booksafe travel protection covered reasons

• Norwegian Cruise Line

NCL Book Safe Standard or Platinum travel protection plan

By All-ready2cruise , March 31, 2020 in Norwegian Cruise Line

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All-ready2cruise

I've browsed through the threads to check for any info regarding the NCL Book Safe Standard or Platinum travel protection plan, but, sadly, was unable to find anything specific to this: I rec'd an e-letter from NCL a few minutes ago regarding the purchase of their insurance plan (yes, I realize it's not really NCL).  Not sure if anyone else has purchased it too but if so, we should be receiving another separate FCC for the purchase cost. 

For me, it's a couple hundred bux which I'll likely add to a cruise already booked next year. 

Today's date, Mar. 31, 2021

"Dear Valued Guests and Travel Partners:

On behalf of Norwegian Cruise Line, thank you very much for your loyalty and for making us your vacation of choice. We understand the disappointment caused by the announcement of our suspended sailings from March 13, 2020 through April 11, 2020. Additionally, we know that many of you chose to cancel your upcoming vacation under our Peace of Mind policy as a result of the current environment. While it is our intention to maintain our sailings as much as possible, at times, unforeseen circumstances such as those we are all experiencing, require us to make modifications. After receiving your feedback and to display our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences at sea along with our partnership with AON and Nationwide, we will be making changes as it pertains to the travel protection component of the offers we presented to affected guests. If you canceled your reservation under our Peace of Mind policy and you had purchased our Book Safe Standard or Platinum travel protection plan you will receive an additional future cruise credit, worth the value of your travel protection plan. This future cruise credit is valid for one year from issued date and applicable towards all published sailings through December 31, 2022. If your reservation was canceled as part of the suspended sailings from March 13, 2020 - April 11, 2020, and you had purchased our Book Safe Standard or Platinum travel protection plan, you will receive a future cruise credit worth the value of your travel protection plan. This future cruise credit is valid for one year from issued date and applicable towards all published sailings through December 31, 2022. These future cruise credits will be available by April 10, 2020. As always, your business is important to Norwegian Cruise Line and we appreciate your trust in us. We remain dedicated to providing our guests with the best travel experiences across the globe.

Sincerely, Katty Byrd Vice President Guest Services"

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Thanks for your response zqvol, I understand there are other insurance companies which are less expensive for US citizens, however, right now, with out CAD being in the dumps,  🙂  it doesn't really work out to be less expensive in the long run.  I also do co-pay with a Canadian insurance company which provides me with an annual travel insurance plan.

At my age, and under these circumstances, I don't think we can have too much insurance. Thankfully, I purchased my annual plan last year, Dec. 1st so, I'm good.  

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Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance - 2024 Review

Norwegian cruise travel insurance.

• Available at Check-Out
• Strong Insurance Partner
• Good Cancellation Protection
• Incredibly Expensive
• Totally Inadequate Medical Cover
• Very Poor Medical Evacuation Cover

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Norwegian cruise line was founded in 1966 and is the third largest cruise line in the world. Norwegian currently operates 17 ships and has plans to release 6 more soon. For their 17 fleets, Norwegian offers BookSafe Travel Protection.

In our Norwegian Cruise Travel (NCL) Insurance Review, we will run through the different trip insurance options that Norwegian offers and compare them against the wider travel insurance market.

First, let’s review the critical reasons to buy cruise travel insurance, to explain the logic behind some of our recommendations.

Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance on Check-Out

For our review, we have two 62-year-old travelers going on a three-day cruise from Miami to the Bahamas. The total cost for the cruise came in at $1,102.76 for the two passengers.

As we get towards the check-out page, we are encouraged to buy Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance. The exact image of what was presented is shown below. We are offered not one, but two cruise travel insurance options – ‘Platinum’ and ‘Standard’.

Don’t I Need to Buy Cruise Travel Insurance when I Buy My Cruise?

Every travel insurance policy has some ‘Time-Sensitive Benefits’ that are enabled when a traveler buys trip insurance within a short period of time after their initial trip deposit. This Time-Sensitive Period is normally 10-21 days. Generally, you have a couple of weeks to check out different trip insurance options. Get quotes from a few different travel insurance carriers to compare prices and benefits.

The main reason we want to get our cruise travel insurance in place sooner rather than later is that we get cancellation benefits once our travel insurance policy is in place.

Cruise Travel Insurance – Three Critical Benefits

Irrespective whether you buy Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance, or buy a different travel insurance, there are three critical benefits that you really need to have in place.

