Cruise cancellation insurance vs premium credit card insurance: which should you choose?
Updated on: 13/05/2026The key takeaways
The cruise cancellation insurance offered by Filovent and the insurance provided by a premium bank card are not equivalent, depending on your situation. In short:
- Filovent insurance (4.5% of the amount paid, broker Gritchen Affinity, insurer Areas): covers all crew members listed on the crew list, with compensation proportional to the amount paid to Filovent.
- Solidarity reimbursement clause: if a single crew member has to cancel for a covered reason, the entire crew can be reimbursed, even without any family relationship.
- Premium bank card insurance (Visa Premier, Gold Mastercard, Visa Platinum/Infinite): covers only the cardholder and their tax dependents, with a ceiling of $5,500 per insured person per year, and on condition that the cruise was paid for with that card.
- Boat rental among friends: Filovent insurance is clearly far more suitable.
- Cruise as a couple or as a family in the strict sense: bank card insurance may be sufficient if the reason is covered and if the trip was indeed paid for with the card.
- In every case, read the policy notice before booking: our concierge tickets regularly report bank card claims being refused for insufficient supporting documents or because the reason given is not eligible.
It is one of the most frequent questions our concierge team receives at the time of booking: "I already have insurance with my premium bank card, why should I take out your cancellation insurance as well?" The question is so frequent that it has its own dedicated entry: why take out Filovent cancellation insurance if I already have insurance? The answer is not the same for a cruise as a couple as it is for a boat rental for 6 friends, and certain little-known clauses of bank card insurance have already led to nasty surprises for our customers. Here is a factual comparison to help you decide with full knowledge of the facts.
Filovent cancellation insurance: underwritten by Gritchen Affinity and Areas
The cancellation insurance that Filovent offers at the time of booking is carried by our long-standing partner Gritchen Affinity (broker) and underwritten by Areas (insurer). It was designed specifically for boat rentals and group cruises, unlike general travel insurance. Filovent is, moreover, a travel agency registered with Atout France and guaranteed by the APST. You therefore benefit from two levels of protection: the APST financial guarantee covering the agency's default, and the Gritchen insurance covering cancellation on your side.
Key features of the policy
- Premium: 4.5% of the amount paid to Filovent (rental + extras paid online + the pay of the skipper and/or hostess to be paid on site).
- Scope: all crew members listed on the crew list on the day of subscription are covered, with no distinction as to family relationship.
- Subscription deadline: at the time of booking, or very shortly afterward (your confirmation specifies the exact deadline granted to you). Subscription remains possible at the latest 5 days before the departure date of the cruise. The safest course is to subscribe at the time of booking.
- Right of withdrawal: cancellation possible within 30 days from subscription.
- Compensation: reimbursement of the sums lost if the cause of cancellation appears in the conditions of the policy (health, family, professional, home damage, etc.), in proportion to the sums actually paid to Filovent.
For the full details of the covered reasons and the procedure to follow in the event of a claim, see our entry on the conditions of boat cancellation insurance.
Subscription deadline passed? A waiver may still be possible
If the usual subscription deadline has passed, all is not lost: your Filovent salesperson can request a waiver from the insurance company to allow you to subscribe nonetheless. This step is subject to a strict and unavoidable condition: no reason for cancellation must already be known at the time of the request. In other words, any event (illness, professional contingency, etc.) that has occurred or become known before the date of the waiver cannot be covered. In practice: if you have missed the deadline but nothing yet jeopardizes your trip, contact your Filovent representative without delay to attempt the waiver.
Good to know: the solidarity reimbursement clause
This is one of the most powerful advantages of Filovent cancellation insurance, and it has no equivalent on the bank card side. If a single crew member named on the policy has to cancel for a covered reason, the entire crew can be reimbursed, even without any family relationship between the participants. Official confirmation obtained from our broker Gritchen Affinity in October 2025: "all participants are insured on the same basis as the main insured, and a reason affecting one of the participants can trigger the total cancellation of the booking, with no family relationship required, since they are all listed on the insurance policy". Concretely: if 6 friends set off together and one of them falls seriously ill, the other 5 can also cancel and be reimbursed, or choose to sail anyway with only the ill member's share reimbursed. This flexibility is quite simply impossible with bank card insurance, which covers only the cardholder and their tax dependents.
