Standard travel insurance does not automatically include cruise cover, meaning you need to opt in to ensure you're fully protected during your cruise holiday. By adding cruise cover to your policy, you gain protection against unique risks associated with cruising, such as itinerary changes, onboard medical issues, and trip disruptions.

With cruise cover included, your policy will provide benefits specifically designed for cruise travellers, such as Missed Departure, Cabin Confinement, and Cruise Interruption.

LEARN MORE: Cruise Travel Insurance

The Missed Departure benefit found in cruise travel insurance, provides you with a payment for each port on your cruise itinerary, that you are unable to disembark at, due to adverse weather or timetable changes.

The Cabin Confinement benefit compensates you if a medical professional on board advises you to remain in your cabin due to illness or injury. This protection helps reimburse you for the time lost and any prepaid activities or excursions you are unable to enjoy during your confinement.

The Cruise Interruption benefit covers additional expenses incurred if you need to temporarily leave your cruise due to an emergency, such as a medical issue or family emergency. This can include travel costs to rejoin your cruise at the next port or reimbursement for prepaid excursions missed due to the interruption

If you are taking out cruise cover on your policy you will need to tell us where you're going.

When selecting destinations, please ensure you select every country your cruise will dock.

The insurance providers on our site have different approaches to this. For some a river cruise is covered automatically and for others you would need to select the cruise option.

After you’ve completed your quote, it is best if you check the policy wording to be sure.

A ferry journey is not normally classed as a cruise so you shouldn't need cruise cover.

Most policy wordings will define what a cruise is. A typical example is a ‘pleasure voyage of more than 72 hours, sailing on sea/s or oceans and includes stops at various ports’.

If the definition you see in your policy wording requires cruise cover for a ferry trip, please go back and amend your quote to include this before selecting a policy.