• Cruise Cancellation Protection

Travel Medical Health Insurance

• Medical Evacuation Coverage

Norwegian Cruise Cancellation Insurance Protection

Every comprehensive trip insurance policy has cancellation benefits built in. When we refer to ‘Cruise’ travel insurance, we really do mean regular, comprehensive travel insurance. Every major travel insurance carrier has comprehensive trip insurance policies that will support you if you are traveling on a cruise ship, by rail, or by aircraft. It doesn’t matter to the travel insurance carrier what type of vacation you are enjoying. So don’t get caught up in buying a travel insurance policy with ‘Cruise’ in the title.

Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance is referred to by Norwegian as ‘Booksafe Travel Protection’, so even Norwegian does not worry about including ‘Cruise’ in the title of their coverage. Every trip and cruise insurance policy will have basic cancellation protection that should offer a 100% refund for the following types of events:

• Accident, illness, or death of you, a traveling partner, business partner, or family member • Jury duty • Legal appearance • Traffic accident en route to airport • Death or hospitalization of your host at your travel destination • Weather • Bankruptcy of your travel provider

On a cruise, death or hospitalization of a host at destination is not relevant. But bankruptcy of your travel provider is important. Norwegian’s does NOT include bankruptcy protection, so please be careful on this.

These events happen rarely, which is why travel insurance policies include basic trip cancellation coverage for little cost. Many of us, however, will want additional travel cancellation protection.

NCL Cancellation Protection – Work

Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance does a good job in offering us a 100% refund if we are terminated or laid off from full-time employment by our company. This assumes that the reason for the lay-off is no fault of our own. This is good coverage from Norwegian – only one year of continuous employment is required. Most airline policies, for example, require three years of continuous employment, so Norwegian does a good job in this respect.

However, what is missing with Norwegian’s policy is protection if our work vacation is cancelled. Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance offers no vacation cancellation protection, and we consider this as a significant weakness for anyone who requires approval to go on vacation. Strong  Cancel for Work Reasons  Travel Insurance would incorporate this coverage. Norwegian Travel Insurance does not, so please beware.

There is one higher level of cancellation protection than Cancel for Work – it is called Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance.

Norwegian Cruise Cancellation Protection – Cancel for Any Reason

If you buy Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance, you will get Norwegian's version of Cancel for Any Reason protection built in. It is not, strictly, insurance, as you will not get your money back if you cancel. You will get a credit to be used for future cruises, which is a pretty good substitute.

Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance offers two alternatives – Platinum or Standard. Standard will provide a credit of 75% of your funds if you cancel your cruise with Norwegian. You can then use these funds for a future cruise. Platinum offers a 90% credit. The coverage is expensive, but travelers may well benefit from it. A sensible alternative to Norwegian’s Cancel for Any Reason coverage would be the  Cancel for Any Reason  protection that is embedded into many Comprehensive Travel Insurance policies. We will show a few alternatives later in this article.

Travel Medical Health Insurance is one of the most critical pieces of trip insurance that any traveler can have. It is essential, in our opinion. International private hospitals are not cheap and can often cost $3k to $4k per day. For this reason, we recommend that a traveler leaving the USA have at least $100k of Travel Medical Health Insurance in place.

Decent medical coverage is not expensive! Indeed, you will see this $100k figure in almost every comprehensive travel insurance available in the wider US market. The only time we are comfortable with less than $100k of travel medical insurance coverage is if the traveler has alternative insurance in place that the travel insurance can supplement. If you have any doubt - stick to $100k of Travel Medical Insurance coverage in any Travel Insurance, you buy.

Let’s look at all the coverage levels from Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance. The price we see below is that quoted to us for our $1,102.76 cruise.

Norwegian Cruise Insurance Coverage - **Platinum**

$250 / Stateroom

• Trip cancellation or interruption for a covered reason - Total NCL vacation cost
• Trip Delay - $500
• Emergency Evacuation - $50,000
• Accidental Medical Expense - $20,000
• Sickness Medical Expense - $20,000
• Baggage / Personal Effects - $3,000
• Enhanced Cancellation Protection provided by NCL - 90% cruise credit

Norwegian Cruise Insurance Coverage - **Standard**

$130 / Stateroom

• Emergency Evacuation - $25,000
• Baggage / Personal Effects - $1,500
• Enhanced Cancellation Protection provided by NCL - 75% cruise credit

The Norwegian Standard plan offers $20k in medical insurance.  Norwegian Platinum Cruise coverage offers the same benefit, which is inadequate for an unforeseen medical emergency.

Cruise Insurance 101 Travel Insurance Marketplace

It’s relatively simple to get alternative travel insurance options for your Norwegian Cruise. In fact, we need only one minute of your time. At Cruise Insurance 101 , give us your travel details, and we share them anonymously with our Travel Insurance Carriers. You get a series of quotes, showing you rates and coverage levels, from some of the most respected Travel Insurance Carriers in the USA. We only work with carriers who have ‘A’ ratings from A.M. Best, and customer service levels that we are happy to recommend.

