Insurance for cruises that start in USA and finish in Australia

[sandk1204]

Hi, we are booked on a cruise on the Grand Princess in October 2022. We are flying from Sydney to LA, cruising through Hawaii, American Samoa, Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand and then finishing in Sydney. I have been looking at insurance and it is confusing, I want to cover from the time we fly out of Sydney, spend 2 days in LA and then board the ship for a 29 day cruise. Most of the insurance companies only give a selection of stops, my only option, so far, is to say it is a world cruise. Then I have nowhere to add the flight and other details before we board.  Any suggestions please.

[Aus Traveller]

I have been researching the complimentary travel insurance available with credit cards. Is this an option for you?

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, sandk1204 said:

Hi, we are booked on a cruise on the Grand Princess in October 2022. We are flying from Sydney to LA, cruising through Hawaii, American Samoa, Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand and then finishing in Sydney. I have been looking at insurance and it is confusing, I want to cover from the time we fly out of Sydney, spend 2 days in LA and then board the ship for a 29 day cruise. Most of the insurance companies only give a selection of stops, my only option, so far, is to say it is a world cruise. Then I have nowhere to add the flight and other details before we board.  Any suggestions please.

If you don't want, or don't qualify for the complimentary credit card travel insurance, any policy you buy should include USA as a destination. This is the part of the world that makes travel insurance expensive because of the high medical costs. If the policy requires you to stipulate cruising, then you should include that.

[GUT2407]

Ring whoever you are looking at insuring with to make sure you are fully covered, or go in to their office. They will deny a claim if don’t get the right cover.

[LittleFish1976]

Just looking at the sort of insurance you might need with one particular travel insurance company (Covermore), it seems you would select 'USA' and 'South West Pacific Cruise'. That would cover your travel from Australia to the US and your time there and then the cruise component of the trip. Reading the fine print though, it says you are not covered for Covid 19 if you are diagnosed with it either on board a cruise or after a cruise! They supply medical cover for other reasons but not covid under those conditions.

 

It's not cheap either; seems cruising just got a lot more expensive.

 

[Aus Traveller]

34 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

Just looking at the sort of insurance you might need with one particular travel insurance company (Covermore), it seems you would select 'USA' and 'South West Pacific Cruise'. That would cover your travel from Australia to the US and your time there and then the cruise component of the trip. Reading the fine print though, it says you are not covered for Covid 19 if you are diagnosed with it either on board a cruise or after a cruise! They supply medical cover for other reasons but not covid under those conditions.

 

It's not cheap either; seems cruising just got a lot more expensive.

 

Would you consider the complimentary credit card travel insurance? They may be a big tougher on medical pre-existing conditions.

[LittleFish1976]

14 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Would you consider the complimentary credit card travel insurance? They may be a big tougher on medical pre-existing conditions.

 

I used to always rely on the credit card travel insurance - both ANZ platinum visa and Amex but I would be wary of them adequately covering contracting covid whilst cruising or for cancellation of entire trip due to covid. I had a couple of very big claims a few years ago for medical reasons - those reasons have now become 'pre-existing conditions' so I'm not sure if they would cover me given that.

 

More pdfs to read!

 

[Aus Traveller]

2 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

I used to always rely on the credit card travel insurance - both ANZ platinum visa and Amex but I would be wary of them adequately covering contracting covid whilst cruising or for cancellation of entire trip due to covid. I had a couple of very big claims a few years ago for medical reasons - those reasons have now become 'pre-existing conditions' so I'm not sure if they would cover me given that.

 

More pdfs to read!

 

I am working on a simple spreadsheet with the pros and cons of the various credit card insurance policies. The major difference (at the moment) is COVID. The only one that covers it is ANZ and it is now limited to the cardholder (or their travelling companion) testing positive. They do not cover cancellation because of concern about COVID, or the trip being changed by (for instance) a cruise company because of COVID.

 

Maybe it would be worth checking if you would be covered even with your pre-existing conditions. It totally depends what they are.

[LittleFish1976]

2 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I am working on a simple spreadsheet with the pros and cons of the various credit card insurance policies. The major difference (at the moment) is COVID. The only one that covers it is ANZ and it is now limited to the cardholder (or their travelling companion) testing positive. They do not cover cancellation because of concern about COVID, or the trip being changed by (for instance) a cruise company because of COVID.

