Do you need special travel insurance for a cruise?
Even the smoothest sailing can spring a surprise. A tumble on deck could mean medical care in the ship’s infirmary, while an unexpected storm might force the captain to skip a port you’ve been dreaming of. Ships also operate outside standard NHS agreements, so repatriation from mid-Atlantic back to Southampton can run into tens of thousands of pounds.
With Avanti’s cruise travel insurance, you’re covered for up to unlimited emergency medical costs, up to £10,000 for cancellations, and up to £5,000 for lost baggage on Deluxe policies. Our Classic and Deluxe cruise-specific benefits include missed port (up to £1,500), cabin confinement (up to £500), cruise interruptions (up to £1000) and itinerary changes (up to £100 per port) for all UK travellers of any age for both river and ocean cruises.
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Top tip: is cruise travel insurance legally required?
Specialist cruise cover isn’t legally required, though some cruise companies require a certain level of medical expense cover, and will ask you to prove this before boarding. A cruise travel insurance validation certificate is just the ticket in this scenario.
Beyond this, cruise cover can come in very handy. If rough seas or medical isolation stop you from stepping ashore, it could pay a set amount for each missed stop or every full day you’re confined to your cabin and cover prepaid excursions you were unable to enjoy.
Check your itinerary before you buy and make sure every planned port is listed on your policy. If you’re sailing in hurricane or typhoon season, itinerary change cover is especially helpful, as routes can alter at short notice.
What does cruise travel insurance cover?
Here’s a quick look at when your policy will and won’t apply. If you’re not sure how any of these points might affect you, our friendly team can talk them through over the phone and help you understand what your cover includes.
We can usually help if you…
- have to cancel your trip or come home early
If illness, injury or bereavement means you can’t travel or need to cut your holiday short, we’ll help with the costs you can’t get back.
- need emergency medical treatment abroad
If you fall ill or get injured overseas, we’ll cover hospital treatment, ambulance transport and – if needed – medical repatriation, with help from our 24-hour assistance team.
- lose your bags or passport
If your baggage, valuables or travel documents are lost or stolen, we’ll help you replace essentials so you can carry on with your trip.
- are disrupted by bad weather or strikes
If your flight or connection is delayed because of unexpected bad weather, strike action or a vehicle breakdown, we’ll help cover reasonable travel or accommodation costs to get you where you need to be. (This doesn’t apply if the strike or disruption was already public knowledge when you booked your trip).
- are delayed on your journey (Classic and Deluxe)
If your flight or ferry is delayed for 12 hours or more, you’ll get a fixed payment to help with the inconvenience.
- can’t stay in your accommodation (Classic and Deluxe)
If a fire, flood or major power cut means you can’t stay in your hotel or apartment, we’ll help arrange and pay for somewhere else.
- are admitted to hospital while abroad (Classic and Deluxe)
If you’re kept in hospital overnight, we’ll pay a daily benefit to help with small personal costs while you recover. (If you’re injured in a mugging, an extra payment may also apply).
- are delayed by volcanic ash (Deluxe only)
If a volcanic ash cloud grounds your flight for more than 12 hours, you’ll receive a fixed payment to help with the delay.
- accidentally cause injury or damage
If you unintentionally injure someone or damage their belongings, your policy includes personal liability protection.
- are injured in an accident abroad
If you need legal help after being injured overseas, we’ll cover your legal costs, so you’re not left to manage it alone.
Our cruise travel insurance can also step in if you…
- miss a port departure – a cruise is the only holiday where your bedroom is always moving, so it’s good to know we can cover this for up to £1,500 on Classic and Deluxe.
- are confined to your cabin – if you’re asked to stay in your cabin due to illness, we can pay up to £50 for every full 24 hours you are confined, up to a total of £500 on both Classic and Deluxe.
- have unused excursions due to cabin confinement – if you’ve booked and paid for an excursion but can’t attend because you’re confined to your cabin, you won’t lose out.
- miss planned stops because of itinerary changes – if your cruise schedule changes and you miss planned stops, we can pay up to £100 per missed port on both Classic and Deluxe.
- have a cruise interruption – if your trip is unexpectedly disrupted and you need to leave early, we can cover up to £1,000 in costs on both Classic and Deluxe.
- lose your evening wear – if your formalwear doesn’t make it on board, we’ll cover the cost of replacements up to £100.
Cover won’t apply if you…
- haven’t told us about a medical condition
If you don’t declare a pre-existing condition, or if your health changes before you travel and you don’t update your policy, we won’t be able to cover related claims.
- travel against UK Government or medical advice
There’s no cover if you travel somewhere the UK Foreign Office has advised against, or if your doctor says you shouldn’t travel for medical reasons.
- have an accident because of alcohol or drugs
We can’t cover claims if alcohol or drugs directly or indirectly contribute to an accident, injury or loss.
- miss a flight because of personal delays
If you don’t leave enough time to reach the airport or check-in, we can’t pay for missed flights or connections.
- leave belongings unattended
There’s no cover if something is lost or stolen after being left unattended – for example, on a sunbed, in an unlocked car or in a public place.