AIG Travel Guard Plus Insurance

One of our favorite low-cost travel insurance policies is the AIG Travel Guard Plus  plan. Here are the protection levels incorporated into the policy.

Time-Sensitive Benefits  • Cancel for Any Reason: 0% refund • Cancel for Work Reason: 100% refund • Preexisting Waiver: Yes • Time Sensitive Period: 21 days • Free Look Period: 15 days • Preexisting Look Back: 180 days  Regular Benefits  • Medical Coverage: Primary • Hospital of Choice: No • Covered Cancellation: 100% refund • Financial Default: Yes • Medical Sickness: $100,000 • Medical Evacuation: $1,000,000.

This travel insurance from AIG comes in at $78.44 for our two travelers. Yet, it has $100k of Travel Medical Health Insurance embedded into it. Let’s look now at our final piece of critical coverage – medical evacuation insurance.

Travel Medical Evacuation Insurance

Sometimes an accident or illness is so severe that a medical evacuation is necessary. We want to get the patient to the most suitable medical facility to treat them, and oftentimes this is not going to be in a small port city of an underdeveloped country. A medical evacuation can involve specially equipped private jets with associated doctors and nurses on board. A near-shore evacuation can cost $100k - $250k. An evacuation from Asia or Africa can easily cost $500k. These are the minimum levels of coverage that we ever recommend to a traveler. There is simply no logical reason in taking less protection than this.

Norwegian Medical Evacuation Coverage

So, what Travel Medical Evacuation coverage does Norwegian provide in its two policies?

• Standard - $25k
• Platinum - $50k

What level of medical evacuation coverage do we see in a low-cost travel insurance?

• AIG Travel Guard Plus - $1,000,000

Again, this is a massive increase in protection from what is one of our cheapest policies. The Norwegian Cruise Insurance is totally inadequate in this regard.

Cancel for Work and Cancel for Any Reason

Where the AIG Travel Guard Policy also rates well is that it offers work vacation cancellation protection. If your previously approved vacation is cancelled, AIG will provide a 100% refund of your non-refundable costs. From such a low-cost travel insurance policy, that is a great benefit. Remember, Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance does not provide this protection.

If you would like a policy with the optional benefit of  Cancel for Any Reason  trip cancellation protection, the Travel Insured WorldWide Trip Protector Plan is a great option.

It incorporates true Cancel for Any Reason protection. We say ‘true’ coverage, because if you need to cancel for any reason not normally covered by your other policy benefits, the insurer will write you a check for 75% of your trip costs. Cash is better than credit.

Here are the policy benefits:

Time-Sensitive Benefits

• Cancel for Any Reason: 75% refund
• Cancel for Work Reason: 100% refund
• Pre-Existing Waiver: Yes
• Time Sensitive Period: 21 days
• Free Look Period: 14 days
• Pre-Existing Look Back: 60 days

Regular Benefits

• Medical Coverage: Primary
• Hospital of Choice: Yes
• Covered Cancellation: 100% refund
• Financial Default: Yes
• Medical Sickness: $100,000
• Medical Evacuation: $1,000,000

Evacuation benefits are 50 times as much as Norwegian Cruise coverage. Medical coverage is five times as much. Travel Insured’s Medical coverage is Primary; Norwegian’s is Secondary. All this coverage costs 14% LESS than Norwegian’s Platinum coverage!

Norwegian Cruise Travel Insurance Review – Conclusion

Norwegian offers two policies that are expensive, with little in the way of critical protection for some of the most expensive risks. We consider the policies that Norwegian offers to be unsuitable for almost all travelers. There are many other options available to cruise customers by searching within the wider travel insurance market. We rate Norwegian Cruise Line insurance a 7 out of 10.

Cruise Travel Insurance in the USA

The US has one of the most significant travel insurance markets on earth. At  Cruise Insurance 101  we take the leading Trip Insurance Carriers and place them in our marketplace. We offer you at least a dozen alternative policies from these leading insurers. The rates we show are the same as if you had gone direct to every travel insurer yourself. We do not mark up prices. In fact, US anti-discrimination law  prevents such practices . As such, we can guarantee that you cannot buy the same policy at a lower rate.

Have questions? Chat with us online, send us an email at  [email protected]  or alternatively call us at  +1(786) 751-2984 . We would love to hear from you.

Safe Travels

This article has been written for review purposes only and does not suggest sponsorship or endorsement of AARDY by the trademark owner.

