Planning a multi-night ocean cruise? Add Cruise Benefits to your RACV Travel Insurance so you can relax and enjoy the voyage ahead.** River cruises are already covered.ǂǂ
What does Essentials Travel Insurance cover?
Designed for travellers who want a balanced level of international cover, Essentials Travel Insurance includes benefits for a range of common unexpected events before and during your trip.
Any product information on this page is a summary only. Review each section of the combined PDS/FSG for terms, conditions, exclusions, limits, sub-limits, and any general exclusions that apply.
Who is Essentials Travel Insurance designed for?
RACV Essentials Travel Insurance is designed for travellers who want cover for the most important parts of their trip, without paying for benefits they're unlikely to need. Essentials Travel Insurance may be considered by travellers who:
- Travelling with standard luggage: Essentials is for travellers who aren't carrying multiple high-value items or specialist equipment.
- Prioritising medical cover: $Unlimited overseas medical and hospital cover is included as standard,^ with 38 medical conditions automatically included.~
- Concerned about travel disruptions: Essentials includes cover for common trip disruptions, from flight delays to emergency expenses if your travel plans are unexpectedly interrupted.
- On a moderate budget: Essentials provides meaningful protection across a range of travel events without the higher limits and premium of a Comprehensive policy.
Every traveller’s needs and circumstances are different. It is important to consider your personal situation, travel plans, and what level of cover is appropriate for you before choosing a policy. Please review the combined PDS/FSG to compare benefits and ensure the policy aligns with your requirements.
Why choose RACV Travel Insurance?
Compare different levels of cover
Not sure if Essentials is the right level for your trip? Compare all three single-trip international plans and choose the one that works for you.
Additional cover options for your trip
Optional add-ons are available for cruises, snow sports, and higher cancellation limits options under the Essentials policy.
Frequently asked questions
Essentials Travel Insurance is a mid-tier international plan, offering a broad range of cover across the most common travel events at an accessible price point.
Here are a few reasons to consider RACV Essentials Travel Insurance:
- $Unlimited overseas medical and hospital cover^ with 24-hour emergency medical assistance available.
- Flexible cancellation cover to help protect pre-paid flights, accommodation and other expenses against unforeseen circumstances.
- Up to $7,500 in luggage cover, with new-for-old replacement applied to lost, stolen or damaged belongings.
- Cover for travel delays, emergency expenses and personal liability.
- Your kids and grandkids covered for free.++
- 15% Member savings on all RACV travel insurance plans.*
- An award-winning Australian travel insurance brand.⋄⋄
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RACV Essentials Travel Insurance offers a broader level of cover than Basics. Both include $unlimited overseas medical and hospital cover^, along with cover for lost luggage and emergency expenses.
However, Essentials adds a range of benefits and higher limits not available on the entry-level plan:
- Cancellation cover: Essentials allows you to choose your own level of cancellation protection for pre-paid flights, accommodation and other expenses.
- Luggage cover: Essentials includes up to $7,500 in luggage cover, with higher limits per item across most categories.
- Travel delay: Cover for additional accommodation and meal expenses if your trip is delayed due to unforeseen circumstance.ǂ
- Emergency expenses: Essentials includes up to $25,000 for emergency expenses if your trip is disrupted.
- Rental vehicle excess: Up to $4,000 benefit for rental vehicle excess.##
For a full side-by-side comparison of what's included across Basics and Essentials plans, refer to the RACV Travel Insurance PDS/FSG.
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Both RACV Essentials and Comprehensive Travel Insurance include $unlimited overseas medical and hospital cover^, cancellation benefit (if selected) and cover for luggage, travel delays and personal liability.
The key difference is the breadth of cover and the limits available across each plan:
- Emergency expenses: Comprehensive offers unlimited emergency expense cover.~~ Essentials is capped at $25,000.
- Dental: Comprehensive offers $unlimited cover for overseas dental^, while Essentials has a $2,000 limit.
- Luggage limits: Comprehensive covers up to $15,000 in luggage, compared to $7,500 on Essentials, with higher per-item limits across most categories.
- Rental vehicle excess: Up to $8,000 on Comprehensive, compared to $4,000 on Essentials.##
- Financial default: Cover for costs if a travel services provider goes into financial default is only available on Comprehensive.\
- Domestic pets: Cover for vet treatment due to injury and unexpected kennel/cattery costsǂ due to trip delay are only available on Comprehensive.##
Comprehensive and Essentials plans offer different benefit levels, limits and cover options. Comprehensive includes higher benefit limits for certain covered events compared to Essentials. Both plans provide cover for a range of travel-related events. For a detailed comparison of the benefits, limits and cover available under each plan RACV Travel Insurance PDS/FSG.
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The cost of Essentials Travel Insurance varies depending on several factors specific to your trip and circumstances.
Your premium is calculated based on:
- Destination: Some regions carry higher premiums than others.
- Trip length: Generally, the longer the trip, the higher the premium.
- Traveller age: Age is a factor in how premiums are calculated.
