An insurance policy that covers the body of the ship only is called

Marine insurance can be arranged to cover different interests connected with a sea voyage: the vessel itself, the goods it carries, or the risks of the specific journey. Each of these can be insured separately, so it matters exactly which interest a particular policy protects.

A policy that covers only the physical structure of the vessel, that is, the ship's hull and machinery, against loss or damage is called hull insurance. It protects the ship owner's investment in the vessel itself, not the goods being transported.

Cargo insurance instead protects the goods being carried on the ship, which is a different interest from the vessel. Voyage insurance and haulage insurance are broader or unrelated terms that do not specifically single out the ship's own body as the object of cover.

When a marine insurance question specifically mentions "the ship itself" or "the body of the vessel," the correct term to reach for is hull insurance, as distinct from cargo insurance for the goods on board.