Recent AARDY Travel Insurance Customer Reviews

Choosing a plan was quick and easy

Choosing a plan was quick and easy. The questions did not take long at all to answer and a plan was recommended in a short period of time.

Lady Coinbits

My agent, Shanna was awesome. Helped me find the best policy or my needs and explained everything to me.

monica munoz

Excellent customer service.

Spoke to Melanie. Excellent customer service, she was very thorough, answered all my questions, and was very nice.

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Booksafe travel protection ncl.

Traveling is all about experiencing new things, discovering new places, and creating memories that last a lifetime. However, things don’t always go as planned, and unexpected events can quickly ruin a trip. That’s why having travel insurance is essential, and BookSafe Travel Protection offered by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is one of the best options out there. In this guide, we’ll explore what BookSafe Travel Protection is, what it covers, and why it’s a smart choice for your next NCL cruise.

What is BookSafe Travel Protection?

BookSafe Travel Protection is a comprehensive travel insurance program offered by Norwegian Cruise Line. It’s designed to protect you financially in case of unforeseen circumstances, such as trip cancellations, interruptions, or delays, medical emergencies, or lost or stolen luggage. BookSafe can be purchased at the time of booking your NCL cruise or up to 24 hours before departure.

What does BookSafe Travel Protection cover?

BookSafe Travel Protection covers a wide range of scenarios and mishaps that can occur before or during your NCL cruise. Here are some of the most important coverages:

How much does BookSafe Travel Protection cost?

The cost of BookSafe Travel Protection varies depending on the type of cruise, the length of the trip, and the age of the travelers. As a general rule, the more expensive the trip, the higher the insurance premium. However, BookSafe is relatively affordable, with plans starting at $49 per person for a three-day cruise.

Is BookSafe Travel Protection worth it?

Whether BookSafe Travel Protection is worth it or not depends on your individual circumstances and risk tolerance. However, here are some factors to consider:

• BookSafe can provide peace of mind knowing that you’re financially protected in case of emergencies.
• If you’re booking a more expensive or longer cruise, the cost of the insurance may be a small percentage of the total trip cost.
• If you have pre-existing medical conditions or are traveling during peak hurricane season, BookSafe can be particularly valuable.
• If you’re booking non-refundable flights or hotel rooms, having travel insurance can help you avoid losing money if you have to cancel your trip.

How to purchase BookSafe Travel Protection?

Purchasing BookSafe Travel Protection is easy and straightforward. You can add it to your NCL cruise reservation during the booking process, or you can purchase it separately up to 24 hours before departure. To purchase BookSafe, you’ll need to provide some basic information about yourself and your fellow travelers, such as your names, dates of birth, and contact information.

Here are some frequently asked questions about BookSafe Travel Protection:

What is the cancellation policy for BookSafe Travel Protection?

You can cancel BookSafe Travel Protection within 10 days of purchase for a full refund, as long as you haven’t departed on your trip yet.

Does BookSafe cover pre-existing medical conditions?

Yes, BookSafe can cover pre-existing medical conditions under certain conditions. You’ll need to purchase the insurance within 24 hours of your initial deposit and meet other requirements.

Does BookSafe cover COVID-19?

Yes, BookSafe can cover COVID-19-related medical expenses and trip cancellations if you or a traveling companion get sick with the virus before or during your trip.

Can I purchase BookSafe if I’m not a US resident?

Yes, BookSafe is available to non-US residents, but some coverages and benefits may vary depending on your country of residence.

BookSafe Travel Protection is a smart and affordable way to protect yourself financially when booking an NCL cruise. It covers a wide range of scenarios, from trip cancellations to medical emergencies, and can provide peace of mind knowing that you’re covered in case of unforeseen events. While travel insurance is not always necessary, BookSafe is a valuable option to consider when booking your next NCL cruise.

• Travel Protection plans are available for guests to purchase in order to protect themselves against unforeseen expenses that they can encounter while traveling such as trip interruptions, loss of baggage or unexpected medical expenses.
• Purchase is optional. Norwegian Cruise Line highly recommends that every guest purchase Travel Protection to include trip cancellation coverage.
• Travel Protection plans are provided to residents of the United States.
• Canadian guests with existing reservations booked on or before February 15, 2023, will maintain BookSafe and/or Essentials eligibility.

U.S. Travel Protection Provider / AON Affinity Travel

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BookSafe Standard and Platinum Travel Protection: Standard and Platinum Travel Protection are travel protection policies that guest can purchase to protect themselves from trip interruptions, loss of baggage or unexpected medical expenses. For pricing, coverage details and information, please visit the terms and conditions pages listed above.

