Our Guide To ABTA & ATOL Protection For Your Cruise

• ABTA Protection: Primarily covering UK-bought holidays that do not include flights, such as rail trips or no-fly cruises, this scheme ensures refunds or assistance if your provider goes out of business.

• ATOL Protection: Managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, this is essential for package holidays that include flights, protecting you against financial loss and helping you get home if an operator ceases trading.

• Crucial Differences: While both schemes offer a financial safety net for operator failure, they cover different types of travel and do not replace the need for comprehensive travel insurance to cover medical issues or lost luggage.

There’s a lot to consider when booking a cruise holiday, including where in the world you would like to travel to and for how long, what budget you may have to splurge on a holiday or what travel essentials you must pack in your suitcase. 

However, you may want to take a closer look at whether your cruise holiday is ABTA and ATOL-protected.

To help you understand these protections, in this guide, we explain exactly what ABTA and ATOL protections are, what they mean for you when booking a holiday and which one you need for a cruise.

What Is ABTA?

ABTA is the acronym for the Association of British Travel Agents. Representing travel agents and tour operators, it's the UK’s largest travel association, founded over 60 years ago.

For travel companies to be certified by ABTA, they must abide by a specific code of conduct. If anything should go wrong on your holiday or any financial problems are encountered, these standards and the insurance provided will offer you protection from start to finish. 

ABTA isn’t the only scheme of this type, but it is the largest. It is voluntary for travel organisations, so always check before booking if your travel agent or tour operator is a member, as not every agent is.

You can check whether an agent or operator is an ABTA member by searching on the ABTA website using a company’s name, town, postcode or ABTA membership number. Every ABTA member will have their own specific five-digit ABTA membership number.

What Does ABTA Protection Cover?

ABTA protection covers holidays purchased in the UK, which do not include flights. So, if your holiday package involves coach or rail travel or is a cruise, and your provider is an ABTA member, it will be covered under ABTA’s financial protection scheme. 

An ABTA-protected holiday means that, in the unlikely event of your travel provider going out of business, you will be able to get a full refund or a replacement holiday.

If you are actually on your holiday when this kind of unfortunate event happens, the protection will offer support to minimise disruption to your stay and cover the costs of getting you home.

What Is ATOL?

ATOL is the acronym for the Air Travel Organiser’s Licence. It was introduced in 1973 as a UK financial protection scheme that covers most holiday packages that include flights sold by travel companies.

ATOL is run by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and was created when the UK Government saw that consumers needed protection if their travel provider fell into difficulties.

What Does ATOL Protection Cover?

Like ABTA, the scheme protects holidaymakers if their travel provider should encounter financial difficulties or cease trading.

If this happens when you are on your holiday, it will provide financial reimbursement for the cost of replacing parts of an ATOL-protected package. 

The scheme aims to minimise disruption to your holiday and assist you in returning home. 

ATOL does not apply to flights booked directly with scheduled airlines or flights booked with airline ticket agents. However, some flight-only bookings, usually with charter flights, are included.

What's The Difference Between ATOL & ABTA Protection?

The key difference for customers between ATOL and ABTA protection is that package holidays with flights have ATOL protection, and those without, such as cruises, have ABTA protection or similar. Many ABTA members also hold an ATOL licence.

How Do I Know My Holiday Is ATOL Or ABTA Protected?

UK law states that your holiday must be protected if you purchase your package when in the UK. 

You can check for this protection at the time of booking by looking for the ATOL or ABTA logo on the travel website, brochure or advert.

If you are booking a holiday that includes a flight, you should receive an ATOL certificate when you have booked and paid anything towards your holiday.

Be aware that this protection does not extend to non-UK companies. There have been cases where travel companies registered in other countries have gone bust, and customers have lost money because they were not ATOL-protected.

Do I Still Need To Purchase Travel Insurance If My Holiday Is ATOL Or ABTA Protected?

Yes, you still need to arrange travel insurance when booking a holiday, as there are other reasons where cancellations or issues (such as seeking medical treatment if you fall ill while on holiday or if your bags, passports, or money is lost or stolen among other matters covered by travel insurance) could occur that will not be covered by ABTA or ATOL protection.

If you would like to learn more about ABTA and ATOL protection, you can find much more detailed information on the ABTA and ATOL websites.