It is recommended to take out travel insurance that includes at least cancellation and medical expenses coverage. The traveller is not insured by Rederij van Linschoten against accidents, illness or additional travel costs.
Cancellation insurance:
A cancellation insurance provides financial protection if you unexpectedly have to cancel your trip. Various unforeseen circumstances can occur, such as illness, an accident, or unexpected events at home that prevent you from traveling. With a cancellation insurance, you are covered for the ship’s cancellation costs, so you won’t face high expenses if you need to cancel.
Travel medical insurance:
A travel medical insurance policy is essential for protection against unexpected medical costs you may incur during your trip. Even if you have health insurance in your home country or within the EU, it often does not cover the full cost of medical treatments abroad, or the reimbursements may be much lower.
With travel medical insurance, you are covered for medical expenses such as hospital stays, doctor visits, medication, or even repatriation (returning to your home country for medical treatment). This is especially important in countries where healthcare can be expensive or if you’re traveling to a remote destination where medical facilities may be limited.
Attention for offshore trips: Not every insurance covers stays outside national waters at sea, especially beyond 12 nautical miles. Make sure that sailing trips or sailing holidays are explicitly included. Sometimes insurers describe this as an “active sports package / sailing / yacht holiday.” Ensure that any insurance you take out includes this option, or check your existing coverage to see if it is included or can be added to your policy.
A specialized sailing holiday insurance policy usually includes the appropriate coverage. However, comparison websites on the internet are also very useful for finding the best option for your personal situation.
Additional coverages:
Storm, ice, and fog coverage
With this coverage, you will receive compensation if the skipper decides not to sail due to storm, ice, or fog, or if only a maximum of two hours of sailing occurred between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM due to these conditions.
The storm insurance is not essential. Occasionally, the ship may have to stay in port due to a storm – usually only for one day. The crew will ensure that the ship is moored in a port where there is also plenty to do on land. If you would like compensation in such a case, you can take out the insurance.