 

Maybe it would be worth checking if you would be covered even with your pre-existing conditions. It totally depends what they are.

 

Thanks, Aus Traveller, just read the ANZ pds - they don't seem to mention covid at all which is unnerving. Good to hear from you though that they cover it. I assume they don't deny cover (as does the travel insurance company I mentioned earlier on another thread) if you test positive on a cruise or after a cruise!

 

I've used the ANZ insurance previously and emailed them at the time to check that they covered medical evacuation from a cruise ship which they confirmed which, let's face it, is an essential component of travel insurance if you're cruising - on the off chance that you need it, it could ruin you financially if you didn't have it.

 

I also notice they give you a total travel period of 6 months on the one 'policy' which is a great deal longer than most of the paid-for travel insurance policies I've been looking at today. I'll check with them regarding my pre-existings once I have my dates more firmly set.

 

 

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, LittleFish1976 said:

 

Thanks, Aus Traveller, just read the ANZ pds - they don't seem to mention covid at all which is unnerving. Good to hear from you though that they cover it. I assume they don't deny cover (as does the travel insurance company I mentioned earlier on another thread) if you test positive on a cruise or after a cruise!

 

I've used the ANZ insurance previously and emailed them at the time to check that they covered medical evacuation from a cruise ship which they confirmed which, let's face it, is an essential component of travel insurance if you're cruising - on the off chance that you need it, it could ruin you financially if you didn't have it.

 

I also notice they give you a total travel period of 6 months on the one 'policy' which is a great deal longer than most of the paid-for travel insurance policies I've been looking at today. I'll check with them regarding my pre-existings once I have my dates more firmly set.

 

 

They do mention COVID specifically. I will look through the pds and let you know the page number.🙂

[LittleFish1976]

3 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

They do mention COVID specifically. I will look through the pds and let you know the page number.🙂

Interesting - I even used the search function and couldn't find anything. Yes, please let me know.

[Aus Traveller]

In the old ANZ Visa card insurance they stated they covered claims related to a pandemic. This has been 'watered down' somewhat and they now cover claims if you (or you travel companion) tests positive. Page 25 of the latest pds (dated April 2022) has the following:

 

we do not cover you for any loss, damage or expense arising from, caused by, or in any way related to any epidemic or pandemic, unless your claim relates to you or your travel companion being positively diagnosed as suffering a sickness recognised as an epidemic or pandemic and cover is expressly included in the following sections:
• 1.1 Overseas Emergency Assistance
• 1.2 Overseas Emergency Medical
• 1.4 Evacuation & Repatriation
• 2.1 Cancellation
• 3.1 Additional Expenses

 

I am leaving the computer to cook dinner, but if you have any problems finding it, please let me know and I will post again in an hour or so. Regards.

Edited April 8, 2022 by Aus Traveller

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, LittleFish1976 said:

Interesting - I even used the search function and couldn't find anything. Yes, please let me know.

Maybe the reason you couldn't find is that you might have searched for 'COVID' not 'pandemic'. 😁

[LittleFish1976]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

In the old ANZ Visa card insurance they stated they covered claims related to a pandemic. This has been 'watered down' somewhat and they now cover claims if you (or you travel companion) tests positive. Page 25 of the latest pds (dated April 2022) has the following:

 

we do not cover you for any loss, damage or expense arising from, caused by, or in any way related to any epidemic or pandemic, unless your claim relates to you or your travel companion being positively diagnosed as suffering a sickness recognised as an epidemic or pandemic and cover is expressly included in the following sections:
• 1.1 Overseas Emergency Assistance
• 1.2 Overseas Emergency Medical
• 1.4 Evacuation & Repatriation

• 2.1 Cancellation
• 3.1 Additional Expenses

Thanks. I was looking at an older version from March 2020 - downloaded today from the ANZ website! I'll get the up to date one.

[bazzaw]

I am not sure what you mean by this " Most of the insurance companies only give a selection of stops" . In the past at least, I would have simply taken out a policy starting and ending on the dates I leave Australia and and arrive home - the policy being one that includes the US and cruising. I have never had to describe the route of flights or the ship itinerary or the specifics of any stay in the US