeclared.
7. Armed forces service in any country.
8. If you, a traveling companion or a family member commit unlawful acts.

However, don’t worry if your reason for canceling is among the restricted reasons above, or not even mentioned at all. Carnival offers you a 75% cruise credit of the value of your non-refundable prepaid cruise vacation to use on a future cruise with them.

Also Note

The 75% future cruise credit offer is only applicable to guests who have purchased the cancellation waiver program and have fully paid it prior to completing the vacation payment.

Note that delaying to notify Carnival Cruise Line of an event that can cause you to cancel the trip will cause you to incur late notification reimbursement costs.

Carnival advises you to immediately notify them or your travel agent in case of a possible cancellation.

All insurance payout is subject to the deductions of benefits offered by Carnival such as refunds or discounts.

Carnival Travel Insurance Program

To cater for other unforeseen events that are different from trip cancellation. Carnival cruise has a travel insurance program that caters to medical emergencies, baggage issues, and travel arrangement protection.

The cover has a schedule that shows each covered event and the maximum benefit amount for it.

The schedule is divided into 3 sections that is:

Section 1: Travel Arrangement Protection

This section covers three travel arrangement issues that may cause you to possibly cancel your trip. The three include:

Trip Cancellation by Air

If you are forced to cancel your trip while traveling by air en route to the port of embarkation and this prevents you from taking your cruise vacation. The cruise line will pay you up to the maximum original airfare cost.

However, as with all insurance, there are some conditions to be met first before you receive this payout.

Carnival Cruise Insurance specifies that it will only pay the event above if:

1. There is a sickness, injury or death suffered by you, a traveling companion or a family member that has been diagnosed and treated by a doctor. (Note it must be during the covered period)
2. And any other covered event in your protection package.

Trip Interruption by air

The cruise will pay you back up to the total original airfare cost, if your cruise vacation is delayed or cut short after departing, by the following events:

1. There is a sickness, death or injury suffered by you and anyone else that you are traveling with that has been diagnosed and treated by a doctor during the covered period.
2. And any other covered event in your protection package. Such as being involved in a traffic accident on the day of departure, being called into military service for relief purposes or if you get jury duty or have to testify in court, if your home is made uninhabitable by a natural disaster and if a severe weather warning is issued by NOAA while you are on your way to the cruise within 48hrs of departure. Also, if you are involuntarily terminated from your employment of over one year and if you miss at least more than 50% of your trip due to bad weather.

The cruise will pay you back up to the total original airfare cost for:

1. Any additional transport costs used to catch up with the cruise.
2. Any additional transport costs that you incur to travel to the original destination of the cruise if you are delayed and miss the departure. (Note they will only pay for a direct flight economy class one-way ticket).
3. Any reasonable additional accommodation or travel expense you incur, to remain with a hospitalized family member or a traveling companion during the cruise.

Remember all this is only applicable if any of these events take place after your purchase of the cover.

Trip delay

The travel insurance cover by Carnival cruise will only pay up to $500 for unused land and water travel arrangements, catch up expenses like meals, communication, transportation and accommodation for trip delays. They will only pay this event if it was caused by:

1. You getting into a traffic accident on your way to departure
2. Theft or loss of your traveling documents, money, and passport
3. Being quarantined
4. Being hijacked
5. Adverse weather
6. Unannounced strike or Civil disorder

Section 2: Medical and emergency assistance

In the travel insurance cover, Carnival cruise offers the following maximum benefit amounts for medical and emergency assistance cover plans.

• Medical protection emergency evacuation up to $30,000
• Repatriation up to $ 30,000
• Accident Medical Expense up to $10,000
• Sickness Medical Expense up to $10,000

The cover has four categories mainly medical protection, emergency evacuation, repatriation, accident, and sickness medical expenses.
And as is common with Carnival’s insurance cover, a medical condition will only be paid if it presents symptoms first after you have purchased the cruise insurance cover.

For medical expenses, they will take care of medical services rendered to you by doctors and registered nurses. The cover will also take care of hospital confinement, ambulance services, prescribed drugs and medicine, therapeutic services that you incur within a year of the time you got injured or sick. They will also cover any dental expense you incur while on the cruise vacation.

Emergency Evacuation

You are covered for any emergency evacuation transportation expense if you fall sick or get injured while on the cruise. (Note that a doctor has to authorize this first)

You are also covered for a non-emergency evacuation in case of sickness or injury, up to the hospital or your place of residence if deemed necessary by a doctor.
The Carnival cruise insurance package covers airfare transportation expenses in case of an evacuation. (Note that this must be an economy class cost)

The plan also covers transportation costs for one person whom you’ve chosen to come be with you when you are in a hospital.

You can refer to their benefits schedule on your cover, to get the maximum benefit amount offered for emergency and non-emergency evacuations.