• The purchase of travel protection is optional . The only exception is if the destination jurisdiction requires insurance coverage. If so, the guest should be told that they may either purchase travel protection from NCL or from another agent. We cannot require any guest to purchase it from NCL.
• Guests may pay for Travel Protection at any time from deposit up to and including final payment.  Travel Protection is confirmed upon receipt of payment
• Guests may add Travel Protection to their reservation at any point OUTSIDE the cancelation fee period.
• Essentials can be purchased at any time once the reservation is paid in full and within the penalty period. Once purchased, it cannot be removed or refunded.
• Essentials coverage begins when the trip has started.

• If the guest pays their Travel Protection Premium at the time of deposit and later cancels  outside of the cancelation fee period, the Travel Protection Premium is fully refundable.
• To review the state-specific (based on guests state of residence) terms, conditions, and exclusions with BookSafe visit  https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/booksafe
• To cancel, guests should call Aon at the toll-free number listed above.
• If the guest pays the final/full payment within the cancellation fee period, Travel Protection can still be added to the reservation as long as it is done within 24 hours of the final payment.
• Travel Protection CANNOT be changed within the cancelation fee period.
• Travel Protection CANNOT be transferred from one guest to another .  If a guest with Travel Protection cancels and is replaced by another guest, the new guest has the option to purchase a Travel Protection  plan.
• Guests may decline to purchase Travel Protection.
• We cannot require guests to buy travel protection from us as part of the cruise or include it/require it as a condition to buy other services/products such as airfares, excursions, etc.

Essentials Post-Departure Travel Protection: Essentials Travel Protection is a travel protection policy that can be purchased after final payment has been made. NOTE: Essentials DOES NOT cover cancelation . For coverage details and information, visit  https://affinitytravelcert.com/document/pdfs/NCL-LandingPage-ESSENTIALS-7-2017.html     Tiered Pricing  is effective for reservations booked on January 27, 2023, and beyond.

Tiered Pricing for reservations booked on or before January 26, 2023.

• Essentials Travel Protection is available to Direct Guest and Travel Partners in the U.S.
• Guests can purchase Essentials Travel Protection via the Online Check-In (OCI) process or by contacting their travel partners.  
• Essentials can ONLY be added to the reservation after the final payment date.
• Essentials can be added to the reservation up to 24 hours prior to sailing.
• Effective 9/11/18 at 4pm EST, Essentials is commissionable at 10% for Travel Partner bookings.
• As of 12/3/18 at 4pm EST, the following agencies are not able to add Essentials Travel Protection.

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BookSafe and Essentials Travel Protection

Travel protection plans: booksafe platinum, booksafe standard, & essentials aug 24, 2023 • knowledge.

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Help! I Missed a Cruise and the Cruise Line’s Own Travel Insurance Won’t Pay.

A young woman booked her first big trip, a Mediterranean cruise on Norwegian, but missed the boat when her flight was delayed. Since she bought the cruise line’s own travel protection plan, why is she stuck with the bill?

By Seth Kugel

Dear Tripped Up,

After graduating from college in 2022 and working for a year, I used my bonus and some of my savings to book a nine-day Mediterranean cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line for my partner and me. Our $7,657 cruise package included airfare from Atlanta to Barcelona, Spain, via Newark, and Norwegian’s own BookSafe Travel Protection Plan , which included travel insurance and also allowed me to “cancel for any reason” for a 75 percent credit. Weather delayed our first flight, we missed the connection, and United Airlines could not get us to Barcelona in time to embark. I called Norwegian and agents suggested I buy last-minute tickets on a different airline, but I don’t have that kind of money. And even if I did, there were no direct flights to later ports, and I was unwilling to risk missing another connecting flight. So we spent the night in the Newark airport, paid for a return flight to Atlanta the next morning and canceled the cruise and remaining air legs. I got $1,184 back right away from Norwegian, and then an additional $232 back (for my return flight) from travel insurance when I filed a trip delay claim, but a trip cancellation claim for the cruise was denied outright. I feel I should at least get the 75 percent credit — otherwise what was the protection plan for? Can you help? Ivy, Atlanta

You’re not the first traveler to write Tripped Up after missing a cruise because of flight delays on the very itinerary the cruise company booked for them.

You also went out of your way to solve this problem on your own, first, registering complaints with the Better Business Bureau, the Georgia attorney general, and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Florida (where Norwegian is based), all to no avail. Even when I offered to help, you didn’t stop and — before I could do anything — prodded Norwegian into giving you a slightly-more-than-75-percent credit, or $5,420, for a future cruise “as a gesture of good will.” Impressive.

I would have moved on to help another Tripped Up reader, but Norwegian’s use of the responsibility-shirking phrase “as a gesture of good will” bugged me. I wanted to know why BookSafe didn’t cover you, and what other cruise customers can do to protect themselves.

