Nationwide travel insurance review 2023
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
BLUEPRINT
Updated 9:07 a.m. UTC Nov. 13, 2023
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Nationwide
Pros
- Cruise travel insurance that covers port of call itinerary changes made by cruise line before departure, ship-based mechanical breakdowns and covered shipboard service disruptions.
- Great missed connection coverage of $2,500 per person.
- Includes pre-paid excursion reimbursement benefit of $500 with Cruise Choice plan or $1,000 with the Luxury Cruise plan.
- Superior baggage loss benefits of $2,500 per person.
- “Interruption for any reason” upgrade available.
- Excellent 75% “cancel for any reason” upgrade available with Cruise Luxury plan, but you must buy it within 14 days of your first trip deposit.
Cons
- Lower medical travel insurance limits and coverage is secondary.
- Hurricane and weather delay coverage kicks in after 24 hours, not 12.
- Employment layoff coverage requires three years of continuous employment.
About Nationwide travel insurance
Nationwide offers several travel insurance plan options from single-trip to annual coverage to cruise-specific travel. Its Cruise Choice and Cruise Luxury plans tie with 4.5 stars in our rating of the best travel insurance.
In this Nationwide travel insurance review we compare the company’s travel insurance plans, break down your additional coverage options and give you an idea of how much Nationwide travel insurance costs.
Nationwide travel insurance plans
Nationwide offers three cruise travel insurance plans that provide coverage for situations like ship-based mechanical breakdowns, port of call itinerary changes made by the cruise line before departure and shipboard service disruptions.
It also offers two single-trip plans and two annual travel insurance plans, designed to offer financial protection for domestic and international trips. Annual plans are not available to residents of New York and Washington.
Universal Cruise
The Universal Cruise Plan meets the needs of travelers taking shorter and more economical cruise vacations. Along with trip interruption, trip cancellation and trip delay coverage, the plan also includes up to $75,000 per person in travel medical insurance. It is important to note that this medical coverage is secondary, meaning you’d have to file a claim with your health insurance company first.
Choice Cruise
Nationwide’s midtier cruise plan was designed for travelers who want higher levels of coverage than what is offered in the Universal Cruise plan. Cruise Choice gets 4 stars in our rating of the best cruise travel insurance.
In addition to raising the medical and trip protection limits, this plan includes accidental death and dismemberment coverage, non-medical evacuation coverage, a pre-existing condition waiver (if you buy the plan within 14 days of initial trip payment) and the option to upgrade to “cancel for any reason” coverage.
Luxury Cruise
Nationwide’s Luxury Cruise plan provides the highest level of benefits for cruise travelers. The plan includes the same type of benefits as the Choice Cruise plan, but increases the travel medical insurance to $150,000 per person in secondary coverage and the emergency medical evacuation limit to $1,000,000 per person.
Single-Trip Essential
Nationwide’s Single-Trip Essential plan offers all the basic travel insurance coverage such as trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption, travel delay, baggage and emergency medical. Policyholders have the option to add rental car coverage as well as accidental death and dismemberment coverage with this plan.
Single-Trip Prime
This travel insurance plan includes generous trip interruption coverage of 200% of the trip cost (up to $60,000), excellent travel delay coverage of $2,000 per person after a 6-hour delay, $150,000 per person in secondary emergency medical coverage and $1,000,000 per person in emergency evacuation converge. Rental car coverage and a “cancel for any reason” upgrade are also available as upgrades to this plan.
Travel Pro
Travel Pro is one of Nationwide’s three annual plans, designed for travelers who want one plan to cover multiple trips. To be eligible for annual travel insurance with Nationwide, you need to travel at least 100 miles from your home and your trip must be 30 days or less.
The Travel Pro plan provides travel coverage benefits such as $200 trip delay coverage per person per trip, $10,000 per person per trip in emergency medical expenses and $50,000 per person per trip in emergency evacuation coverage.
Travel Plus
Another annual plan, Travel Plus includes the same benefits and coverage as the Travel Pro plan with the addition of trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage. If your trip is canceled or interrupted due to covered illness or injury, weather or other covered conditions, the plan will reimburse prepaid, nonrefundable cancellation charges and deposits up to $10,000.
Travel Pro Deluxe
This annual travel insurance plan includes the same travel benefits as the Travel Pro plan, but increases the coverage amount. For example, the trip delay benefit jumps up to $500 per person per trip and the emergency medical evaluation jumps up to $250,000 per person per trip.
All annual travel insurance plans include a 10 to 14-day “free look” period (depending on the state you live in) where you can review your plan to make sure it is the right plan for you. If not, you can request a full refund, minus a processing fee.
Additional coverage options offered
“Cancel-for-any-reason” (CFAR) coverage
If you add “cancel-for-any-reason” (CFAR) coverage to your travel insurance plan, you can cancel your trip for any reason at all — not only those listed in your policy — and be reimbursed for up to 75% of your non-refundable trip costs. To qualify for reimbursement, you’ll need to cancel your trip at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure, however, so it won’t help if you want to cancel at the last minute.