Premium bank card insurance: a baseline of protection, not a tailor-made policy
High-end bank cards (Visa Premier, Gold Mastercard, Visa Platinum, Visa Infinite) automatically include a "trip modification or cancellation" component. The coverage is attached to the network's framework contract (Visa or Mastercard) and managed, depending on the bank, by a third-party insurer. In the cases handled by our concierge team, the insurer most frequently encountered is Assurant (which manages the Visa Premier guarantees in particular); depending on your bank, other insurers such as SPB or Mondial Assistance may be involved. Three major differences from a standard cancellation insurance:
- The trip must be paid for with the card: in practice, the full amount (or at least 75% depending on the contract) of the cruise must have been charged to the premium card concerned, failing which the coverage is not triggered.
- The family scope is strict: only the cardholder, their spouse or partner, and their children or parents who are tax dependents are covered. Friends, parents-in-law who are not dependents, or cousins on the same cruise are not.
- The annual ceiling is limited: $5,500 per insured person per calendar year for almost all Visa Premier and Gold Mastercard cards, an amount that is used up with each claim.
Typical ceilings by card
| Bank card | Cancellation ceiling | Family scope | Payment condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa Classic | No cancellation coverage | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Visa Premier | $5,500 per insured person per year | Cardholder + spouse + children who are tax dependents | Trip paid for with the Visa Premier |
| Gold Mastercard | $5,500 per insured person per year | Cardholder + spouse + unmarried dependent children under 25 | Trip paid for with the Gold Mastercard (often 75% min.) |
| Visa Platinum | Generally higher ceiling (varies by bank) | Cardholder + tax dependents | Trip paid for with the Visa Platinum |
| Visa Infinite | Highest ceiling (varies by bank) | Cardholder + tax dependents | Trip paid for with the Visa Infinite |
| American Express Gold | Variable ceiling, generally aligned with the premium segment (check the policy notice) | Cardholder + tax dependents | Trip paid for with the Amex Gold |
| American Express Platinum | High ceiling, particularly suited to long-haul cruises and yachting (check the policy notice) | Cardholder + tax dependents | Trip paid for with the Amex Platinum |
| Mastercard World Elite | High ceiling (cards issued by private banks, variable) | Cardholder + tax dependents | Trip paid for with the Mastercard World Elite |
| Neobanks (Revolut Premium/Metal, N26 You/Metal) | More limited ceilings than classic premium bank cards, highly variable conditions | Scope often restricted to the cardholder; check the conditions of the plan | Trip paid for with the neobank card concerned |
The figures above are indicative and may vary from one bank to another, as each institution may strengthen or enhance the framework contract. Always consult the Insurance Information Notice provided by your bank before you leave.
The point-by-point comparison
| Criterion | Filovent cancellation insurance (Gritchen / Areas) | Premium bank card insurance |
|---|---|---|
| People covered | The whole crew listed on the crew list on the day of subscription (friends, couples, extended families) | Only the cardholder + spouse + children or parents who are tax dependents |
| Compensation ceiling | Compensation up to the amount paid to Filovent (proportional to the premium) | Generally $5,500 per insured person per calendar year |
| Payment condition | No restriction on the means of payment used | Trip must be paid for with the card concerned (in full or 75% minimum depending on the bank) |
| Reasons for cancellation | Broad: health, family (up to the 2nd degree), divorce, home damage, etc. | More restrictive: serious illness/accident, death of a close relative, layoff on economic grounds, home damage, job relocation |
| Premium / cost | 4.5% of the total amount (ad valorem premium) | Included in the annual card fee ($140 to $380 depending on the bank and the card) |
| Deductible | Variable depending on the reason (see general conditions) | Deductible of $30 to $165 depending on the reason and the card |
| Procedure in the event of a claim | Dedicated platform provided by Gritchen, support from the Filovent concierge team for the supporting documents | The bank's insurer portal, the customer manages their own file alone |
| Epidemic / pandemic coverage | Epidemic / pandemic extension provided for in the Travel Pack Multirisk policy. The "Cancellation for serious illness" coverage applies to COVID-19, but also to other epidemics or pandemics (dengue, mpox, etc.), provided the situation meets the definitions of the policy (WHO and/or local authorities). A confirmed illness is required (positive test and prescribed treatment): mere fear or caution about traveling is not covered | Generally excluded (epidemics / pandemics on the list of exclusions) |
Real cases: what our concierge tickets tell us
Our support team has handled several dozen similar files over the past three years. Two profiles of difficulty come up regularly. Here are two representative scenarios.
