Comprehensive insurance: everything you need to know for your cruise

« We were able to appreciate the highly responsive reorganisation of the boat change and the various constraints such as provisioning, insurance, transfer [...] where the new boat was waiting for us. Throughout these mishaps, our relationship with Filovent was never interrupted and was of excellent quality. »

This is how Brigitte and José describe their cruise in their Trustpilot review, after a last-minute boat change. Their experience illustrates a simple reality: a journey at sea does not always go as planned, and it is better to know which protection you can count on the day an unexpected event arises.

Everything is set: the boat, the dates, the full crew. And then life gets in the way. A fracture the day before boarding, a sudden illness 20 miles from the coast, a suitcase lost between two flight connections. As long as you haven't cast off the lines, cancellation insurance watches over you. But once you've set a course for the open sea, its mission ends. Our comprehensive insurance then takes over and follows you from the first deposit until you return to the quay.

What does our comprehensive insurance involve?

Think of comprehensive cover as two-in-one protection: it brings together, within a single contract, the cancellation guarantee and assistance that follows you while sailing. Standard cancellation cover stops at the costs paid before departure; comprehensive cover, on the other hand, embraces every stage of the cruise. At Filovent, we offer it through our partner Gritchen, under the commercial name Travel Pack:

• Commercial name: Travel Pack, sometimes referred to as the Comprehensive Pack.
• Broker and insurance company: Gritchen, sometimes referred to as Gritchen Affinity, in partnership with Areas. The product appears on your certificate under the exact label Travel Pack Individual.
• Subscription period: a 48-hour window runs from the signing of the rental contract. Beyond that, your adviser can request a waiver from the insurer.
• Who is insured: every crew member listed on the crew list at the time of subscription. A point to note: once the 48-hour window has passed, no name can be added to the cover. This safeguard prevents late additions intended to take undue advantage of the insurance.
• Handling a claim: everything is declared online at www.declare.fr, following the deadlines and procedure set out in the conditions provided by the insurer. During the voyage, an assistance centre remains accessible 24/7.

How much does comprehensive insurance cost?

The rate is calculated as a percentage of the total amount of your booking, on a sliding scale: the higher the rental amount, the lower the rate applied. In practice, expect around 5% of the cruise price, compared with roughly 4.5% for cancellation cover alone.

A concrete example: for a rental of £3,400, comprehensive cover represents around £170 for the entire registered crew. A modest budget given what it protects: the sums paid before departure, but also medical costs and any repatriation once at sea. Your adviser will give you the exact rate when quoting.

Comprehensive or cancellation: which to choose?

The fundamental difference

It all comes down to the duration of the protection. Cancellation cover reimburses the sums paid before departure when you have to give up your trip; comprehensive cover goes further by including assistance once on board: medical care, repatriation, luggage, delays. In short: cancellation stops at boarding; comprehensive cover accompanies you until you return the keys. The detail, plan by plan:

When should you favour comprehensive cover?

It is essential as soon as you leave Europe: sailing cruise in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Polynesia, Red Sea, Asia. In these areas, medical treatment or repatriation quickly reaches high amounts. We also recommend it when the crew includes seniors or young children, for voyages of two weeks or more, as well as for cabin cruises and crewed yachts. Conversely, a week in mainland France among healthy adults can quite happily make do with cancellation cover alone.

The guarantees covered by comprehensive insurance

In practical terms, comprehensive cover steps in across three main scenarios:

• Cancellation when an unexpected event keeps you ashore.
• Interruption of the trip following a serious personal event.
• Assistance and repatriation if a health problem arises in the middle of the voyage.

Cancellation and trip interruption

On this front, comprehensive cover takes up exactly the scope of cancellation cover. The recognised reasons remain the same: serious illness, serious bodily injury or death, hospitalisation or the loss of a relative up to the 2nd degree, a major incident at home (fire, water damage, burglary), professional setbacks (redundancy, imposed transfer, refused leave). And if one of these events strikes once the cruise is under way, the unused portion of the trip is reimbursed to you. The full detail of reasons appears in our article devoted to cancellation insurance.

Repatriation assistance and medical costs

It is on this point that comprehensive cover goes further than cancellation. Covered are healthcare costs advanced abroad, medical repatriation back home organised by the assistance centre, support for relatives remaining at home during a prolonged hospitalisation, and the repatriation of the body in the event of death. A useful clarification: it is possible to take only the repatriation component, up until the day before departure, but this standalone formula opens no right to reimbursement for a cancellation. The two guarantees follow quite separate logics.

