Key Aspects:
- Carnival Cruise Line has switched to a new insurance carrier.
- This means that two key benefits of Carnival’s Vacation Protection Plan have changed.
- The revised policies went into effect for all sailings that embark on or after December 1, 2025.
Carnival Cruise Line will continue to offer its popular Vacation Protection Plan, but going forward, coverage will look a little bit different.
The family-friendly cruise line has switched to a new insurance provider, which has led to two notable modifications to the plan. These changes went into effect on December 1, 2025.
“We are writing to let you know we are changing the travel protection insurance carrier to United States Fire Insurance Company, effective with sailings/departures commencing as of December 1, 2025,” Carnival wrote to guests who have already purchased the insurance.
First, the Medical Evacuation Benefit of $30,000 and Repatriation of Remains Benefit of $30,000 is being combined into a single benefit of $50,000.
While this sounds like a $10,000 decrease in coverage, the wording implies that guests will now have $50,000 available to them in coverage to use for either of these purposes.
“It’s not actually less. You now have $50,000 available for either. If you are using $$ for the Medical Evacuation Benefit then you do not need money for Repatriation of Remains (moving a dead body),” an insurance agent and Carnival cruiser noted.
Next, the Accident Medical Expense Benefit of $10,000 and the Sickness Medical Expense Benefit of $10,000 were combined into one single Accident and Sickness Medical Expense Benefit of $20,000.
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The cost of Carnival’s Vacation Protection is not changing for anyone who has already purchased the plan.
“Your plan cost remains the same,” the cruise line confirmed in its letter.
Currently, this offering starts at $49 for new purchasers and varies based on factors like sailing length and total cruise fare.
Additional benefits like refunds for trip cancellation or interruption and up to $1,500 in reimbursement for lost, stolen, or damaged luggage (+ up to $500 to buy necessities when bags are delayed) are not changing.
Is This a Corporate-Wide Change?
Princess Cruises, which is also owned by Carnival Corporation, has also recently announced changes for its insurance programs that will go into effect on December 9, 2025.
Notably, the Standard Princess Vacation Protection Plan (PVP) will be phased out, meaning the only option will be the more comprehensive (and more expensive) Platinum PVP.
However, those who have already purchased or will purchase the Standard PVP before December 9 will keep their exact plan with no changes.
But now that two Carnival-owned cruise lines have changed their insurance offerings, it seems plausible that more sister brands might announce their own insurance changes soon.
Carnival also owns major cruise lines like Holland America Line, Cunard Line, Seabourn Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises, and AIDA Cruises.
Guests React to the Change
Among Carnival guests who received notice of the change, the reaction has been mostly one of confusion and frustration.
For some, this fueled the fire that was already started by the controversial new loyalty program that is launching on September 1, 2026.
“We got it, and got the “notice” today. Just one more way Carnival is giving less. That on top of status changes,” one cruiser reacted to the news.
“Both of those things are relatively small, but the vibe is ‘we’re getting real chintzy’. Our vibe is will probably be exploring other companies,” they continued.
That said, guests who don’t like the cost or coverage are welcome to protect their vacations by going through independent insurance carriers.
Especially avid cruisers will sometimes also invest in year-round travel insurance, which can sometimes be cheaper than buying new policies for every vacation individually.
And if you don’t want travel insurance at all, this is not something that is required to sail.
