Ferry delay compensation

asacarter

I’ve read the article on flight delay compensation. Does this also apply for ferry delay compensation in the UK.

I am currently on a Scottish island with over 40 other and the last ferry has been cancelled.

We haven’t been told why it was cancelled. We were told by the police that alternate accommodation was being arranged. 

Three hours later we are told that accommodation has only been arranged for children and we need to sleep on the chairs in the ferry terminal. There are no blankets or pillows.

We have only been offered a bottle of water and nothing to eat. We were told by the police that we can go buy food ourselves from the coop before it closes.

One person said they were going to the pub and the police told them not to bother coming back if they do.

oldernonethewiser

I found this which may be of interest

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-are-my-rights-if-my-ferry-is-delayed-or-cancelled-a5Im07L4CsXE

Which island are you on? Arran? 

If so it appears to be cancelled owing to fog

daveyjp

Calmac app amd website will give reason for cancellation.  I assume its Arran and reason is a weather cancellation earlier.

asacarter

Yes on Arran.

No food or overnight accommodation provided other than a plastic chair in the ferry terminal and small bottle of water. A kettle and 4 mugs for 20 people.

This law needs updating.

oldernonethewiser

asacarter said:

Yes on Arran.

No food or overnight accommodation provided other than a plastic chair in the ferry terminal and small bottle of water. A kettle and 4 mugs for 20 people.

This law needs updating.

One for your MP then I suppose.

Did the other 20+ mentioned earlier get some accommodation?

eskbanker

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/maritime-passenger-rights-your-journey explains the situation (and is what Which? refer to), and it does have some significant exclusions:

You should expect to be given refreshments if your trip has been delayed for 90 minutes or more

[...]

If there are no facilities to provide these refreshments, the ferry or cruise company does not have to supply them.

If your ferry journey is delayed or cancelled and you cannot be re-routed to your destination, you should be entitled to overnight accommodation.

The only exceptions to this are if the delay or cancellation is:

• caused by weather

You will not be entitled to a refund or compensation due to any extraordinary and unforeseen events that cause a delay to or cancellation of your journey.

Such events may include:

• unforeseen weather conditions that make it unsafe to sail

oldernonethewiser

Not any help to the OP but some background and information

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-65588142

asacarter

oldernonethewiser said:

Not any help to the OP but some background and information

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-65588142

Yes that’s the one. The article has some incorrect information. The BBC reached out but it doesn’t look like they used any of my quotes.

It says we were offered soup and sandwiches but we were not offered anything other than a voucher for a hot drink and hot roll on the return ferry 16 hours later the next day. That must have been at the accommodation the kids were given.

There were over 20 people left in the ferry terminal all night without accommodation. I managed about one hour sleep with all the lights left on all night on hard plastic chairs. Later they gave some of us a used high vis jacket as a sort of blanket.

The previous ferry seems to have left half empty in the same amount of fog.

During the 2 hour + chaos, the departure lounge was cordoned off and we had to sit on the floor of the ticket hall with 8 chairs for 60 people.