You’ve been planning your cruise for months.  You’ve stocked up on sunblock, stowed away your passport and ironed your best Hawaiian shirt.  But have you purchased travel insurance?

It may seem like just one more expense, but experienced travelers know insurance is essential to protect their investment.  Here are three reasons you need to buy travel insurance for your next cruise.

Cruise lines have strict trip cancellation policies – Think your cruise company will understand when your plans change suddenly and you have to make an emergency trip cancellation?  Probably not.  They count on having their cabins filled when the ship leaves the dock, so many cruise lines have very strict cancellation policies.

In many cases, no refunds will be issued for trip interruptions, lost tickets, flight delays, no-shows or missing the check-in before departure.  Even making a minor change to your travel plans may be considered a trip cancellation.

It’s tough but that’s the way it works.  That’s why cruise lines strongly recommend passengers buy cruise insurance.  Consider an insurance policy that covers trip cancellations and trip interruption.

Medical emergencies happen on cruise ships, too – When you’re lounging on the sun deck, it’s easy to forget you’re hundreds of miles from the nearest hospital.  Even if you’re in perfect health, you can never predict when you might break an ankle, suffer a heart attack or come down with the flu.

Ships’ doctors are equipped to provide prompt medical care, but for serious health emergencies, passengers may need to be airlifted to the closest medical facility.  You don’t want to see the bill for that, trust us.  Medical evacuations can cost up to $80,000.  Some cruise travel insurance plans include coverage for accidents or medical emergencies.

Cruise travel insurance lets you relax – The whole reason you wanted to go on a cruise vacation was to leave life’s worries on shore.  But it’s tough to relax if you’re worrying about bad weather, illness, lost luggage, missed flights, theft, international emergencies or that big deadline at work.  A good cruise travel insurance policy will offer coverage for the unexpected.

Go with Allianz Global Assistance – It’s worth it to review insurance plan carefully before you buy, because not all plans have the same coverage.  Most of the major cruise lines offer their own protection plans, but while they are experts in providing a great cruise experience, they’re not insurance experts.

Allianz Global Assistance is AAA’s preferred travel insurance provider.  When you trust Allianz Global Assistance to insure your cruise you’re getting the protection only a global leader in the industry can provide.

In some situations, Allianz Global Assistance provides better benefits than the cruise lines.  For instance, most cruise line waivers do not cover cancellations within 24-72 hours of departure.  Clients who cancel their cruise during this period are subject to pay the full cancellation penalty and will, at the most, receive vouchers.  With Allianz Global Assistance, you receive cash refunds for covered reasons.

If you find yourself in need of an $80,000 medical evacuation, Allianz Global Assistance can guarantee payment immediately for covered reasons, while cruise line operators won’t typically reimburse you until after you return from the trip.  Do you have an $80,000 line of credit?