Case no. 1: a Visa Premier compensation file that stalls over the supporting documents
In April 2026, a customer holding a Visa Premier card canceled their cruise and triggered the "Trip Modification or Cancellation" coverage with Assurant Visa Premier. Three weeks after the cancellation, the insurer asked them for additional documents: a registration form detailing the dates, the participants, the services and the exact amount of the trip, as well as the round-trip travel tickets issued from France, to prove that the duration of the trip was under 180 days. The insurer also noted that "the documents received are dated after the occurrence of the claim", which complicates compensation. Our advisers had to produce three documents at short notice (rental contract, booking form, detailed cancellation certificate) to close the file.
The documents systematically requested by bank card insurers
To activate the cancellation coverage of a premium bank card, the insurer (Assurant for most Visa Premier cards, or another provider depending on your bank) almost always requires the following documents:
- The detailed booking form, dated before the occurrence of the claim, indicating the dates, the participants, the services and the exact amount of the trip.
- The boat rental contract signed between Filovent and the customer.
- The detailed cancellation certificate issued by Filovent, stating the amount of the charges retained and the reason for cancellation.
- The round-trip travel tickets (plane or train tickets) issued from France, to prove the duration of the trip and the touristic nature of the stay.
- For flights booked outside Filovent: the Filovent invoice covers only the boat rental. If you bought your plane tickets separately (on another site), the insurer will additionally require your round-trip tickets as well as a certificate of non-boarding issued by the airline. This is one of the most frequent reasons for a file being held up: anticipate this document as soon as you cancel.
- Documents in the name of the cardholder: every document must be made out in the name of the cardholder who paid. A classic pitfall: if the wife books the cruise but it is the husband who holds the Visa Premier, the insurer may refuse a file made out in the wife's name. Make sure the form and the certificate are in the payer's name.
Lesson: bank card insurers require very specific documents that only a file properly constituted at the time of booking can provide. With Filovent insurance, these documents are produced automatically by Gritchen via the declare.fr platform.
Case no. 2: a customer who discovered the activation conditions too late
Another customer, a crew of four for a cruise in Polynesia, contacted us 3 weeks before departure: while filling in their crew list, they had just realized that there were conditions to meet within a very short timeframe to activate their insurance. The problem would not have arisen with Filovent insurance, the subscription to which is handled by our salesperson at the time of booking, with immediate validation by Gritchen. Our advisers supported the customer in checking the consistency of their file, but the risk of "slipping through the net" of a self-activated coverage does indeed exist.
How to choose: the decision grid
Here is a simple grid to guide your choice according to your travel situation:
| Cruise configuration | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Couple or nuclear family (spouse + dependent children), cruise paid in full with a premium bank card | Bank card insurance may be sufficient if the total amount is below $5,500 per insured person | Family scope covered + sufficient ceiling |
| Group of friends for a catamaran or sailing yacht rental | Filovent insurance strongly recommended | The only insurance that covers the entire crew list |
| High-value cruise (crewed yacht charter, dahabieh, long-haul cruise over $5,500 per person) | Filovent insurance recommended | Bank card ceiling capped at $5,500, Filovent compensation proportional to the amount paid |
| High health risk (known health problems, pregnancy, long trip) | Filovent insurance recommended | Covers pregnancy complications and the worsening of a pre-existing illness (subject to conditions) |
| Cruise in an uncertain health context (epidemic or pandemic) | Filovent insurance recommended | Bank cards generally exclude epidemics and pandemics, whereas the Travel Pack Multirisk covers them via the serious illness guarantee (subject to conditions) |
Can the two be combined?
Yes, in principle, nothing prevents you from combining the two policies. However, compensation remains capped at the actual loss: you cannot be reimbursed twice for the same amount. In practice, the order of activation follows the sequence below.
The order of activation when combining bank card + Filovent
- Step 1: declaration to the bank card insurer within the contractual deadline (ideally 5 days after the occurrence of the claim), with all the required supporting documents (detailed booking form, rental contract, cancellation certificate, round-trip plane tickets). For Visa cards managed by Assurant, the declaration is made on the visa-assurances.fr area (identification using the first digits of your card).
- Step 2: in the event of a refusal from the bank card insurer, the $5,500 ceiling being exceeded, or crew members outside the tax household not being covered: activation of Filovent cancellation insurance via the dedicated platform declare.fr, managed by Gritchen Affinity.
