What insurance do you need for a Kimberley cruise?

Note that a normal domestic insurance policy will almost certainly not be suitable for this trip.

These domestic Kimberley cruises are quite a distinct special case when it comes to insurance. Some things that you should check when considering insurance (especially ‘free insurance’ offered via a credit card).

Is there adequate cover for the cancellation fees?

This is a really important area of cover to consider as claims for cancellation costs represent the highest proportion (in dollar terms) of travel insurance claims. Whilst your cruise is probably designated as a domestic cruise, many insurers have a limited level of cancellation cover for domestic trips. If you have to cancel this trip a few days out due to unforeseen illness or injury you may well lose all monies paid for your holiday. Is this amount covered? The chances are that you will need higher cancellation cover than is available on a simple domestic policy.

Will there be cover for an emergency medical evacuation from a vessel in Australian coastal waters?

I have put this phrase in italics as it is a very important coverage. In an emergency a helicopter evacuation from a ship in remote coastal waters off the Kimberley coast would, in theory, be covered by private medical cover or state ambulance cover. The key problem with this theory is the remote nature of the Kimberley coast. That’s one of the reasons you want to go there of course. On the rare occasions where an emergency evacuation is required in the Kimberley a third party operator is almost always required and the cost will almost certainly be passed onto the patient. There is no Westpac helicopter in the Kimberley!

Will it be covered by your insurer as you are travelling on a domestic cruise?

The phrase ‘Australian coastal waters’ is important as some policies include medical evacuation from rivers and lakes only in Australia.

Remember to check the insurance company’s stance on pre-existing medical conditions

Most insurers have a list of conditions that they will automatically include without extra charge. Other conditions will require you to complete a medical assessment to see if you need to pay an extra premium. Be wary of any insurance policy that says it does not surcharge for any pre-existing medical conditions; it is likely that such a policy does not cover cancellations whatsoever.

If your insurer says medical evacuation is covered are they aware that you are on an expedition cruise?

Some insurers seem to assume that all cruises are via large vessels that have sick bays and doctors on board who can authorise evacuations. Sometimes their cover is dependent on such. Most of the vessels we book – smaller, expedition style – do not have doctors on board as part of the crew.

If you intend to use your credit card “included insurance” please make sure you have read the terms and conditions of the insurance underwriters travel insurance policy to make sure you have fulfilled requirements for this cover as per the above.

It may be worth a phone call to the card issuer to check. Also understand how much you have to pay by card to get the cover.

What about cover for COVID?

More insurance companies are including some limited cover for claim arising from COVID. This cover tends to be for incidental costs arising from COVID diagnosis; often including medical costs. Please check the level of cover very carefully as insurance claims associated with generalised border closures or similar governmental restrictions are not usually included in this cover

Insurance for Kimberley cruises can get a bit complicated (hence this blog). The main issue is that most insurance companies do not understand the concept of small ship cruising. The following insurers, based in Australia, seem to understand better than most and have a specific level of cover for ‘domestic cruising’.