Do you purchase travel insurance when you cruise?

You have waited and saved up for your dream vacation - a luxury cruise! And for this, you have paid a large sum of money. The wisest thing you would want to do is protect this investment.

What happens when the cruise line suddenly goes bankrupt and can't provide you with a refund? Does this mean that you can't recover the money you paid for the cruise? What happens if your connecting flight is delayed and you are not able to make it to the cruise before the ship departs on its first leg of the journey? Will you buy tickets to "catch up" on the other legs of the cruise? Where will you be staying? What happens when your luggage is delayed and you are not able to bring it with you on the cruise ship? What happens when there is an emergency and you can't go on the trip? Usually, once you have paid for the cruise, you can't get a refund if you yourself don't show up when the cruise ship leaves.

These are the questions that you don't have to worry about when you insure your cruise with travel insurance.

Here are some tips you should remember when buying travel insurance for your cruise ship:

• One, don't buy travel insurance through the cruise line. If the line itself goes down, you may not be able to recover any of your investments.
• Two, you should check that "financial default" on the part of the cruise line is included in the travel insurance. There are insurance plans that don't cover it so check your policy to be sure. This term usually is to be found under the trip cancellation provision of the policy.
• Three, buy the travel insurance immediately after you put in a deposit on the trip, and not after you are able to fully pay for the cruise. This is because there is a condition in some travel insurance policies that you should buy the policy within a minimum number of days after you make a first payment. Otherwise, the benefit regarding the cruise line's financial default may not be considered payable.

• What's the difference between single trip travel insurance and backpacker travel insurance?
• Travel insurance - what if there is a delay and it goes over the cover period?
• How quickly after buying travel insurance online do you receive it?
• Do I get my travel insurance before or after I book my flight?
• On a travel insurance document what does the phrase "No Personal Liability cover" mean?