It’s an unfortunate necessity these days. You need to make sure that you and your family are covered for your travels whether it be by sea, road or air. You never know what may happen and you want to make sure you have sufficient coverage to take care of you if anything unfortunate happens to you while you are away from home.

Most credit cards cover you for insurance if you pay for a certain amount of your trip on them before you leave home, but check the fine print. There are a lot of waivers on what is covered. This is why 101Cruise has partnered with nib insurance to provide you with very competitive rates for your travel insurance. But to get the great rates we can provide you, follow the “Get A Quote” buttons all the way through this article as I explain more in depth about what nib will cover.

Sail smoothly on your next cruise holiday

You might be enjoying paradise while island-hopping around the South Pacific or spotting wildlife on an Alaskan adventure or exploring Australia’s inland waterways on a Murray River houseboat. However, you’re cruising, we offer cover should you head into choppy waters.

We hope your cruise goes swimmingly, punctuated with no more than island stops, tropical snorkels and sunset dinners. But if you were to become unwell, have an accident or medical emergency overseas, or the weather messes with your plans, we’re here to help you navigate your way.

nib offer three types of plans for:

1: International Travel Policy (a Comprehensive Plan or an Essentials Plan)

2: Domestic Travel Policy (an Australian Travel Plan + a Cancellation & Additional Expenses Plan)

3: Annual Multi Trip Policy

However, the first thing to do before your trip, is to check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.

nib travel insurance can cover you for cruise-related events, such as:

1. Sudden illness

It’s all fun and games until someone eats a dodgy prawn, or life on the high seas messes with your tummy and seasickness joins you on your cruise. Depending on where your cruise is heading, Medicare may not be accepted even off the coast of Australia waters.

2. Unexpected delays

What would you do if your flight is delayed and you don’t think you’ll be able to join your cruise on time?

3. Lost luggage

Your bags containing that sequin gown and slingbacks for your Captain’s dinner is accidentally lost, stolen or damaged.

4. Out of work

You might be retrenched from your permanent employment in Australia before you start your cruise.

5. Bad weather

An unexpected storm means you miss a pre-paid shore excursion because your cruise is delayed.

6. Medical evacuation

All nib travel insurance plans include cover for medical evacuation and repatriation if we agree it’s medically necessary, up to the relevant benefit limit.

7. Covid 19

Cover for some coronavirus-related events is available on our plans (excl. the Cancellation and Additional Expenses Plan), but the types of benefits and benefit limits vary depending on the plan you choose.

The Coronavirus Travel Costs benefit is available on the International Comprehensive, Australian Travel and Annual Multi Trip plans. These plans can provide cover for several coronavirus related events, including cover for quarantine expenses and trip cancellation if you are diagnosed with coronavirus, up to the relevant benefit limit.

8. Home or away

When cruising just off the coast of Australia, there is cover for publicly available river and ocean cruises in international waters. You will need to choose one of our international plans. Additionally, our domestic plans can offer cover for inland river cruises. We define “International waters” as, ‘the open seas of the world outside the territorial waters of any nation’. Please be aware that travelling in international waters in a private sail vessel or privately registered sail vessel is not covered. For more information check out our article - Am I covered for cruising? 

9. International illness

We’ll help if you’re sick overseas with our Overseas Medical Benefit. All nib International Travel Insurance plans include cover for overseas medical expenses. As always, these are subject to the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions around existing medical conditions.

Adventures on the high seas

Whether you're relaxing on a cruise around the South Pacific or embarking on an Alaskan adventure way off on the horizon, we offer cover should your cruise head into choppy waters!

See what our plans can cover before you set sail into the sunset.

nib Travel Insurance for cruise related events

• You're covered for publicly available international river cruises, and ocean cruises within Australian waters or International waters*

• You get sick with gastro on your cruise

• Your flight is delayed and you need to get to your cruise on time

• Your cruise formal wear is accidentally lost, stolen or damaged

• You’re made redundant before you embark on your cruise

• You miss a shore excursion because your cruise is delayed due to severe weather

• You need medical evacuation from your ship.

*What do we mean by International waters? 

When setting of on your next cruise please be aware that we define International waters as, “the open seas of the world outside the territorial waters of any nation”. In case you were wondering, travelling in international waters in a private sail vessel or privately registered sail vessel is not covered. 

Domestic or International?

Even when cruising just off the coast of Australia, one of our international plans will need to be chosen in order to have cover on board for medical treatment. Our domestic plans can offer cover for inland river cruises within Australia.

Is cover for coronavirus related events available on all plans and what are the benefits?

Cover for some coronavirus related events is available on our plans (excl. the Cancellation and Additional Expenses Plan), but the types of benefits and benefit limits vary.

As much as we’d love to cover every coronavirus-related scenario that a traveller can think of, that’s not what travel insurance is designed to do, so read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for Australian residents carefully to know what is, and isn’t, covered. Our policies include plans which may offer cover for:

• Overseas Medical Benefit: If you get sick with coronavirus while on your trip, all of nib’s International travel insurance plans include cover for overseas medical expenses.

