If my customer is going on a river cruise or a ferry, would they need to have a cruise policy?
No. As long as the boat does not go into open or international waters, and they are not 'island hopping', then you can issue a non-cruise policy. The reason for this is, a river cruise or ferry is so close to the mainland, there is less need for medical evacuation. And a cruise policy would only be required, if the customer was going on a pleasure voyage for more than 72 hours, in open water.
If a TIF customer is going Island Hopping, for instance, like this trip: https://www.travelsphere.co.uk/en-gb/tours/croatian-island-hopping/, as the customer will be sailing to each island on a boat and staying on board, they will require a cruise policy.
However, if a customer is looking to go sailing offshore for more than one day, TIF will not cover this. Their explanation is, "Unfortunately, as there is not a Holiday Extras product that is fit for this specific purpose, which is sailing for continuous days and not an activity that lasts a few hours, the customer will have to look elsewhere for a specific sailing policy."
Can we cover customers travelling on a cargo ship?
No. Unfortunately, TIF would not be willing to provide cover for customers looking to travel on cargo ships, due to risks involved in being on the ship. For example, the cargo machinery. Especially, as there is no medically trained professionals on board to deal with medical situations if they occur.
Does a customer have to have a cruise policy for a 1 day UK cruise excursion? We had a customer doing just 1 night on a UK cruise ship, not leaving Southampton Port and weren't sure whether they would need a cruise specific policy.
TIF have since advised, "We define a cruise as; a pleasure voyage of more than 72 hours duration, sailing on sea/s or oceans and includes stops at various ports. This is less than 72 hours, not sailing on seas & does not stop at a port. They do not leave the port, therefore would only need to be classed as UK".