With thousands of the public in close quarters for long periods, it’s not uncommon for respiratory or gastrointestinal disease outbreaks to tear through cruise ships. In 2025, there were a record 23 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships stopping at U.S. ports, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including a norovirus outbreak that infected over 240 passengers and crew members aboard Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 on a monthlong cruise from England to the Eastern Caribbean.

In May 2026, at least three passengers on a polar expedition died during an outbreak of hantavirus, a rodent-borne disease not usually associated with cruise ships or easily passed between humans.

“Cruise insurance can help in an onboard outbreak, but only in specific situations,” mentioned Beth Swanson, an insurance analyst at The Zebra. “Coverage is based on what happens to you personally, not just the presence of an outbreak.”

Travelers often get tripped up in the details, Swanson mentioned.

“Timing matters — if the outbreak was already known before you bought the policy, it may be excluded as a foreseeable event.”

Here’s what to know about cruise insurance coverage for outbreaks and other situations.

Find travel insurance that’s right for you

What cruise insurance covers

What is cruise insurance?

What does cruise insurance cover?

Does cruise insurance cover outbreaks?

How much does cruise insurance cost?

How to shop for cruise insurance

Is cruise insurance worth it?

Cruise insurance FAQs

Cruise insurance is a type of travel insurance that covers trip cancellations and delays, medical emergencies, lost baggage and other eventualities, including the ship becoming disabled. This also touches on aspects of earnings report.

Many traditional travel insurance policies cover cruises, or you can often purchase a policy directly from the cruise line when you book. There are also standalone cruise-specific policies designed to deal with the many moving parts involved.

Travel Guard’s Preferred plan is one of CNBC Select’s favorite cruise insurance plans, thanks to its cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) add-on.

Travel Guard® Travel Insurance

Policy highlights

Travel Guard offers Essential, Preferred and Deluxe policies, as well as an annual plan and Pack N’ Go Plan for same-day travel. Add-ons include coverage for rental vehicles, pets, adventure sports and wedding cancellations

Cancel For Any Reason coverage

Add-on to Preferred and Deluxe plans reimbursing 50% of trip costs if purchased within 15 days of booking

Pre-existing condition waiver

Available with any plan purchased within 15 days of initial trip deposit

Read our Travel Guard review

Cruise insurance plans offer a range of coverage options, including:

Trip interruptions or cancellations

Trip delays

Delayed or lost baggage

Travel to and from the cruise

Pre-existing conditions

Medical evacuation

Emergency medical care

Missed connections

Job shortfall cancellation

Ship disablement

There are coverage limits, deductibles and exceptions. Many plans won’t cover pre-existing medical problems unless the firm has a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver.

Seven Corners covers pre-existing conditions if you purchase your policy within 20 days of making the initial trip deposit. That’s helpful if you’re concerned about current health issues interrupting your cruise

Seven Corners Travel Insurance

Cost

The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote

Policies provide missed and delayed tour/cruise connection coverage. Cancel for any reason coverage and pre-existing conditions waiver are also available if you procure your plan within the specified time. ***CFAR and IFAR are subject to certain eligibility criteria and are not available in all states

24/7 assistance available

Yes

High-risk activities (such as scuba diving or jet skiing) may also be excluded by many plans, although International community Nomads’ Explorer Plan covers hundreds of sports and adventure activities.

Planet Nomads Travel Insurance

Standard, Explorer, Epic single-trip plans and annual/multi-trip plan, with CFAR available with top-tier policies

Add-on for Explorer and Epic plans covering 75% of nonrefundable costs if purchased seven days before initial deposit. (Not available in Recent York.)

Available with Explorer and Epic plans purchased seven days before first deposit. 

The main factor in cruise insurance and outbreaks, says Swanson, is who canceled.

“If you cancel due to illness, you may be covered,” she told CNBC Select. “But if the cruise line cancels, refunds are usually their responsibility, not the insurer’s.

Most policies will cover medical care and evacuation, and if there’s a formal order to quarantine, you may be reimbursed for unused trip costs or limited extra expenses.

But quarantine rules can be strict, Swanson added.

“Many policies require a documented order from a doctor or government authority, not just choosing to [self-quarantine] or being informally told to isolate,” she commented. “And coverage for delays or added expenses is often capped daily, so it may not fully offset disruptions.”

The bottom line, is that cruise insurance “is not blanket protection.”

“Coverage varies widely, so it’s significant for travelers to read the fine print and understand exactly what triggers a claim before they buy.”