• Medical evacuation and repatriation: nib Travel insurance plans (except Cancellation and Additional Expenses plan) include cover for medical evacuation and repatriation if we agree it’s medically necessary, up to the relevant benefit limit.

• Coronavirus Travel Costs: Our Coronavirus Travel Costs benefit is available on the International Comprehensive, Australian Travel and Annual Multi Trip plans. Plans including Coronavirus Travel Costs can provide cover for several coronavirus related events, including cover for quarantine expenses and trip cancellation if you are diagnosed with coronavirus.

Travel insurance for trip cancellations

You’re packed, ready to go and excited at your upcoming holiday… then you get the call saying your tour has been cancelled because they didn’t get enough people going on it. Or maybe you’ve been called up for jury duty right in the middle of your big trip to Europe, and you’re not going anywhere after all.

Travel insurance can help if you have to unexpectedly cancel your planned trip for a number of reasons, allowing you to claim back your non-refundable expenses and keep your money where it belongs… in your pocket.

How can nib Travel Insurance help if I have to cancel my holiday?

There are any number of reasons people have to cancel their holidays, even at the last minute.

If you have to unexpectedly cancel your trip because of one of up to 14 specific events, nib Travel Insurance offers cover for the non-refundable costs of your trip and the travel agent cancellation fees, or the costs to rearrange your trip (provided the rearrangement cost is less than the amount you would have incurred had you cancelled your trip).

nib Travel Insurance offers cover for cancellation if you’re unable to travel because:

• Illness, injury or death: You, a travelling companion, or a close relative or business partner who is a resident in Australia or New Zealand, suddenly falls seriously ill, sustains a serious injury, or dies.

• Cancelled tour:

  • Your pre-paid scheduled public transport services or tour are cancelled or limited by your affiliated company due to severe weather, natural disaster, riot, strike, civil insurrection, or hijacking.

  • The tour operator or wholesaler cancels the tour you were booked on as there are not enough people to begin or complete the tour. (Cover is limited to the pre-paid cost of the transport arrangements to travel to and from the departure and end points of the tour).

• Accommodation uninhabitable: Severe weather or a natural disaster renders your pre-paid accommodation uninhabitable (or destroyed it) and there is no other alternative accommodation available in the vicinity.

• Court duty: You or a travelling party member has been called up for jury duty or to give evidence in court.

• Car, train, rail, air or marine accidents: You’re involved in, or your travel plans are cancelled or delayed by, a motor vehicle, railway, air or marine accident.

• Travel documents: Your passport, travel documents or credit cards are stolen, accidentally lost or damaged.

• Retrenchment: You or a member of your travelling party has been retrenched from permanent employment in Australia.

• Pre-arranged leave cancelled:

  • Your employer cancels your leave and you’re in permanent employment. (cover limited to $1000.00 AUD)

  • You or a member of your travelling party who is a permanent employee of the police, fire, ambulance, or emergency services has their pre-arranged leave cancelled by their employer.

• Cancelled event: The sole reason for your trip was to attend a wedding, conference, pre-paid concert, course, tuition or ticketed sporting event, which has been cancelled before your departure.

• Coronavirus travel costs (Australian Travel Plan, Comprehensive Plan and Annual Multi Trip Plan only): The Coronavirus travel costs section of your policy offers cover for trip cancellation if you are diagnosed with coronavirus - you should note this section has its own benefit limit which will apply to any claims for cancellation and is in addition to any other cancellation benefit limits.

Additionally, nib International travel insurance plans also offer cover for cancellation if you’re unable to travel because: 

• Natural disasters:

  • You’re unable to arrive at your departure point due to start your trip due to a natural disaster causing road closures. We define natural disasters as “flood, cyclone, tornado, hurricane, typhoon, wild fire, tsunami, earthquake, landslide, avalanche, volcanic eruption.” Natural disaster does not include outbreak of disease, epidemic, pandemic, or any other event that is not specifically included in this definition. 

  • Additionally, you’re unable to start your trip due to severe weather or a natural disaster causing damage to your home or business within 72 hours of your trip departure date. 

• Attending a childbirth: You’re attending the childbirth of your close relative, provided the conception occurs after you bought your policy. 

• Pre-arranged leave cancelled:

• You or a member of your travelling party who is a permanent employee of the Australian Defence Force has their pre-arranged leave cancelled by their employer. 

There are a number of terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions that apply to these events. Please check the PDS for the details.

Can I increase the cancellation benefit limit on my policy?

nib Travel Insurance offers the option to increase your cancellation benefit limit when you purchase your policy.

You can select an amount of cover – the policy benefit limit – required for cancellation related expenses. This limit will then appear on your Certificate of Insurance and is the most we’ll pay under the section ‘Cancellation or holiday deferment costs’ for all people on your Certificate of Insurance combined, per trip.

Depending on the travel plan you choose, you can vary the maximum trip limit at the time you purchase your policy and any premiums will be adjusted accordingly before you purchase.

