When planning a cruise vacation, most of us focus on the fun part—incredible food, sunny excursions, and relaxing days at sea. But what about when things don’t go according to plan?
After all, no one plans to get sick or have a flight canceled during the trip. That’s where travel insurance can make all the difference.
A recent cruiser shared their experience on Reddit after a sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, and their story highlights why having the right insurance plan can be practically a necessity.
A Medical Surprise Onboard
The cruise traveler’s post began by saying, “As people do ask about travel insurance, let me share my experience from last week’s Oasis cruise. As my wife and I travel multiple times a year, I purchased Allianz’s annual plan, as trip details crystallize, you simply enter details on the app.”
While on the cruise, the traveler faced an unexpected medical issue. Like many cruise passengers learn, visiting the ship’s doctor isn’t covered directly by health insurance, and the bill had to be paid out of pocket.
- A basic doctor’s visit on the ship cost $260.
- After exams and treatment, the total came to about $350.
- Their regular health insurer was unclear whether they would reimburse the costs.
Instead of worrying, the Royal Caribbean passenger simply snapped photos of the receipts and medical notes and uploaded them through Allianz’s mobile app, which was included in their annual travel insurance plan.
“Once in my cabin, I took a picture of the bill and doctor’s statement, proof of payment and uploaded onto the app,” the passenger said.
Flight Trouble in Miami
The flight home turned out to be a problem as well. Their return flight on Delta was canceled, leaving them stranded in Miami overnight. While Delta provided a hotel room and some food vouchers, more unexpected costs piled up:
- Extra taxi fares
- An additional night of dog boarding
- Miscellaneous travel expenses
Again, everything was documented with receipts and logged in the Allianz app.
The Results? Full Reimbursement
Within just two days, the travel insurance provider approved all of the claims. On the very next day, a direct deposit arrived covering 100% of the expenses, both medical and travel related.
For travelers who wonder if insurance is worth it, to this cruiser it’s a big, resounding ‘yes’.
Other Passengers Chime In
Several comments on the social media post also shared their positive experiences with Allianz’s annual plans. Many noted that an annual plan often costs less than buying cruise line insurance per trip, especially for families or frequent travelers.
They also pointed out that coverage is usually wider and more flexible than insurance offered directly by the cruise line, with claims processed quickly.
The original poster confirmed that they purchased the Prime Tier Plan from Allianz. According to the Allianze website this tier plan offers “protection for a year’s worth of trips, including benefits for trip cancellation and trip interruption, lost/stolen or delayed baggage, and more.”
A Final Piece of Advice
One additional tip shared in the thread: always fly in the day before your cruise. In this traveler’s case, the outbound flight was delayed after the pilot failed a sobriety test, causing a four-hour wait for a replacement pilot.
If they had flown on the day of the cruise, they would’ve barely made it onboard—or possibly missed the ship entirely.
Bottom Line
So, let this be yet another reminder to any cruise traveler. While no one books a vacation expecting emergencies, having a reliable travel insurance policy plan can mean the difference between stress and success.
And hopefully you never actually need that insurance, but for frequent cruisers, the peace of mind alone is often worth the cost.
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