Travel insurance policies for cruise ships

The world has watched in shock the devastating consequences of cruise ship Costa Concordia's accident off the coast of Italy last week, with the tragic loss of life and cases of missing people a stark reminder that no travel comes 100 per cent without risk.

While it appears that exceptional circumstances contributed to the incident - and the likelihood of a repeat occurrence is low - the enormity of the crash does raise questions for holiday makers in the modern era, where it is often assumed that technology will not allow such events to take place.

With human error being cited as the most probable cause of the disaster, there may be no greater evidence that sometimes things go wrong that are virtually impossible to predict.

"These ships are ultra-safe. It is an exceptional event, which was unforeseeable," said Pier Luigi Foschi, chief executive of Costa Cruises, the ship's owners.

In regards to travel insurance the fate of the Costa Concordia is likely to make people question their preparations for not only international cruises, but overseas adventures of any kind.

Maritime lawyer Rod Sullivan tells prospective travellers to take a valuable lesson from the tragedy about paying attention to the fine print of your package deals and tours to ensure you are as protected as you should be.

News reports suggest that passengers may face difficulties being granted appropriate compensation for injury or loss of luggage, with Sullivan telling First Coast News that individuals would have been able to purchase more comprehensive insurance privately than what their tickets now provide them.

Many wonderful cruise ships will continue to operate throughout the world and thousands of Australians are bound to enjoy one of these luxury experiences in the future.

The key is to do your homework, protect yourself against potential incidents and embark on your ocean adventure with the peace of mind that comprehensive travel insurance can provide.