The BookSafe plan actually has two main parts: a travel insurance policy, administered by Aon Affinity and underwritten by Nationwide, and a “cancel for any reason credit feature,” provided by Norwegian itself.

I read through the fine print, and it turns out (and Aon confirms) the travel insurance portion does not provide reimbursement for a cruise if airline issues cause a traveler to miss it. But under the Cancel for Any Reason component, it looks to me as if Norwegian should have given you that credit with no hassle.

I tried to confirm that with Norwegian, but the company declined to answer most of my questions, instead responding with imprecise statements via email.

“Although Norwegian Cruise Line provides flight arrangements as part of its cruise offering,” the first email read, “we do not have control over the operations of the airlines and are not responsible for any flight modifications or cancellations.”

“It is because of the very nature of unexpected situations, such as this, that we strongly recommend all guests purchase travel insurance,” the statement continued.

But again, you purchased the travel protection plan and the insurance portion did not cover you. As for the Cancel for Any Reason credit component, Norwegian sent another email, which you forwarded, that read, “We are unable to issue credits for the penalties assessed to your reservation as this does not qualify under Cancel for Any Reason prior to departure.”

When you complained to the Better Business Bureau initially, Norwegian doubled down, giving it same wording.

I can’t understand why. For the credit to kick in, BookSafe clearly states you need only cancel “prior to the ship’s departure,” not prior to your flight’s departure. You forwarded me a cancellation document, dated the day you flew back to Atlanta — which was also the day the cruise set sail. That would seem to qualify, unless Norwegian determined the cancellation took place minutes or hours after the ship departed. That would be pretty disingenuous of them, considering you had been on the phone with them since the night before, asking about your options.

When I asked Norwegian about the original rejection, I got a statement saying you “had incorrectly filed a claim for a trip delay instead of a trip cancellation claim" and that the credit was “later added” to your account.

To me, that’s somewhere between muddled and false. What actually happened was that you filed a “trip delay” claim to Aon that turned out only to cover your flight back to Atlanta. (That’s what trip delay coverage does, cover unexpected expenses.) Then, you filed a “trip cancellation” claim, also to Aon, but that was never going to work: Trip cancellation coverage lapsed once you got on the plane and yet another kind of coverage, “trip interruption,” kicks in. But filing for that wouldn’t have done you any good: Norwegian’s trip interruption policy does not cover airline delays.

That’s why you ended up — after some blood, sweat and tears, that is — with the 75 percent credit from Norwegian.

It’s confusing, no doubt. You fell into a common trap about trip cancellation, delay and interruption policies — assuming that this coverage will pay for anything that is truly not your fault. But claims adjusters tend to be extremely literal in interpreting the fine-print list of “perils” or “hazards” your policy covers.

“If it’s there, you’re good, and if it’s not there, you’re not good,” said Stan Sandberg, a co-founder of TravelInsurance.com , a site that aggregates policies from different companies, providing convenient direct links to the state-specific policies.

I got curious and decided to compare the fine print of BookSafe with the default travel protection plans at cruise operators like Carnival, Disney, MSC, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Viking. I used the New York versions for consistency, and looked specifically at how well they covered issues caused by delays and cancellations of “common carriers” — airlines, trains and the like.

All the plans have “trip delay,” “trip cancellation” and “trip interruption” coverage administered by insurance companies. Most include a separate “cancel for any reason” credit portion that the cruise lines administer themselves. (Only MSC does not.)

I focused on trip interruption, which typically provides a maximum benefit of 125 or 150 percent of the trip’s value. That means a traveler could in theory be reimbursed for the full cost of the cruise, plus additional expenses incurred because of the interruption.

Three of the seven plans I looked at — Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Princess — leave airline issues out of trip interruption benefits entirely, making it impossible, in a situation like yours, to claim the value of a missed cruise in its entirety. “That is shocking,” said Jason Schreier, chief executive of the travel division of Aegis General Insurance.

“Ninety-five percent of travel insurance plans you’ll find have common carrier issues in both trip cancellation and interruption benefits,” he said.

The other four cover delays to varying extents. Carnival mentions only weather issues. MSC and Viking cover mechanical problems, weather delays and strikes — pretty standard language, but not all encompassing. Only Disney’s plan allows trip interruption to kick in for “any delay of a common carrier,” as long as it causes you to miss at least half the trip.

Mr. Schreier of Aegis told me that the cruise lines themselves will often scratch common perils from custom plans to reduce liability. When I asked Norwegian about this, the company referred me to Aon Affinity. But Beth Godlin, the president of Aon Affinity Travel Practice, wrote that Aon “works with many different cruise lines” and customizes plans “to meet the needs of the cruise line.”

