Stalled Voyages: Ferry delays and cancellations

Ferries are a staple of British summer travel – as people hop across the channel on European trips. Since Brexit the queues have become disastrous – and on top of new EU border checks, the Paris Olympics has put even more pressure on busy ports, with two-hour waits at peak hours.

There are laws protecting travellers in the case of ferry delays and cancellations. But we’ve been contacted by many people who are less than sure about what these are. 

Here we explain what you can expect if your voyage is stalled – and how to calculate the compensation you are owed.  

The law

In 2012, the European Union introduced a regulation to cover delays for ferries arriving or departing from the EU. After Brexit, these laws still protect UK ferries and passengers. For the regulations to cover the journey, the ferry must transport more than 12 passengers, there must be more than 3 members of staff and the journey must be longer than 500 metres.

If your ferry operator expects your departure to be delayed, the operator should inform you as soon as possible. When a disruption occurs on the day of travel, you should be informed no later than 30 minutes after your scheduled departure time.

If your ferry is cancelled or delayed by more than 90 minutes, you will be offered the choice between: 

• An alternative ferry at the earliest opportunity for no additional cost – although it may be rerouted to an alternative destination.
• Reimbursement of the full price of your ticket within seven days.
• Overnight accommodation while you wait for your ferry. 

 Use Resolver to raise a Travel complaint

When should you get compensation?

To claim compensation, your ferry must be cancelled or delayed by more than 90 minutes. There are different rates of compensation depending on the specific circumstances. 

You can claim 25% of the ticket price if:

• The delay is 1 hour or more for journeys under 4 hours;
• The delay is 2 hours or more for journeys between 4 and 8 hours;
• The delay is 3 hours or more for journeys between 8 and 24 hours;
• The delay is 6 hours or more for journeys over 24 hours.

If the delay is double the above you can claim 50% of the ticket price in compensation. For example, if you were delayed 2 hours for a journey under 4 hours. This must be paid within one month of the submission of your claim. 

What are you entitled to during a delay?

If you are delayed more than 90 minutes you should also receive snacks and refreshments – regardless of the reason for the delay. The Department for Transport states that if the delay is more than eight hours, a hot meal should be provided. However, the ability to provide refreshments may be affected by the time of day and facilities available at the particular port or onboard the ferry – so bear that in mind. 

If you are delayed overnight or choose to wait for your ferry, then you should be provided with accommodation for up to 3 nights, with financial assistance of up to €80 a night. 

Exceptions 

As with  flights, if a ferry is delayed or cancelled as a result of exceptional circumstances such as bad weather, natural disasters, civil unrest and staff strikes then no compensation is due.

If you know in advance that there will be something like strike action, it may be best not to travel to the port – as you’ll only be wasting your own time and effort with no chance of reimbursement. 

Use Resolver to make a claim with a ferry company

If you have any thoughts on this topic, or any other consumer issues you would like us to cover, feel free to get in touch with us at support@resolver.co.uk.