Cruise Insurance

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Green

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Hi, going on a cruise in May/June and need to show evidence of cruise insurance - a bit different to normal travel insurance, need to cover in case you miss the boat in a location, etc.. Can anyone recommend a specialist cruise insurer, please? When I search online, I seem to get normal travel insurance and I'm unsure whether they specifically cover a cruise. Thanks
 
I use 123.ie, once you go through the quote options there should be a click button to add on cruise cover, it's a little bit hidden so if you have any problems maybe give them a call but they definitely do offer it.

Just make sure you are back well in time to the port you do not want to be a pier runner! I have done a few cruises so if you have any questions if this is your first I'd be happy to answer them.
 
You should travel to the port at least the day before, ideally 2 days before. You don't want to miss the boat.

I met a crowd off a cruise ship recently, they come off for day trips, told me they had booked the hotel we were in for the day themselves and it was way cheaper than booking by the onboard events option. Their cruise cost something like 60K sterling. But they wanted to save money on day trips. You always should aim to be back to the ship in plenty of time from the day trips.
 
off tread but worth pointing out locals normally put up prices just before Cruise ship docks at some ports,
 
Bronte said:
ou should travel to the port at least the day before, ideally 2 days before.
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For transatlantic yes, more so to get over the jet lag as if your first cruise stepping on the ship can be overwhelming to some people so much to take in see / do etc.

Europe day before, although when going from Barcelona I usually fly in that morning, and that's my travel agent doing the booking, been lucky so far, that will change one day I am sure.
 
patfert1 said:
Sorry, they book a hotel for an onshore day trip??
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Yes. The cruise docks and the group of English organised a taxi to the hotel we were at. They booked the hotel day package. Pool, beac, sun beds, maybe it included lunch and drinks. We were on the beach sun beds and hearing their accent, geezers, think Bob Hoskins in the Long Good Friday, as they bargained with the hawkers over sun wraps, I started chatting to them. Banter. At the time we were wondering if a boat would be an option home due to the problems with our flights over the Iranian war. I think it was 35 $ for the day each. They told me it was a bargain compared to booking on the cruise for it. They do this everywhere they dock. Something to do. They weren’t short of money. But didn’t want to be stupid either. You need to amuse yourself when you dock.
 
Green said:
Itinerary is Southampton, Santander, Vigo, Lisbon Leixoes...
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The fish in Vigo is spectacular, the shellfish the cheapest we’ve ever had. It has magnificent beaches. Not a tourist spot. If you order a drink each place has its own unique tapas, though I don’t think they call them tapas, very generous in portion. Even the food at the seaside cafe was lovely. Very family orientated thru the generations.

Much preferred Vigo to Santiago which is too touristy.
 
Just to update this thread, 123.ie don't do the full cruise insurance package, the if you miss the boat aspect was missing so I went with multitrip.com thanks
 
patfert1 said:
Wow. That's how naive I am. I thought the purpose of docking in a port was to go sight-seeing, not pay at a hotel what you've already paid for on the boat. And I've been on a few cruises.
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You’d be amazed then that some people don’t do cruises the way you think they should be done. When I was very young my parents were on a cruise, my father was being paid, the captain wanted my mother at the dinner table as she was entertaining, she quickly grew bored of that, the rich, and I mean rich, widows, or wives, on board spent their days playing mah-jong etc, the husbands, few, were gambling. Cruises I learnt are for the very rich to entertain themselves. The ports are just an extension of that. Nothing has changed if you ask me. Except more people can do “short” cruises. Not a week would I last.
 
patfert1 said:
not pay at a hotel what you've already paid for on the boat.
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I got the distinct impression they had had enough, of sightseeing. That getting off the boat was part of the fun. They were definitely happy and enjoying themselves. They picked well. Our hotel was lovely.

I think it was a very long around the world trip for them, about 8 of them, so 4 couples. A winter sojourn to pass the time having fun together. Beats Blighty in Jan/Feb/Mar if you have the money. He told me it was cheaper than staying at home! I was quite cheeky asking the price they’d paid. But I chat to all sorts.

The weirdest part was he said the wife was paying out of her business. So he was a kept man. My brother on the sun lounger said nothing, he listens though. He’d never have spoken to them, never mind ask the questions I do ! He did think it was ironic “the wife” was paying. And that it was her business providing the cash. Meanwhile the geezer was paying the 10 dollars for 3 sunwraps from the beach hawker.

You meet the most amazing people on holidays. It was very odd, we were so far away, in the middle of an air flight crisis…. with lots of nationalities, particularly Australian 10 pound poms. Whom I’d known about, but first time meeting. Most from Perth as it’s a short hop for them.

Next time you cruise, check out special offers for hotel day trippers. Not everyone wants to queue 3 hours to see the Collisium!
 
Ive been on a few cruises. Sometimes I have done organised sightseeing but if I can find a water park or beach with maybe swimming and snorkelling I’ll book that directly. Maybe with a few others if I have been in contact with other guests on the cruise. Or maybe just me and hubby. He dives and will often arrange a dive directly with other guests and I’ll head someone else. For us it’s a chance to relax in the sun, I’m not interested in a dawn drive to a Mexican ruin where I can fend off traders and not buy souvenirs.

I haven’t done European cruises but I have stayed in places where the guests are on tours, and of course we see them around Dublin. If you want to cram in a lot you need the organised tour I think. Getting off a boat in dun Laoghaire, getting the tender in and finding your own taxi to take you to say Teelings, doing the tour, and then getting back… could be stressful without a bus driver who knows the ship timetable. And where they have official tours the drivers stay in touch with ship if there are delays.


We’ve got annual policies, not cruise specific, and the cruise company accept that
 
We've done quite a few cruises and this is the first time I've heard of any cruise line giving a hoot about us having insurance or not. We always have travel insurance but I didn't think we could purchase 'miss the ship' type. US cruisers talk about 'any reason' cancellation insurance but I've never seen that offered here.

As to booking a resort while on a cruise, I do understand that, especially if you're far from home, a bit tired of the ship's 'pee pool' and fancy a nice beach day. Only once did we book a beach resort, in Jamaica, through the ship. It was poor, couldn't go in the water due to high seas, food was meh, but, at least, the rum punch was good.

Most of our cruises are booked to see destinations rather than beaches but YMMV.
 
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