Rights of ship passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility | Traficom
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Transport and Communications Agency

Rights of ship passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility

If your mobility is reduced for example as a result of old age or disability, you are entitled to special assistance free of charge in ports and on board ships. The best way to ensure you will get the help you need is to notify your needs in advance. Learn more about assistance services and your rights in different situations.

In a port, the terminal operator will assist you in the port terminal and in proceeding to the ship. During the journey, assistance is provided by the carrier.

Assistance is always provided free of charge. The purpose of assistance is to make travelling easier and guarantee everyone equal rights to travel by ship. 

Who is entitled to assistance?

Different disabilities may make it difficult to use transport services. Not every disability is visible to the eye.

ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED TO PERSONS WITH PERMANENTLY OR TEMPORARILY REDUCED MOBILITY

Assistance can be provided, for example, to elderly passengers, persons using a wheelchair or persons with hearing or visual impairments. 

Assistance is also provided to disabled persons and, for example, persons with autism spectrum disorders or memory disorders.

Notify your need for assistance in advance

We recommend that you bring up your need for assistance already when you book your journey. That way you can ensure you get the help you need.

Inform the carrier, port terminal operator, travel agent or tour operator of your need for assistance. You can provide the details of your need for assistance in the booking system. Sometimes you may need to give the information by telephone or by filling in a separate online form, for example.

NOTIFY YOUR NEED FOR ASSISTANCE AT THE LATEST 48 HOURS BEFORE YOUR FLIGHT

Notify your need for assistance when you book your journey or at the latest 48 hours before the journey. 

No extra fees can be charged for notifying the need for assistance. 

If your ticket permits multiple journeys, one notification is usually enough. This is the case if information on the timing of the subsequent journeys is available when you make the notification. If you have booked your journeys separately with separate tickets, your need for assistance will not automatically be communicated to different carriers. You must separately inform all of them of your need for assistance. 

If you have not made an advance notification of your need for assistance, efforts will be made to ensure you can travel on the service. However, it may be that not all your requests can be fulfilled.

Assess your real need for assistance

No medical certificate or other document is required to receive assistance. You must assess the type of assistance you will need during the journey. Please keep in mind that distances at ports may be long.

When you notify your need for assistance, please be as specific as possible. 

What kind of assistance can I get on ship journeys?

Ship passengers’ rights apply to journeys departing from a port in an EU country. The rights also apply to ship journeys arriving from outside the EU if they are operated by a carrier established in an EU country.

The rights do not apply to short excursions or sightseeing tours. They also do not apply to ships that can only carry a few passengers or have a crew of no more than 3 persons. 

  • Please arrive at the port in good time. Unless otherwise agreed, you should be there at least one hour before the departure time.
  • You can announce your arrival at an assistance call point at the terminal. The point may be located inside or outside the port terminal, and it is signposted.

 

The carrier and the terminal operator will help you in the port with embarkation and disembarkation and on board the ship during the journey. Assistance is free of charge.

You are entitled to assistance with the following: 

  • moving from the call point to check-in and security control in the port 
  • embarking and disembarking from the ship
  • storing and retrieving baggage on the ship
  • proceeding through immigration and customs points
  • making your way to the toilet facilities
  • handling and carrying mobility equipment
  • temporary replacement of damaged or lost mobility equipment with equipment which is a suitable alternative
  • ground handling of recognised assistance dogs and their carriage on board the ship. Assistance dogs always travel free of charge with the person they assist.

No charge for accompanying person

For safety reasons, the carrier or travel agent may require you to travel with an accompanying person who can assist you during the journey. In scheduled service, the person accompanying you travels free of charge.  

Upon your request, this person can assist you in the port and with embarking and disembarking.  

On board the ship, the accompanying person must be given a seat or a cabin next to you, if possible.

How to request special assistance

  • Step 1

    Notify your need for assistance in advance

    Notify your need for assistance already when you book your journey or at the latest 48 hours before the departure time.

    When you describe the help you need, be as specific as possible. 

  • Step 2

    Tell what assistive devices you need

    Remember to mention all the equipment you will need, including mobility equipment, such as a wheelchair, and assistance dog or medical equipment. 

     

  • Step 3

    One notification is usually enough

    If your ticket permits multiple journeys, one notification is usually enough.

  • Step 4

    Request confirmation of the assistance

    Request written confirmation of the assistance.

  • Step 5

    Contact an assistant

    Contact an assistant via an assistance call point in the port by the time determined. 

Your rights in different situations

Carriers, travel agents and tour operators are not allowed to refuse to accept your reservation or take you on board on the grounds of disability or reduced mobility.  

Reservations or transport may only be refused for safety reasons or if the design of the ship or port makes it impossible for you to travel on the service. Your safety must always be ensured during a journey.

Personal assistant

Because of safety requirements, the carrier, travel agent or tour operator may require you to travel with an accompanying person who can assist you during the journey.

If the carrier or other operator refuses to accept your reservation or take you on board, you can request to be accompanied by your personal assistant to help you during the journey. In this case, your assistant can travel free of charge. Efforts will also be made to have your assistant sit next to you. 

Your reservation is refused

If your reservation is refused because of safety reasons or the design of the ship or port, the carrier, travel agent or tour operator must make all reasonable efforts to propose an acceptable alternative.

You are denied access on board

If you are denied access on board because of safety reasons or the design of the ship or port, you have the right to reimbursement of the ticket price or re-routing.

If you choose re-routing, you must be offered a new connection at the earliest opportunity. You can also opt for re-routing at a later date at your convenience, if there are tickets available.

If carriage is refused during the journey, you are entitled to return service to your point of departure. 

The return service and re-routing can only be provided if it is safe.

If you choose reimbursement, the ticket purchase price must be paid back to you within 7 days. You are entitled to reimbursement for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the journey no longer serves any purpose in relation to your original travel plan. 

Reasons for refusal must be given without delay

You must be immediately given a reason why your reservation or carriage has been refused. If you are required to have your own assistant to accompany you, the grounds for this demand must also be explained. 

The grounds for the refusal must be given in writing within five working days.

You are entitled to have all the mobility equipment you need during the journey, such as a wheelchair or rollator, carried free of charge. You can also take with you all the medication and other medical equipment you need during the journey.  

You can take an assistance dog with you free of charge. 

Mention that you will be travelling with an assistance dog already when you book your journey.

When travelling abroad with an assistance dog, make sure you have all the documents required in your country of destination, such as vaccination certificates and import licences. 

MAKE A COMPLAINT: RIGHTS OF SHIP PASSENGERS WITH DISABILITIES OR REDUCED MOBILITY

If your rights have not been respected in connection with a ship journey, you can make a complaint. In the event of a problem, always first contact the carrier or port terminal operator. 

If necessary, you can also contact the authority overseeing passenger rights. In Finland, the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility in ship journeys are supervised by Traficom. 

Instructions on how to make a complaint if your rights have not been respected when travelling by ship

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