Ferry passengers can claim too – but not if bad weather is cause

THOUSANDS of holidaymakers travel by ferry or take a cruise each year – but they can be just as much blighted by delays and cancellations as other transport.

Ferry users have similar rights to airline passengers in the event of delays or cancellations. EU citizens can claim compensation of 25 per cent or 50 per cent of the ticket price for delays, depending on the length and duration of their journey.

Passengers delayed by an hour or more on journeys of four hours or less are entitled to a refund of 25 per cent of the ticket cost. In the case of delays totalling half or more of the journey time that rises to 50 per cent.

In the case of cancellation, or delays of more than 90 minutes, the ferry or cruise company must also provide food, drink and overnight accommodation if needed. Accommodation costs may be limited to €80 per night per passenger for a maximum of three nights.

This is under legislation laid down by the European Commission. The law around delay compensation relates to ferries or cruises departing from or arriving in an EU port.

Claims cannot be made for delays due to unforeseen circumstances, such as bad weather. Passengers need to send any claim to the e company concerned within two months of the delay.

If they are entitled to compensation, this must be paid out within one month.

Compensation must be paid in cash if this is requested. Otherwise, it may be paid in vouchers for future travel.

Cruises can cost a fortune. But the good news is that if there is a delay or cancellation, payouts are likely to be reasonable, according to the Association of British Travel Agents.

It says: ‘There are no specific rules around compensation payouts, but if a cruise is cancelled you should get a full refund.

‘In our experience payouts are usually generous – there was a case with a breakout of norovirus on board, and passengers got half their money back and a free cruise.’

If a cruise claim is rejected consider asking the Association of British Travel Agents for help. It will contact the company on your behalf to resolve the matter. It says: ‘We’ve had just 30 queries since January, so it is fair to say the companies usually honour requests for compensation.’