Finally, there’s that cancel-for-any-reason-for-partial-cruise-credit element. As we learned, Norwegian’s plan, as well as those of Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess and Disney, do include flight issues by allowing travelers to cancel right up to the ship’s departure. Only Viking’s is different — ending once you board your first flight. (Again, MSC does not offer this benefit at all.)

I’d warn against choosing a cruise line on the sole basis of whether its protection plan covers common carrier delays — you’d just be asking for something different to go wrong. But Ivy, as you use your credit, I’d consider putting in the time to look into buying a separate insurance plan, using comparison sites like TravelInsurance.com or Squaremouth , or going directly to companies like Aegis , which Mr. Schreier points out has a cruise-specific package and a “Stress Less” feature that might have paid on the spot for a flight on a different airline to get you to Barcelona on time.

Whatever you do, I hope you have a great cruise and can at least temporarily forgive Norwegian for what happened — as a gesture of good will.

If you need advice about a best-laid travel plan that went awry, send an email to [email protected] .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Seth Kugel is the columnist for “ Tripped Up ,” an advice column that helps readers navigate the often confusing world of travel. More about Seth Kugel

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

Athens, Attica

Auckland, Auckland Province

Barcelona, Catalonia

Brooklyn, New York State

André Fernandes

Laura Baldwin

Andrew Evans

Tara Turner

NCL – Booksafe Travel Protection

In my opinion, when it comes to having fun while exploring new countries and destinations, absolutely nothing beats taking a cruise. The moment you set foot on the ship your vacation has officially started, and you do not have to worry about dining and entertainment.

However, cruises can be expensive, and in order to get the best deal, many travelers opt to book months to a year in advance. The issue with this that travelers cannot predict the future, which means that things can change and taking time off for your cruise may no longer be possible. This could be due to anything, an illness, loss of employment, death of a loved one. And that is what can happen before the trip; there’s an endless number of things that can happen while you’re in the middle of your vacation.

Booksafe Travel Protection (BTP) is Norwegian Cruise Line’s travel insurance. With BTP you’re covered for many of the many things that can go wrong. For example, lost luggage and medical expenses transportation.

Medical Expense Transportation is the big one. There are many scary stories online of people that have been so sick on a cruise, that a helicopter was needed to transport them to the nearest hospital, which comes with a scary bill of up $50,000.

The prices are very reasonable. For a fare of $1000, the BTP price is $99 for Standard Plan and $159 for the Platinum Plan. Rates depend on the cruise fare.

For more info, please visit https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/booksafe

Photo by ben o’bro on Unsplash

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Table of Contents

What is cruise travel insurance?

What does cruise travel insurance cover typically, how much is travel insurance for a cruise, do i need it if i have other travel protections, is cruise travel insurance worth it.

Cruise travel insurance covers the cruise itself, not related travel.

It's usually purchased through the cruise operator, typically before booking.

Check to make sure your credit card doesn't offer similar insurance before buying cruise insurance.

Cruising is one of America's favorite travel experiences. According to a 2021 report from Cruise Lines International Association, an industry trade association, 82% of cruisers will cruise again. As well, 62% of non-cruisers are open to the idea.

And why not? Cruises often give travelers the chance to experience multiple destinations plus enjoy onboard entertainment, activities and dining for a set, all-inclusive price . Cruises simplify budgeting in a year when travel prices have been hard hit by inflation .

But what happens if something goes wrong with your ship, or you can’t make it onboard because of health concerns? Cruise travel insurance might be the answer. It protects your payment and covers you against illness or injury.

Before you pay for a cruise travel insurance policy, here's a look at what it is, how it works and if it's worth it.

Cruise travel insurance is add-on insurance coverage that — just like travel insurance — will reimburse you for delays, interruptions, medical situations or other problems during the cruise.

Depending on which cruise line you're traveling with, you might be able to buy a travel insurance policy when booking your trip (through the cruise line directly) or at a later date (either through the cruise line or separately from a third party).

Protecting travel costs can be a smart money move. A September 2022 survey of 737 past cruisers by InsureMyTrip found that the average trip cost for an insured cruise vacation so far this year is $6,367, an increase of nearly 15% from before the pandemic.

Can you buy travel insurance after booking a cruise? It depends. Some cruise lines require the purchase of a travel insurance policy before the final payment date when charges become nonrefundable. Others require the purchase of coverage a certain number of days before departure. Read the fine print to find out the deadline to purchase and the specifics of its coverage.

Circumstances covered by cruise travel insurance vary by policy and by issuer. Many cruise lines partner with an insurance company to underwrite its policy benefits.

