Cruises are brilliant for switching off, to unpack, endless sea views, and a new destination waiting each morning. But cruising also comes with its own “what ifs”, missed departures, itinerary changes, onboard medical treatment, and even emergency evacuation if something serious happens at sea.

That’s why cruise travel insurance isn’t just regular cover, but on a ship”. It’s tailored for life on board, plus the unique logistics of moving between ports on a fixed schedule. Gigasure’s cruise travel insurance is designed with these cruise-specific situations in mind, alongside the everyday travel essentials like medical, cancellation, and baggage cover.

What Does Cruise Travel Insurance Cover?

Most travellers start with a standard travel insurance checklist: emergency medical expenses, cancellation, curtailment, baggage, and travel delays. That foundation matters on a cruise too, but it’s only half the story.

Cruise travel insurance usually includes cruise-specific benefits that standard policies often don’t cover, such as:

• Missed port departures (for example, you’re delayed getting back from shore and need to re-join the ship)
• Cabin confinement (if the ship’s medical staff require you to stay in your cabin due to illness)
• Emergency evacuation (air/sea rescue may be needed if treatment is urgent)
• Missed ports or excursions/itinerary disruption (when a port stop changes or you can’t take a pre-booked excursion due to illness)

Gigasure’s Cruise Travel Insurance is built around these realities, providing protection for missed ports/excursions, cabin confinement, emergency evacuation, and onboard medical situations, alongside core travel protections.

Look at the cruise line’s insurance requirements (many have minimum medical and repatriation expectations) and make sure your policy meets them, even for “no-fly” UK cruises, where onboard medical care is still private.

Tip 1: Check medical and emergency evacuation limits

If there’s one area worth prioritising, it’s medical cover, because medical treatment at sea can be costly, and options can be limited.

Cruise ships have medical centres, but treatment onboard is typically private (not NHS), and if a situation is serious, you may need to be transferred to shore. Depending on where the ship is and how urgent it is, that could involve specialist transport. Many travellers are surprised by how quickly costs can rise when the nearest hospital is hundreds of miles away.

Gigasure highlights emergency medical care onboard and ashore as a standard part of Cruise Travel Insurance, and also includes emergency evacuation (air/sea rescue) as a key cruise-specific benefit.

What to look for in your policy wording:

• A high emergency medical limit (especially if any ports include the USA, where healthcare is typically more expensive)
• Clear confirmation that medical evacuation and repatriation are included
• Details on how emergency assistance works (who to contact, 24/7 support, and whether they need to authorise treatment)

Tip 2: Compare levels of cover and useful add-ons

Cruise travel insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Two people can be on the same ship with totally different needs; one might want maximum cancellation cover for an expensive cruise booking, while another cares most about gadgets and excursion protection.

A smart approach is to compare:

• Cancellation/curtailment limits (do they match what you’ve paid?)
• Travel disruption and missed departures (important if you’re flying to join the ship)
• Baggage and valuables limits (think watches, phones, tablets, cameras)
• Cruise-specific benefits (missed ports, cabin confinement, evacuation)

Gigasure structures travel insurance with different plan tiers (for example, Core / Pro / Max) so you can choose a level that suits your budget and how much protection you want, then customise with relevant extras.

And if your trip includes flights, it’s worth understanding travel disruption features too. For example, Gigasure’s GigaShield benefits can provide a choice of airport lounge access or a fast cash payment if your flight is delayed (when travel and baggage delay cover is included and your flight is registered in the app).

When are add-ons worth it?

If you’re planning higher-risk activities (such as certain watersports), winter excursions, or you’re carrying expensive tech, you’ll usually want to add cover rather than assume it’s included.

Tip 3: Read the policy details carefully

It’s tempting to compare policies by price alone, but cruise travel insurance is one area where small print matters, because cruise-specific scenarios often sit in definitions and exclusions.

Before you buy, check:

• Exclusions (what’s not covered, and when cover won’t apply)
• Excess (what you pay towards a claim)
• Per-benefit limits (for example, daily cabin confinement amounts or limits per missed port)
• Definitions (what counts as a “cruise”, a “missed departure”, or a “pre-existing condition”)

Gigasure repeatedly encourages travellers to check policy wording for full details, and the brand approach is clearly about helping you understand cover upfront rather than finding out mid-claim.

Tip 4: Consider your health and planned activities

Cruises attract every kind of traveller, from multi-generational families to retirees, to couples doing a special anniversary trip. But with that comes a wide range of health needs.

If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, the golden rule is: declare them. Gigasure stresses that undeclared conditions may invalidate cover, and that some conditions may require extra screening.

This matters even if you feel fine and the condition is well-managed. Insurance is designed for the unexpected, and cruises are exactly the kind of trip where you want confidence that, if something flares up, you’re covered.

