cruise insurance aarp

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Cruise Insurance: Why You Need It + 4 Best Options for 2024

Seven Corners »

Travelex Insurance Services »

AXA Assistance USA »

Berkshire hathaway travel protection ».

Why Trust Us

U.S. News evaluates ratings, data and scores of more than 50 travel insurance companies from comparison websites like TravelInsurance.com, Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip, plus renowned credit rating agency AM Best, in addition to reviews and recommendations from top travel industry sources and consumers to determine the Best Cruise Insurance Plans.

Table of Contents

• Seven Corners
• Travelex Insurance Services

Cruise vacations come with the same considerations as any other trip, including the potential for trip cancellations, trip interruptions, unforeseen medical expenses and even a need for emergency medical evacuation. Add in the potential for unruly weather during hurricane season , and it's easy to see why cruise insurance plans are so popular and recommended.

Read on to find out which cruise travel insurance plans U.S. News recommends and how they can protect the investment you made in a cruise when something goes wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions:

All cruise insurance plans are unique, and some have different coverages than others. However, most travel insurance plans for cruises cover the following:

• Trip delays, interruptions and cancellations: This kind of coverage is essential any time of the year, but especially during hurricane season when storms can impact your travel plans. 
• Protection for medical emergencies: This type of coverage can help pay for unexpected medical bills if you're injured on board the ship or hurt during a shore excursion. You can also choose a cruise insurance plan that covers emergency medical evacuation from the ship or to the nearest hospital.
• Coverage for lost or delayed baggage: Coverage for baggage is important for cruises just like any other trip. This type of insurance can pay for essential items you need to buy if your bags are lost or stolen and don't make it on the ship. 

With each of these protections, a coverage limit is listed with your plan. This means you may get reimbursed for your losses or prepaid travel expenses up to this limit, but only when a covered reason applies to your claim.

One of the main reasons to buy cruise insurance is for medical emergencies. Note that, once you're on a cruise ship or visiting a destination outside the United States, your own U.S. health insurance plan will not apply. The same truth applies if you have government health coverage like Medicare.

You can purchase cruise insurance through your cruise line, but these plans are often very basic with low limits for medical expenses and other coverages. For example, cruise line travel insurance policies often come with just $25,000 in coverage for emergency medical expenses and up to $50,000 in coverage for emergency medical evacuation, which may not be enough.

Fortunately, you can buy cruise insurance from any travel insurance provider when planning this type of trip. By buying coverage from an independent travel insurance provider instead of your cruise line, you get to select the exact coverages and limits you need for the best protection possible.

• Seven Corners: Best Overall
• Travelex Insurance Services: Best for Families
• AXA Assistance USA: Best for Medical Emergencies
• Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection: Best Cost

Plan is cruise-specific

Get coverage for missed cruise connections and tours

Medical expense coverage is secondary if you opt for lower-tier Basic plan

• Up to 150% in reimbursement for trip interruption
• Up to $250 per person, per day in trip delay coverage ($2,000 maximum)
• Up to $250 per day in missed tour or cruise connection coverage ($1,500 maximum)
• Primary emergency medical expense coverage worth up to $500,000
• Medical evacuation and repatriation of remains coverage worth up to $1 million
• Political and security evacuation coverage worth up to $20,000
• Up to $2,500 in protection for baggage and personal effects (limit per item of $250)
• Up to $100 per day ($500 maximum) in coverage for baggage delays of six hours or more

Travel Select plan offers coverage with pricing for kids included

Customize your plan with additional medical coverage, adventure sports coverage and more

Only $1,000 in coverage for baggage and personal effects

$200 maximum coverage for baggage delays

• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to 100% of total trip cost (maximum $50,000)
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to 150% of trip cost (maximum $75,000)
• $2,000 in trip delay coverage for a delay of at least five hours ($250 per day)
• $750 in coverage for missed connections (delay of at least three hours required)
• Emergency medical expense coverage worth up to $50,000 (dental emergency sublimit of $500 included)
• Emergency medical evacuation coverage worth up to $500,000
• $1,000 in protection for baggage and personal effects
• Up to $200 in coverage for baggage delays (at least 12-hour delay required)
• Travel assistance services

Provides comprehensive coverage for all aspects of cruising

High policy limits for medical expenses and emergency evacuation

Does not offer cruise-specific travel insurance

• Trip cancellation coverage up to 100%
• Trip interruption protection up to 150%
• $1,250 in travel delay coverage ($300 per day)
• $1,500 in protection for missed connections
• Emergency accident and sickness coverage up to $250,000
• Emergency medical evacuation coverage up to $1 million
• Nonmedical emergency evacuation coverage up to $100,000
• $50,000 in accidental death and dismemberment coverage
• Baggage and personal item coverage up to $3,000
• Baggage delay coverage worth up to $600

Comes with enhanced medical and luggage benefits, protections for cruise ship disablement, and more

Cruise delay coverage kicks in after five hours

Baggage delay coverage is only for $200 and doesn't kick in for 24 hours

No option to purchase CFAR coverage

• Up to $75,000 in protection for emergency medical care
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains coverage worth up to $750,000
• Cruise cancellation coverage for 100% of trip cost up to $25,000 per person
• Cruise interruption coverage for 150% of trip cost up to $37,500 per person
• Cruise delay coverage worth up to $1,000 ($200 per day for delays of five hours or more)
• Missed connection coverage worth up to $500 (for delay of three hours or more)
• Cruise ship disablement coverage worth up to $500
• Up to $1,500 in coverage for baggage and personal effects

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is a professional travel writer who has covered international travel, travel insurance and cruises for more than a decade. Johnson has researched and compared all the top travel insurance options for her own family for trips to more than 50 countries, some of which have included cruises all over the world. Johnson lives in Indiana with her two children and her husband, Greg – a travel agent who has been licensed to sell travel insurance in 50 states.

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How Much Does a Cruise Cost?

Gwen Pratesi

The average cost of a cruise varies by ship, destination, trip length and more. Use this guide to learn more about cruise costs.

Cruise Packing List: 56 Essentials Chosen by Experts

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This cruise packing list includes all of the essentials – plus items you didn't know you needed.

The 12 Best All-Inclusive Cruises for 2024

When most of the extra costs are paid before you sail, you can truly enjoy your cruise.

• Nationwide Travel Insurance
• AXA Assistance USA
• Seven Corners Travel Insurance
• HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance
• World Nomads Travel Insurance

Cruise Travel Insurance Tips

• Why You Should Trust Us

Best Cruise Insurance Companies of April 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

A cruise vacation can take much of the stress out of planning a vacation. With a pre-set itinerary on the high seas, you don't have to worry about how you're getting to your destination and what you're going to do there. However, an unexpected emergency can take the wind out of your sails and money out of your travel budget. So you'll want to ensure you have the best travel insurance coverage that won't leave you high and dry in an emergency.