Some common benefits available as part of travel insurance from a cruise line include:

Trip cancellation and interruption . If you cancel your trip or unexpectedly cut it short for an eligible reason, such as severe weather or illness, you'll get back some or all of the upfront costs, depending on the policy.

Cancel For Any Reason . This coverage tends to be more flexible, forgiving and expensive at time of purchase. Policyholders can cancel for any reason not listed in the policy and still receive a portion of their trip cost back, either as cash or as a future cruise credit (assuming they meet other eligibility requirements).

Trip delay . Cruise delay insurance protection protects expenses if your trip is delayed beyond a set number of hours.

Baggage protection . This insures your luggage if it is lost, stolen, damaged or delayed, and gives money to buy necessary items until bags are recovered.

Medical coverage . If you get sick or injured during the trip, the policy covers treatment and related expenses up to a limit.

Emergency evacuation . When emergency evacuation is necessary, the policy covers the transport cost up to a limit.

COVID coverage . If your trip is canceled or interrupted due to COVID, the policy covers the unused prepaid expenses, medical treatment and emergency evacuation, up to policy limits.

When comparing policies, choose a policy that includes all of the benefits, protections and coverage limits that are important to you. While you may be tempted to choose the lowest-priced option, that policy may not have the coverage you need.

We examined cruise insurance prices for a seven-day trip in February 2023 from the U.S. to Mexico. The example traveler was 35 years old, from Georgia, and planned to spend $2,500 on the trip, including airfare.

The average price of each company’s most basic coverage plan was $124. These policies didn't include optional add-ons, such as Cancel for Any Reason coverage or coverage for pre-existing medical conditions .

Separately, we looked at five different cruise insurance add-ons for a similar trip. With this option, the average cost of basic coverage was cheaper than a standalone policy at $111.20. Keep in mind that cruise insurance policies offered by cruise lines typically cover the cruise portion of the trip only, but do include some Cancel For Any Reason coverage.

If you already have a standalone travel insurance policy or a credit card with travel protections, you may wonder if you need to purchase a cruise travel insurance policy.

Credit card travel insurance

Many travel credit cards include travel protections such as trip cancellation, interruption, delayed or lost luggage reimbursement, and emergency evacuation benefits. Before buying a cruise travel policy, compare the coverage benefits and limits to determine if you already have coverage with a credit card.

One benefit that cruise travel insurance policies offer that credit cards don't is the ability to cancel for any reason. Although you may not get back 100% of the cruise price, these policies allow you to cancel for any reason and get a portion of the price back as a credit toward a future trip. If the policy is priced low enough, it may be worth buying the insurance offered through your cruise line for that benefit alone.

Travel insurance policy

Standalone travel insurance policies can be purchased to cover one person or a family for a specific trip or multiple trips within a period of time. These policies are available at a variety of price points to meet a traveler's budget. When comparing policy options, you can balance price versus coverage options.

If you're traveling multiple times within a short period of time, it may be more economical to buy a more comprehensive travel insurance policy instead of separate policies for each trip.

Cruise travel insurance can be worth it to address your concerns about traveling and protect your investments. These policies offer numerous protections that will cover your expenses in case your trip is canceled, interrupted or delayed, or if you get sick during the trip.

Before buying this coverage, compare your options against your credit card benefits. You might also shop for general travel insurance policies to see if you can get a better deal than what’s offered through your cruise line.

If you’re not covered by your credit card, cruise travel insurance can be worth the added cost. It will give you peace of mind before setting sail, when signing up for that adventurous land excursion and when clicking "Book" for an expensive vacation in the COVID travel landscape.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-2x Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

• Trip cancellation
• Trip interruption
• Lost luggage
• Trip and baggage delays
• Medical expenses
• Emergency medical transportation

Norwegian Cruise Line's BookSafe Travel Protection Plan

Any vacation should be hassle free, and worry free. Like every other part of your cruise with us, we make it easy to relax and do nothing but look forward to a great vacation. We know travel plans can be disrupted by the unforeseen, so we are pleased to offer BookSafe Travel Protection.

You're covered for trip cancellation, trip interruption and trip delay.

Booksafe travel protection - standard plan, booksafe travel protection - platinum plan, essentials post-departure travel protection, if you need to file a claim, please visit  www.aontravelclaim.com.

This is not a complete description of all benefits and limitations. For full terms and conditions of coverage, ask your Vacations To Go cruise counselor. Prices, terms and conditions listed in this summary are subject to change without notice and need to be reconfirmed with your Vacations To Go cruise counselor at the time of booking.  If you book a Norwegian cruise, you can purchase insurance from Norwegian or from the independent insurance provider, Generali Global Assistance (formerly CSA Travel Protection).   Click here  to see details of the Go Plan from Generali Global Assistance.