The same goes for activities. Many standard travel policies don’t automatically include higher-risk sports.

Gigasure’s wider travel range highlights how add-ons can tailor cover for specific activities, helping you avoid paying for extras you don’t need, while making sure you’re covered for the ones you do.

Quick self-check:

• Are you doing any watersports, hiking, cycling tours, or winter excursions?
• Are you taking expensive gadgets?
• Do you have any medical conditions, take prescription medication, or have anything pending (tests, referrals, etc.)?

If the answer is yes to any of these, make sure your policy matches your reality, not your best-case scenario.

Tip 5: Get covered early

This is one of the most important (and easiest) travel tips to follow: buy cruise travel insurance as soon as you book your cruise.

Why? Because travel insurance doesn’t only protect you during the trip, it can also protect you before you travel, especially for cancellation. If you wait until close to departure, you may miss the window where you’d be covered for something that happens in the months leading up to your sailing.

Gigasure explicitly recommends buying cruise cover as soon as you book, so you’re protected if you need to cancel before departure due to covered reasons, and so you have time to adjust your cover if needed.

This “buy early” approach is also widely considered across travel insurance best practice, but the sooner you arrange cover, the sooner you start protecting the money you’ve already committed to the trip.

Key Takeaways

• Cruise travel insurance isn’t just standard travel insurance “at sea”; it’s designed for missed ports, cabin confinement, itinerary changes, and emergency evacuation.
• Prioritise strong medical and evacuation cover, especially for remote sailing routes and higher-cost destinations.
• Compare levels of cover and add-ons (such as gadgets or activity upgrades) so you only pay for what you need.
• Read the policy wording and understand exclusions, excesses, and limits before you buy.
• Buy early, ideally right after booking, so cancellation protection can start straight away.

Plan Your Cruise Holiday with Gigasure

With these cruise travel insurance tips in hand, you’re in a great position to plan a smoother, more confident sailing, based on your plans, either island-hopping or heading to the Caribbean, or joining a fly-cruise with multiple ports along the way.

The secret to a stress-free cruise isn’t over-planning every detail, but making sure you’re protected for the big cruise “what ifs”: onboard medical treatment, missed port departures, cabin confinement, and emergency evacuation if something serious happens at sea. That’s exactly why cruise-specific travel insurance matters.

Gigasure offers Cruise Travel Insurance designed for life on board, with cruise-focused benefits alongside the essentials like medical, cancellation, and baggage cover.

And if your cruise includes flights, Gigasure can also support you with travel disruption features like GigaShield Flight Delay, where eligible cover can offer a choice of lounge access or a fast cash payment once you’ve added your flight details in the Gigasure app before you travel.

Take a moment to explore Gigasure’s cruise travel insurance options, compare levels of coverage, and get a quote that fits your trip. Then download the app so you can keep everything in one place, such as policy documents, updates, and support while you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I need special travel insurance for a cruise?

In most cases, yes. A cruise is your hotel, transport and itinerary all in one, and standard travel insurance may not cover cruise-specific issues like cabin confinement, missed port departure, itinerary changes, or emergency evacuation. That’s why cruise travel insurance exists, and why many cruise lines ask for proof of cover before you board.

2. What’s the difference between travel insurance and cruise travel insurance?

Regular travel insurance focuses on the essentials (medical, cancellation, baggage). Cruise travel insurance adds protection for life at sea, including missed ports/excursions, cabin confinement, and air/sea evacuation if you need urgent care off-ship.

3. Does cruise travel insurance cover onboard medical treatment?

It’s designed to cover emergency medical care onboard and ashore, but limits vary by policy. It’s also important to check whether emergency evacuation (air/sea rescue) is included, as this is one of the big differences with cruise cover.

4. I have a GHIC, do I still need cruise travel insurance?

Yes. GHIC can help with some state healthcare in certain countries, but it won’t cover private onboard treatment, evacuation, repatriation, cancellation, or cruise-specific problems like missed ports or cabin confinement.

5. Does cruise travel insurance cover excursions and activities?

It may cover missed excursions in some situations (for example, if illness stops you from going), but it won’t automatically cover every activity. If you’re planning higher-risk activities, you may need an upgrade/add-on; always check the policy’s activities list.

6. Should I choose single-trip or annual cruise travel insurance?

If it’s one cruise, single-trip cover is usually simplest. If you travel multiple times a year (cruises plus other holidays), an annual multi-trip policy with cruise cover can be a better value, as long as you stay within trip-length and destination limits.

7. Does cruise travel insurance cover flight delays on a fly-cruise?

Sometimes, it depends on whether your policy includes travel delay/missed departure benefits. If your cruise involves flights, it’s also worth checking travel disruption features like GigaShield Flight Delay (available when eligible cover is included and activated in the Gigasure app).