Photo: Virgin Voyages
Travel insurance for Virgin Voyages, explained
Virgin sells two plans. Neither covers “cancel for any reason,” and neither covers the flights or hotel you booked yourself. I partner with independent providers, including Faye, Arch RoamRight and Allianz, that are often cheaper than Virgin’s plan or cover more. I am not an insurance agent, so I will not pick for you. Here is how I price every option for my clients and how you choose.
The short answer
- Virgin does not require insurance, and strongly advises it, including coverage for communicable disease and emergency repatriation. (Virgin Voyages health and safety FAQ)
- Voyage Protection is Virgin’s full plan: cancellation and interruption for covered reasons, plus medical, evacuation and baggage. It covers only what you booked through Virgin and must be added before final payment. (Virgin Voyages Voyage Protection FAQ)
- InVoyage Care is the cheaper on-board-only plan: no cancellation coverage, emergency medical up to $10,000 and evacuation up to $25,000. Sold from 14 days before sailing if you have paid in full and did not buy Voyage Protection; the two cannot be combined. (Virgin Voyages InVoyage Care FAQ)
- Neither plan has a cancel-for-any-reason benefit. If you want to cancel because you changed your mind, you are on Virgin’s standard cancellation schedule. Independent policies with a CFAR rider exist, typically bought within 14 to 21 days of your first deposit.
- Independent policies are often the better deal. I partner with multiple providers, including Faye, Arch RoamRight and Allianz. For most of my clients a quote from one of them is cheaper than Voyage Protection, covers more (your own flights and hotel, higher evacuation limits, optional CFAR), or both.
- How I handle it, in three steps: check what your credit card already covers, I price Virgin’s plan and my partner providers side by side for your actual trip, and you choose the one you feel is best. I am not an insurance agent and cannot legally recommend a specific policy, so the decision is yours, made with the full picture.
The three kinds of coverage side by side
| Voyage Protection (Virgin) | InVoyage Care (Virgin) | Independent policy (Faye, Arch RoamRight, Allianz) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covers cancellation before sailing | Yes, for covered reasons | No | Yes, for covered reasons; CFAR rider optional |
| Covers trip interruption | Yes | No | Yes |
| Emergency medical | Yes | Up to $10,000 | Varies; often higher |
| Emergency evacuation | Yes | Up to $25,000 | Varies; often $100,000+ |
| Covers independently booked flights and hotels | No | No | Yes |
| When to buy | Any time before final payment | 14 days before sailing, after final payment | Usually any time; CFAR and pre-existing waivers need early purchase |
| Price | Percentage of fare | Flat fee by voyage length | Varies by age, trip cost and destination; often less than Voyage Protection for the same trip |
| Refundable | 10-day grace period | See plan document | Usually a 10 to 15 day free look |
Sources: Virgin Voyages Voyage Protection FAQ, InVoyage Care FAQ, pre-voyage policies. Voyage Protection limits vary by the plan attached to your booking; the exact figures are in the plan document shown at checkout. Independent policy figures are in each quote. I send you both so you compare the actual numbers, not my summary.
Price the options yourself
These are the providers I partner with and price for clients. Faye and Arch RoamRight let you quote yourself through my links; Allianz is quoted through me. Use the same travelers, dates and total trip cost in each so you compare like for like, then tell me which one you want and I will take it from there.
Voyage Protection
Covers only the Virgin-booked parts of your trip. Added to your booking before final payment; I can add it for you.
Ask me to add itFaye
App-based policy for the whole trip, including your own flights and hotel, with an optional cancel-for-any-reason add-on. Quote online in minutes.
Get a Faye quoteArch RoamRight
Pro, Pro Plus and CancelFlex plans; pre-existing condition waiver when bought early. Quote online through my partner portal.
Get a RoamRight quoteAllianz Travel Insurance
Single-trip and annual plans, including OneTrip Prime and Premier. Allianz quotes run through my agent portal, so send me your trip details and I will price it.
Ask me for an Allianz quoteBrowse Allianz plans →I am a travel advisor, not a licensed insurance agent. I earn a commission whether you choose Virgin’s plan or a partner’s, and the choice is yours. Partner links open the provider’s own quote tool; your purchase is with them, not with me.
Four things that change the math
What fare did you book?
Base and Lock It In are 100% non-refundable from the day you book, with no Future Voyage Credit. If you cannot sail, insurance is the only way that money comes back, and only for a covered reason. Essential and Premium convert to Future Voyage Credit until 45 days out, then become final. (Virgin Voyages pre-voyage policies) The cheaper the fare, the more the insurance matters.
How are you getting to the ship?
If you booked your own flights and a pre-cruise hotel, Virgin’s plans do not cover them. An independent policy can cover the whole trip. If you fly in the same day, trip delay coverage is the benefit you will most likely use. (My advice is always to fly in the day before; see first-timer mistakes.)
What does your credit card already cover?
Many premium cards include trip delay, baggage delay and some trip cancellation or interruption if you paid with the card. Few include meaningful emergency medical or evacuation. Check your card’s guide to benefits before paying for duplicate coverage; this is step one, before any quote. Card benefits change often enough that I will not list specific cards here; I will look at yours with you.