CFAR coverage is only available for purchase on the Luxury Cruise Plan and the Single-Trip Prime Plan. It must be purchased within 21 days of the initial trip payment. This coverage is not available in New York or Washington.
“Interruption-for-any-reason” (IFAR) coverage
If you meet eligibility requirements, Nationwide’s “interruption-for-any-reason” (IFAR) coverage is available for the Universal Cruise Plan, Cruise Plan and Luxury Cruise Plan. This will cover transportation costs if your trip is interrupted at least 48 hours into your trip. The Universal Cruise Plan will reimburse up to $250, the Choice Cruise plan covers up to $500 in reimbursement and the Luxury Cruise Plan reimburses up to $1,000.
What Nationwide travel insurance doesn't cover
Like all travel insurance companies, Nationwide does not cover everything. Be sure to read your policy carefully to understand what is and isn’t covered.
Here are some exclusions for Nationwide’s Single-Trip Essential Plan:
- Being under the influence of drugs (unless prescribed by a physician).
- Suicide, attempted suicide or intentional self-harm.
- Mental or emotional disorders.
- Participation as an athlete in professional sports.
- Traveling for the purpose of securing medical treatment.
- Accidental injury or sickness when traveling against the advice of a physician.
- Cosmetic surgery or reconstructive surgery.
- Canyoning or canyoneering.
- Piloting or learning to pilot.
- Any non-emergency treatment or surgery, routine physical examinations, hearing aids, eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Nationwide travel insurance rates
How much you pay for Nationwide travel insurance will depend on your age, your trip destination, length and cost, the travel insurance plan you choose and whether or not you opt for the more comprehensive CFAR coverage. Here are some sample quotes for Nationwide’s Cruise Luxury plan for different types of vacations.
Methodology
Our insurance experts reviewed 42 aspects of 53 policies to find the best travel insurance plans. We used data provided by Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider. For companies offering more than one travel insurance plan, we shared information about the highest-scoring plan (or two, in case of a tie).
Some companies may offer plans with additional benefits or lower prices than the plans which scored the highest, so make sure to get travel insurance quotes to see your full range of options.
The factors we scored out of a possible 100 points include the following.
Cost: 30 points. We scored the average cost for each travel insurance policy for a variety of trips and traveler profiles:
- Couple, age 30 for an 8-day trip to Mexico costing $3,000.
- Couple, age 30 for an 8-day trip to Mexico costing $3,000, with CFAR coverage upgrade.
- Couple, age 40, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $6,000.
- Couple, age 40, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $6,000, with CFAR coverage upgrade.
- Family of four, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $15,000.
- Family of four, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $15,000, with CFAR coverage upgrade.
- Couple, age 65, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $6,000.
- Couple, age 65, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $6,000, with CFAR coverage upgrade.
- Couple, age 70, for an 8-day trip to Mexico trip costing $3,000.
- Couple, age 70, for an 8-day trip to Mexico trip costing $3,000, with CFAR coverage upgrade.
Medical expenses: 15 points. We scored travel medical insurance by the coverage amount available. Travel insurance policies with travel medical expense benefits of $250,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 15 points.
Medical evacuation: 15 points. We scored each plan’s emergency medical evacuation coverage by coverage amount. Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 15 points.
“Cancel for any reason” upgrade: 5 points. We gave travel insurance plans with the option of a “cancel for any reason” upgrade 5 points.
Trip interruption travel insurance: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance plans that offer trip interruption reimbursement of 150% or more.
Travel delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with travel delay benefits that kick in at 6 hours or less.
Baggage delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with baggage delay benefits that kick in at 12 hours or less.
Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 5 points. We gave policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions if purchased within a required timeline 5 points.
Non-medical evacuation: 5 points. If a policy provides coverage for non-medical evacuation, such as for political or security reasons, we gave it 5 points.
Cancel for work reasons: 5 points. If a plan allows you to cancel your trip for work reasons, such as your boss requiring you to stay and work, we gave it 5 points.
Employment layoff: 5 points. Travel insurance policies that allow you to cancel your trip because of layoff at a company where you have worked for one continuous year were scored 5 points. If a plan requires that you had the job for more than a year to qualify, no points were given.
Yes, Nationwide travel insurance covers COVID-19. Policyholders who become ill with COVID-19 prior to their departure may be eligible for trip cancellation coverage. Policyholders who become ill with COVID-19 while on their trip may be covered for medical expenses and trip interruption benefits with a confirmed diagnosis.
Yes, select Nationwide travel insurance plans offer an optional upgrade to “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage. CFAR coverage is available to add to the Luxury Cruise Plan and the Single-Trip Prime Plan, provided you meet eligibility requirements.
No, travel insurance is still available to purchase from Nationwide.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