Repatriation

The travel insurance package under the medical part also offers for repatriation in the unfortunate case that you die during your cruise.
The cover states that they will reimburse up to $30,000 in preparation and transportation expenses up to your residence.

Pre-existing Medical Conditions Coverage

Unfortunately, Carnival Cruise insurance does not cover emergency evacuations and repatriation expenses for a person with a pre-existing condition.

A pre-existing condition in their cover is defined as any sickness or illness that first manifested itself, 60days before you purchased the cover and that was diagnosed and treated by a doctor.

You should contact Carnival if you have further questions pertaining to pre-existing medical conditions.

Section 3: Baggage protection

Carnival’s baggage protection plan promises to pay you up to $1500, less applicable deductions for any theft, damage, loss, and destruction of your baggage during the cruise.

Carnival will refund you, full receipt value of your baggage in case of damage or loss but in case you don’t present a receipt, they will only pay up to 80% of the cash or market value of your baggage as at the time of loss.

Baggage Delay

Carnival is prepared to pay you up to $500 for the purchase of additional clothing and personal effects in case your luggage is delayed for 24plus hours.

Reasons why your Baggage Won’t be Protected

The baggage protection cover also has specific exclusions that you should be keen of, such as:

1. Any loss or damage suffered as a result of confiscations made by customs
2. Animals
3. Any income generating property used for trade or business, household furniture, fragile items, musical instruments, sporting gear, if it’s loss occurred from your use.
4. Artificial limbs, teeth or other prosthetic devices, dental appliances such as dentures, bridges and braces, retainers, hearing aids, and any type of eyeglasses, sunglasses or contact lenses.
5. Tickets or documents, other than administrative fees for ticket reissue
6. Credit card, money and money orders, securities such as stocks and bonds, bills, deeds, stamps and food stamps or accounts.
7. Property shipped prior to departure date whether by water or freight.

Carefree World-Wide Emergency Services

This is the third item of the three package insurance cover offered by Carnival cruise lines.
It is a 24/7 global assistance service that offers you travel, medical and emergency services assistance.

During your vacation, you just want to relax, and this cover ensures just that by taking care of every small detail for you.

For travel arrangements the 24/7 cover does the following:

• It takes care of last minute flight arrangements.
• It manages hotel reservations for you.
• It tracks lost, stolen or delayed baggage.
• It makes rental car reservations.
• It coordinates travel for your visitors to come and be with you in the hospital in case of sickness or injury.
• It takes care of your children’s travel arrangement in case of your sickness or death.
• It assists you to locate the nearest embassy.
• It assists you to perform cash transfers and also assists you with bail bonds.

The 24/7 assistance package helps you with pre-cruise information such as destination guides, currency exchange, health, safety and weather advisories.

This package also offers you assistance with lost passports and travel documents, email communication, phone messaging communication to your family and friends, and emergency relay messages. It assists you with language translation and interpretation services as well.

In the medical front, it assists you with medical transportation, manages medical cases, locates and dispatches doctors or specialists, and it also provides you with worldwide medical information, replacement of eyewear, prescription drugs, and dental appliances.

In the emergency front, they offer emergency medical, dental, legal, family travel arrangement assistance.

As promised this guide also answers some of the most common questions people ask regarding the Carnival cruise line insurance program. Check out the following questions and their answers as per Carnival insurance.

What is Carnival’s coverage scope?

Carnival cruise insurance coverage begins when your final payment for the insurance cover is received by the cruise line.

In the cases of trip cancellation and interruption, the coverage time is different. For trip cancellation, the coverage begins from the time the full payment of the cover is made. For trip interruption cancellation the coverage starts from the scheduled departure date.

Your vacation protection plan coverage ends the moment the cruise is completed or when you arrive at your return destination. It also ends the moment you cancel the vacation.

Extra benefit

Also note that if your air travel arrangements take more than four days, you qualify for trip interruption and trip delay benefits.

Can I cancel a Carnival cruise without incurring a penalty?

According to Carnival’s site, if you cancel a trip before you make the full vacation payment there will be no charges incurred. However, if you had booked a promotional trip that has a non-refundable policy, there will be charges incurred.

Cancellation charges or penalties will depend on the length of your trip for example,

For cruises that are less than 5 days, you have up to 60 days to make a final payment before departure.

For cruises which are 6-9 days long, you have up to 75 days to make the final payment before departure.

For cruises that are 10 plus days’, you will have up to 90 days to make the final payment before departure.

To avoid being penalized, you have to cancel the trip before the given days elapse provided you have not finished paying for your vacation cruise.

There are some promotions on Carnival that have a non-refundable policy such as the early saver, super saver, and pack and go travel packages. The deposits made for these packages are non-refundable after booking.

Once your booking enters into the cancellation penalty period, note that the penalties will increase the more the departure approaches.

How Do I Buy Cruise Insurance?