- are travelling for arranged medical treatment abroad
Travel insurance is designed for unexpected illness or injury, not for medical procedures, tests or check-ups arranged before you go.
- booked during a known strike or disruption
If strike action or travel problems were already public knowledge when you booked, your policy won’t apply to those delays or cancellations.
- take part in an activity that isn’t covered
Some higher-risk activities – such as certain winter sports – aren’t automatically included unless you’ve added the right optional cover.
- are waiting for a medical procedure
If you’re awaiting an operation or follow-up test, cancellation and curtailment claims won’t be covered unless it’s an accepted procedure shown on your validation certificate.
Travelling with a medical condition?
97% of customers who declare a condition are offered cover with us. In fact, since 2014, we’ve helped more than 1.3 million travellers arrange cover for over 1,300 medical conditions (subject to screening) – from high blood pressure and diabetes to cancer and heart disease.
In the rare event we can’t offer you travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions, we’ll always try to point you in the right direction. We’re proud to be listed in the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) directory – a trusted source for specialist insurers who understand complex health needs. You can also contact them directly on 0370 950 1790 or visit biba.org.uk for free, independent guidance.
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Medical conditions we regularly cover
Heart and circulatory conditions
Travelling with a circulatory or heart condition like heart disease, high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation? You’re not alone.
Cancer
Our travel insurance policies can include cover for a wide range of cancers – including some of the most common, such as breast, prostate, bowel, lung and skin cancer.
Breathing and lung conditions
We regularly help travellers with a wide range of breathing conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, COPD and lung fibrosis.
Digestive conditions
Many Avanti travellers live with stomach and bowel conditions such as IBS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and acid reflux.
Neurodegenerative diseases
Our policies can include protection for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease, as well as rarer conditions such as Huntington’s disease, Batten’s disease, spinocerebellar ataxia and spinal muscular atrophy.
Mental health conditions
Travel can do wonders for mental wellbeing. If you’re managing a condition like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we’d love to help you see the world.
Autoimmune conditions
The Avanti team regularly arrange cover for travellers with autoimmune conditions such as arthritis, lupus, Addison’s disease and multiple sclerosis. This can include conditions managed with long-term medication or those that cause occasional flare-ups.
Kidney conditions
We often help kidney patients with conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), kidney stones, renal failure, nephritis and urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Back and chronic pain
Chronic pain can have many causes – including autoimmune, neurological and digestive disorders – and we understand how differently it can affect each person day to day. We often cover those with conditions such as chronic back pain, slipped discs, sciatica, fibromyalgia and other long-term pain conditions.
Allergies
Allergies shouldn’t stop travel in its tracks. Whether it’s a common sensitivity or something more specific like allergic rhinitis or aspergillosis, we’ll do our best to find the right protection for your trip.
Top tip: what happens if your cruise misses a stop?
It’s not uncommon for bad weather, medical emergencies or technical hitches to force a change of route. When that happens, the cruise line may refund port fees but it rarely covers prepaid tours, theme-night outfits or that non-refundable beach cabana.
Avanti’s missed port benefit pays a fixed cash amount for every scheduled stop the ship can’t make, giving you the freedom to book alternative activities or simply enjoy an upgraded dinner on board. See our policy documents for more details on how much you could claim.
What destinations are covered by cruise travel insurance?
Whether you’re sailing the sun-soaked Mediterranean, island-hopping through the Caribbean, or watching glaciers calve in Alaska, we’ll be by your side. Simply choose the geographical area that matches your voyage when you ask for a quote, and we’ll tailor your policy to fit.
Some of the most popular routes we cover include:
Europe
Your GHIC is useful for state care ashore in Europe, but it will not cover lost baggage, cancellation, or an air ambulance back to the UK. That is where your Avanti policy steps in – practical help when you need it most.
Worldwide
Sailing across the seven seas? A worldwide policy can protect your voyage from Barbados to Singapore, and everywhere in between, from itinerary changes, cruise interruptions, and more. Our cabin confinement benefit of up to £500 is there to cover any excursions you miss out on if illness strikes. And if you’re planning a grand voyage to the USA or Alaska, where medical costs often top global charts, Deluxe can help cushion the cost, with unlimited emergency medical cover and nil excess.
How long can I cruise for with travel insurance?
Here’s a look at how long you can sail for on any of our Classic or Deluxe cruise policies.
Maximum trip duration for single-trip cruise policies
Single-trip cruise travel insurance is ideal for one continuous voyage, up to 550 days.
| Age |
Region 1&2 |
Region 3 |
Region 4 |
| 0-65 |
Maximum 550 days per trip |
| 66-70 |
366 days |
276 days |
184 days |
| 71-75 |
366 days |
184 days |
123 days |
| 76+ |
104 days |
Maximum trip durations for annual multi-trip cruise policies
Cruise as often as you like for a whole year with annual cruise insurance. Each sailing can last up to 50 days if you’re under seventy, or 35 days if you’re seventy or over.
| Age |
Annual multi-trip |
| 0-70 |
Maximum 50 days per trip |
183 days in total |
| 70+ |
Maximum 35 days per trip |
183 days in total |
How to buy cruise holiday insurance
Step 1
You can get a quote online or over the phone. We’ll start by asking a few quick questions – like whether it’s single trip or annual cover, your travel dates, destination and if you’re going on a cruise.