Best Cruise Insurance Companies

• Nationwide Travel Insurance : Best Overall
• AXA Assistance USA : Best for Affordability
• Seven Corners Travel Insurance : Best for Seniors
• HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance : Best for Expensive Trips
• World Nomads Travel Insurance : Best for Exotic Locations

Compare the Top Cruise Insurance Offers

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of trip costs (for cruises) or up to $30,000 (for single-trip plans)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Three cruise-specific plans to choose from
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Annual travel insurance plans available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong trip cancellation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancel for any reason coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR insurance not available with every single plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is lower than what some competitors offer

Nationwide Travel Insurance offers many of the standard benefits you might see with a travel insurance policy. This can include things like trip cancellation coverage, so you can recover pre-paid costs or trip interruption in the event your vacation is interrupted by an unexpected event. There's also baggage delay coverage and medical coverage.

• Cancel for any reason coverage available

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the trip cost
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical evacuation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1,500 per person coverage for missed connections on cruises and tours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Covers loss of ski, sports and golf equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage ceilings per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage only available for most expensive Platinum plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR coverage ceiling only reaches $50,000 maximum despite going up to 75%

AXA Assistance USA keeps travel insurance simple with gold, silver, and platinum plans. Emergency medical and CFAR are a couple of the options you can expect. Read on to learn more about AXA.

• Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans available
• Trip interruption coverage of up to 150% of the trip cost
• Emergency medical coverage of up to $250,000

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Diverse coverage options such as CFAR, optional sports equipment coverage, etc.
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Available in all 50 states
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Prices are higher than many competitors
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Reviews around claims processing are mixed
• Trip cancellation insurance of up to 100% of the trip cost
• Trip interruption insurance of up to 150% of the trip cost
• Cancel for any reason (CFAR) insurance available

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Three plans to choose from
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Reasonable premiums
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. CFAR coverage available with some plans
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High medical emergency and evacuation coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Special coverages for pets, sports equipment, etc not available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited reviews with complaints about claims not being paid
• Trip cancellation of up to $5,000 with the Economy plan and up to $50,000 with the Preferred plan
• Cancel for any reason insurance and missed connection insurance available with the Preferred plan
• Baggage delay insurance starting after 24 or 12 hours depending on the plan

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Coverage for 200+ activities like skiing, surfing, and rock climbing
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Only two plans to choose from, making it simple to find the right option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. You can purchase coverage even after your trip has started
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. If your trip costs more than $10,000, you may want to choose other insurance because trip protection is capped at up to $10,000 (for the Explorer plan)
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Doesn't offer coverage for travelers older than 70
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) option
• Coverage for 150+ activities and sports
• 2 plans: Standard and Explorer
• Trip protection for up to $10,000
• Emergency medical insurance of up to $100,000
• Emergency evacuation coverage for up to $500,000
• Coverage to protect your items (up to $3,000)

Cruise Insurance Reviews

Best cruise insurance overall: nationwide travel insurance.

Nationwide Travel Insurance  is a long-standing and reputable brand within the insurance marketplace that offers cruise insurance plans with solid coverage and reasonable rates.

It has three cruise insurance options: Universal, Choice, and Luxury. The Nationwide Choice plan, for example, offers $100,000 in emergency medical coverage and $500,000 in emergency medical evacuation coverage.

The right plan for you depends on your budget and coverage needs. But each plan offers cruise-specific coverages like ship-based mechanical breakdowns, coverage for missed prepaid excursions if your cruise itinerary changes, and covered service disruptions aboard the cruise ship.

Read our Nationwide Travel Insurance review here.

Best Cruise Insurance for Affordability: AXA Travel Insurance

AXA Assistance USA  offers three comprehensive coverage plans: Gold, Silver, and Platinum. Each of these plans offers coverage for issues like missed flights, medical emergencies, lost luggage, and more.

The highest-tier Platinum plan provides $250,000 in medical emergency coverage and $1 million in medical evacuation coverage. The baggage loss coverage is $3,000 per person, and their missed connection coverage is $1,500 per person for cruises and tours.

In addition, travelers can take advantage of AXA's concierge service, which provides an extensive network of international service providers. They'll be able to assist you with things like restaurant reservations and referrals, golf course information, and more. This service could come in handy if you're stopping at a variety of unfamiliar destinations during your cruise.

The coverage limits on AXA's policies are on the higher end compared to other providers. And you can buy coverage for a little as 4% of your trip cost depending on your age, travel destination, and state of residence.

Read our AXA Travel Insurance review here.

Best Cruise Insurance for Seniors: Seven Corners Travel Insurance

Seven Corners Travel Insurance lets cruisers enjoy traveling in their golden years with the knowledge they're covered in the event of an accident or emergency. While other providers do offer coverage to those 80+ years old, Seven Corners is known for its affordable premiums while offering above-average medical expenses and medical evacuation coverage limits — two areas of travel insurance coverage that are even more important as we get older.

Seven Corners also offers the option of a preexisting conditions waiver and CFAR insurance at an additional cost, plus "Trip Interruption for Any Reason" coverage, which you won't find on many policies.

You can choose between the Trip Protection Basic or Trip Protection Choice plans, with the higher-tier Choice plan costing more but providing more coverage.

Read our Seven Corners Travel Insurance review here. 

Best Cruise Insurance for Expensive Trips: HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance

HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance  offers three levels of trip protection: TripProtector Economy, Classic, and Preferred. The higher the tier, the more coverage you'll get for things like baggage delays, trip delays & cancellations, and medical expenses. But their premiums remain reasonable even at the highest tier of coverage.

Not only does the HTH Worldwide Trip Protector Preferred plan offer higher-than-average medical emergency and evacuation coverage limits ($500,000 and $1 million, respectively), but you'll also get a baggage loss coverage limit of $2,000 per person and coverage for trip interruption of up to 200% of the trip cost. You also have the option to add CFAR coverage for an additional cost.

Read our HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance review here.

Best Cruise Insurance for Exotic Locations: World Nomads Travel Insurance

World Nomads Travel Insurance  has been a top choice for comprehensive travel insurance for many years now. And it's a great option when it comes to cruise coverage, too.

Even the most basic Standard Plan comes with $100,000 in medical emergency coverage and $300,000 in emergency evacuation coverage. And you'll get higher coverage limits with their Premium Plan. Plus, unlike many other providers, World Nomads trip cancellation and emergency medical coverage include COVID-19-related issues.

What sets World Nomads apart from many other insurance companies is that its policies cover 200+ adventure sports. This can be important for adventurous cruisers who plan to take part in activities like jet skiing, scuba diving, or parasailing during their cruise.

Read our World Nomads Travel Insurance review here.

Introduction to Cruise Insurance

Cruise insurance may offer unique coverage like missed port of call and medical evacuation coverage. You might not need the flight protections of a regular travel insurance plan if you're catching a cruise at a port near you, but medical and cancel for any reason coverage could be critical.

Understanding the Basics of Cruise Insurance

At its core, cruise insurance is your financial lifeboat, designed to protect you from unforeseen events that could disrupt your sea voyage. Whether it's a sudden illness, adverse weather, or other unexpected occurrences, having the right insurance can make a world of difference.

