Travel insurance

It is mandatory for all UK guests to have suitable travel insurance cover in order to cruise with us. Read on, or use the shortcuts below, to find everything you need to know about travel insurance for a stress-free Cunard voyage.

If you require healthcare when ashore in our destinations, this may differ from what you are used to in your country. In some instances, you may be required to pay upfront for healthcare needs. Therefore, it is essential to have appropriate travel insurance cover in place.

Please note that these insurance requirements are only applicable to those guests residing and booking in the UK.

Why is insurance important? >

Choosing the right level of cover >

Your voyage with us >

Holiday Extras >

FAQs >

Why is travel insurance important?

For many significant purchases in your life, insurance is essential. Holidays are no different. Travel insurance ensures you can relax and enjoy your holiday with peace of mind that you’re covered in the event something should go wrong. This includes unforeseen incidents before your holiday, while travelling or while you’re away.

Choosing the right level of cover

Make sure your insurance provides cover for:
- A cruise holiday.
- The full length of the trip.
- All of the destinations you’re visiting – if in doubt, choose worldwide cover.
When travelling with us, your insurance must include medical cover of £2 million minimum and cover for emergency evacuations and medical expenses related to Covid-19.
Declare any pre-existing medical conditions and read each policy thoroughly to make sure you have the cover you need.
If you are going on more than one holiday this year, consider choosing an annual or multi-trip policy to cover you long-term.
We would also recommend that you have adequate cancellation cover to cover the cost of your trip.

Your voyage with us

At the terminal you will be asked to confirm you have travel insurance. It is your responsibility to ensure you have appropriate cover in place for the duration of your holiday. Unfortunately you will be denied boarding, at your own expense, if you’re unable to confirm you have arranged insurance.

You may be asked for proof of your travel insurance so please be sure to bring either a printed or digital copy of your insurance documentation that confirms cover for the named travellers over the dates of travel.

Holiday Extras

We’ve partnered with Holiday Extras to offer cover for our holidays.

Holiday Extras offer cruise-specific travel insurance policies – perfect for your next voyage. One of the key benefits is that this cruise-specific cover includes things most travel insurance policies don’t cover as standard, such as missed ports, missed shore experiences and cabin confinement.

Holiday Extras offer three levels of cover to choose from: bronze, silver and gold.

Should you wish to purchase travel insurance through our insurance partner, Holiday Extras, Covid-19 cover is included as standard with all policies: full details can be found here.

Tailored options are also available from Holiday Extras should you have pre-existing medical conditions.

To find out more, visit the Holiday Extras website below or phone 0800 093 3070 and quote CUNHX.

Visit Holiday Extras

Your travel insurance FAQs answered

We know that cruising in the current times can come with lots of different questions. Holiday Extras Head of Travel Insurance Adam Edinburgh has answered the most frequently asked questions regarding the company’s cruise cover insurance policies.

Most general travel insurance policies don’t cover cruises, and will include a general exclusion such as “this policy will not cover you for any loss, damage, cost or expense directly or indirectly caused by any trip on sea-going cruise ships.”

Cruise cover is important for guests to have because it makes sure all sections of the travel insurance policy are operative while on a cruise holiday.

At Holiday Extras, our cruise cover will also extend to include specific cruise benefits such as:

Missed port benefit, paid on a per port basis, usually to a maximum limit.
Cabin confinement benefit, paid on a per day basis up to a maximum limit.
Missed excursion cover in the event that you are confined to your cabin and unable to participate in a pre-booked excursion.
Additional personal effects and baggage to supplement the limit under the standard policy cover.
Evening wear cover.

If you’ve bought insurance through Holiday Extras and need to cancel your trip, you’ll be able to move your policy to another date or cancel your policy. If you cancel during your policy's initial 14-day cooling-off period, you'll be eligible for a full refund, providing you haven't travelled or intend to make a claim.

Cancellations outside of the 14-day cooling-off period won't be eligible for a refund, but discretion may be applied depending on your circumstances.

Provided you‘re fully vaccinated against Covid-19, you’ll be covered for emergency medical treatment and repatriation if you test positive* while abroad. This is included as part of our standard cover.

Under Holiday Extras’ policy, you must have had any recommended inoculations, vaccines or medications relating to your destinations prior to your trip. This includes the Covid-19 vaccine where it has been offered to you. To see the latest Cunard vaccination policy, please click here.

*as certified by a Medical Practitioner following a medically approved test showing a positive result for Covid-19.

If you test positive for Covid-19* on board your cruise and require medical assistance, you will be covered under the policy and an appropriate treatment plan would be agreed between the ship’s medical team and the insurer’s medical assistance team. This may depend on a large number of factors including age, underlying health, geographic location and severity of your Covid-19 symptoms.

Please note that if you are disembarked at the insistence of any port authority or other such authority, without consultation with the insurer or against the recommendation of the insurer’s medical assistance team, then Holiday Extras will not cover for this eventuality. However, Cunard will organise and pay for your isolation stay and journey home. For further information, please click here .

*as certified by a Medical Practitioner following a medically approved test showing a positive result for Covid-19.

Holiday Extras has over 30 years’ experience selling travel insurance. We are proud to be featured in the FCA-approved Money Advice Service travel insurance directory and have won best insurance provider at the Travel Weekly Globe awards for the past 12 years running. We also have an excellent rating on Trustpilot. We have developed our specifically-tailored Cruise Insurance product in conjunction with all the largest cruise lines, offering Covid-19 cover as standard on all policies, with no upper age limit on single trip policies.