Does Travel Insurance Cover Low Water Levels on River Cruises?

With European river water levels falling to record lows since early summer, many river cruise lines have had to make last-minute itinerary shifts, leaving travelers disappointed. 

Sections of the Rhine and Danube remain too shallow for ships to pass, according to Bespoke Amsterdam Experiences, which has been tracking the levels across the region all summer. As a result, river cruise operators have been swapping ships, switching to bus tours, and making other travel adjustments. 

A question arises from all of this: Are river cruise passengers protected by travel insurance when plans change?  

Though insurance policies specific to river cruises are not common, some policy types could have your clients covered if they decide not to travel.

“It is always valuable for a traveler to read the details of their policy to see what coverages might apply to their trip,” Joe Tritz, Head of Travel Product at Travel Guard, told Travel Market Report. 

Trip Cancellation 

If a cruise line cancels an itinerary because of high or low water levels, a traveler would be eligible for Trip Cancellation benefits.  

Travel Guard’s Trip Cancellation policy covers “insufficient or excessive water levels in the body of water where the cruise is scheduled to sail.” If the trip is not canceled, but the mode of transportation is changed, this policy may not apply. 

However, an altered itinerary or different mode of transportation could qualify as a canceled trip for those with Allianz’s Trip Cancellation insurance, depending on the specific policy. 

“Documentation showing that the cruise line changed your itinerary due to high or low water levels may be treated as documentation that your original cruise was canceled,” Daniel Durazo, director of external communications, USA at Allianz, told TMR. “Travel advisors and consumers should read their policy to see if they have this coverage and to learn more about the coverage, benefits and exclusions in their policy.” 

Trip Interruption 

Travelers could be eligible for Trip Interruption benefits if the cruise line does not provide a substitute itinerary.    

At Allianz, a “substitute itinerary” is defined as “when the cruise line provides an alternate route to the planned destinations using the same mode of transportation.” 

That means: If the cruise line replaces any cruise segment with land transportation, eliminates scheduled ports of call, or replaces scheduled ports of call with different ports, a Trip Interruption policy applies. 

Cancel Any Time or Any Reason 

Overall, policies that allow travelers more leeway may be your river cruise client’s best bet, as it is uncertain when low water levels will cease to be a problem in Europe. 

Allianz’s Cancel Any Time policy allows the traveler to cancel their trip for almost any unforeseen reason. 

“These products typically cover a portion of the lost pre-paid, non-refundable trip expenses, so consumers should read the policy to understand what may be covered,” Durazo said. 

The same goes for Travel Guard’s Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) policy. 

“The key benefit of CFAR is that this optional coverage could provide a level of reimbursement for pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs in circumstances where no other coverage may apply,” Tritz said.