An illness, an accident or an unexpected situation can arise before or during any type of vacation. Such an event might cause you to cut short your cruise or cause your trip to be canceled altogether.

Unfortunately, most cruise lines impose penalties for canceling a cruise within 60 days of departure, up to and including loss of the entire cruise price. A few lines penalize for cancellations as much as 90 or 120 days in advance of departure.

Because a cruise is a significant investment, most cruise lines offer some form of insurance to protect their passengers from financial loss in the event of an emergency. Details and prices vary from cruise line to cruise line, as do coverage limits and exclusions.

If you decide to purchase insurance, you will have two options, to go with the cruise line's plan or to use our independent insurance provider, Access America.

© 2003 Sharon Kerbel, CRUZSHAR