Cruise travel insurance from the UAE

Does your travel policy cover a cruise?

Only Liva’s has a named cruise cover, and you have to add it. The other policies either mention cruises in a definition or a delay clause, or not at all.

• Liva: optional Cruise Cover with five parts, shown below.¹
• GIG Gulf: a trip includes a cruise trip that begins and ends in your country of residence. One-way trips are excluded. There is no separate cruise section.²
• Mastercard card cover: a covered trip includes a cruise paid in advance with the eligible card, up to 180 days for a round trip.³
• Orient: a departure point can be a port, and the wording names boat and cruise carriers.⁴
• Allianz Partners: names a cruise in two delay clauses.⁵
• AIG: its definition of a carrier leaves out ship cruises.⁶
• Salama and Daman name a ship as a means of transport and have no cruise terms.⁷⁸

What does Liva’s Cruise Cover pay?

Up to USD 1,000 for each part, if the cover shows on your policy schedule. It is available on Liva’s Holiday and Executive Travel plans. The table of benefits shows none on Schengen Travel.¹

Liva’s cancellation cover leaves out cruise excursions and refers you to the optional cover.¹

Are days at sea and medical care on board covered?

No policy says. None states whether days at sea and every port of call are inside its area of cover. Only Liva’s Cabin Confinement deals with the ship’s medical officer.¹

Ask your insurer whether medical treatment on board is covered, at what limit, and whether days at sea count as inside your area of cover.

What if you miss the ship’s departure?

Liva and Allianz Partners pay something. Liva’s optional Missed Port Departure pays up to USD 1,000.¹ Allianz Partners’ Travel Delay cover pays the transport you need to rejoin your cruise or tour, or reach your destination, if a covered delay makes you miss the departure.⁵ Orient’s Missed Departure section uses a departure point, which can be a port.⁴ Ask Orient whether that section pays if you miss a ship.

Orient’s Flight Delay section also applies to a sea vessel you are booked on, and names mechanical breakdown of the vessel as a cause.⁴ Allianz Partners’ baggage delay cover refers to an airline, cruise line or other travel carrier.⁵

Does AIG treat a cruise ship as a carrier?

Not clearly. AIG’s definition of a common carrier includes a sea vessel. It then leaves out any vessel hired or used for a sport, contest or recreation, and it names boat cruises and ship cruises.⁶ AIG’s trip delay and baggage benefits are written around a common carrier, and the wording does not say what this means for a cruise passenger.

Ask AIG in writing whether its delay and baggage benefits apply on your cruise.