What would a medical evacuation cost you?
The ship has a doctor and nurses, but Virgin’s ticket contract is explicit that transfer to a shore facility is at the guest’s expense, and that there is no emergency trauma capability on board. (Virgin Voyages ticket contract) Your domestic health insurance usually does not cover care outside the country or a helicopter off a ship. This is the risk that is not about the fare at all, and the one I make sure every client has priced, even the ones who “never buy insurance.”
Photos: Virgin Voyages
What insurance does not fix
Virgin cancels or changes your sailing
Virgin handles that with a refund, a price-protected move or Future Voyage Credit, not insurance. See cancelled cruises and itinerary changes.
A port is skipped for weather
Not a covered loss on any plan I have seen. Prepaid Shore Things are refunded by Virgin when the port is missed.
You change your mind
Only a CFAR rider on an independent policy pays for that, usually 50 to 75% of the trip cost, and only if bought early.
Pre-existing conditions
Virgin’s plans do not include a pre-existing condition waiver. Some independent policies do if bought within a set number of days of your first payment. Read the definition carefully.
How I handle insurance for clients
I am not a licensed insurance agent, so I do not recommend a policy. What I do is make the comparison easy and honest, then get out of the way.
- Check your card first. Before any quote, you look up your card’s guide to benefits (or send it to me) so we know what is already covered and do not pay for it twice.
- I price every option for your actual trip. Voyage Protection on your Virgin booking, plus quotes from the independent providers I partner with, including Faye, Arch RoamRight and Allianz, for the whole trip: cruise, flights and hotel. Same travelers, same dates, same trip cost, side by side.
- You choose. I will explain what each line item means and point out where the coverage differs, but which policy feels right for your risk and your budget is your call. I will tell you if a plan does not cover something you told me you care about.
Once you decide, I add Voyage Protection to your booking if that is the choice, or send you the link to bind the independent policy in your name. If something goes wrong, you get me directly, not a call center. I help you gather the documentation and point you to the right claim path. The claim is between you and the insurer, but you are not doing it alone.
On Base and Lock It In fares, I treat insurance as a must, and I will say so before you book. Which policy is still your choice.
Quick answers
Why do you partner with insurance companies other than Virgin’s?
Because Virgin’s plans only cover what you booked through Virgin, and for many trips an independent policy covers more for less. Having several providers to price means I can show you the real spread instead of one option. I am paid a commission whether you choose Virgin’s plan or a partner’s, so I have no reason to push either; you pick.
Can I add Voyage Protection after I book?
Yes, any time before final payment. After final payment, your Virgin option is InVoyage Care, from 14 days before sailing. (Virgin Voyages pre-voyage policies)
Does Voyage Protection cover a Base fare?
Yes, for covered reasons. A non-refundable fare is exactly the case the plan is designed for. It does not turn Base into a refundable fare for any reason.
If I buy insurance, does Virgin refund me?
No. You file with the insurer and the insurer reimburses you. Virgin’s refund schedule is unchanged.
Does my health insurance work on the ship?
Often not outside the U.S., and rarely for evacuation. Call your insurer and ask specifically about international and cruise-ship care.
Is Voyage Protection refundable if I change my mind?
Payments are final after a 10-day grace period. (Virgin Voyages Voyage Protection FAQ)
Who do I call in an emergency on board?
Dial 911 from any ship phone or press SOS in the app or on the cabin tablet. If you have Voyage Protection or InVoyage Care, CareFree Travel Assistance is 1-877-303-5909 in the U.S. and Canada, +1-516-342-4594 collect elsewhere. (Virgin Voyages InVoyage Care FAQ)
Sources I checked
Virgin changes its policies often. I checked these on November 8, 2026, and you should confirm anything time-sensitive with me before you rely on it.
- Virgin Voyages, Voyage Protection FAQ
- Virgin Voyages, InVoyage Care FAQ
- Virgin Voyages, Pre-Voyage Policies FAQ
- Virgin Voyages, Health and Safety FAQ
- Virgin Voyages, Ticket Contract
- Virgin Voyages, Flexible Booking Policy
- Derek on insurance for non-refundable fares
At Ease Travel Co. is an independent travel advisory affiliated with Fora Travel, a Virtuoso member agency. Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady, Brilliant Lady, Sailor Loot, Scarlet Night and My Next Virgin Voyage are trademarks of Virgin Voyages. This guide is independent advisor commentary and is not endorsed by Virgin Voyages.
Want every option priced for your trip?
Check your card’s benefits, then send me your fare type, travel dates, how you are getting to the ship and your total trip cost. I will price Voyage Protection against quotes from the independent providers I partner with, side by side, and you choose the one you feel is best. I am a travel advisor, not an insurance agent, so the decision stays yours.
Derek Gebelhardt, At Ease Travel Co. · derek@ateasetravel.co · 202-802-0990. Virgin sets the fare, so the same cabin, fare type and promotion is the same fare with me as on virginvoyages.com, and I charge no planning fee. Eligible bookings made at least 121 days before sailing also get Virtuoso Sailor Loot, which I confirm in writing before you pay.