- Medical conditions: RACV covers 38 medical conditions automatically on overseas trips.~ Medical conditions that require assessment may attract an additional premium.
- Excess: Choosing a lower excess typically increases your premium.
- Optional add-ons: Extras like Cruise or Ski and Winter Sports cover will affect the final price.
The best way to find out what you'll pay is to get a quote – it only takes a few minutes. RACV Members save 15% on their premium.*
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Not automatically. Cruise cover depends on the type of cruise you're taking and whether you've added the optional Cruise Benefits add-on to your RACV Travel Insurance policy.**
Here's how cruise cover works across different trip types:
- River cruises: both international and domestic river cruises are automatically included in your policy at no extra cost.ǂǂ
- Ocean cruises: you need the optional Cruise Benefits add-on, which can be selected at the time of purchase. This applies to both Australian and overseas cruises.
- Open water sailing: no cover available for small boat sailing that takes place more than 12 nautical miles from any landmass.
When the Cruise Benefits add-on is included, RACV Essentials Travel Insurance provides additional cover for cabin confinement, missed ports, onboard medical, emergency evacuation, missed shore excursions and marine rescue diversions.**
Refer to the Cruise Travel Insurance page for more detail.
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RACV Essentials Travel Insurance automatically covers 38 listed medical conditions, provided certain criteria are met.~ For conditions not on the list, cover can be applied for through an online medical assessment during your quote.
Here's how it works:
- Covered conditions: 38 medical conditions are covered automatically, including asthma, diabetes and epilepsy, provided specific criteria are met for each condition.
- Conditions requiring assessment: If your condition isn't on the automatic list or doesn’t meet the specific criteria, you can apply for cover through an online medical assessment. If approved, the condition will be listed on your Certificate of Insurance and an additional premium may apply.
- Conditions that can't be covered: If a condition is currently under investigation, awaiting diagnosis or awaiting treatment, cover cannot be offered.
It's important to disclose any relevant medical conditions at the time of purchase and to notify RACV as soon as possible if your health changes before your trip. Failure to do so may affect the outcome of any related claim.
You can see a full list of automatically covered conditions and the relevant criteria on the Medical Conditions page
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* RACV Member discount applies to the premium only (not applicable taxes).
^ ‘Unlimited’ means there is no cap on the maximum dollar amount which may be paid out for this benefit, noting that how much is payable for a benefit depends on the specific cover in the relevant section of the Policy Wording and any applicable exclusions. Medical, hospital, dental or any ancillary benefits or expenses incurred more than 12 months from the time treatment for the injury or illness was first received will not be covered. Terms, conditions (including eligibility criteria), limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply. Refer to the combined PDS/FSG for full details.
~~ $unlimited means there is no cap on the maximum dollar amount which may be paid out for this benefit, noting that how much is payable for a benefit depends on the specific cover in the relevant section of the Policy Wording and any applicable exclusions.
## These limits are per policy.
⋄⋄ For more awards information, refer to https://mozo.com.au and https://www.wemoney.com.au/wemoney-travel-awards-2026.
# Terms, conditions (including eligibility criteria), limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply. Refer to the combined PDS/FSG for full details.
++ Dependant means any of your children, stepchildren, foster children or grandchildren who are 25 years of age or under at the time you purchase your policy, financially dependent on their parents or grandparents, not working full time, travelling with you for your entire trip and listed on the Certificate of Insurance as your Dependant. Dependants can be covered at no extra cost if they have not disclosed any medical conditions requiring assessment. Terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and sub-limits apply. Refer to the PDS for full details.
** Refer to the combined PDS/FSG to determine if Cruise cover is required for your trip. Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply.
ǂǂ Cruise Benefits section does not apply to river cruising. Refer to the combined PDS/FSG for full details.
ǁ ‘Moped or Scooter’ (two or three wheeled motor vehicle (including e-scooters) with engine capacity up to 50cc), ‘Motorcycle’ (two or three wheeled motor vehicle (including electronic versions) with engine capacity equal to or greater than 50cc) and ‘Quad Bike’ are defined in the PDS. Cover is subject to general exclusions, including where you are operating or travelling as a passenger without wearing a helmet and driving without meeting specific licensing requirements. Refer to the PDS for full definitions, terms, conditions and exclusions.
ǂ Daily limits apply.
Travel tips and insurance guides
Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) Limited (ABN 44 004 060 833, AR No. 1243563) (RACV) is an authorised representative of the RACV Travel Insurance insurer Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (ABN 80 000 438 291 AFSL 246 548) (Tokio Marine). Tokio Marine Management (Australasia) Pty Ltd (ABN 69 001 488 455, AR No. 1313066) is an authorised representative of Tokio Marine, and administers RACV Travel Insurance as the managing agent on behalf of Tokio Marine.
Terms, conditions (including eligibility criteria), exclusions, limits and sub-limits apply. Any advice is general advice only, and does not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation or needs. Before you purchase, please consider the Combined Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) / Financial Services Guide (FSG) and Target Market Determinations (TMDs) available on RACV’s website, or on request from RACV.