Journeys by ship

These pages provide information and instructions for cancelled and delayed ship journeys in case of a foreign shipping company.

Ship passenger rights

These pages provide information and instructions for cancelled and delayed ship journeys in case of a foreign shipping company. For instructions on how to make a complaint, see the section on how to complain.

Validity of your rights

The rights of ship passengers apply on seas and inland waterways on passenger ships when:

  • the passenger boards the vessel in a port of an EU member state
  • the port of embarkation is outside the EU and the port of
  • disembarkation is situated in the EU territory and the service is operated by an EU carrier

The rights do not apply to the following types of vessels:

  • ships that can carry no more than 12 passengers
  • ships that have no more than 3 crew members
  • ships that cover a distance of less than 500 metres, one way
  • most types of historical ships

Some of the rights are not applicable on cruises that include over two nights on board the ship. In these instances you can refer to the terms and conditions of the trip

Ship journey as part of a package tour or travel package

If ship journey is part of a package tour or travel package, the consumer has additional protection based on package travel legislation in addition to ship passenger rights.

Read more

Our newsletter story on ship passenger rights

Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority website on cancellations and delays in ship travel

Rights of persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility in maritime and inland waterway transport (Trafi)

Ship passenger rights in the EU