Insurance for an AmaWaterways Cruise

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One of the most important decisions to make when booking your AmaWaterways river cruise is what kind of insurance to take: Ama's regular insurance, their Worry Free policy or a privately booked policy from one of the many good companies out there.

For me, there are several things to consider aside from the fact that Ama insurance is ONLY for residents of North America:

1. Both Ama policies cover pre-existing conditions if booked at the time of deposit. Pre-existing is considered any condition that you have been to the doctor for, taken medicine for, or have had any active treatment for within the past 6 months. So even if you take regular blood pressure medication, but have not been to the doctor for a long time, this is considered pre-existing. (Keep in mind, that the pre-existing condition also extends to family members you might cancel for... so if you have a relative whose health situation could affect your trip, even though you are fine, it is best to cover it).

My personal recommendation is always err on the side of caution. I will tell you why below.

2. The difference between Ama's normal coverage and the Worry Free has two elements you must be aware of. The Worry Free "my cat looked at me wrong so I have to cancel" coverage allows you to cancel for any reason under the sun, but it does NOT give you your money back. It gives you a future cruise credit to be used within a period of time. This feature is good for those who might have a business of family obligation come up unexpectedly, but only so long as you can travel again within the next couple of years.

The normal coverage is a cash back policy.

3. Ama's coverage covers things ONLY booked with Ama. This includes their land tours, airfare, or transfers. If you buy Ama insurance to invoke the pre-existing clause and then book your own hotel or airfare, you would need a different policy in order for them to be covered.

If you do NOT need to cover any pre-existing conditions, it makes sense to wait until you know where you will get your airfare from. If you buy air separately, then it makes sense to have a private policy that covers your air, cruise and extras.

Be sure to read all about Ama's coverage here, so you can inform yourself of the content.



No matter where you get your coverage, be sure you do! I have had several experiences with both of the insurance companies that Ama has used for their insurance. The first was with TravelGuard, and most recently with their new provider TravelEx. Oddly enough, my most important cautionary tale revolves around one individual. She had a fall during a Danube cruise and needed medical attention and had to return home with medical transport. Both Ama and TravelGuard worked together to be sure that the guest got instant care and proper handling of her claim. This same guest healed and was ready to travel again a year later and went on my Provence cruise. This time she fell while on an excursion and once again needed to return home. Again, Ama and the insurance company took care of things so that the guest could recover without disastrous financial consequences. Most impressively, I was recently in Myanmar and saw a fellow passenger develop a respiratory problem that required her to be hospitalised. TravelEx flew in a health advocate to escort this solo travelling passenger home and took care of everything. It was yet again, a glaring example of why you MUST HAVE SOME KIND OF COVERAGE!

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