European River Cruises & Insurance – What You Should Know

January 29, 2018 - Meagan Palmer

Last Updated on 9/15/2022

Are you planning on taking a European river cruise in the future? Then you need to consider investing in a cruise travel insurance policy. 

European river cruises tend to lean more towards the expensive side, which means having travel insurance in place has never been more important. In the event that you need to cancel or are no longer able to travel due to reasons beyond your control, make sure you safeguard your investment for your cruise. After all, the only thing worse than missing a vacation is missing it and paying for it. 

Some other reasons for investing in travel insurance for cruise travel include:

If You Miss a Departure Time

Do you have any flights before your cruise launch? Then travel insurance can help. Since not every plan will cover missed connections, make sure you find a travel insurance policy that does cover it. For those taking a river cruise, having coverage for a missed connection will protect you if you miss a cruise launch or connecting flight for a covered reason.

If you miss one departure, then you are at risk of missing any other subsequent flights or even the launch of your river cruise. Avoid this by leaving enough time in between each leg of your trip when booking your cruise.

If Insurance from the River Cruise Line Isn’t Comprehensive

If you opt for a travel insurance policy directly from the river cruise carrier, then we’ve found there is a good chance it won’t include extensive coverage. While their plan may incorporate trip interruption, trip cancellation, and medical coverage, this usually only applies to the cruise itself. That means that any hotels, airfare, and excursions you paid for may not be covered (yikes!).

Another aspect about travel insurance from the cruise line that misses the mark is that if you do experience an emergency while on your cruise, you might not have the coverage you need. These cruise line insurance policies can have 5-10 less emergency medical expense coverage and 10-30 times less medical evacuation coverage. To us, that’s not exactly reassuring news! Find out what other discrepancies travel insurance offered by the cruise line has before opting in.

When considering whether or not to get travel insurance for your river cruise, take into account the total cost of your trip. A full coverage travel plan can give you peace of mind in the event of a travel or medical emergency. The last thing you want to come back home to after a nice river cruise is a large bill that could have been avoided by purchasing travel insurance.

If Natural Circumstances Prevent Your Cruise from Departing

There are certain seasons that are better for cruise travel. If you book your cruise during the off-season, then there’s a good chance unpredictable weather behavior may prevent you from cruising. This could cause a change in your cruise itinerary. If you had booked off-shore excursions or tours, you may be at risk of losing those nonrefundable costs. Travel insurance could reimburse you under trip cancellation for these types of losses if you choose to cancel your cruise due to adverse weather. On the other hand, if you decide to still take the cruise but the departure is delayed and you miss out on those prepaid activities, those costs could be reimbursed under trip interruption coverage.

Normally, the European river cruise season starts at the end of March and lasts until the end of the fall. For those who book a cruise during the holidays, adverse weather can change your itinerary for the worse. Specifically, the level of the river may be too low to cruise, or hurricane season could mess with your takeoff out of the United States. Don’t risk it without first assuring your trip costs for cancellation coverage! The Yonder team recommends purchasing insurance early to protect against these unforeseeable events.

If you haven’t already insured your river cruise, you can start the process by using our free instant quote tool. If you need help deciding which plan is right for your cruise, be sure to reach out to our team of helpful and friendly humans.

Meagan Palmer

As a seasoned professional with over five years of experience in the travel insurance industry, Meagan has honed her expertise in marketing and operations working for Yonder Travel Insurance. Throughout her career, she's shown dedication assisting customers at every stage of their travel insurance journey, from the initial quote process to navigating the claims process. Her expert understanding of travel insurance equips her to provide unbiased and valuable insights, which help travelers find the best coverage and maximize its benefits.