If after reading this guide, you find yourself wondering how you can purchase the Carnival Cruise Line vacation protection plan. Then contact them on 1-888 CARNIVAL or contact your travel agent or personal vacation planner.

You can also, always buy cruise insurance from an independent travel insurance company.

When should I buy the Carnival cruise insurance?

You should purchase the Carnival cruise insurance as soon as you book and pay for your cruise vacation. This way you won’t lose out if you cancel the trip after purchasing it.

How Much Does Carnival Vacation Protection Plan Cost?

The prices for the vacation protection plan varies with the cruise fare paid. Averagely the vacation protection plan will cost you between 10-15% of your total cruise fare less tax, fees, and gratuities deductibles. See carnival insurance prices in the table below. Note, however, that the prices are subject to change at any time.

You should consult Carnival for confirmation when planning your trip. Individual cruise fare paid Price for vacation protection:

$0 – $400 $49
$401 – $500 $65
$501 – $600 $79
$601 – $800 $95
$801 – $1,000 $109
$1,001 – $1,200 $119
$1,201 – $1,400 $129
$1,401 – $1,600 $149
$1,601 – $1,800 $159
$1,801 + $189

Should I buy the Carnival Cruise Insurance?

Yes, you should buy the Carnival cruise insurance. It is better to be safe than to be sorry.
A recent study by UStia shows that 70% of Americans now purchase cruise insurance. The reason behind this is because things change all the time and there are many eventualities that can occur at any given time that you previously hadn’t planned for.
For example increased terrorist attacks, more frequent national disasters, and harsh weather conditions.

Benefits of taking up cruise insurance

It protects your vacation investment in cases of last minute cancellations.
The Carnival waiver fee package enables you to cancel your vacation for any reason and helps you avoid losing your full investment.

Cruise insurance mitigates the costs you incur when you miss your cruise. Missing a departure is very frustrating. If you consider the costs involved and the inconveniences caused. Sometimes because of your own fault but at other times, it’s just out of your control.

Carnival cruise insurance plan protects you from trip cancellations charges that arise due to missing a departure.The insurance plan covers you in case of trip interruptions caused by bad weather, and any other unforeseen events. It also remedies you for trip delays.

For medical emergency purposes. A medical emergency could happen while you are on a cruise in a remote area. A remote area with no hospitals in view and while there is medical help in the cruise ship at times you may require specialized help. That could prove tricky considering health insurance covers are geographically limited. But with the Carnival insurance medical plan you are guaranteed that you will be taken care of in case of a medical emergency.

You may need to cut your trip short. While you are on vacation anything could happen back at home, work or at school that directly affects you. Such as the unfortunate death of a loved one. In such instances, Carnival Cruise Insurance cover can really prove beneficial in ensuring you have reimbursed the value of your remaining trip.

Having a cruise insurance cover helps you relax during your vacation.

Is Carnival Vacation Protection Worth it?

Yes, it is worth it. Carnival vacation protection offers you a great deal of coverage with its three products.

Cancellation waiver fee package which helps you get reimbursements for reasonable trip cancellations in some instances 100% in cash refunds. It also allows you to get compensated 75% in future cruise credit certificate for other reasons that are not considered all too common for example Cancelling your trip because you just don’t feel like it.

Travel Insurance package which offers you benefits amounting up to a total refund of airfare or $30,000 in various events such as fare costs incurred by canceled trips or trip interruptions. Medical emergencies, emergency evacuations, and baggage protection.

Also Read: Is Cruise Insurance Really Worth It?

24/7 worldwide travel assistance which ensures you don’t have to worry about getting things done while on your trip. The 24/7 team at Carnival provides you with destination guides, language translators, facilitate transport arrangements for emergencies and when you are experiencing delays as well.

How can Carnival insurance help if I get sick while on the cruise?

The medical plan from the travel insurance program would come in handy in such a case. Since the cover offers up to $ 10,000 in medical expenses.You are guaranteed of being taken care of if you or any other person you are traveling with gets sick while on the cruise.

Carnival insurance also has a 24/7 team dedicated to ensuring that they get you a doctor quickly and transport you to a hospital if need be. The cover covers airfare for such instances.

Are pre-existing conditions covered by the Carnival Cruise Insurance?

Only conditions that are treated and controlled by over the counter medication are covered in the medical and repatriation sections of the travel insurance cover.

Unfortunately, Carnival cruise insurance will not pay for any loss incurred that is as a result of a pre-existing medical condition.

For more information on this, kindly check the Carnival Cruise Line site.

Of course, any accident or injury that you suffer during an excursion is covered. Carnival Vacation Protection program offers a medical and sickness cover for any injury that you suffer during a cruise. But you are only eligible for this benefit if you have purchased their cover.

How much does the vacation protection plan by Carnival cost?

The Carnival vacation protection plan cost between $49-$189. The insurance price rises with the higher the price is of your trip. But averagely it will not cost you more than 15% of your total trip cost.