If you think that you will never need to purchase travel insurance for your cruise, think again. The cruise lines have taken an increasingly hard line in recent years, and they rarely reimburse uninsured passengers for cruise cancellation or interruption anymore. Travel insurance is a small price to pay for the financial peace of mind a full coverage policy provides. Some travel insurance policies also cover missed connections, lost or delayed baggage, emergency medical evacuation, emergency medical and dental expenses and emergency legal assistance. Be certain to closely review the details of your policy prior to purchase to be certain you have the coverage you need.

Travel insurance prices used to be based solely on the cost and/or length of the trip, on a per person basis, regardless of age. Now, more and more companies are basing premiums on the total cost of the trip per household and/or on a combination of the cost of the trip and the ages of the passengers. Many travel insurance companies cover children under certain ages for free, if they are traveling with their parents. Here are some other tips to keep in mind about travel insurance:

Medicare, as well as some HMOs, will not cover you outside of the United States.

You can purchase travel insurance through your travel agent, the cruise line, directly with the travel insurance company (most have toll-free telephone numbers and web sites) or through the company that you use for your automobile or homeowners insurance.

In some parts of the world, you must pay in cash at the medical facility at the time of treatment. Travel insurance will cover this, up to the limits of your policy.

If you are injured or become ill in a remote location, or a place that does not have suitable treatment facilities, you may need to be airlifted to the United States or another country for care. Emergency medical evacuations can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, and your insurance will cover this, up to the limits of your policy.

Some companies do not cover preexisting medical conditions at all, while others require that the insurance be purchased within seven to 14 days of making the initial cruise deposit in order to provide this coverage. Most of the policies available through the cruise lines exclude coverage for preexisting medical conditions.

When it comes to trip cancellation or interruption due to death, illness or injury, most travel insurance companies normally cover you for yourself, your traveling companions and your immediate family members. Check with your travel insurance company to find out how they define immediate family members.

Some cruise lines offer cancellation waiver insurance, which is not the same thing as trip cancellation or interruption insurance. Waivers generally only apply to cancellations made at least several days prior to the scheduled start of the trip. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance will cover you from the time that you purchase your cruise until you return from the trip. To be covered in both instances, you may need to purchase a combined waiver and cancellation and interruption insurance policy.