- Step 3: support from the Filovent concierge team for producing the supporting documents (contract, detailed cancellation certificate, email exchanges with the owner) and following up the file through to compensation.
An important point to be aware of: article 13.4 of our general conditions provides that, once Filovent cancellation insurance has been taken out at the time of booking, it is not refundable afterward. This applies even if you believe you have more advantageous coverage through your card. See also the dedicated question below on withdrawal within 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
What is the exact price of Filovent cancellation insurance?
Cancellation insurance costs 4.5% of the total amount paid to Filovent, which includes the boat rental, the extras paid online, as well as the pay of any crew members (skipper, hostess) paid on site. The price is single, applicable to all crew members listed on the crew list.
Does cancellation insurance exempt me from paying the balance of my rental?
No, and this is an essential point to understand. Taking out cancellation insurance does not mean you can stop paying if a problem arises. You must pay the full amount of your rental (deposit then balance) on the due dates, because Filovent must in turn pay these sums to the boat's owner. If a customer refuses to pay the balance thinking they are "covered", the balance remains due. The insurance mechanism is different: you pay normally, then, in the event of cancellation for a covered reason, you are compensated afterward via a claim declaration on declare.fr, on presentation of the supporting documents. Insurance is not a free cancellation, it is a reimbursement after the fact.
If a crew member has to cancel, is the whole cruise canceled?
No, you have the choice. The solidarity reimbursement clause opens up two possibilities, without ever forcing total cancellation on you:
- Partial cancellation: only the prevented crew member cancels and is reimbursed for their share, while the other crew members sail normally. This is the most frequent case: for example, when a crew member has to withdraw for health reasons, their claim declaration concerns only them and does not lead to the cancellation of the others' trip.
- Total cancellation: if the impediment concerns a person without whom the cruise cannot take place (for example the group's skipper), the reason affecting a single crew member can then justify the cancellation and reimbursement of everyone.
You therefore remain in control of the decision: declaring a claim for one crew member does not automatically cancel the others' trip.
Am I already covered by my bank card to cancel my boat rental?
Perhaps, but under strict conditions. Your premium bank card covers you only if the cruise was paid for with that card, if the reason for cancellation appears in its policy notice, and only for you and your tax dependents (not your friends or the other crew members). Before booking, check your card's information notice, and compare it with Filovent insurance, which covers the entire crew. A classic bank card (Visa Classic, standard Mastercard), on the other hand, offers no cancellation coverage.
Does my premium insurance already include cancellation?
Premium cards (Visa Premier, Gold Mastercard, Visa Platinum, Visa Infinite, American Express Gold/Platinum) generally include a cancellation coverage, unlike classic cards. But "including coverage" does not mean "covering everything": the ceiling is often limited to $5,500 per insured person per year, the scope is limited to the tax household, and the trip must have been paid for with the card. Refer to your card's information notice to find out the exact extent of your coverage.
Can I insure just one person in the crew?
Filovent cancellation insurance works on the basis of the crew list and the premium calculated on the overall amount. If you wish to insure just one participant or a particular configuration, talk to your Filovent salesperson: they will calculate the corresponding premium (as a guide, a premium may represent a few dozen dollars for an individual share). Be careful, however: insuring only one person greatly reduces the group's protection, since only reasons relating to that person will give rise to compensation.
Are my plane tickets booked elsewhere reimbursed?
It depends on who insures what. The Filovent invoice covers only the boat rental and the services paid for through Filovent. Your plane tickets bought separately (on another site or directly with the airline) do not appear on this invoice: to have them reimbursed, you will need to declare them separately, providing your round-trip tickets and, most often, a certificate of non-boarding issued by the airline. Remember to request this certificate as soon as you cancel, it is one of the documents that most often holds up files.
Can I take out cancellation insurance after booking?
Yes. Subscription is ideally done at the time of booking, and remains possible shortly afterward (the exact deadline granted to you appears on your confirmation), at the latest 5 days before the departure date of your cruise. After this deadline, standard subscription is no longer possible, but your salesperson can attempt a waiver (see the dedicated section above), provided that no reason for cancellation is already known. We strongly recommend that you subscribe at the time of booking: if a claim arises between the booking and a late subscription, it will not be covered.
Can the insurance be canceled after taking it out?
Yes, you have a legal period of 30 days from subscription to cancel the policy free of charge. Beyond that, the premium remains acquired by Filovent in accordance with article 13.4 of our general conditions.
