Stats: Getting Sick or Injured Is the No. 1 Cruise Concern

InsureMyTrip's new poll of roughly 1,440 U.S. cruisers showed that health issues (specifically getting sick or injured) was the top concern when it comes to cruising. Health conerns were also led the top reasons why respondents purchased or researched travel insurance claims for cruise vacations.

Almost half of cruisers polled (42.2 percent) were most concerned about an illness or injury affecting a trip; this was followed by bad weather (37.3 percent) and missing a cruise departure (20.5 percent) as the second- and third-most common responses. Thirty-one percent of those polled also said they have experienced a stomach illness or seasickness during a cruise.

We also learned that the Caribbean continues to be the top destination for cruisers, as one in four polled chose the Caribbean (25 percent) as a favorite cruise destination. Alaska followed with 18 percent, while seven percent chose Italy as a top place to visit.

Travelers, who voluntarily participated in this survey, had all researched or purchased travel insurance within the past 24 months. Out of those polled, 24 percent had filed a travel insurance claim for a cruise-related issue. Here were some of the common reasons:

  1. Medical care required during a cruise
  2. A medical issue forced a trip cancellation
  3. Bad weather forced a delay or cancellation of a cruise
  4. Missed flight led to a delay or cancellation of a cruise
  5. Items were stolen or lost during a trip

In addition, according to purchasing data by InsureMyTrip, 70 percent of cruise customers choose a comprehensive travel insurance policy for trips at sea. Comprehensive travel insurance provides a variety of benefits, including trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation, 24/7 emergency assistance, travel delay, and baggage protection.

Cruisers can also choose a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes cruise-specific inconvenience benefits. These benefits aim to address travel inconveniences most commonly experienced by cruisers, for example: Shipboard service disruptions (when a fire, mechanical breakdown or virus disrupts a cruise) and port of call change (when a cruise line changes an itinerary prior to departure due to weather or other circumstances and you elect to embark on the voyage).

Source: InsureMyTrip

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