Why Cruise Insurance is Important

Picture this: You're all set for your dream cruise, but a sudden family emergency means you can't set sail. Or worse, you fall ill in the middle of the ocean. Without cruise insurance, you're not just missing out on an adventure, but also facing potentially huge financial losses. That's why securing cruise insurance isn't just recommended; it's a crucial part of your cruise planning.

Types of Cruise Insurance Coverage

Cruise insurance isn't a one-size-fits-all life jacket. There are various types of coverage, each tailored to protect different aspects of your cruise experience.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Coverage

This coverage is like your safety net, catching you financially if you need to cancel your trip last minute or cut it short due to emergencies, be it due to personal, health-related, or even certain work conflicts.

Medical Coverage

Being on a cruise shouldn't mean being adrift from medical care. Medical coverage ensures that if you fall ill or get injured, your medical expenses won't sink your finances.

Emergency Evacuation Coverage

In the rare case that you need to be evacuated from the ship due to a medical emergency or severe weather, this coverage ensures you're not left adrift in a sea of expenses.

Baggage and Personal Effects Coverage

Imagine reaching your dream destination only to find your luggage lost at sea. This coverage ensures that lost, stolen, or damaged baggage doesn't dampen your cruise experience.

Buying Cruise Insurance

Securing the best cruise insurance isn't just about finding the best price; it's about ensuring it covers all your potential needs.

When to Purchase Cruise Insurance

Timing is everything. Purchasing your insurance soon after booking your cruise can often provide additional benefits and ensure you're covered for any early surprises. As you get closer to your trip your coverage options may get more expensive, and certain providers may not be able to offer you coverage.

How to Find the Best Deals on Cruise Insurance

Keep a lookout for deals, but remember, the cheapest option isn't always the best. Balance cost with coverage, and ensure you're getting the protection you need at a price that doesn't rock your financial boat. A travel insurance comparison site like SquareMouth is a good place to compare multiple quotes from all of the major carriers at once.

How to Pick The Best Cruise Insurance for You

When buying travel insurance for a cruise, consider the additional risks that are specific to cruising. These include hurricanes and other weather-related concerns, strict cancellation terms, high pre-paid costs of a cruise, and the distance to emergency medical assistance.

To find the policy that's right for you, it's best to compare several different cruise insurance policies based on the pricing and coverage they provide. Remember too that all reputable insurance providers will offer a "free-look period." This allows you to return the policy you've purchased for any reason, within a specific time period, for a full refund.

The most important coverages to look for in cruise insurance are:

• Medical coverage — This coverage will pay for medical bills outside the US. But because treatment can be more expensive while onboard, make sure your policy offers sufficient coverage ($100,000+).
• Medical evacuation coverage — This coverage will transport you to the nearest hospital or even back home if you become sick or injured during your journey. But an evacuation from sea will be more expensive than one from land. So you'll want to make sure your coverage has sufficiently high limits ($250,000+).
• Missed connection (missed port of call) coverage — This type of coverage will help you catch up to your itinerary if you miss your port of call for a covered reason, like a delayed flight on the way to the airport.
• Coverage for hurricane warnings — With this type of coverage, you don't actually need to be affected by the hurricane. You can cancel and be reimbursed for your trip if the NOAA issues a hurricane warning. If you're cruising anywhere during (or on the tail ends) of hurricane season, this can come in handy. Just note: You can't buy travel insurance to cover a weather event once a storm or hurricane has been named.
• Cancel for any reason (CFAR) — This is the most comprehensive coverage you can get, as it allows cancellations and reimbursement for pre-paid expenses for any reason. This can be a wise add-on for cruise coverage given the often higher prepaid expenses associated with cruising. See our guide to the best CFAR travel insurance options to learn more.
• Preexisting conditions — This coverage ensures that no known health conditions are excluded from coverage. Obtaining a preexisting condition waiver usually requires purchasing your travel insurance soon after booking your trip.
• Personal possessions insurance — Because of the events and fancy dinners cruise ships hold, you might take more valuable clothing or jewelry with you on a cruise. This type of coverage will insure your belongings against loss or theft while cruising.
• Baggage loss and delay — This coverage will reimburse you up to a specified amount for essentials if your bags are delayed or if your bags get lost en route.

As a rule of thumb, you can expect to pay between 5% and 10% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses for cruise insurance coverage. The price will vary depending on factors like your age, your travel destination, and whether you require additional coverage.

If you're booking a cruise, we recommend purchasing travel insurance when you make your first trip payment. That could be for the cruise itself or an expense like airfare to get you to your cruising destination. This way, if you have to cancel your trip, you'll have the most extended coverage period possible.

You can buy your own cruise insurance that isn't offered directly through the cruise line operator. In fact, this could be a better option if you want coverage for your travel to the cruise's departure point, not just for the cruise itself.

The difference between traditional travel insurance and cruise insurance is that cruise insurance offers more specialized coverage, for situations such as missing a departure port and more coverage for medical evacuations, since it's more expensive to evacuate someone at sea than on land. 

Most cruise insurance includes coverage for missing a departure port, so you should be able to claim for a missed port. Just make sure you check the details of your policy before you file a claim, and before you travel so you know what compensation you're entitled to.

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Cruise Travel Insurance

When comparing cruise travel insurance providers, we evaluated them based on the following criteria to come up with our list of top picks:

Customer Satisfaction

We look at ratings from JD Power and other industry giants to see where a company ranks in customer satisfaction. We also look at customer review sites like Trustpilot and SquareMouth.

Policy Types

We look at policy types and offerings, from standard travel protections to adventure sports coverage. We look at the amount of insurance offered

Average Premiums

We compare average premiums per trip. Some companies also offer annual plans, and we compare policies accordingly.

Claims Paid

How frequently do companies pay claims easily and quickly? We check customer reviews and other resources to see which companies honor policies most effectively.

We look at the company's overall behavior. Is it operating ethically? Companies can earn additional points for such behaviors.

You can read more about how Business Insider rates insurance here.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

**Enrollment required.

• Main content

How Anyone Can Use AARP to Save on Travel, Even If You Aren't Retired

Margaret Littman

April 4, 2024

In the spring of 2022, it seemed like everyone was hopping on a plane. (Others called it “revenge travel.” I just called it “happy to be out of the house.”) A friend whom I hadn’t seen since before the pandemic and I decided to spend a weekend in Charleston. We wanted to eat our way through the city, see the ocean, take some architecture tours, and catch up and hang out.

Everyone else had the same idea at the same time. Azaleas were in bloom. Rental cars were scarce, and hotels were overbooked. After being surprised by rates that were out of our budget, I logged in to AARP’s Travel Center and found a deal at Emeline, a design-forward boutique hotel in Charleston’s historic district. I snagged a car rental, too. They were both such a bargain, I double-checked that they were for real. 

I hesitated to tell my friend how I booked the room—I didn’t want her to think we were “old,” by getting help from AARP. But she couldn’t deny it: Our South Carolina getaway weekend was saved.

What is AARP? 

