Is there such a thing as being too old to go on a cruise?
While cruise lines have minimum age restrictions, there's no set age when you're banned from setting sail. In fact, cruising is often the preferred way to travel for seniors and retirees, who appreciate the convenience and comfort that ships offer.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association's (CLIA) 2025 State of the Industry Report, 81% of Baby Boomers (i.e., those born between 1946 and 1964) are enthusiastic about taking a cruise vacation. The same generation is spending around $157 billion annually on travel.
That said, seniors face increased health risks while traveling, and the possibility of a life-threatening medical issue occurring at sea increases as you age.
To better understand the risks and considerations for older cruisers, we spoke with Squaremouth, a leading travel insurance comparison site. In this article, we'll go over their insights into how age can impact travel planning, the types of coverage seniors should purchase, and tips for cruising when you're older.
Understanding the age requirement for cruise travel
Cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, do not have a maximum age limit of any kind. As such, choosing a cruise should be a decision made in consultation with a healthcare professional.
To determine whether it's safe for you to cruise or not, it's important to understand the risks of traveling internationally. If a medical emergency happens in another country, access to care may be limited, and treatment could be costly or more complicated than at home.
"Travel insurance coverage often becomes more important as travelers age. Older cruisers are typically more likely to experience medical issues while traveling, whether it’s a new issue or a pre-existing condition, and medical care while at sea can be costly. This is where travel insurance can help, protecting seniors from unexpected medical costs they could encounter due to injury or illness while on their cruise," Squaremouth explains.
To that point, older sailors need to find a travel insurance plan that has a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver. A pre-existing medical condition is any medical condition that has been diagnosed, changed, or treated in the last 60-180 days, depending on the plan. Without the waiver, you're responsible for any medical bills or unused trip expenses that are related to the pre-existing health challenges.
"Timing is very important for any travel insurance benefits, especially for seniors. If you wait too long to buy your policy after booking your trip, you may not be eligible for pre-existing condition coverage, and your medical conditions could be excluded," Squaremouth says.
To qualify for this coverage, you must meet the following criteria:
- Buy a policy with pre-existing condition coverage within a specific time frame (typically within 14-21 days of your initial trip deposit, depending on the plan)
- Insure 100% of your prepaid trip costs, such as flights, hotels, cruises, tours, and excursions
- Be medically able to travel at the time you buy coverage
It's also important to look at the age requirements, as some providers do enforce age maximums. Squaremouth claims that travel insurance premiums often increase with the traveler's age due to the higher possibility of health-related challenges. As such, it's not uncommon for seniors to pay more for their travel insurance coverage compared to younger travelers, even for the exact same policy.
According to Squaremouth's 2026 Cruise Insurance Cost Report, cruise insurance costs begin to spike after age 50 and peak at age 70. Consequently, travelers over 70 years old can expect to pay 311% more on their cruise insurance policy compared to those under 50.
Does Medicare cover you on a cruise ship?
"Most U.S. health insurance plans, including Medicare, do not cover medical expenses while traveling abroad. This highlights the importance of travel insurance for international cruises, since medical care expenses that occur while cruising would be your responsibility to pay without a travel insurance plan," says Squaremouth.
"While there are exceptions (e.g., emergency care in a foreign country when closer than a U.S. facility), standard Medicare does not provide comprehensive protection abroad. However, Medicare can cover the costs of treatment on domestic cruises."
Read more: This Medicare mistake leaves seniors uncovered on cruises, experts say
Best cruise travel insurance for seniors
Cruise insurance is absolutely worth it, regardless of your age. When browsing travel insurance plans, Squaremouth recommends that seniors look for a policy that has the following protections and coverage levels:
- Emergency medical coverage of at least $100,000 to cover costs associated with illness and injury while traveling
- Medical evacuation coverage of at least $250,000 to pay for and arrange transport to a proper medical facility if necessary
- Pre‑existing condition coverage if you have existing medical conditions that may cause an issue while traveling
- Primary medical coverage to ensure a faster, more efficient claims process
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), medical evacuations can cost upward of $250,000. Yet, Squaremouth found that 35% of travelers are underinsured for medical evacuation, buying less than $250,000 in coverage.
For example, Royal Caribbean's standard travel insurance policy only includes up to $25,000 in emergency accident medical coverage and $50,000 in emergency medical evacuation coverage — well under the $100,000 and $250,000 recommended by Squaremouth.
"Medical evacuations off of cruise ships are more common than travelers may think. During my time as Director of Operations at Jet ICU, I led a team of medical evacuation dispatchers and managed account relationships with domestic cruise lines. In my role, I was coordinating at least one medical evacuation per day off of a cruise ship within the Caribbean alone," Chrissy Valdez, Senior Director of Operations at Squaremouth recalls.
If you are underinsured, you’ll need to cover the remaining cost of an emergency medical evacuation. Without any coverage, you would be fully responsible for the entire expense.
Before buying a policy, it's smart to compare providers and products side-by-side. Squaremouth's website can help you find plans specifically designed for seniors, understand possible age limits, and review how your premium may be impacted by your age so you can select the proper coverage.
Read more: I took my 64-year-old mom on a cruise