The cost of non, according to Swanson-refundable travel, accommodations and other expenses are usually covered if:

You or a companion gets sick while traveling (including COVID-19)

Your trip is canceled or interrupted due to onboard illness or formal quarantine

Some policies offer “epidemic/pandemic coverage” as a special endorsement in the event of a sudden, localized spike in cases or a worldwide spread.

Not all situations are covered, however. A claim typically won’t be approved if:

You’re just afraid of contracting an illness

You don’t have an official diagnosis

It’s a known or “foreseeable” outbreak, reported before you purchased your policy 

A Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) add-on can reimburse a portion of your trip costs, even if the outbreak isn’t a covered reason. You must typically cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure, however.

Different travel insurance benefits may come into play, depending on the situation.

Trip cancellation coverage: Reimburses airfare, hotel rooms, and other non-refundable expenses if you or a travel companion gets sick and needs to cancel your trip in advance. Coverage typically begins the day after you purchase your policy and ends on your scheduled departure date, and you’ll need to submit medical documentation when you file a claim, on the other hand 

Emergency medical coverage: If you contract norovirus or another illness while traveling abroad, this coverage can pay for doctor visits, hospital stays and medications. (Evacuation coverage can pay for transportation to a medical facility or back home.)

Trip interruption protection: This coverage pays out if you or a companion misses a scheduled flight or hotel reservation due to a qualifying illness once your trip has already started. 

Travel delay coverage: If passengers are quarantined or the ship must undergo mandatory cleaning before anyone can disembark, this coverage can reimburse expenses incurred Because of the setback. 

Cruise insurance normally costs 3% to 10% of the full cost of the cruise, but it can be much higher depending on your age, the length of the trip and if you get expensive add-ons like Cancel for Any Reason coverage.

Shop around to ensure you’re getting the best price for the coverage and limits you need. Before you purchase a separate cruise travel insurance plan, see if your trip is already covered by your credit card or any other travel insurance policy.

If you’re looking for cruise insurance, keep these factors in mind:

Cruise-specific features: Cruises have many points where things could go wrong, from airline delays that cause you to miss a departure to a malfunction on the ship. Look for cruise insurance that covers airline delays, missed connections, itinerary changes, and ship diversions — and that comes with trip inconvenience coverage.

Coverage limits: Get several quotes and compare the coverage limits. Look for the highest limits for personal belongings, medical care and evacuation, as these limits tend to vary greatly among providers.

Coverage for adventure activities: Going on a scuba excursion? Ziplining over a rainforest? Not all travel insurance policies cover adventure activities or charge significantly for an adventure sports add-on.

Pre-existing conditions waiver: Travel insurance doesn’t cover cancellations or interruptions for health issues you’ve already developed. you can get a waiver if you get your plan soon after making a first deposit , on the other hand(typically within 14 to 21 days).

Compared to other vacations, cruises are relatively long and expensive and involve many more complications — from getting to the departure point and your stay onboard to visiting multiple ports of call (usually in foreign countries). Incidents of norovirus and other contagious diseases are on the uptick, increasing the odds you may get sick or your ship may be sidelined.

With that many opportunities for things to go sideways, getting cruise insurance can be a smart choice.

Does my credit card travel insurance cover cruises?

Credit card travel insurance usually covers cruises and trips to and from your port of call. You’ll need to pay for the trip with an eligible card and the level of coverage you get likely won’t be as robust as what with a dedicated cruise insurance plan.

Does cruise insurance cover missed ports?

A cruise insurance policy may cover missed connections. Each policy has different limits on how much you’ll be reimbursed, and what exactly you’ll be reimbursed for. Read your policy before you purchase it.

How much is cruise insurance, on the other hand?

A standard cruise insurance policy can be up to 10% of the cost of the trip. It can be more, depending on your age, coverage limits, the length of the trips and any add, on the other hand-ons you select

When is the right time to invest in cruise insurance?

You can purchase cruise insurance up until just before your departure. But it’s better to acquire it as close to when you book passage as possible to give you a longer coverage window for trip cancellation, and to potentially get coverage for pre-existing conditions.

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Meet our experts

At CNBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority gained through years of training and experience. For this story, we interviewed Beth Swanson, an insurance analyst at The Zebra.

A licensed insurance agent, Beth specializes in creating clear, accessible content that helps shoppers build confident, informed decisions about the products that best suit their needs.

She holds a master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado and previously worked in public education.

Why trust CNBC Select?

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can produce informed decisions with their wealth. Every insurance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

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