In the late 1940s, a retired school principal named Ethel Percy Andrus (in fact, the first female high school principal in California) saw that her peers needed health insurance. Medicare didn’t kick in until age 65, and those who retired before that age had few health insurance options and small pensions to pay for healthcare out of pocket. She started advocating for them, reaching out to insurance companies to see who would cover these retirees as a group during the pre-Medicare gap.

She was successful, and eventually, in 1958, the organization she founded became the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). The organization has gone through many changes since then. Now, the acronym stands alone as its name as the group’s scope has broadened. But Andrus’s vision of an advocate for senior citizens remains. 

Today, AARP is a non-partisan 501(c) (4) non-profit. It advocates for people over the age of 50 on topics such as Medicare and Social Security and has lobbyists who raise those issues in Washington, DC.  State offices disseminate local information on health, safety, and politics. In addition, AARP shares information with its members through events, a magazine, an app, its website, and newsletters, covering everything from retirement planning to choosing a new puppy, and even provides entertainment, such as free movie screenings. 

Who can join AARP? 

AARP has more than 38 million members. Anyone ages 18 and older can join, although the organization is focused on peopl ages 50 and older. One way you’ll know that your 50 th birthday is imminent is you’ll get a red and white membership solicitation in the mail. 

While anyone can join, those between the ages of 18 and 50 may not be eligible for all the discounts offered (such as those relating to insurance and others with third-party requirements). Those under 50 do not receive  AARP magazine .

How much is AARP membership? 

To welcome you into the fold, annual membership is $12 for the first year (if you sign up for automatic renewal) and $16 a year after that. Lower rates are available if you choose a longer period: $43 for three years or $63 for five years. Black Friday and other specials occasionally lower the price further. Military service members and veterans are eligible for a 43% discount.

Members ages 50 and older are eligible for a free secondary membership for any other adult in their house.

AARP travel benefits and discounts

AARP members receive a host of different benefits and discounts, from small savings on retail gift cards to health insurance to resume services, cell phone services, and online games. All of those benefits are separate from AARP travel perks , which are offered on a separate travel center website (with a separate log-in) administered by Expedia. 

Many of the discounts and offerings change frequently, so it is worth checking back often, particularly if you are planning a big-ticket trip. While most of the travel partners stay consistent, the rates of discounts vary based on peak periods and availability, just like all travel deals. Some discounts are flagged with expiration dates, such as British Airways, but for the most part, those are renewed from year to year. There are no guarantees in life or in travel, though, so if you see a great deal that works for you, book it!

Some of the discounts are similar to modest deals you can get with AAA and other memberships or by searching various online sites. It is handy to have it all in one place, and the perks for packages (for booking hotel, car, and flights at the same time) are unusual. Typically, lower AARP rates cannot be combined with other discounts, so you won’t stack multiple discounts to snag a free trip. The website allows you to search for last-minute deals, finding even lower discounts (often an additional 10%) for trips within the next two weeks.

In addition to the cents off, AARP is an advocate for its members, so if there is a problem with a booking, you can get a live person to sort things out. A dedicated phone number, 800-675-4318, connects members to the Travel Center. When I needed to change my South Carolina car rental to a one-way trip so I could add a roadtrip to Greenville, it was an easy modification.

Once you get where you are going, you may also find AARP discounts on tickets for shows through Ticketmaster, as well as discounted gift cards and meals at some chain restaurants. 

Best Western Hotels and Resorts

Best Western hotels and their related brands—including BW Premier Collection, Executive Residency by Best Western, Glo, SureStay Collection by Best Western, SureStay Hotel by Best Western, and Vib—offer 5% or more off the best available room rate. These brands include more than 4,000 hotels. AARP members who are also Best Western Rewards members 10% more bonus points on each stay.

Choice Hotels

AARP members receive a 10% discount at brands under the Choice brand umbrella, including Ascend Hotel Collection, Cambria Hotels, Clarion, Country Inn and Suites by Radisson, Econo Lodge, Quality Inn, Radisson, Radisson Blu ,  Rodeway Inn, Sleep Inn, and others.

Hilton Hotels & Resorts

Nab up to 10% off rooms at this collection of brands, including Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Tru by Hilton, and Waldorf Astoria. In addition to the discounted rate, members can request lake checkout until 2pm at no additional fee. AARP members who are Hilton Honors members earn points as usual on the discounted room, which is not always the case when booking through a third-party site.

AARP members can save 10% off the best available rate at the chain that claims to “leave a light on for you.” Request a late check out until 2pm at no additional fee.

Red Roof Inn

Save 10% off the best available room rate with an AARP membership Red Roof Inn, Red Roof PLUS+, Hometowne Studios by Red Roof, and The Red Collection .  Members also receive one free bottle of water per room at check-in.

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts

Brands under the Wyndham umbrella—including AmericInn, Baymont, Days Inn, Howard Johnson, La Quinta, Microtel, Ramada, Super 8, Travelodge, Wyndham, and others—offer 10% discounts to AARP members.

All Resort Store

Find discounts of 10%-25% off on all-inclusive resort packages. Booking online requires setting up an account with All Resort Store.

Car Rentals

Avis and budget.

These car rental companies offer 30% off the base rate plus a number of other benefits, such as free upgrades, discount credits on future rentals, and additional drivers at no extra cost. An additional $15 off is available for three-day rentals that are paid in advance. In my experience, they also may have cars available through the Travel Center when direct booking flags locations as sold out.

AARP members receive 5% of the off of base rates, plus a free upgrade.

AARP members can choose car sharing, rather than traditional rentals, with $20 off an annual Zipcar membership.

Airport parking

Park Ride Fly offers 12% off parking reservations at 50 different locations across the country. Most reservations include airport shuttles and luggage assistance. 

Trains, tours, and cruises

Collette Cruise Tours

Receive $50 - $100 off per person on river cruises in China, Egypt, and Norway.

Grand European Travel 

AARP members are eligible for up to $100 off per person on luxury river cruises in Europe, Egypt, and Asia.

Holland American Line

AARP Members who book Princess Cruises, Holland America, and Celebrity Cruises will find limited-time discounted offers on specific routes for specific dates. In addition, AARP members receive a $200 onboard credit.

Hurtigruten Expeditions 

The cruise line offers 5% off cruises plus a €100 per-person onboard credit to AARP members and non-members who book with the member. Hurtigruten discounts and offers are stackable.

Vacation By Rail 

Snag 5% off on more than 40 rail and cruise combination trips to National Parks, Alaska, Canada, and elsewhere in the U.S.

Through a partnership with AARDY, a travel insurance marketplace, members can compare discounted rates on different travel insurance policies in the U.S.

AARP members receive 20% off memberships to Medijet, which provides hospital-of-choice medical transfers when you are 150 miles or more from home. Services include transport and evacuation services.

Flight and vacation packages through British Airways

Book a flight on British Airways and receive $65 off a round-trip economy flight (not applicable to basic economy rates) or $200 off a round-trip business class ticket.

Most deals Going finds are bookable directly on the airline. So, when Going sends you an alert about a deal on British Airways, you can save a little bit more by booking directly with British Airways to get that AARP discount. 

