The Consumer Council reminds P&O Ferries passengers of their rights following cancellations by the company

Sailings to and from Larne and Cairnryan remain cancelled and the company is organising travel for customers via an alternative operator.

Hannah Brown, Senior Transport Policy Officer at the Consumer Council said: “Passengers who were due to sail on P&O Ferries over the coming days are entitled to an alternative sailing to their destination at the earliest opportunity under comparable conditions at no additional cost, or a full refund. Passengers may also be entitled to compensation depending on the length of delay to their final destination and the cause of the delay. P&O Ferries is advising customers who are due to travel to check its Twitter for the latest advice.”

Consumer rights at glance

If your ferry is cancelled, you should be provided with:

• A choice of an alternative sailing OR a full refund.
• Overnight accommodation if necessary, provided by the ferry company where possible (but not in instances of severe weather). It can be limited to £70 per night and maximum of three nights.
• You may be entitled to compensation depending on length of delay to your destination and it will be a percentage of the cost of the ticket price. You are not entitled to compensation where delays are caused by severe weather or extraordinary circumstances.

The Consumer Council’s website has a number of free resources including a Plain Sailing guide, which outlines ferry passengers’ rights when faced with delays and cancellations.