Cruise Medical or Fit-to-Cruise Certificate
Many cruise lines ask passengers to present a fit to cruise certificate before boarding, particularly those with an existing health condition. Our registered UK doctors review your details online and issue a signed certificate. No appointment needed.
Each certificate follows an individual clinical assessment by a licensed UK doctor and sets out that doctor's clinical opinion in writing for your cruise line to consider. Cruise lines set their own medical requirements and the decision to embark a passenger is always the operator's.
✔ Issued by a registered UK doctor following clinical review
✔ Written to address the pre boarding health information cruise lines ask for
✔ Most requests reviewed same day, from £47
LET'S GET STARTED 
Accepted by most UK employers, universities and insurers, subject to their own policies. All consultations are subject to clinical assessment and certificates are issued only where clinically appropriate.
Receive a full refund if we can’t provide a certificate
How It Works
Complete short online consult
No appointment required.
Complete a short medical questionnaire and upload any supporting evidence.
Doctor reviews your evidence
A GMC-registered doctor reviews your submission individually.
✔ Full refund if a certificate cannot be issued.
Receive your certificate
Most certificates are issued same day, almost all by 9AM the next morning. Delivered as a signed PDF. A doctor will email you if more evidence is needed.
Certificate security
Every MedicalCert certificate can be checked as genuine
Each certificate is issued with anti-tampering protection and its own verification reference. If your employer, university, airline or insurer wants to confirm the document came from a GMC-registered doctor, they can check it against MedicalCert records. Altered or copied documents do not pass that check.
Very happy, I ordered my Medical Certificate in the early morning hours and before noon time of same day I had it on my inbox. Speedy service and they present the health condition precisely, get to the point.
They meet the incredibly fast turnaround stated (certificate/letter sent before 9am the following morning if the doctor feels that a letter/certificate is appropriate) which is incredibly quick and I am really grateful for the help provided!
Very easy and quick to get my certificate. And the certificate was approved from the specific company to travel with my dog. I will use them again. Well done.
Second time using this company and they are fabulous! Always great, fast, friendly service. Highly recommend!
This was my second time using Medical Cert, and once again the service was exceptionally quick and professional. Everything was handled efficiently, with clear communication throughout.
I found the service very straight forward and quick. Exactly what I needed to get my Padi medical form signed before our holiday. Thank you very much.
Process was easy and responses were quick. I would recommend their service.
Fast efficient service for medical certificates. I used the not fit to fly service and was provided with a certificate the next day, the price is very reasonable and enabled a flight credit refund with my airline. Would recommend and would use again if needed.
A fast and efficient service. It wasn't complicated and the Fit-to-fly note was accepted by the Airport without any further questions. Thank you.
Ideal for me, I am looking to get a certificate for some medical issues I have. So this is the perfect solution for me, uploading docs was easy and the forms very straightforward to fill in. Will definitely use them again. Many thanks.
Quick and reasonably pain-free. Received their standard certificate as well as my requested bespoke certificate, by email, by 9am the following morning. Both completed properly, signed and stamped as required. More expensive than my GP, but infinitely quicker and easier.
One of the best experiences. It's easy to get a GP note.
Excellent. My GP refuses to issue DWP MED 3 Fit Notes to students. MedicalCert were excellent and extremely helpful in providing a necessary certificate. Highly recommended.
You were amazing, you kept me updated and replied promptly to any queries I had. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
They helped me, they were very professional and nice.
Very pleased. Quick service with very professional letter provided.
Great service, pretty straight forward and easy to use the website.
I was recommended Medical Cert by a friend and was so impressed with the service received. I would recommend using a laptop rather than a phone. Overall a fantastic and fast service.
Fit to Cruise Certificate
Yes, you can get a fit to cruise certificate online from a GMC-registered UK doctor. A fit to cruise certificate is a doctor-signed letter confirming you are medically fit to travel by cruise ship. Cruise operators require it most commonly for expedition voyages to remote destinations, passengers with pre-existing health conditions, pregnant travellers, and anyone recently hospitalised or recovering from surgery.
A MedicalCert fit to cruise certificate is issued by a GMC-registered UK doctor, covers both standard and expedition cruises, and can include completion of any cruise line-specific medical forms for an additional £15. Most certificates are delivered same day. The certificate records a doctor's clinical opinion. It does not guarantee boarding, because each cruise line sets its own medical requirements and the final decision to embark a passenger is always the operator's.
Who Requires a Fit to Cruise Certificate?
Not all cruise passengers need a medical certificate. It becomes necessary in the following situations:
Expedition and remote route cruises
Cruises to Antarctica, the Arctic, the Galapagos, remote Pacific islands, or other destinations far from medical facilities usually require every passenger to be medically screened, whatever their state of health. HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) requires all guests on its Antarctica voyages to submit a Medical Screening Form, with one section completed by a doctor and the whole form reviewed by its medical partner. Quark Expeditions requires every passenger to complete a medical form, plus a second form signed by a physician if you have any of the conditions it lists or take prescription medication. Requirements differ between operators, so work from the form your own operator sends you.
Passengers with pre-existing conditions
Many cruise lines ask for medical clearance from passengers declaring heart disease, COPD, recent surgery, dialysis dependency, poorly controlled diabetes, or other conditions that may need managing during a voyage. P&O Cruises, Cunard and Royal Caribbean each publish their own health and pregnancy requirements, and they are not identical, so read the policy for the line you have booked.