It also pays to plan ahead. Members who purchase everything all at the same time, be that a flight and a hotel room, a flight, and a car rental, or all three together, receive a $50 gift card to select merchants.

Passport and visa services

AARP members can purchase passport renewal bundles that include shipping and government fees. Special pricing and expedited services through Rush My Passport are available for all passport types, including renewals, name changes, passport cards, travel visas, and other services. This is handy if you need to expedite processing for an upcoming trip. This benefit also applies to members' family members. 

How AARP discounts work

Most of the travel discounts are accessed through the AARP Travel Center website, which is operated by Expedia. Limited-time and special offers relating to travel may also be posted on the AARP website or in the app and then are booked or redeemed through a third-party site, some of which require a promo code. Logging into the AARP Travel Center requires an AARP membership number. Reservations can be made by calling 800-675-4318, although it can be harder to browse options over the phone.

Members may need to show their AARP membership card on check in to verify the discount. AARP provides digital cards for those who don’t want to carry a physical card.

Frequently asked questions about AARP Travel

AARP members receive modest discounts on many aspects of travel, from hotels to car rentals to passport expediting, all accessible from the same website. AARP’s low-cost membership fee makes it relatively easy to earn back the cost. Unlike booking through some other third-party sites, it is still possible to earn reward program points, though some discounts may be subject to some blackout periods.

The bottom line: Even if you aren’t yet in the typical AARP demographic, the annual membership can pay for itself with the discounts available. And pair it with a Going membership that helps you save on flights, and you could be traveling a lot more this year for less. 

Freelance Writer

Published April 4, 2024

Last updated April 4, 2024

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How to save on cruises with AARP Travel

Savings-conscious consumers have long gravitated toward AARP. The advocacy organization for older Americans negotiates discounts on everything from mobile phone plans and drug prescriptions to restaurants, hotels and, yes, cruises. While "older" generally connotes seniors ages 65 and above, AARP membership is open to Americans who are considerably younger. But is it worth subscribing if you're looking to save money on your next cruise?

I remember feeling insulted when right before my 50th birthday I received an invitation by mail to join AARP. "I'm nowhere near retirement," I thought as I crumpled it, mumbled something about ageism and tossed it in the trash. This was years after AARP (pronounced A-A-R-P with the letters sounded out) officially changed its name to its acronym. It was founded in 1958 as the American Association of Retired Persons, but as leading-edge baby boomers began retiring in their 50s, AARP started to engage with them to encourage younger membership.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

More than a decade later I'm still not retired, but this assignment gave me an excuse to finally join AARP. When I did, I took a look at the perks of membership to see which benefits would be useful to my travel plans. Here's what I learned about how to save on cruises with AARP Travel.

You don't have to be retired or age 50-plus to join AARP

You do need to be age 50 or older to reap full benefits, but Americans ages 18 to 49 can also join AARP. Folks under 50 can receive most member benefits, aside from those restricted by law or contract, such as certain insurance products.

To sign up, simply visit AARP.org and click "Join Now." Membership is $16 per year, although rates can be as low as $9 per year if you sign up for a multiyear membership term.

Related: This annual membership can save you hundreds on flights and hotels

When you join, you'll also get a second free membership for another adult in your household, as well as a monthly AARP Bulletin and the bimonthly AARP The Magazine.

You can book cruise travel via the AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia

The booking engine that offers member discounts for cruises, as well as hotels and rental cars, is the AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia . This is where you can search for ocean or river cruises, just as you would on Expedia, with an added bonus: AARP members can receive up to $100 onboard credit on more than 15 cruise lines and up to $200 onboard credit on select Holland America Line cruises.

You can search for a cruise by using a drop-down menu of almost two dozen destinations (you have to pick one to search) and then plugging in your desired travel dates.

The ocean cruise options are fairly extensive but not deeply discounted

Since Expedia powers the AARP Travel Center, it offers access to an extensive range of cruises to global destinations, from a three-night Caribbean sailing from Miami on Norwegian Sky to an 80-night world cruise on Cunard 's Queen Victoria. In all, I found thousands of sailings offered by most major cruise lines through mid-2025.

When I searched for Caribbean cruises during the period from Jan. 1 to April 30, 2024, the booking engine returned more than 800 options offered by 13 cruise lines. When I narrowed my search to just premium and luxury cruise lines, I saw a seven-night Caribbean itinerary from Miami on Oceania 's new cruise ship Vista in mid-February priced at $2,599 per person for a balcony cabin with bonus shore excursion, beverage, specialty dining and Wi-Fi inclusions. This Western Caribbean itinerary calls on Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Harvest Caye, Belize, with two sea days.

That seemed like a terrific deal, but when I checked Oceania's website, I found the same price with all the included bonuses. The only difference was the "up to $100" onboard credit available with AARP membership. In this case, the credit was the full $100 because the cruise fare was more than $2,000. Cruises priced below $2,000 per person get a $50 credit.

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on an Oceania Cruises ship

Other deals in the luxury category included a seven-night Caribbean cruise in late February 2024 in a verandah suite aboard Seabourn Ovation for $3,249 per person. The cruise departs from St. Maarten and calls on the British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Guadeloupe and Martinique before ending in Barbados. On Seabourn 's website, verandah suites for this itinerary started at $3,419 per person. So, the AARP price did offer a savings of $150 per person — plus the $100 onboard credit.

Budget-minded cruisers can also find plenty of three-night sailings for $300 per person or less (for an inside or ocean-view cabin on Norwegian Sky with free drinks, dining and excursion credits) and even some seven-night sailings for under $500 per person (for an inside cabin on Royal Caribbean , MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises ships). All were similar to what's available on the cruise lines' websites, but with AARP qualified for an onboard credit of $50.

Cruisers who prefer Holland America also have plenty of choices. They can, for example, book a seven-night Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale in early March 2024 aboard Nieuw Statendam that visits Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Cozumel; and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. The price? An inside cabin was priced at $614 per person (comparable to what HAL offers on its website) and came with a $50 onboard credit.

What I discovered is that the $200 onboard credit deal with AARP links directly to Holland America's website for booking and is valid only for balcony and suite bookings on select cruises lasting 10 days or more.

AARP members can also book expedition cruises , such as 12-night Antarctic Explorer itineraries on Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, via the AARP Travel Center. These are priced at $11,995 per person (the same price as on Viking's website) with just a $25 deposit. Again, the only savings is the $100 onboard credit.

Basically, the AARP Travel Center seems to be an expedient way to compare ocean cruise deals as they are offered by individual cruise lines via the booking engine Expedia — with the chance of scoring a slightly discounted cruise fare and the added bonus of a $50, $100 or $200 onboard credit, depending on the cruise booked.

AARP Travel Center has offers from 4 major river cruise lines

The AARP Travel Center also allows you to search and compare river cruises by searching the destination "Europe" and a specific date range.

A search for European river cruises in 2024 and 2025 turned up hundreds of options on river ships operated by AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Uniworld River Cruises and Viking. Itineraries ranged from a seven-night Rhine River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland, in late March 2024 aboard Avalon Panorama for $1,949 per person to several sailings of 20 nights or more priced at $15,000 per person and above for suite accommodations.

