The travel insurance cruise quirk you need to know

AUSSIES are really embracing the cruise life. But there is something you need to understand before you set sail. It could save you thousands.

CRUISING isn’t just the domain of retirees anymore. Cruise ship holidays are having a worldwide boom and it isn’t hard to see why — it is an affordable way to visit multiple destinations all without the stress of having to constantly pack and unpack.

Here at home, Australians are certainly on board. Australia now boasts the highest per capita cruise ratio in the world, with one in 19 Australians taking to the seas in 2016, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

Cruising has also emerged as a popular way for us to explore our own backyard. CLIA data shows that Australian passenger numbers setting sail on domestic cruises has more than doubled in four years. More than a quarter (26 per cent) of Australian cruisers in 2016 cruised domestically.

However, if you are one of the thousands of Australians embracing the convenience of a cruise to see our sunburnt country, there is an important quirk you need to be aware of.

If you fall ill or have a medical emergency on board, Medicare will not cover you despite the fact you haven’t technically left the country.

That’s because the medical staff on board cruise ships are not typically registered to practice in Australia.

“Unfortunately Medicare won’t cover you when you’re on a cruise ship; it doesn’t matter if you are in the middle of the Pacific or just departing the shores of Australia with land still in sight,” Ash Zaman from Travel Insurance Direct (TID) told news.com.au.

“As the doctors on board are generally registered internationally, your Medicare card is no good on board.”

Medicare might not cover you for medical expenses on a cruise holiday, even if it’s domestic.

Our national health care system also only covers us for up to 12 Nautical miles, about 22km, off shore, so if you have a medical emergency out at sea between ports, you might not be covered.

Because of this, Mr Zaman said it’s important cruise passengers take out “international” or “cruise” travel insurance on all cruises holidays, even if it’s is just domestic.

“Having travel insurance for your cruise can mean the difference between coming home with fond memories or coming home with a hefty bill. While the average cruise related claim is $1037 more serious medical cases can run into the tens of thousands of dollars,” Mr Zaman said.

TID experienced a 21 per cent increase in cruise claims in the last 12 months with medical claims ranging from sea sickness and gastro all the way up to heart attacks.

A TID customer who had to be medically evacuated to Canada while on an Alaskan cruise recently put in a claim for $537,000.

Travel insurance will not only cover you for emergency on board medical treatment, it will also cover you for helicopter medical evacuations to get you to the closest hospital for treatment should things take a turn for the worse.

Mr Zaman said you can also suggests getting in touch with the cruise line directly to confirm.

“If you are unsure whether your cruise will accept Medicare or not you can always get in touch with your travel agent or the cruise line directly and ask ‘will you accept Medicare on board for medical treatment?’,” he told news.com.au.