Navigating the world of travel insurance can be daunting, especially for seniors who need it most. And now, according to experts who talked to Cruise Passenger: Prices are rising too.

As seniors, having comprehensive travel insurance is paramount for peace of mind.

Seniors and travel insurance

Meet Christine Avery, a 75-year-old globetrotter who recently experienced the significance of travel insurance firsthand. Following a fall on her last cruise, she was grateful for the precautions she had taken. 

“On my last cruise, I had a fall. After arriving home, I claimed expenses online. I received hospital and medical centre care on the cruise. 

“After submitting the paperwork, I received an email letting me know all relevant paperwork was received and passed on to the claim’s office. By the end of the week, all of my claims were in the bank. Can’t get better than that.”

Ms Avery has an upcoming 12-day cruise with Norwegian Dawn off the coast of Africa. The insurance with 1Cover will cost her $1200. 

Warren Duke, an insurance expert at Compare the Market, acknowledges the rising prices but emphasises that navigating senior travel insurance remains feasible with the proper guidance. While premiums may increase with age, seniors can still access comprehensive coverage tailored to their needs.

“I don’t believe it is more difficult. However, the price increases for most brands impact all travellers, including the premiums for older travellers. Several factors determine the premium. They are primarily based on the likelihood of claims being made and the size of those claims. As one or the other increases, so too does the premium.”

Finding the best senior travel insurance providers

The good news is that a range of insurance providers offer comprehensive cover and cruise cover for older travellers. The age-old advice is to compare between policies and decide what’s best for you.

However, here are some standouts.

Southern Cross Travel Insurance

Southern Cross Travel Insurance won the 2023 senior travel insurance awareness for Finder. It scored highly for its age limit cap, Covid benefits and cancellation fees. Southern Cross has a very inclusive age limit of 118. 

World Care Insurance and HIF

Next, in Finder’s awards for World Care Insurance and HIF, both have no age limit, meaning there are no obstacles for seniors. 

1Cover

As previously quoted in the story, Ms Avery uses 1Cover insurance, which offers her cruise cover as a senior traveller. She has been very happy with their service. 

Choice recommends

Jodie Bird, an insurance expert from Choice, suggests Allianz, Worldcare, Cover-more, Insurance and Go, and NIB as high-level policies covering ages up to 100. 

Smoney recommends

Smoney also rates Insure and Go as a leading option, with unlimited medical care, highly rated coverage for travel delay expenses, and unlimited coverage for trip cancellations for those up to 100. Insure and Go will also consider all pre-existing conditions; many are covered at no extra cost. 

Which pre-existing conditions are difficult to cover? 

Ms Bird says travel insurance often automatically covers a range of conditions. However, you likely need to pay extra to get covered for some conditions.

Chronic conditions

“Many policies will have a list of conditions they automatically cover. But for some conditions, you must apply for cover and maybe pay an extra premium. This includes Chronic lung conditions, cancer, anxiety, depression and heart-related medical conditions.

Awaiting surgery

“Conditions for which you’re awaiting surgery, treatment, investigation, or procedures will commonly be excluded, as will conditions for which you may be travelling to seek medical treatment.” 

Pre-existing conditions

Ms Bird also mentions that some pre-existing conditions have become more difficult to get covered since COVID-19, and if you have a specific condition, you should always get on the phone and compare providers. 

Shop around for the best travel insurance deal

“Unfortunately, several insurers that CHOICE used to recommend as more likely to cover difficult existing conditions stopped operating during the travel lockdowns. So, for these conditions, you will need to shop around several insurers, either online or on the phone, and get a comparison of the cost to cover your specific condition.”

How much will insurance cost seniors?

Insurance prices can skyrocket as you get older. Ms Bird reveals a significant difference even for those in their 60s versus their 70s.

“CHOICE looked at premiums for travellers visiting Bali for around 11 days to two weeks. We found that a single traveller aged over 70 paid 3.5 times more for travel insurance than people in their 60s, and that’s before getting coverage for existing medical conditions. 

“Most insurers will increase premiums as you get older. However, it can still vary a lot between insurers, so it’s worth shopping around for the best value for money.”

Using the Finder travel insurance comparison tool

Using Finder’s comparison tool, a two-week cruise to France, Italy and Spain will cost $1134 (assuming no pre-existing conditions) with South Cross Travel Insurance. The next cheapest are Travel Insurance Saver, Travel-Protect and WAS Insurance, each in the $2250 – $2350 range. However, Finder’s comparison tool does not include every insurance provider.

It’s also worth noting that insurance prices will increase with the length of your holiday. If the same cruise were six weeks long, Southern Cross would charge $2500, and the other providers would be in the $4600-4700 range. 

If you took the same two-week cruise with Cover-More, it would cost $2283. This includes cruise cover and cancellation cover up to $40,000. 

If you were with Allianz or World Care, it would cost you $1331.88. This includes up to $20,000 cancellation cover and a cruise pack. With NIB, the cruise insurance would cost you $1135, with cruise cover automatically included in the price.

Travel insurance for seniors made easy

Navigating the insurance market as a senior traveller requires diligence. Still, with the proper guidance and comparison tools, seniors can find tailored coverage that meets their needs without breaking the bank.