There were also more than a dozen Viking itineraries on the Rhine in March and early April 2024 for $1,999 per person, which is the same price featured on Viking's website. Uniworld prices start at $2,999 per person, also comparable to its website, while AmaWaterways ' value fares ($1,919 to $2,159 per person for Rhine cruises) all matched the cruise line's pricing — and were in February 2024. Brrr!

A search for river cruises in Asia in 2024 and 2025 turned up more than 300 sailings on AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways and Uniworld, most 12 to 14 nights in length with prices ranging from $6,999 to $8,399 per person.

Once again, the AARP Travel Center seems to be an efficient aggregator, pulling deals from Expedia's booking engine. River cruise fares also are eligible for a $50 or $100 onboard credit.

River cruise fans can find additional members-only deals beyond onboard credit

AARP members also have access to specific deals on river cruises offered by AARP-preferred travel providers.

Offers include saving up to $100 per person on river cruises booked via Grand European Travel. These are aboard luxury river cruise ships in Europe operated by Uniworld, and the $100 discount per person is off prices comparable to those listed when booking directly with Uniworld.

For example, the eight-day Enchanting Danube itinerary in March and April 2024 aboard S.S. Maria Theresa starts at $3,299 per person, the same as on Uniworld's website. The total savings? A $100 per person discount if booked with Grand European Travel.

Another savings opportunity is $50 off per person on Collette cruisetours . Cruise options here are more limited and are mostly on Amadeus River Cruises ships on the Rhine and Danube, plus some small-ship coastal cruising in Croatia and tours in Egypt featuring a four-night cruise.

Members-only benefits also include 5% off select rail-and-cruise vacations with Vacations by Rail . The discount is offered on a variety of itineraries in Europe that combine rail travel with cruises aboard river ships operated by CroisiEurope and Amadeus. The catch: All tours begin in London (Vacations by Rail's parent company is British), which can be a detour for American travelers because it's simpler to arrive by air in Amsterdam, Basel, Budapest or Bordeaux, France, where these cruises begin.

Some guided tours are 12 days, with four days of rail travel and hotel stays in advance of a seven-night cruise. Reviews, however, mention the hassle of getting luggage on and off trains by yourself (there are no porters).

Related: Best cruises for seniors who love to travel by sea

The cost of the four-day rail/hotel portion of Vacation by Rail's 12-day Glacier Express & the Majestic Rhine cruise-and-rail tour also seems to account for about half of the overall cost for one-third of the days. The price is $5,095 per person for a June 2024 package, but the seven-night Classical Rhine itinerary on board MS Amadeus Star from Basel to Amsterdam that is included can be booked on the Amadeus website for about $2,600 per person on dates in May and July or $1,913 per person in April.

Both the agility required for train travel and the cost of the four-day rail tour are something to consider when weighing the value of a 5% discount.

Discounted cruise line gift cards are available to AARP Rewards members

Members who sign up for AARP Rewards — which lets you earn points by taking knowledge-boosting quizzes or using fitness-tracking or money-crunching tools — can also purchase gift cards for five cruise lines at a 10% discount. Applicable lines include Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America, Princess and Royal Caribbean.

AARP Rewards members have two options: $100 gift cards priced at $90 ($92 for Princess) and $500 gift cards priced at $450 ($460 for Princess). You can use these gift cards to pay for a portion of your cruise fare or, on some lines, onboard expenses.

Card availability and amounts may change at any time. You can purchase a maximum of 25 gift cards each month.

You can find deals for pre- or post-cruise hotel stays and get a discount on British Airways

You might save the most money by booking a pre- or post-cruise hotel stay with one of AARP Travel Center's dozens of hotel partners, most of which offer a 10% discount off the best available nightly rate. The list includes Hilton, InterContinental, Radisson, Holiday Inn, Best Western, Embassy Suites, Wyndham, Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Kimpton and Hotel Indigo.

AARP also has partnered with British Airways. Members save $65 off World Traveller (economy) and World Traveller Plus (premium economy) or $200 off Club World (business class) fares when they purchase round-trip transatlantic tickets online to more than 130 destinations, including Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Restrictions do apply.

You can save money with AARP, but you should also do your homework

The AARP Travel Center seems to be a terrific place to compare fares when deciding which cruise line and month best suits your budget. Whether you eventually book via AARP, the cruise line's website or elsewhere depends on your preference. (Remember, travel agents and advisers often have deals with extras that websites don't.)

With similar pricing, it probably depends on whether the onboard credit is a better bonus than perks offered elsewhere.

Signing up for email offers from your preferred cruise line and checking its "deals" or "offers" tab on a regular basis might be your best bet for scoring a top deal. However, there's no doubt that AARP's $9 to $16 annual membership fee quickly pays for itself with even a one-time onboard credit — and there is a potential for additional savings. No matter your age, it can't hurt to sign up.

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10 Ways to Save Money on Travel with AARP

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If you enjoy traveling, you’re likely interested in finding ways to save money — after all, travel isn’t always cheap. One option is using travel credit cards to earn rewards in the form of points or miles when making everyday purchases. Then, you can cash in your rewards for free or discounted flights and hotel stays.

Another way to reduce travel costs is by joining a membership-based program to access money-saving travel discounts. One such organization is AARP, which offers savings on shopping, entertainment, health, travel and more to its members — and you don’t have to be retired to take advantage of the benefits.

Here's how you can keep more money in your pocket by taking advantage of AARP travel discounts.

What is AARP and how much does it cost to join?

AARP is a nonprofit organization that advocates for Americans ages 50 and older. While the organization is popular among retirees, adults of all ages can join — and many do so to get discounts on everyday expenses.

You’ll need to pay a membership fee to take advantage of AARP’s money-saving perks. Here’s a breakdown of what it costs to join AARP:

One-year membership: $16.

One-year membership with auto-renew: $12.

Three-year membership: $43. 

Five-year membership: $63.

You can save on AARP membership fees using the shopping cash-back portal Rakuten. Current offers include $6 back on a one-year membership, $10 back on a three-year membership and $20 back on a five-year membership. You must activate this offer before joining to qualify for cash-back earnings.

» Learn more: How cash-back sites give you money for shopping

10 ways to save money on travel with AARP

If you’re not careful when planning for and booking your next vacation, the cost of your trip could add up quickly. But if you’re strategic and take advantage of discounts like AARP travel deals, you can plan an unforgettable adventure without spending more than you can afford.

AARP provides its members with many opportunities to save money on travel. Here’s a sampling of some of the travel discounts and perks available:

Avis: Get up to 30% off base rates or up to 35% off when selecting Pay Now. When booking, members also receive a 3% credit to apply to future rentals within 12 months. You’ll also get an upgrade on compact through full-size car class bookings, when available, and you can add an additional driver at no cost. These benefits are available when booking online or by phone through Avis.

British Airways: Save $65 when booking an economy or premium economy class ticket or $200 when booking a business class ticket on select round-trip transatlantic fares through the British Airways website.

Collette Cruise Tours: Save $50 per person on all cruise tours.

