Last updated: August 2026
Avanti reviews are worth checking first if you’re planning a cruise. It’s the Staysure Group’s cruise specialist, built to cover disruption most standard travel policies leave out, and it scores 4.8 out of 5 from 129,363 write-ups on Trustpilot, the most internally consistent ratings base of any UK insurer we checked. This guide looks at that review evidence, whether you’re protected if anything goes wrong, and how Avanti compares with its sister brand, Staysure.
| What you get | The detail |
|---|---|
| Specialism | Cruise cover, plus pre-existing medical conditions |
| If it goes wrong | You’re protected |
| Trustpilot | 4.8/5 from 129,363 reviews |
| Getting a quote | No phone number needed |
Avanti reviews: the short answer
Avanti’s review scores are strong and consistent across the board. Its main Trustpilot profile rates 4.8 out of 5 from 129,363 write-ups, a figure independently confirmed by the live review widget on Avanti’s own site. Smart Money People’s travel insurance page shows 4.51 out of 5 from 1,631 responses. Reviews.io shows just one review, dated 2021, describing an outdated ownership structure, evidence that profile is stale rather than a genuine signal about the current business.
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Avanti was founded in Braintree, Essex, in 2009, then joined the Staysure Group in 2017. Its core difference from Staysure is a genuine cruise specialism, built around the kind of disruption only a cruise brings, from a missed port to being confined to your cabin by the ship’s medical staff. It also states it can consider more than 1,300 individual medical conditions during screening, though that figure comes from the insurer itself rather than an independently audited source.
“Cruise passengers are the reason we point readers to Avanti first. Cabin confinement and missed port cover aren’t things a standard travel policy thinks to include, and most cruise passengers only find that out once something’s already gone wrong. Avanti’s quote tool doesn’t ask for your phone number before it shows you a price, either, which matters if you’ve already sat through Staysure’s longer process and want a faster comparison.”
Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
Is your money protected if Avanti goes bust?
Yes. Avanti sells the policy, but the actual risk sits with a UK-regulated insurer called Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited, the same company that underwrites Avanti’s sister brand, Staysure. Because Great Lakes is UK-regulated, your policy is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. In plain terms: if Great Lakes ever went under, you’d still get back 90% of a valid claim, with no upper limit.
Avanti’s cover, compared
| Tier | Medical cover | Cancellation | Baggage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deluxe (non-cruise) | Unlimited | £7,500 | £3,000 |
| Deluxe (cruise) | Unlimited | £10,000 | £5,000 |
Cover for COVID-19 and other pandemic-related costs is excluded, in line with every insurer in this comparison, and travel to a destination the FCDO advises against voids the policy. Gadget cover is a paid add-on rather than included as standard. Winter sports cover comes included automatically on Annual Multi-Trip policies, up to £1,000 and capped at 17 days a year, but it’s a paid add-on on Single Trip and Long Stay policies.
What you get if you’re cruising
These extras apply on the cruise Deluxe tier only, not the non-cruise policy above. Cabin Confinement pays up to £500 if you’re confined to your cabin by the ship’s medical officer. Itinerary Change covers up to £100 per port if your route changes after departure. Unused Excursions refunds up to £500 for pre-paid shore excursions you can’t take, and Cruise Interruption pays up to £1,000 if your cruise is cut short. Emergency Evening Wear covers up to £100 if your luggage goes astray before a formal night.
This is the specialism that separates Avanti from Staysure’s broader, non-cruise-specific offer. If your trip includes even one cruise leg, check which policy actually names these extras before you buy, since a generic Deluxe non-cruise policy won’t include any of them.
Is Avanti the same company as Staysure?
Yes, and it’s worth knowing before you compare the two as if they were unrelated. Avanti was founded separately in Essex in 2009, then joined the Staysure Group in 2017. Both brands are arranged by the same TICORP Limited group structure and underwritten by the same insurer, Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited.
Neither is simply the better insurer. Avanti’s real advantage is the cruise-specific cover above, plus a quote tool that shows a price without asking for your phone number first. Staysure carries the wider name recognition and the larger review base. If you’re not cruising, comparing both is worth the extra few minutes; if a cruise is part of the trip, Avanti’s extras make it the better starting point.
Should you buy Avanti travel insurance?
Avanti earns its place as the default choice for cruise passengers, on the strength of cruise extras no non-cruise policy carries and a quote tool that won’t ask for your phone number before showing you a price. You’re genuinely covered if the worst happens, too, thanks to the FSCS safety net sitting behind the policy. The review evidence backs this up: a Trustpilot score that’s both higher and more internally consistent than most UK insurers we checked. To check current cover and get a quote, visit Avanti Travel Insurance directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is Avanti travel insurance any good?
Yes, on the strength of its review evidence. Avanti rates 4.8 out of 5 from 129,363 Trustpilot reviews and 4.51 from 1,631 on Smart Money People’s travel insurance page.
Does Avanti cover cruises?
Yes, this is Avanti’s specialism. Its cruise Deluxe tier adds cabin confinement, missed port cover, unused excursion refunds and cruise interruption cover that sit outside a standard policy’s scope.
Is Avanti the same company as Staysure?
Yes, they’re part of the same group and share an underwriter, Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited. It was founded separately in 2009 and joined the Staysure Group in 2017.
Which is better, Avanti or Staysure?
Cruise passengers should pick Avanti, for its cabin confinement and missed port cover, while Staysure suits the broadest acceptance of pre-existing conditions on a non-cruise trip. Both are part of the same group and share an underwriter, so the choice comes down to your trip type rather than one being the stronger insurer.
Can I get an Avanti quote without giving my phone number?
Yes. Avanti’s online tool shows a price after your trip and traveller details, without asking for a phone number first, unlike Staysure, which needs both an email address and phone number before it will show you anything.
What does Avanti’s FSCS protection actually cover?
If Avanti’s insurer ever went under, the FSCS would pay out 90% of a valid claim, with no upper limit. It’s 90% rather than 100% because travel insurance isn’t one of the compulsory classes of cover the scheme protects in full.
Does Avanti cover pre-existing medical conditions?
Yes, Avanti states it can consider more than 1,300 individual conditions during screening. That figure comes from the insurer itself rather than an independently audited source, so treat it as a starting point rather than a guarantee of acceptance.
More on travel insurance and your trip
For the standalone alternative with the wider name recognition and larger review base, see our Staysure reviews. Deciding whether to buy an airline’s own bundled cover instead? See our guides on whether Ryanair’s travel insurance, easyJet’s travel insurance, TUI’s travel insurance or Virgin Atlantic’s travel insurance is worth it. For the wider picture on package holidays, including what protection you get if a company collapses, see our guide to package holidays.
Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
How Kate works
Kate checks the details that can change the value of a trip, including cabin-bag rules, airline fees, hotel location, seasonality, travel dates and booking conditions. She is especially interested in offers that look useful on the surface but need a proper reader-first check before they are worth recommending.
Editorial standards
Flight Tribe covers deals and travel advice for readers first. Affiliate links do not decide whether an offer is worth writing about.
