Celebrity CruiseCare or a travel insurance policy of your own? How the line's plan typically works, what outside cover adds on fly-cruises, and a cost example.
VisitorsCoverage
Start hereUS marketplace that compares cruise-specific plans from several insurers in one quote, including medical-only and cancel-for-any-reason options.
EKTA
Online travel insurer for international travelers with medical, evacuation and trip-cancellation cover, bought in minutes before departure.
Policies are priced on the trip cost you insure and the oldest traveler's age. Enter the total you would lose if you canceled (cruise fare, flights, hotels, excursions paid upfront).
Typical premium
$120 – $192
About 5–8% of the trip cost for 2 travelers. Real quotes depend on your state or country of residence, trip length and the plan's medical limits; a medical-only plan without cancellation cover is usually far cheaper.
Celebrity Cruises offers its own plan, Celebrity CruiseCare, as an optional add-on when you book. Because it is offered in the booking flow, it is the plan many Celebrity guests take without comparing alternatives.
Cruise-line plans like CruiseCare typically work in a similar way:
That describes the category, not CruiseCare's terms. Check the plan document for benefits, limits and exclusions.
Celebrity's program reaches well beyond the Caribbean. In our data the line runs 106 sailings in the Galapagos Islands, plus large Alaska and Mediterranean programs, and its sailings run longer than the mass-market lines, with a median of 9 nights.
For many guests that means a long-haul flight to the ship. The flights, the pre-cruise hotel and the cruise can all be lost to one missed connection or one illness, and the further from home you are, the more medical evacuation would cost.
A policy from an insurer covers the same core events but lets you set it up around the trip:
| Question | Cruise-line plan | Third-party policy |
|---|---|---|
| How is it priced? | Typically by fare band, per guest | Typically by trip cost, age, residence and options |
| Cancellation refund | Often partly cruise credit; check the plan document | Typically cash for covered reasons |
| Medical and evacuation limits | Set by the plan | You choose them |
| Long-haul flights booked separately | Typically outside the plan | Included if added to the insured cost |
| Missed connection to the ship | Check the plan document | Often included; check the policy |
| Cancel for any reason | Check the plan document | Often available, bought early |
| Deadline to buy | Final payment | Before departure; waivers and CFAR earlier |
In our price data Celebrity's median cheapest fare is €1,505 per person for a 9-night cruise, and the cheapest fare we hold is €248 per person.
A worked example, using the rule of thumb that a comprehensive policy costs about 4–10% of the insured trip cost:
Older travelers, cancel for any reason and higher medical limits push the price toward the top of that range or past it.
Watch out: A Galapagos sailing usually needs connecting flights through mainland Ecuador. Make sure those flights are in the insured total, whoever you buy from.
Neither option is best for everyone. CruiseCare is one purchase, handled by the line. A third-party policy takes more work but can cover the whole journey on your terms.
Compare them on the same points:
On the medical side, remember that Medicare does not cover you at sea or abroad, and many home health plans pay little outside your country. The ship's medical center bills you for treatment, and the charge goes on your onboard account.
Evacuation is the expensive part. Moving a patient from a ship to a hospital can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and from the Galapagos or a remote stretch of the Alaska coast it is likely to involve a flight. That is why the evacuation limit deserves more attention than the premium.
Know the fare before you insure it. Set a price alert and check Celebrity deals before you pay in full.
US residents can compare cruise plans from several insurers at VisitorsCoverage. EKTA sells travel insurance to travelers from most other countries, including many who fly in for Celebrity's European sailings. The estimator above gives a first figure.
For more, see the cruise insurance guide, best cruise insurance and how to choose and cruise travel insurance for seniors.
Policies differ by country of residence and insurer, so read the plan document before buying.
Celebrity CruiseCare is the optional travel protection plan Celebrity Cruises offers with a booking. Plans like it typically combine trip cancellation and interruption cover with medical, evacuation and assistance benefits, priced per guest by fare band. The plan document lists the actual benefits and limits.
It depends on the trip. CruiseCare is simple and tied to the booking, while a third-party policy lets you choose medical limits, add cancel for any reason and cover flights you booked yourself, which matters on fly-cruises to Europe or the Galapagos. Compare both on refund type, limits and what they protect.
Cruise-line plans are typically sold up to final payment. Third-party policies can usually be bought until departure, but cancel-for-any-reason cover and pre-existing condition waivers generally require purchase within a window after your first deposit.
Cruise-line plans often pay part of a cancellation refund as future cruise credit, depending on the reason for canceling. Check the Celebrity CruiseCare plan document to see how each type of claim is settled.
Insurance is optional with the line, but the Galapagos Islands are remote, and evacuation from a ship can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Check the medical and evacuation limits in any plan document, and check the entry rules for Ecuador before you travel.
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · data refreshed nightly
A cruise-line plan typically protects what you bought from the line. Flights and hotels booked separately may fall outside it, while a third-party policy can include them if you add their cost to the insured trip total.
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