Hilton Hotels & Resorts: Get up to 10% off and a 2 p.m. checkout when available. Hilton Honors members also get instant Hilton Honors Silver status and can keep their status for the next year when they complete two stays within six months.

Holland America Line: Get up to $200 in onboard credit per stateroom. The credit amount varies based on the length of the cruise and the stateroom.

Kimpton Hotels & Resorts: Get discounts of 10% or more off the best available rate.

Payless Car Rental: Save 5% on leisure daily, weekly, weekend and monthly base rates. Members are also eligible for a free upgrade on compact through full-size car class bookings.

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts: Get up to 10% off and a 2 p.m. checkout when available.

Wyndham: Get up to 10% off the best available rate when booking by phone or online. Join the Wyndham Rewards program to take advantage of extra perks.

Zipcar: Get $20 off an annual Zipcar membership. New Zipcar users will also receive $40 in driving credit.

Keep in mind this is just a sampling of available deals. AARP members can review current travel deals and discounts by logging in to their accounts.

» Learn more: Your guide to hotel bonus point promotions

Book your travel reservations through the AARP Travel Center

Discounts above aren't the only way to save on travel costs. AARP members can also get a deal when booking travel reservations through the AARP Travel Center, a booking platform powered by Expedia . How much money you can save by using the travel center varies depending on what you’re booking.

Here's a look at of some of the AARP Travel Center savings available to members:

Car rentals: Save up to 30% on base rates at Avis and Budget and 5% on rentals from Payless Car Rental. You can also get free upgrades, an additional driver at no cost and insurance benefits when booking car rentals through the AARP Travel Center.

Cruises: Get up to $100 in onboard credit on select voyages to certain destinations when booked through AARP Travel Expedia.

Flights and vacation packages: When booking a flight package through the AARP Travel Center, you'll get a $50 gift card of your choice.

Hotels: When booking select Choice, Wyndham and Best Western properties through the portal, you'll get a 10% discount.

Are you looking for other ways to save money when booking travel reservations as an AARP member? The AARP Travel Center has exclusive deals and seasonal savings, so regularly reviewing discount opportunities is worthwhile to ensure you don't miss out.

» Learn more: Best hotel credit cards

Is an AARP membership worth it for travelers?

Only you can decide if an AARP membership is worthwhile. But considering the affordable annual fee to become a member and the variety of ways to save on travel expenses, a membership could be worth it.

When deciding if this membership will meet your needs, consider how often you travel and whether you'd use the perks offered. Combining AARP deals with travel loyalty and rewards programs, along with a travel credit card , makes for an excellent money-saving strategy.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

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Cheap Flights To Elektrostal 2024

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Elektrostal Flight Travel Guide

No matter how much you fight the travel bug, sometimes there's only one solution—to hop on the next plane to Elektrostal. AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia® is here to help you cure that bug with great deals on flights and activities. With the best rates from Expedia combined with members-only discounts, AARP Travel offers members the best price in travel, guaranteed.

As an AARP member, you'll get exclusive rates on:

• Car rentals
• Waived booking fees on flights

Once you've got your trip scheduled, we'll show you a full list of deals for your route. Don't forget to look at flights to alternative airports nearby, which can help you find a lower fare.

Transportation at the Airport

Once you have got your flight scheduled to Elektrostal with AARP Travel, you might want to book a car so you can get around on your own. You can book a Elektrostal rental car under our cars tab and get into the driver's seat as soon as you step outside. For more information, check out the Elektrostal Car Rentals Guide.

Things to Do in Elektrostal

If you aren't sure where to start, we can help you with that too. Not to worry—there's plenty to do in this city. Elektrostal has so much to do, and we can help you get started.

If you're looking for some fun activities to do in Elektrostal, make sure you look at our "Things to Do in Elektrostal" page for excursions and activities for the whole family.

Book Your Hotel in Elektrostal

Elektrostal has accommodation options in the area, make sure you check out our hotel listings tab for some great recommendations from past visitors. No matter where you stay, just remember that you'll get the best for your trip when you book with AARP.

Booking Your Visit to Elektrostal

We know that you want to focus less on the logistics and more on the fun stuff, so we provide travel arrangements that fall within your budget. Don't wait a minute longer—book your airfare today and land in Elektrostal tomorrow.

Airports near Elektrostal

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Shiels: AARP's Paula Cunningham goes Hollywood with star Martha Reeves

AARP’s State Director Paula Cunningham traveled from Lansing to Los Angeles and was figuratively “Dancing in the Street” for music maven Martha Reeves, who made that song a smash. The street was Hollywood Boulevard and the occasion was a ceremony unveiling the hit singer’s star on the Walk of Fame.

Cunningham was among the VIPs who gathered in California’s golden sunshine to salute the “Martha and the Vandellas” songstress. Her hit singles also included “Heat Wave,” “Nowhere to Run,” and “Jimmy Mack.” For that special day in Hollywood, in the shadow of the iconic Capitol Records building, Motown’s music stars eclipsed them all.

“All the folks I grew up listening to and dancing to their songs were there,” Cunningham told me.

Stevie Wonder, Berry Gordy, and Smokey Robinson were among the gathered honoring Reeves, who was described as sassy-but-classy.

“It’s a good description,” Cunningham insisted. “She is 82 and she is still going strong. She will speak her mind in a heartbeat. She actually told Berry Gordy he got his story about her wrong. It didn’t happen that way. She was not his secretary.”

The outspoken Reeves even served on the Detroit City Council.

Walk of Fame “star ceremonies,” listed at  WalkOfFame.com , take place at lunchtime, and are free to attend. The website offers helpful tips. 

“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce did a fabulous job. They block off the street for the ceremony and people lined up on the sidewalk just to get a glimpse of Martha Reeves. They didn’t even know the other music stars were there at the time.”

Cunningham did, though, but insisted she is not a groupie who brings out the camera out every time she sees someone famous. Nevertheless, she ended up talking selfies with the stars.

“All of a sudden it hit me that I was sitting with historical people who changed the world in a lot of ways. There was so much civic unrest and social unrest at the time their music brought people together. I thought, ‘That’s Steve Wonder three seats down from me! Don’t just sit here, Paula Cunningham! Do something!’ So, I did: I jumped up like a 16-year-old at a Taylor Swift concert and ran over.”

Reeves kept trying to pin on the elaborate hat (a gift she wore out of appreciation) which kept blowing off her head during the ceremony.

Cunningham said she wore red – the color of AARP. “A red dress really does stand out because people kept asking me who I was. Smokey Robinson, when he walked in, waved to me like he thought he knew me!”

Hollywood Boulevard is home to the TCL Chinese Theater and the Dolby Theater, the venue for the Academy Awards, which is attached to Loews Hollywood Hotel and Ovation Hollywood, a shopping complex offering a panoramic view of the Hollywood Sign. Jimmy Kimmel’s nightly ABC show tapes across the street next to the colorful, flashing marquee of Disney’s El Capitan Theater. All of it, and much more, is connected by the sidewalk of stars. It is a scene of costumed, posing performers; wax museums; and bacon-wrapped hotdogs.   

