£2 million public liability insurance: what it covers

"Insurance" is the box every cruise parking operator ticks in the marketing copy. The figure that sits behind the box is the one that matters. Ours is £2 million of public liability cover for the duration of every booking. This page covers what that figure actually means, what it covers, and why it is worth comparing across operators.

What public liability insurance covers

Public liability insurance covers the operator's responsibility for damage or loss caused to a third party (in this case, you the customer) during the period the operator has control of the vehicle.

For cruise parking, that means damage to your vehicle while it is in our care: at handover, in transit between the cruise terminal and the compound, in the compound, and back to you on return.

If something we do or fail to do leads to damage to your car, the public liability cover applies up to the £2 million limit.

What the £2 million figure means

The figure is the maximum we are insured for on a single incident. £2 million is well above the value of any single passenger vehicle, which means the cover comfortably handles the realistic scenarios.

In practice, the most common claims are minor: a small scuff during a tight manoeuvre, a parking-bay knock, a low-speed bump in the compound. These are well below the policy limit.

The £2 million figure also covers more serious scenarios that are statistically rare: a fire in the compound (CCTV monitoring helps prevent this), an incident involving multiple vehicles, a major collision in transit between the terminal and the compound.

What it does not cover

A few common misunderstandings worth clearing up.

It does not cover damage that was already there. That is what the body-cammed walk-around and body-cam record of the walk-around are for. If the car arrives with a scratch and goes home with the same scratch, no claim arises. Our body-cam record is the definitive record.

It does not cover items left inside the car. Personal property in the vehicle is not insured under our public liability policy. Most cruise customers leave nothing of value in the car for this reason.

It does not cover the running costs of being without your car. If a car-related incident means you cannot drive home immediately, the cover does not pay for taxis, hire cars, or hotel nights.

It does not replace your own car insurance. Your standard motor insurance applies as well, and may cover scenarios our policy does not.

Why the figure varies between operators

When comparing Southampton cruise parking operators, the public liability figure is one of the clearer like-for-like comparisons. Common figures across credible operators:

• £2 million is the standard for credible Southampton cruise operators.
• £1 million is the floor for some smaller operators.
• £5 million is the figure some larger operators carry.

The right number is the one that comfortably exceeds the realistic worst case. £2 million does that with a margin.

Be cautious of any operator who does not publish a specific figure ("comprehensive insurance" with no number) or carries less than £1 million.

Body-cam and body-cam record: why they matter for claims

The body-cam handover is part of how the insurance works in practice.

The records establish the condition of the car at the start and end of the booking. If a claim arises, the records make it clear what changed during the booking versus what was already there.

The compound side

The compound is gated, CCTV-monitored, with overnight lockdown. These are the operational measures that reduce the chance of an incident in the first place.

Most of the rare incidents that do occur in cruise parking happen in transit (between the terminal and the compound) rather than in the compound itself. Both are covered by the £2 million policy.

What happens if something goes wrong

A short, honest summary of what happens if you spot damage on return that was not there before:

You flag it during the return walk-around.

If both agree the damage is new, we record the details. We then handle the claim through our insurer.

The process from incident notification to repair authorisation is usually 1 to 3 weeks. The exact timeline depends on the nature of the damage.

We do not delay or contest legitimate claims. The body-cam infrastructure is built to remove the disputes that delay claims in operators without documentation.

What to do if you have a question about cover

For specific questions about the policy or particular scenarios, the office number is 07767 227 739. The email for documented enquiries is bookings@cruiseazureparking.com.

Booking

The quote tool returns the flat published price for your sailing. The £2 million public liability cover is included; there is no separate insurance add-on at checkout.