Luggage, delays and communication

Your luggage is protected in the event of loss, qualified theft or destruction during transport, according to the limits set out in the table of guarantees, and a delay by the carrier entitles you to compensation for emergency purchases. One guarantee often goes unnoticed: when assistance takes you in hand, your phone costs abroad are reimbursed up to £70. On long crossings, it is in fact better to get a local SIM card on arrival and have it reimbursed against receipt, rather than letting your UK plan run away with you.

Conditions, limits and exclusions

When the guarantee takes effect and how long it lasts

Cover is activated at the time of subscription and ends as soon as you hand back the keys of the boat to the owner or rental base. It accompanies you throughout the entire insured trip, up to a limit of 90 consecutive days, a duration that covers the vast majority of our cruises.

Territoriality: Europe or worldwide?

A point that often causes confusion: the standard Travel Pack is aimed at residents of the European Economic Area. Whether you are French, Belgian, German, Italian, Spanish or a citizen of another European country, you can take it out to sail to the four corners of the globe. Customers residing outside the European Economic Area (United Kingdom, United States, Latin America, Asia), on the other hand, fall under a dedicated contract: state your country of residence from the very first contact, and we will tailor the offer accordingly.

Limits of the guarantee

Compensation remains bounded by the limits in the table of guarantees and by the insured capital stated on your certificate. It does not cover peripheral expenses such as additional flights, unplanned hotel nights or excursions, which depend on a separate travel insurance or the protections of your bank card.

For guidance, here are a few limits representative of the Travel Pack. The exact amounts appear in the conditions provided by the insurer.

What comprehensive insurance does not cover

To be covered, the causes must be entirely unforeseeable on the day of subscription. Excluded, therefore, are conditions or injuries already known, any fact prior to signing, cosmetic care, non-essential medical procedures, as well as psychological disorders not resulting in more than 3 consecutive days of hospitalisation. Breakdowns or damage to the boat also fall outside the scope: they are the responsibility of the rental company, which is why we suggest pairing it with the deposit waiver and its exclusions.

Other exclusions

Anything falling under collective or societal risk: armed conflict, flight cancellation. Keep in mind the basic principle: an insurer cannot guarantee an event that would force it to compensate all of its policyholders at once. Its protection is aimed at you and your crew, for unforeseen events that are specific to you. The case of epidemics and pandemics is subject to particular treatment, set out in our questions below.

Your certificate and following up a claim

Receiving your insurance certificate

Once your subscription is registered, Gritchen Affinity draws up your Travel Pack Individual insurance certificate and sends it to you by email. Each contract carries a subscription number in INS format followed by your file reference. Keep this document: it sets out the insured capital, the applicable limits and the number to give in the event of a claim. If you cannot find your certificate, your Filovent adviser or our concierge service can request a new copy from the insurer.

Declaring and following up a claim

Any request is declared online at www.declare.fr, the management platform of Gritchen Affinity, observing the deadlines indicated in the contract conditions. Prepare the supporting documents appropriate to the reason: medical certificate or hospital discharge note for a health-related cancellation, family record book or proof of civil partnership for an event affecting a relative, invoices and receipts for costs incurred on the spot. The more complete the file from the outset, the faster the processing. Our concierge service can follow the file alongside you and chase the insurer if necessary, but the compensation decision and its payment lie with the insurer, never with Filovent.

While sailing, in the event of a medical emergency

An assistance centre reachable 24/7 coordinates care, ensures payment and arranges, if the situation requires it, medical repatriation. Contact it before incurring significant costs: it is the one that validates the cover. Always keep the supporting documents for expenses paid on the spot, essential for reimbursement after declaration.

Key questions

What is the concrete difference between cancellation insurance and comprehensive insurance?

Cancellation cover takes on only the sums committed before departure if you have to abandon your cruise. Comprehensive cover grafts onto this assistance along the way: medical costs, repatriation, luggage, delays. The first stops at boarding, the second holds out until you return the keys.

Is the Travel Pack available in all languages?

To date, the general conditions and the information notice are only produced in French and English. Our German, Italian and Spanish customers receive the English version, which is legally binding. The request for a multilingual version comes up regularly and we are working on it with our insurance partner.

Can I take out comprehensive cover after the 48-hour window, or even the day before departure?