It’s easy to cover an individual, couple, family or group of up to nine travellers online (or up to 30 by phone).
Step 2
Next, we’ll go through a few details about your health over the past two years – including any diagnoses, symptoms, tests or treatment.
Step 3
Once you’ve shared your details, we’ll talk you through your quote, whether online or over the phone. You can choose your level of cover, add any extras and confirm your policy there and then.
You’ll get instant access to your policy documents in My Avanti, where you can view, download or update your details any time.
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When to buy cruise travel insurance
Personal finance expert Martin Lewis often reminds travellers that cancellation cover begins the moment your policy is in place, which is why it’s a good idea to buy ASAB, or ‘As Soon As you Book’. Cruises are usually booked many months (or even years) in advance with an average ticket totalling about £1,068 per person.
Securing your cover straight after paying the deposit means every pound you’ve committed is protected from life’s unexpected hiccups, whether that’s an injury that stops you sailing or a flight delay that causes you to miss boarding.
Can you add cruise travel insurance to an existing policy after booking?
It’s a good idea to tell us as soon as possible that you’re going on a cruise – that way, you’re covered before for pre-trip mishaps, like cancellations.
If your plans have changed, you can still upgrade your existing single-trip or annual multi-trip policy to include cruise cover – just make sure it’s done before you set sail. If this changes how much you’ll pay, we’ll let you know before you sign off on your new policy.
Log into your My Avanti Account, go to “Amend my policy,” and update your travel details to include a cruise. Or give us a call, and we’ll talk you through the changes.
How much is cruise travel insurance?
How much you’ll pay for your cruise holiday cover usually depends on how long you’ll be sailing for, your itinerary and destination, age and pre-existing medical conditions. For example, a 3-day cruise in Greece will usually cost less than a once-in-a-lifetime luxury sailing to the Bahamas – especially if there’s more to manage health-wise.
To see what you’ll pay, feel free to get a quote with us online or over the phone.
Avanti pays when it matters most
We know how important it is to feel confident that your claim will be handled quickly and fairly.
Between February 2024 and July 2025, our customers received more than £31 million, with over 18,000 claims settled.
You can expect to hear from our claims team within five working days of submitting your claim, and in most cases, Avanti strives to make a decision within five days of receiving your documents.
That’s one of the reasons Avanti has been awarded Best Insurance Customer Service by the Personal Finance Awards (2025).
Winner 7 years running: Best Travel Insurance
Our Best Travel Insurance award (Personal Finance Awards, 2018-2025) is based on the experiences of real people who travel with us. They’ve trusted us to help when plans change, flights are cancelled or medical emergencies happen abroad.
From updating policies to arranging hospital care or getting someone home safely, we do what good travel insurance should do – put things right.
Do I need to tell you all of the places I’ll visit on my cruise travel insurance?
For a single-trip policy, you’ll need to tell us about all the countries your ship will be porting at, even if you’re not planning on getting off the ship. This way, you can be sure you’ve got the right level of cruise insurance for your itinerary.
If you choose an annual policy, just make sure that the countries you plan to visit, or stopover at, are covered in the region you choose.
Does cruise travel insurance cover river cruises?
Our cruise holiday cover includes river cruises – just make sure to tell us you’re cruising when you get a quote, so we can make sure you have the right policy. Everything we normally cover in our cruise travel insurance will be included, like missed port and itinerary changes, as well as the standard cover that you choose (Classic or Deluxe) for medical emergencies, cancellations, baggage, and more.
Does cruise holiday insurance have an age limit?
Avanti cruise cover is open to travellers of any age, whether you’re planning a family-friendly Mediterranean loop or ticking off a worldwide voyage in your 80s. We’ll screen your medical history and tailor the policy to fit your needs, so you can set sail with confidence.
What matters is that you’re fit to travel according to your doctor and that your cruise sits inside the trip-length limits of your policy. Once that’s squared away, you enjoy the same cancellation, medical and missed-port protection as every other traveller.
Hear it from our happy cruisers…
“We had a medical emergency on a cruise and had to leave the ship in Bermuda – Avanti were wonderful – they provided everything the policy said they would – including a 24-hour help line, which was an amazing support in a very stressful situation. They dealt directly with the hospitals and arranged our repatriation when he was fit to travel. They made an awful event bearable. We will stick with them in future as they have proven themselves to be a very reputable, caring company.”
Mr Roberts, 28 March 2026
“My husband had a fall whilst on a cruise and broke his hip and shoulder. Avanti took care of everything. He was taken to a hospital in France and later repatriated. I can’t praise them enough for all the help I had.”
Steve, 3 December 2025
“Unfortunately we recently had to cancel a cruise due to ill health and we made a claim. We contacted Avanti travel insurance with details of our claim. They dealt with the claim quickly and efficiently with no “ifs or buts”. We would highly recommend Avanti and will certainly use them in the future.”
Jennifer, 25 September 2025