For more information on the cancellation events that are covered and the rules that apply, read the PDS, including the sections: "What are the events that will be covered under this section?", the cancellation section exclusions and the General exclusions.

What's not covered for cancellation?

Travel insurance isn’t designed to cover everything – some things we do not cover include:

• If you change your mind about going.

• Any unused pre-paid transport if we’ve had to repatriate you the same or greater distance. If the repatriation was less than your original unused travel plans, we will calculate your entitlement on a pro-rata basis, taking into account the cost of your original ticket.

• Any pre-paid snow sports arrangements IF you did not add the Snow Sports option when you purchased your policy.

• Where you have made a claim for the same costs under multiple sections of the policy.

• Any non-refundable costs for anyone not named on your policy.

• We will not pay more than the cancellation limit per trip that you selected which appears on your Certificate of Insurance.

For more information about what is not covered for cancellation, see your PDS and particularly the 'Cancellation and additional expenses' section exclusions and General exclusions.

Existing medical conditions

One minute you’re taking a cruise down the Seine in Paris, the next you’re on your way to hospital dealing with another attack of that chronic condition you’d hoped wouldn’t join you on your holiday. The question is – will your travel insurance cover it?

Will nib Travel Insurance cover me if I have an existing medical condition?

nib Travel plans offer travel insurance cover for more than 40 existing medical conditions, but you should be aware that there are conditions attached to these which you will need to meet in order for them to be covered.

And if you have an existing medical condition that isn’t automatically covered, you can apply to add the condition as a ‘Specified medical condition’ for an additional premium (Not available on the Essentials Plan).

What is considered an existing medical condition?

Simply put it is a condition that, at the time you bought the travel insurance policy, you or a reasonable person in your situation should have known existed. This includes conditions for which you may not be diagnosed but have been experiencing symptoms.

The full definition in the PDS further outlines what this means but common sense can help. For example:

• If you’ve had a chronic condition such as diverticulitis on and off for a few years, then it’s likely considered an existing medical condition.

• If you have a family history of heart problems and you’ve been experiencing symptoms of a heart problem, that’s likely an existing medical condition. And you should probably go to the doctor to get it checked out ASAP.

You can view the full definition in the Domestic and International PDS. If you’ve still got questions, you can contact us for further help.

What cover is available if my condition is on the list of automatically covered conditions?

You can view the list of automatically covered existing conditions in the Domestic and International PDS. We offer cover for more than 40 of our more common conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and common allergies.  If your condition is included, and you satisfy all the criteria related to that condition, then cover is provided for events that arise from that condition as part of our standard cover. Exclusions may apply in the event of a claim.

How do I apply to add my condition to my policy?

If your condition is not automatically covered you can apply to add the condition as a ‘Specified Medical Condition’ to our domestic and international comprehensive plans which will ensure cover is provided for events that arise from that condition, although an additional premium and excess may apply. This additional option is not available on the Essentials Plan.

Steps to apply for a Specified Medical Condition to be added to your policy

1. You must be purchasing an Australian Travel, Comprehensive or Annual Multi Trip plan plan.

2. Once you’ve confirmed the right plan type, you must let us know when buying your policy that you have a medical condition that is not on the list of automatically covered conditions.

3. You’ll then be asked to complete a medical screening which includes some questions about your health. We will then determine if we can offer you cover and, if so, on what terms.

4. If we accept your application, you’ll need to pay an additional premium when you purchase your policy and possibly have an additional excess apply.

5. The condition then becomes a Specified Medical Condition covered under your policy, and the premium and any additional excess that subsequently applies will be shown on your Certificate of Insurance.

6. You’ll then be covered for claimable events that arise from the specified medical condition(s).

What happens if I choose not to get cover for my existing medical condition?

If your condition is not automatically covered under the policy, and you haven’t added it as a specified medical condition, then you’re not covered for any claim that arises from that existing medical condition.

If I’m eligible, what will I be covered for?

If your condition is automatically covered, or we’ve accepted and added it to your Certificate of Insurance as a Specified Medical Condition (Excludes Essential Plan), you are eligible for cover under our plans. This cover includes:

• Cancellation

• 24/7 Emergency Assistance

• Overseas Medical assistance

• Evacuation to medical facilities

• Repatriation back home to Australia

What’s not covered?

Travel insurance is designed to help with those unexpected events that can occur while travelling but doesn’t cover everything – some things we don’t cover include:

• A loss arising from any existing medical condition of you, a member of the travelling party, a non-travelling close relative or business partner, which is NOT automatically covered, which you did not disclose and which is not an accepted Specified Medical Condition.

• Any illness or death that arises from a metastatic or terminal prognosis that was made prior to the issue of the Certificate of Insurance.

• A loss arising from any condition for which you have declined treatment or further investigation recommended by a medical practitioner.

• Any medical treatment or care that is not required as an emergency, or any alternative therapy, health spa or rehabilitation centre costs, unless it has been agreed to by us.

• Elective or cosmetic treatment or surgery that is not medically necessary, or any loss arising from these treatments or their complications.