Yes, but subject to the agreement of the insurer. Once the window has passed, speak to your adviser: they will submit a waiver request to Gritchen. Nothing is automatic, but agreement is frequently given when the request remains legitimate. We have already managed to obtain the go-ahead just 48 hours before departure.

I have already taken cancellation insurance, can I switch to comprehensive cover?

Absolutely, and even at a late stage. We have carried out this kind of switch up to two days before boarding. Gritchen then issues a new certificate, the additional premium is invoiced and the old subscription is closed. Do not hesitate to contact your adviser as soon as the wish to strengthen your cover arises.

When and how will I receive my insurance certificate?

It is issued by Gritchen Affinity after your subscription is registered and reaches you by email, with a contract number in INS format. In the event of loss or non-receipt, your Filovent adviser or our concierge service can request that it be sent again.

I have already taken out comprehensive cover: do I also need to take cancellation insurance?

No. Comprehensive cover already includes the cancellation guarantee: it covers both cancellation before departure and assistance during the voyage. There is no point adding a separate cancellation insurance, it would be a duplicate. If an error message appears during an attempt at double subscription, that is normal: your cover is already complete.

How do I insure the whole crew?

One subscription gives rise to one certificate per insured person: each crew member listed on the crew list has their own certificate, and each one can pay their share via their own payment link. Keep in mind the usual safeguard: once the 48-hour window has passed, no name can be added to the cover. So register the entire crew from the outset so that everyone is protected.

Are COVID-19 and epidemics covered?

This question comes up regularly. Cover for epidemics and pandemics changes over time and depends on the conditions in force at the time of your booking. To find out the exact extent of the guarantee on the day of your subscription, get in touch with your Filovent adviser, who will confirm the insurer's current position.

How long does it take to be compensated after a declaration?

The time depends on the insurer and the completeness of your file on www.declare.fr. A complete file is processed faster: for guidance, reimbursement can take place within 72 hours once the file is validated. Our concierge service can follow progress and chase the insurer, but the timetable, like the final decision, belongs to Gritchen.

What happens if I fall ill during the cruise in a remote area?

This is precisely the scenario that comprehensive cover addresses. The assistance centre answers 24/7. It coordinates care, ensures payment and, if the situation requires it, arranges medical repatriation. Remember to keep all the supporting documents for costs paid on the spot: reimbursement takes place after declaration at www.declare.fr.

Is it possible to cancel an insurance policy already taken out?

Yes. You have a 30-day window after subscription to go back on your commitment, provided the contract has not yet taken effect.

How do I take out comprehensive insurance for a cruise above £42,500?

As soon as the cruise crosses the £42,500 mark, the subscription goes through a Filovent adviser, to be contacted at the time of booking. Gritchen then carries out a specific risk assessment and may decline the cover. If agreement is given, you have 72 hours to finalise payment in your customer area. Our concierge service orchestrates all the steps.

Is comprehensive insurance compulsory to rent a boat?

No, taking it out remains optional. It is, however, strongly recommended, particularly for distant destinations and long voyages, as it protects against costs that can quickly become heavy in the event of a medical incident or repatriation. Not to be confused with the boat's own insurance: to understand the difference, see our FAQ on the deposit, the excess and the boat's insurance.

Which insurance to choose for a cruise with a skipper or by the cabin?

The reasoning remains the same as for a rental without a skipper: it is the destination and the duration that guide the choice, more than the type of cruise. For a cabin cruise or a skippered boat to a distant destination, comprehensive cover retains all its relevance, since it covers your health and your repatriation, regardless of who is sailing the boat. Your adviser helps you decide according to your itinerary.

Are water sports such as diving or kitesurfing covered?

The practice of certain water activities may be regulated, restricted or excluded according to the conditions of the contract. Before planning diving, kitesurfing or any other risky activity during your cruise, check the precise conditions with your adviser, who will consult the Areas notice. Additional sports insurance is sometimes necessary.

Does comprehensive insurance reimburse in the event of bad weather or a storm?

The weather, however bad, does not generally on its own constitute grounds for compensation: sailing means coming to terms with sea conditions. On the other hand, if a major weather event leads to a situation covered elsewhere (health problem, repatriation, insured damage), the corresponding guarantees may apply. For an exposed itinerary, ask for advice before departure.

What does the insurance cover in the event of a health quarantine on arrival?

Quarantine measures fall under the same framework as epidemics and pandemics, whose treatment is specific. The consequences of a quarantine imposed on arrival are not systematically covered: have the applicable conditions confirmed by your adviser before departure, depending on your destination.