Ferries and cruise ships can be a good fit for mobility scooter users who want to travel without flying, but ships are not shops or airports. Space is tight, decks are different, and safety rules apply that are specific to vessels. This article summarises government guidance for disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility travelling by ship. The guidance is published by the UK government (the Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency), and applies the maritime passenger rights rules that were incorporated into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. GOV.UK lists it in a collection called “Maritime passenger rights: implementation requirements”, last updated in January 2021, so treat it as guidance rather than law, and check your operator’s own policy for what applies to your booking.
Scooters are “mobility equipment”, but the examples are wheelchairs
The guidance talks about mobility equipment and motorised wheelchairs and does not single out mobility scooters, so how a particular scooter is treated is something to confirm with the operator. What it does say is that the passenger will not be charged for taking onto the ship any medical or mobility equipment that is reasonably necessary for their needs during the voyage, assuming it is permitted on board.
Ships are different from premises on land
The guidance says ships are fundamentally different from premises ashore, with different legal requirements and practical safety considerations. It gives the example that large or heavy items of mobility equipment may not be permitted in all parts of the ship, particularly if the ship is small, and that information about restrictions will be available from the ship operator. If you have questions about a vessel’s capacity to carry particular equipment, you are advised to ask the operator. It also notes that on most ships not all cabins are designed for wheelchair users, which may limit the number of wheelchair users who can be carried.
Book early and be specific
Several parts of the guidance point to the same advice:
- If you need particular seating or an adapted cabin, tell the operator when you book. The guidance says adapted cabins are likely to be reserved first come, first served.
- If you need assistance in the port or on board, tell the operator and be specific. If you give less than 48 hours’ notice, the operator must make all reasonable efforts to provide assistance, but it cannot be guaranteed.
- If you want to bring your own wheelchair, check at booking that it can be safely accommodated and whether it will be restricted to particular areas of the ship. The guidance says safety grounds may limit both the size and the number of motorised wheelchairs, so being able to take yours may depend on how early you booked and how many other wheelchair users have booked the same sailing.
- Any medical equipment must be notified when you book. The guidance says some equipment may be restricted, and that electrical equipment may need to be tested to confirm it is safe for use on the ship.
The guidance is explicit that if you arrive at the port with equipment you have not told the operator about, you may be unable to take it on board, which could mean you cannot make the voyage.
Can an operator refuse a booking?
Yes, but only in limited circumstances. The guidance says the main one is where an operator has to refuse to carry a passenger, or equipment the passenger depends on, to meet statutory safety requirements, usually the requirement to be able to evacuate all passengers from most vessels within 30 minutes. The second is where the design of the ship or the ports it uses makes it impossible to embark, disembark or carry the passenger safely and practically, for example where passengers are transferred by tender. If you are refused, you should be told the specific reasons immediately, and can ask for them in writing within five working days. You can also expect the operator to suggest an alternative sailing if one exists.
At the port and on board
If you have requested assistance, the guidance says the operator must send formal confirmation, and if you do not receive it you may want to contact the operator before travelling. You should be told where to present yourself in the port and when, not more than 60 minutes before the published embarkation time. The port operator then helps with check-in and baggage (including mobility equipment) and sees you onto the ship. Where a ship departs from an unstaffed slipway or quay, the guidance says you will need to make your own arrangements and should contact the operator about alternatives.
On board, the guidance says that if your motorised wheelchair is too large or heavy for the passenger areas (and may need to stay on the car deck, for example), you will be provided with alternative equipment for the voyage. If you have a booking and have told the operator about your requirements but are nevertheless denied embarkation for reasons related to you, the guidance says you have the right to a full refund within seven days and, where safety requirements can be met, free travel back to your point of departure or to your destination by another route.
Companions
Where strictly necessary, the guidance says operators may require a disabled passenger to be accompanied by someone able to help. On a ferry that companion travels free, but the guidance says there is no such entitlement on cruises, so a cruise passenger who needs a companion must pay for them.
The bottom line
Ferry and cruise travel with a mobility scooter is very possible, but it depends on the ship. Tell the operator about your scooter, its size and weight, and any assistance you need when you book, get confirmation in writing, and be prepared for the possibility that a large scooter may not be allowed in passenger areas.
Sources
- Department for Transport and Maritime and Coastguard Agency, “Guidance for disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility when travelling by ship (guidance note 5)” (gov.uk)