New Underwriting Guide - Geographical Deviation

A carrier has an obligation under a contract of carriage to proceed on a particular voyage from the place of delivery to the final port of discharge without any unreasonable geographical deviation from that route and without unreasonable delay.

An intentional and unreasonable change in the geographical route of the voyage may, in the absence of suitable liberty clauses in the contract of carriage, be sufficient to constitute a deviation and represent a breach of that contract.

The consequences of this for the carrier, including the impact on P&I cover, are set out in a new Underwriting Guide on Geographical Deviation, which can be found on our website or downloaded West of England: Underwriting Guides.