Information on passenger rights in passenger shipping (EU Regulation No. 1177/2010)

If a departure is canceled or delayed, the carrier or terminal operator shall inform passengers as soon as possible (no later than 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time) of the estimated time of departure and arrival. If the departure is canceled or is expected to be delayed by more than 90 minutes, passengers shall normally be offered snacks, meals or refreshments free of charge in reasonable relation to the waiting time. If overnight accommodation is necessary, the carrier shall, where practicable, offer passengers suitable accommodation on board or ashore free of charge (limited to EUR 80 per passenger per night for a maximum of three nights ashore). This does not apply in each case if the passenger was informed of the cancellation or delay before purchasing the ticket or if the cancellation or delay was caused by the passenger's own fault or by weather conditions affecting the safe operation of the ship.

If a departure is canceled or delayed by more than 90 minutes, the carrier will immediately offer passengers either re-routing (at no extra charge) or a refund of the ticket price and, if necessary, a free return trip to the place of departure.

Passengers are entitled to compensation in addition to transportation in the event of a delayed arrival. The compensation amounts to at least 25 % of the fare in the event of a delay of at least

• one hour for a scheduled journey of up to four hours;
• two hours for a scheduled journey of more than four hours and up to eight hours;
• three hours for a scheduled journey of more than eight hours and up to 24 hours;
• six hours for a scheduled journey of more than 24 hours.

If the delay is more than twice the times specified above, the compensation shall amount to 50% of the fare. The carrier is not liable if the passenger was informed of the cancellation or delay before purchasing the ticket, if the passenger is at fault for the cancellation or delay, or if the cancellation or delay was caused by weather conditions that affect the safe operation of the ship or by extraordinary circumstances that cannot be prevented despite all reasonable measures and that hinder the provision of the passenger transport service.

These rights do not apply to passengers with tickets with open travel dates as long as no departure time is specified, unless they have a timed ticket.

Carriers may not refuse to issue a ticket or offer tickets with a surcharge due to a disability or reduced mobility of persons as such. A refusal may only be considered in order to comply with applicable safety requirements or if safe embarkation, disembarkation or transportation is not possible due to the design of the ship or the infrastructure and facilities of the port. In this case, the carrier shall explain the reasons and make all reasonable efforts to offer an acceptable alternative transportation.
Special requirements for carriage must be communicated to the contracting party at the latest when the contract of carriage is concluded. The carrier is only required to provide assistance if the disabled person contacts the carrier or terminal operator at least 48 hours before the assistance is required and arrives at the designated contact point no more than 60 minutes before the embarkation time or no later than 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time; otherwise, the carrier will make every effort to facilitate the journey.

A complaint must first be addressed to the carrier or terminal operator within two months of the actual or planned performance of the journey. The carrier must inform the passenger of the further progress of the complaint within one month of receiving it. The final response must be provided within two months of receipt of the complaint. If further clarification is required, Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr e.V., Fasanenstraße 81, 10623 Berlin, Tel: 030/6449933-0, [email protected], schlichtung-reise-und-verkehr.de. Enforcement body for passenger rights: Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA), Heinemannstraße 6, 53175 Bonn, Tel: +49 228/30795-400, www.eba.bund.de. Further information on the wording of passenger rights can be found at: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/HTML/.