Wondering if you need travel insurance for the cruise you’re planning on taking? In a word, yes; here’s why.

When you go on a cruise you do it to leave your troubles behind. You do it so you can relax, unwind, and live for a few days without care or worry. That’s precisely why you need travel insurance for your cruise. In all likelihood, you won’t need it, but if you do and don’t have it, your trip can go from a wonderful one to a nightmare in the blink of an eye. Cruise insurance is there so that you can relax and not have to worry about any of the what-if scenarios where something unforeseen happens.

One aspect of cruise insurance that many people are not aware of is insurance that will allow you to recover the cost of your fare in the event that you are forced to cancel. You may have been looking forward to this dream vacation for a long time, but life doesn’t always cooperate. Sometimes there will be a legitimate reason why you are forced to cancel your trip at the last minute, and if that happens forfeiting the money you spent on the tickets can be a major financial blow. In fact, if you, like many other people, budgeted and saved for your trip, then you may not be able to afford more tickets. With cruise insurance, you will be covered in case you have to cancel.

What happens if you get sick when you are on your cruise? While being sick on a vacation is never ideal, it’s much worse if you have to pay cash for the medical care you need. That’s right, the normal health and dental insurance that you rely on won’t cover you when you are on a cruise. So, if you have a medical emergency and need treatment onboard the ship, the cost can be quite high. Should you need transport to a hospital, the cost can be truly astronomical. So, if you want to ensure that you will have access to the healthcare you need, and not be financially crippled as a result, you definitely need cruise insurance.

One of the most fun parts of going on a cruise is going to a new port, and then having an opportunity to explore a new city. You can easily get lost in the moment, seeing new things, meeting interesting people, and trying new food. Then, in the midst of a great time you are having you realize that you have missed the boat when it left port. Now, if you don’t have cruise insurance you are going to be in for some serious trouble. Cruise insurance can help to reimburse you for the food and lodging you need, and also pay for transportation to your ship’s next port of call.

What happens if there is an emergency at home while you are on your cruise and you are suddenly forced to leave your trip early? Well, arranging for travel can get quite pricey. But, if you have travel insurance you can often be reimbursed for most or even all of your expenses. While it would certainly be unfortunate if you had to leave your trip early, at least with travel insurance you wouldn’t be feeling a hit in your bank account as well.

The bottom line here is simple, travel insurance on your cruise should be mandatory for you. Will anything goes wrong on your cruise? Probably not. But nobody ever got on a cruise ship planning for the worst to happen. They got on that ship to relax, unwind, and have a great time. That’s exactly what you can do if you have travel insurance. Travel insurance on your cruise will give you the peace of mind to truly enjoy the moment and not worry about any of the what-ifs that could happen that could ruin your trip.