5 Star Travel Insurance
Our Platinum level of cover has Defaqto's 5 Star rating.
What is cruise cover used for?
This is an add-on for travel insurance designed to cover you when you’re on a cruise.
Cruises bring a new set of possible mishaps or emergencies. That’s why cruise cover is there to make sure you can still claim if you need to.
Do I need cruise cover?
Our standard travel insurance doesn’t cover cruises, so it’s super important to get this add-on if you’re headed off on a cruise.
Without cruise cover, you can’t claim for anything that happens on the cruise or on land during port stops.
Your standard travel insurance will still cover things like emergency medical care or cancelled trips, as long as you also have cruise cover for your maritime adventure.
To get more tips on all things holiday and travel insurance, head to our travel hub.
What does the cruise add-on cover?
With our cruise add-on, you’re covered for a load of extra things.
Don’t forget, limits and exclusions always apply.
Delays or departure failures
If things go wrong, you might miss the initial departure of your cruise and have to pay for accommodation or travel expenses to get to the next dock.
If this happens, we’ll cover you up to the limit shown on your policy if you missed the departure because of:
- delays or failures to scheduled public transport (except taxis)
- the vehicle you're travelling in breaks down or runs into an accident
- if another vehicle breaks down or has an accident on the motorway or dual carriageway you're travelling on and causes delays
- strike, industrial action or bad weather
Missed ports
We can cover you if your cruise misses a port because of:
- bad weather
- mechanical breakdown
- a restricted timetable
We’ll cover you if your cruise doesn’t offer a replacement port for the one it missed.
Check your policy book to see what isn’t covered for missed ports.
Cabin confinement
If the ship's medical officer tells you to stay in your cabin for medical reasons, we'll pay for each 24-hour period up to your policy limit.
This includes being told to stay in your cabin because of a pre-existing medical condition.
Unused excursions
If you've paid for an activity, we'll cover you if you miss it because you made a claim due to:
- becoming ill or injured
- missing your cruise's departure
- your cruise missing a port stop
- your cruise being interrupted
Check your policy book for more information on what is and isn’t covered.
Cruise interruption
If you get ill on your cruise and need medical treatment on land, we can help.
If there’s 25% or more of your trip left, we’ll cover the cost of getting you back onboard, up to your policy limit.
Check your policy book for more information on what is and isn’t covered.
What if I cancel my cruise?
We’ll cover you for up to £5,000 if you cancel your cruise for reasons like:
- death, illness, injury or pregnancy complications
- you or who you’re travelling with is called to be a juror or witness in court
- you or who you’re travelling with is called for armed forces or emergency services duty
- your home gets damaged by a storm, flood, fire or burglary while you’re away
- your passport or visa is stolen from your home within a week of your trip starting
Some of these will apply to you and your travel partners or close relatives.
However, home damage or passport theft will only apply to anyone on the policy. For a full list of reasons we cover, head to your policy book.
What isn’t covered?
There are some things that our cruise add-on doesn’t cover. This isn't the entire list, so you should check your policy book for all exclusions.
- Trip cancellation because you’ve changed your mind
- Pre-existing conditions you haven't declared
- Delayed port departures if you’ve been able to use the cruise facilities through the day
- Delays or cancellations because of industrial action that you knew about before booking your trip or taking out your policy
- Missing your cruise departure because you didn’t leave in time to get there
- Delays or cancellations of booked vehicles, like taxis
- Operational issues like staff shortages or check-in delays
- Larger technical issues (e.g. computer issues at the cruise terminal)
- Circumstances that haven't been mentioned in your policy book
Is cruise cover standard on my policy?
No, our policy levels don’t come with cruise cover as standard. This is something you need to add yourself.
You can do this while taking out your policy. If you’ve forgotten to add cruise cover to a single trip policy, get in touch with us straight away before your trip to add it on.
If you’ve got annual travel insurance, get in touch with us to add cruise cover for a specific trip if you’re going to be sailing the seas.
Going on a cruise with a pre-existing medical condition
Whether you’re staying on land or cruising the seas, we need to know about any pre-existing medical conditions you have.
A pre-existing condition is any illness, injury or medical condition that you've had in the last five years before buying travel insurance.
This includes any conditions that might have been treated with one-off or repeat prescriptions or you no longer have them.
A pre-existing condition includes things like urinary tract infections, depression, diabetes, cancer and heart conditions.
We define a pre-existing medical condition as an illness or injury that:
- has been identified by a medical professional
- is under investigation by a medical professional
- existed before your policy starts or when you book a trip - whichever is later
You need to declare your pre-existing conditions when you’re getting a quote to see if we cover them.
It’s important to tell us about any pre‑existing conditions and give accurate information. If you don’t, we might have to cancel your policy or reject a claim, even if it's not related to the condition.
Not sure what you need to declare? Head to our medical conditions page to find out more.
Your questions answered
Need more info? Check our FAQs to see if we’ve covered it.
Do I need travel insurance for a Caribbean cruise?
Unlike car insurance, you don’t legally have to have travel insurance.
But to be covered for medical costs or lost or stolen belongings during a cruise, you’ll need travel insurance with our cruise cover added.
Do I need the cruise add-on if I have an EHIC or GHIC?
The EHIC and GHIC (the European and Global Health Insurance Cards) cover some of your medical costs in certain countries. But they don’t cover things like delays, stolen belongings and legal expenses.
The GHIC or EHIC doesn’t include cruise‑specific protection. It won’t cover things like cabin confinement or missing an excursion, so you’ll still need travel insurance.
What if I forgot to add cruise cover to my policy?
You need to add our cruise cover to your travel policy before your trip starts, or you won't be covered.
If your trip hasn't started yet, you can get in touch with us to add cruise cover to your travel insurance. Make sure you've got your policy number ready.
Do I need single or annual travel insurance for a cruise?
This depends on how often you plan to going on a cruise in a year. Single trip cover is great for those one-off trips, but annual cover is best if you travel quite a lot.
Head to our annual travel insurance page to learn more.
Whether you’ve got single or annual travel insurance, you still need our cruise add-on if you're going on a cruise.
Can I buy cruise cover on its own?
No, our cruise cover is an add-on for travel insurance – you can’t buy it on its own.
Getting the most out of your trip
Going anywhere nice?
Off to one of the destinations below? Take a look at our guides for some hints and tips on what you need to remember.