St. Petersburg – September 13, 2026 -- Summer heatwaves have driven water levels on some of Europe's most popular rivers so low that cruise lines are altering or canceling itineraries, and travel insurance marketplace Squaremouth warns that most policies won't reimburse travelers for it.
Only 2 of 6 cruise-specific plans cover water level disruptions
Squaremouth lists six cruise-specific insurance plans on its platform, more than any other marketplace, but only IMG Choice Cruise and Tin Leg Cruise include coverage for cancellations tied to low or high water levels. Chrissy Valdez, Senior Director of Operations at Squaremouth, said travelers often assume any cruise-specific plan covers water-related disruptions, but that's usually not the case, making it essential to read the fine print before purchasing.
IMG Choice Cruise pays out across three separate benefits
IMG's plan reimburses 100% of prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if a cruise is canceled before departure due to water levels being too high or too low. It also covers Trip Interruption, refunding unused expenses plus return transportation if the cruise is cut short, and pays $100 under Travel Inconvenience if a diversion causes travelers to miss a port of call.
Tin Leg Cruise offers narrower but still full-cost protection
Tin Leg's plan covers water level disruptions only through its Trip Cancellation benefit, but like IMG, it reimburses 100% of prepaid trip costs when a cruise is called off before departure for that reason.
Cancel For Any Reason costs 40% more and pays less
Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) add-ons offer broad cancellation flexibility without requiring a cruise-specific policy, but must be purchased within a narrow window after the initial trip deposit. CFAR costs at least 40% more than standard coverage and reimburses only 50% to 75% of trip costs, compared to the full 100% reimbursement offered by IMG Choice Cruise and Tin Leg Cruise for water level-related cancellations.