What If You Get Sick the Day Before Your Cruise
Call a doctor, then your travel insurer, and only then the cruise line. Whether you lose the fare depends mostly on two things: whether you bought cancellation cover before you got sick, and whether your illness is the contagious kind ships screen for.
Can you still sail if you feel unwell?
Often, yes. The pre-boarding health questionnaire targets contagious illness, not every ailment. A head cold, a sore back or a flare of a known, stable condition usually won't stop you boarding.
Signs you should not board
- Vomiting or diarrhea in the last couple of days
- A fever, or symptoms of a respiratory infection the line asks about
- A doctor has told you not to travel
Answer the questionnaire honestly. Terminal staff can refer you to the ship's medical team, who may deny boarding, and passengers who come down with a stomach bug on board are commonly asked to stay in their cabin until they are symptom-free. Losing two days of a seven-night sailing to cabin isolation is a poor trade for avoiding a claim form.
What to do, in order
- See a doctor today. A walk-in clinic or virtual appointment is fine. Ask for a note giving the diagnosis and stating you are unfit to travel on your sailing dates. Insurers almost always want a physician's statement made at the time, not afterwards.
- Call your insurer's claims or assistance line before cancelling. Ask exactly what they need and how quickly. Many policies expect prompt notice.
- Cancel with the cruise line or your booking agency. Get written confirmation showing the cancellation date and the penalty charged.
- Deal with flights and hotels separately. Air booked through the cruise line may cancel with the cruise; flights you booked yourself need their own call, and may only give you a travel credit.
- Keep every receipt: clinic fees, prescriptions, cancellation invoices and the original booking confirmation.
- Ask about joining late. If you expect to recover in a day or two, it may be possible to meet the ship at its first port at your own cost. Check with your insurer first, since trip interruption cover has its own rules (see what happens if you miss the ship).
Who pays? The usual scenarios
| Your situation | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation insurance bought before you got sick | Non-refundable costs reimbursed up to the policy limit, with medical proof |
| Cruise line protection plan | Often a refund for covered medical reasons, or a future cruise credit for other reasons; terms vary by line |
| Credit card travel cover | Some Canadian cards include trip cancellation if the trip was charged to the card, but limits are often below a full cruise fare |
| No cover at all | Most or all of the fare lost; government taxes and some fees are often refunded, so ask |
The differences between a line's own plan and a third-party policy are set out in travel insurance vs cruise line protection.
Why the date you bought insurance matters
Cancellation cover only applies to problems that arise after you buy it. Buy the policy the week before sailing while already feeling rough, and the illness is not covered. Some policies also require purchase within a few days of your first deposit for their fullest benefits.
Pre-existing conditions are the other trap. Many Canadian policies need a condition to be "stable" for a set period before departure, often meaning no new medication or dosage change. A cancellation linked to a condition that changed recently can be refused, which is worth understanding if you are over 60 (see cruise insurance for seniors).
If you're the healthy one
Most policies cover illness of a travelling companion or immediate family member, so a couple can usually cancel together and both claim. If you decide to sail alone instead, ask the line whether your fare changes: some re-price the cabin with a single supplement.
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Ask a cruise expert →Set yourself up before it happens
Buy cancellation cover when you pay the deposit, save the insurer's claims number in your phone, and note your final payment date, since that is when penalties start to bite (see cruise deposits and final payment). If you want flexibility for reasons beyond illness, compare a cancel-for-any-reason policy or a refundable fare.
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Get a quote or book online →Frequently asked questions
Can you get a refund if you're sick and can't board your cruise?
Rarely from the cruise line itself, since penalties in the final weeks are usually 100% of the fare, though government taxes and some fees are often refunded. Trip cancellation insurance bought before you fell ill is what normally reimburses the rest, backed by a doctor's note.
Should you try to board a cruise if you're feeling unwell?
It depends on the symptoms. A cold or a stable chronic condition usually isn't a problem, but recent vomiting, diarrhea or fever should be declared honestly on the health questionnaire, and boarding while contagious can mean being isolated in your cabin or denied boarding.
What if my travel partner gets sick and I'm healthy?
Most cancellation policies cover illness of a travelling companion or immediate family member, so both of you can usually claim if you cancel together. If you sail alone instead, ask whether the line will re-price the cabin at the single rate.
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