I have taken out Filovent insurance and I realize that my premium bank card already covers me. Can I get a refund?
This question comes up very regularly with our advisers. The answer depends strictly on the time elapsed since subscription.
- Within 30 days of subscription: you benefit from the legal right of withdrawal and can cancel the insurance free of charge. Contact your Filovent salesperson (or our concierge team at concierge@filovent.com / 01 70 80 97 35) to begin the procedure. The full refund of the premium is made to the means of payment used at the time of subscription.
- Beyond 30 days after subscription: in accordance with article 13.4 of our general rental conditions, the premium remains acquired by Filovent. This article specifies in particular that "if the renter subscribed at the time of booking, they cannot claim any refund, even if they claim to have taken out or to wish to take out more advantageous insurance". In this case, keep both coverages: they are complementary (Filovent insurance covers the entire crew with the solidarity reimbursement clause, whereas your bank card covers only you and your tax household).
Our advice: do not decide to cancel without having objectively compared the two coverages on your specific file (crew composition, total amount, the reasons on the list). Your Filovent salesperson can draw up this comparison for you free of charge.
And if I have not taken out any insurance and I have to cancel my rental?
If you cancel without insurance, you lose the deposit (cancellation more than 60 days before departure) or all the sums paid (less than 60 days before), even if the boat is re-rented to other customers. To understand the precise mechanics, see our FAQ I did not take out cancellation insurance, am I reimbursed if the boat is re-rented? and our entry on how to cancel a boat rental.
How do I know if my trip is eligible for my bank card insurance?
Three cumulative conditions must be met to activate the cancellation coverage of a premium card: (1) the trip was paid for with the card concerned (in whole or in part depending on the bank), (2) the reason for cancellation appears in the list of reasons covered by the information notice, and (3) the claim declaration is made promptly, ideally within 5 days of the occurrence of the event. Download your insurance certificate from your bank's portal or from the insurance area dedicated to your card.
What should I do if my bank card insurer refuses my file?
If you consider the refusal unjustified, you can lodge a written complaint with the insurer's customer service (Assurant for most Visa Premier cards, SPB or Mondial Assistance depending on the bank). In the absence of a satisfactory response within two months, you can refer the matter to the Insurance Mediation service within a maximum period of one year. Our support team can assist you in preparing the complaint file and provide you with the necessary documents (contract, booking form, detailed cancellation certificate).
How do I declare a claim with Filovent insurance?
All claim declarations on Filovent cancellation insurance go through the dedicated platform declare.fr, managed by our broker Gritchen Affinity. You can also write directly to sinistre@declare.fr. The platform allows you to submit your supporting documents (medical certificate, employer's certificate, police report, etc.) and to follow the progress of your file in real time. The reference Filovent contract bears the number 102 92 73, to be mentioned in any contact. As a reminder, Gritchen Affinity is an insurance brokerage company registered with ORIAS under the number 11061317 and subject to the supervision of the ACPR (Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution). In the event of doubt or difficulty in putting together your file, our concierge team remains reachable on 01 70 80 97 35 or by email at concierge@filovent.com to assist you with the supporting documents to be provided.
And if my cruise exceeds $54,000?
Above $54,000, Filovent cancellation insurance cannot be taken out via the standard channel: a Filovent adviser must draw up a tailor-made contract with Gritchen Affinity. Contact your salesperson at the time of booking to begin the procedure.
Good to know: cancellation insurance and deposit waiver insurance are two distinct policies
Do not confuse cancellation insurance (which reimburses the charges if you cannot go) and deposit waiver insurance for a boat rental (which covers damage to the boat during navigation, up to 5.5% of the rental amount). The two are complementary and respond to different risks. To understand what is covered and what is not, see our FAQ on the principle and exclusions of the deposit waiver and our entry on what a deposit and a deductible are in boat rental.
To remember: decide before booking
Whatever your situation, the right move is to check the information notice of your bank card before booking, and to ask your Filovent salesperson for a costed comparison between the two options based on your specific file (amount, crew composition, destination). If in doubt, Filovent insurance remains the simplest and broadest solution: it covers the whole crew (with the solidarity reimbursement clause), it is managed by a long-standing partner who knows our files, and our customer service supports you in the event of a claim. To go further, see our boat rental insurance section or contact our advisers directly on 01 70 80 97 35 or by email at concierge@filovent.com.
