Doc Holiday: How far in advance can I get travel insurance?

Early-bird travel deals can mean great savings - but there's a limit to how early you can book travel insurance.

Escape's Doc Holiday, Dilvin Yasa, answers your travel-related questions.

We’ve paid a non-refundable $1500 deposit for a Princess cruise for November 2025 but we’ve been unable to get travel insurance as the trip is more than 12 months away. Is this normal?

One of the many unfortunate things about travel insurance (apart from the eye-watering cost) is that most providers typically only allow travellers to buy coverage up to 12 months before departure. In a few cases, such as with NIB Travel Insurance you can purchase a policy up to 18 months in advance, but of course, with your cruise still so far away in November of next year, this still leaves you unprotected for several months before your holiday.

I spoke with the team at Princess Cruises about their cancellation policy and they informed me that deposits for bookings only become non-refundable 180 days (six months) before sailing with two exceptions: if guests have booked under a promotion offering a significantly reduced deposit (say $99 per person), or if guests choose to book EZair with the cruise line for the voyage and select a restricted flight. The latter must be paid for at the time of booking and is non-refundable by the airline so that Princess Cruises will pass on this fee should you cancel your cruise as this will also cancel the air booking. If you booked a super-cheap deal (the former), these are typically non-refundable and are advertised as such.

If you are certain your deposit is non-refundable two years before your voyage, I’m assuming you’ve booked your Princess Cruise through an agent who will have their own booking and cancellation policies. It’s best to give them a call to discuss your concerns, then lock in travel insurance in May. Although it may be a little too late for you, I recommend only ever booking cruises with refundable deposits unless the deposit itself is a steal and losing it won’t affect you financially should you change your mind or need to cancel for any other reason.

Please can you tell me the current rules for using a CPAP machine with a lithium battery to power it on international flights?

While you shouldn’t have any issues taking your CPAP machine (a continuous positive airway pressure machine used for sleep-related breathing disorders such as sleep apnoea, for everyone else reading) in your carry-on and using it during the flight, the rules on lithium batteries vary between airlines.

Singapore Airlines, for example, allows lithium batteries up to 160Wh in cabin luggage, but also require those possessing a CPAP machine to present a medical certificate from their doctor to indicate that they’re fit to fly. Qantas, on the other hand, won’t ask for a medical certificate but must approve any batteries that exceed 100Wh.

Your best bet? Contact your airline before you fly (or preferably, before you book) to discuss what their requirements are, as well as the specifications of the particular model you’ll be carrying. This way, you won’t run into any problems on your journey.

Originally published as Doc Holiday: How far in advance can I get travel insurance?