“You would think that the Hollywood Walk of Fame is some kind of pristine place where you walk in, like a museum,” said Cunningham. “But people step all over the 2,000 stars on that street. It’s a tourist area and a good place to go and see the names and have some fun bringing back memories.”

Cunningham stayed at the Hollywood Roosevelt, which she described as delightful.

“It is an old-school, historic hotel where the first Oscar ceremony was held. You can walk down the halls and imagine you are back in history with Marylin Monroe.”

Cunningham also attended a reception at the Grammy Museum downtown at L.A. Live during which Reeves spoke.

“She talked about how she got started as a little girl in Alabama, went to Detroit, and bulldozed her way into Motown Records. She started answering their phones just to show she was willing to do whatever she had to do to have her talent heard and seen until they realized they had a star on their hands.”

That “star” is now represented on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  

Contact Michael Patrick Shiels at  [email protected]   His new book: Travel Tattler – Not So Torrid Tales, may be purchased via  Amazon.com

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Identity Fraud Cost Americans $23 Billion in 2023

Victims are losing more money to these crimes, a new aarp-backed report finds.

Christina Ianzito,

About 15 million American adults lost a total of $23 billion to identity fraud in 2023, according to a new report cosponsored by AARP. While the number of people affected was about the same as in 2022 (when the number was 15.4 million), total losses grew by 13 percent last year, according to the report, “Resolving the Shattered Identity Crisis,” produced by Javelin Strategy & Research.

The increased per capita losses suggest that criminals are “aiming for larger payouts once unauthorized access to a consumer’s new or existing account has been achieved,” the report surmises. And those losses — determined through an online survey of 5,000 Americans 18 and older — are likely just a fraction of the true cost of identity fraud, because these crimes are notoriously underreported.

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“We know that there is always going to be a certain number of victims who don’t report it, and it has a lot to do with the stigma against fraud and scams,” says Suzanne Sando, Javelin’s senior analyst in fraud and security and the author of the report. “We need to have better support from the right entities so victims feel comfortable and safe coming forward.... There should be no shame or embarrassment with this.”

Identity fraud occurs when someone obtains someone else’s personal information, such as a Social Security number, home address, date of birth or bank account data, and uses it for fraud or other illicit purposes. A criminal may use your information to access your bank account, for instance, use your credit card for purchases or pretend to be you in order to open up a new credit card or bank account.

The problems of account takeovers and new-account fraud, where criminals use a victim’s personal information to open fraudulent new accounts, are growing, Javelin reports. Account takeover fraud resulted in nearly $13 billion in losses in 2023 (up from $11 billion in 2022). New-account fraud reached $5.3 billion (compared with $3.9 billion in 2022). The Javelin report notes that consumers’ online presence on social media and other platforms “is putting them at increased risk of having multiple accounts taken over by a criminal.”

How identity fraud occurs

There are different ways that criminals can access your personal information. They include identity fraud scams, where criminals influence a consumer to expose sensitive data, often by misrepresenting themselves. They may do so through phishing attempts, where scammers send emails “fishing” for personally identifying information and/or including links containing malware that can infect your device and steal data. These commonly are in the form of impersonation scams, where you’ll receive calls, emails or texts spoofing a government agency, law enforcement, a delivery service or your bank , for example; the impostor will attempt to elicit your Social Security number, account number or other sensitive information they can use to perpetrate fraud.

The report warns that social media has become fertile ground for scammers as well.

And while older people are less likely to become scam victims, they lose more money to scams than their younger counterparts: an average of $803 for victims in their 70s compared to $460 for those in their 30s, based on reports to the Federal Trade Commission .

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• Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at  877-908-3360  or report it with the  AARP Scam Tracking Map .  
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There’s also more straightforward identity theft — unauthorized access to personal information — which can occur without a scam or identity fraud. It’s commonly carried out through large-scale data breaches of online platforms, where cybercriminals hack into company’s systems and steal sensitive consumer data. Sometimes they will encrypt the captured data and request a ransom for its unencryption and release.

The Identity Theft Resource Center found that the number of data compromises soared last year to 3,205, compared to 1,801 in 2022. They are most frequently due to cyberattacks like the one experienced by Change Healthcare earlier this year (where a ransomware attack threatened to compromise sensitive healthcare data of UnitedHealth Group patients), as well as AT&T ’s recent announcement that 73 million current and former customers’ personal information (including Social Security numbers) had been discovered on the dark web. 

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Identity theft can lead to identity fraud when criminals take that stolen information and put it to malicious use.  

Victims’ perspective

Experiencing identity fraud can be devastating , says James G. Lee, chief operating officer of the Identity Theft Resource Center. He notes that the organization has seen a dramatic increase in the percentage of fraud victims they speak with — some of whom have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars — who say they’ve contemplated suicide because of the crime. Twenty-five years ago, two or three percent said they’d considered it, according to Lee, but in 2023, 16 percent of identity fraud victims said they’d thought about ending their lives.

Victims have to go through what’s often an arduous process to secure their accounts. The Javelin survey found that resolving a case of identity fraud is now more difficult — or at least more time-consuming — than ever. Researchers found that consumers spent an average of 10 hours resolving identity fraud, up from just six hours in 2022.

“That’s a massive increase,” says Sando. “ I think it goes back to the fact that we have so many accounts. That certainly plays into this increase in resolution time.”​  

In addition to the losses victims experience directly from the identity theft, the report found it costs them an average of $202 out of pocket during the fraud resolution process. That includes “legal fees, postage or covering fraudulent debts not reimbursed by a financial institution or a merchant, etc.”

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How to protect yourself from identity fraud

You can’t prevent a data breach at a big company that holds your information, notes Lee, “but what we can do is make that [stolen] information less useful.” 

Be more aware of what information you’re sharing and where you’re sharing it. Ask: How do you protect my personal information? Why do you need this information? “It’s an automatic reflex,” says Lee, referring to our instincts to provide our phone number or address when filling out forms, for instance. “Don’t be afraid to say no,” he adds.

Freeze your credit. This restricts access to your credit history and makes it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. ( This story explains when and how to freeze your credit.)

Use different passwords for every account. “[Criminals] know that most people use the same password on all their accounts,” Lee notes. A password manager can help you keep track of them all.

  Use multifactor identification: “Make sure you’re not solely relying on passwords” for financial accounts, says Sando. Many financial institutions will allow you to also use facial recognition or a one-time passcode sent to your phone, as an extra layer of security.

Find support

​AARP Fraud Watch Network has a toll-free helpline (877-908-3360), where trained volunteers provide fraud victims and family members support and guidance on what to do next.

The VOA ReST (Resilience, Strength and Time) program, a collaboration between AARP and Volunteers of America, offers free online facilitated emotional support sessions for fraud victims. You can attend as many sessions as you’d like; just register in advance online.​

​Christina Ianzito covers scams and fraud, and is the books editor for aarp.org and AARP The Magazine . Also a longtime travel writer and editor, she received a 2020 Lowell Thomas Award for travel writing from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.​

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