Pregnant passengers
Cruise pregnancy limits fall much earlier than airline limits. Most major lines will not carry a passenger who will have passed roughly 24 weeks of pregnancy at any point during the voyage, and some apply that limit to the disembarkation date rather than the sailing date. Royal Caribbean, for example, cannot accept guests who will be more than 23 weeks pregnant at any time during the cruise, and asks every guest to confirm this on a health questionnaire before boarding. Lines that do carry pregnant passengers generally want a letter from a doctor or midwife giving the estimated date of delivery and confirming the pregnancy is not high risk. Check the published policy for your own operator before booking, because both the cut-off and the paperwork vary.
Longer voyages and world cruises
Extended cruises lasting several weeks, particularly world cruises with limited port access, may require pre-departure medical clearance. This ensures passengers can manage without acute medical intervention during prolonged periods at sea.
Post-surgery or post-hospitalisation
Passengers recently discharged from hospital or recovering from surgery may be asked for medical clearance before being accepted on board. TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) advises that people with chronic health conditions, immunosuppression or significant mobility problems consult their doctor, nurse or a travel clinic before booking a cruise, and that anyone with a pre-existing condition carries a written summary of their medical history from their doctor or hospital specialist.
Cruise line request at embarkation
Cruise health screeners may request a certificate on the day if a passenger appears unwell or discloses a significant condition at check-in. Having documentation ready in advance can help avoid delays at the terminal, but it cannot commit the operator, which may still decline to embark a passenger on the day.
Standard Certificate vs Expedition Certificate
The level of medical assessment depends on your cruise type. Mainstream cruises require confirmation of general fitness, while expedition cruises to remote destinations require a more detailed assessment of physical capacity and medical self-sufficiency.
| Feature | Standard Fit to Cruise | Expedition Cruise |
|---|---|---|
| Typical operators | P&O, Cunard, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Celebrity | Hurtigruten, Silversea, Quark, G Adventures, Oceanwide |
| Destinations | Mediterranean, Caribbean, Nordics, transatlantic | Antarctica, Arctic, Galapagos, remote Pacific |
| Assessment level | General fitness, absence of travel contraindications | Physical capacity, medical self-sufficiency, emergency resilience |
| Stable conditions | Accepted with regular medication | Accepted if fully self-manageable without hospital access |
| Operator forms | Completed if required | Completed as standard (most operators mandate their own form) |
| Proximity to medical facilities | Regular port stops, onboard medical centre | May be days from nearest port or hospital evacuation |
🚢 Standard Fit to Cruise Certificate
- → Mainstream cruise lines (P&O, Cunard, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Celebrity, etc.)
- → Confirms general health and absence of contraindications to sea travel
- → Suitable for stable conditions with regular medication
- → Cruise line-specific forms completed if required
🧊 Expedition Cruise Certificate
- → Remote expeditions: Antarctica, Arctic, Galapagos, etc.
- → Operators: Hurtigruten, Silversea, Quark, G Adventures, Oceanwide
- → More detailed assessment of physical capacity and medical self-sufficiency
- → Operator-specific medical declaration forms completed as part of the service
Why the bar is higher for expedition cruises
Expedition cruises to Antarctica or the Arctic may be many hours or days from the nearest port with medical facilities. In an emergency, evacuation may be impossible because of weather or sea conditions. Antarctic operators therefore screen every passenger medically before sailing, which HX describes as part of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) requirement for visitors to be medically cleared before their journey. The fitness decision itself rests with the operator and its own medical reviewers, not with IAATO and not with the doctor who completes your paperwork. Operators expect passengers to be physically capable and medically self-sufficient for the whole voyage, not merely free from acute illness.
Passengers on dialysis, active oncology treatment, or requiring regular hospital monitoring may not be suitable regardless of certification status. Always check your operator's specific medical exclusion criteria before booking.
What the Certificate Includes
Certificate contents
- ✔ Your name, date of birth, and contact details
- ✔ Cruise line name, departure date, and itinerary type where relevant
- ✔ Confirmation of general fitness for sea travel
- ✔ Relevant conditions confirmed as stable and managed
- ✔ For expedition cruises: statement on physical capacity and medical self-sufficiency
- ✔ GMC registration number of the signing doctor
- ✔ Unique QR code so the recipient can check the certificate is genuine
If your cruise operator provides their own medical declaration form, include it with your consultation submission. The reviewing doctor will complete and sign the operator's form alongside the standard certificate, for an additional £15.
How to Get Your Fit to Cruise Certificate
Complete the online consultation form
Provide your cruise line, departure date, itinerary type (standard or expedition), and relevant medical history. Upload any supporting records: GP letter, hospital discharge summary, or the operator's own medical declaration form.
GMC-registered doctor reviews your case
A UK-registered doctor assesses your fitness for the specific cruise type and itinerary. For expedition cruises, the assessment is more detailed and considers medical self-sufficiency factors. If further information is needed, the doctor will contact you before issuing.
Certificate and forms delivered same day
Your signed PDF certificate, and any completed operator forms, arrive in your inbox same day or by 9am next morning. If the doctor cannot issue on clinical grounds, you receive a full refund.
Fit to Cruise FAQs
Sources and further reading
- TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC), Cruises factsheet, pre-travel health preparation and onboard medical care guidance
- Royal Caribbean, pregnancy policy, the 23 week limit and the health questionnaire required before boarding
- HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions), entry and travel requirements, the Antarctica Medical Screening Form, its doctor section and its deadlines
- Quark Expeditions, medical form guidance, when a physician must sign and the 90 day submission deadline
- General Medical Council, the online medical register, verify any doctor's GMC registration
