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General Terms and Conditions
All bookings are subject to our normal terms and conditions of carriage of passengers plus the following:
- Accompanied Luggage:
Each adult passenger may bring up to two bags, each weighing no more than 15kg, plus one piece of hand luggage, free of charge. This allowance applies to personal luggage used for private, domestic or social purposes.
Bag Weight Limit:
For health and safety reasons, we operate a 15kg maximum weight per bag policy. Bags over this limit may be refused, or you may be asked to split the contents between two bags.
Excess or Special Luggage:
Additional or overweight items, including camping gear, musical instruments, filming/radio equipment, commercial samples, and surfboards, may be accepted on passenger ferries only if space allows and will be charged at passenger cargo rates.
We may transfer these items to the next available cargo ferry if necessary, in which case cargo rates will apply.
Dangerous Goods:
Dangerous or hazardous items are not permitted on passenger ferries and must be sent via the cargo service.
Unaccompanied Luggage:
A consignment note must be completed by the Shipper for all unaccompanied luggage (luggage is as defined above under accompanied luggage) carried on passenger and cargo vessels and the appropriate fee paid. For further details please email info@sarkshipping.gg or telephone 01481 724059.
Reservations, Payment & Ticket Issue:
Reservations must be paid in full at time of booking; internet bookings will receive a booking confirmation by email. Please check your junk box if not received. Bookings made by telephone can be confirmed by email upon request. All booking confirmations must be exchanged for a valid ticket by calling into the Guernsey or Sark office at least 25 minutes prior to your sailing time.
Passengers must arrive at the departure point at least 15 minutes before the scheduled sailing time; vessels cannot be boarded without the passenger holding a valid ticket issued by the Company. The Company reserves the right to refuse boarding if tickets have not been collected within 15 minutes of the scheduled sailing time.
Departure Points:
Guernsey departure point is Inter Island Quay, St Peter Port and Sark departure point is La Maseline Harbour.
Surcharge:
We reserve the right to apply a surcharge to any of our fares.
Infants & Children:
Infants are aged 0 to 2 years inclusive. Children are aged 3 to 14 years inclusive. We reserve the right to ask for proof of age.
Unaccompanied Children:
We regret we are unable to carry children under the age of 11 years unless they are accompanied by an adult, parent or guardian.
Ticket Changes:
Passenger vessel tickets can be changed up to 30 minutes before departure. An amendment fee of £2.50 per ticket is payable for any changes to a booking which alters either date or time of travel.
Cancellations & Refunds:
Cancellations made 30 days or more before date of travel will receive a full refund less a £2.50 per booking administration fee. Cancellations made between 7 and 29 days before departure date will receive a refund of 75% of total fare paid. Cancellations made between 1 and 6 days before departure date will receive a refund of 50% of total fare paid. No refunds are made for cancellations made on day of departure or when passenger fails to sail as booked. You will lose your booking if you do not turn up for the sailing.
Sailing Times:
Whilst every effort is made to sail to our published timetable, delays due to weather & tidal conditions, operational reasons, and congestion in the Harbours at Guernsey & Sark do occur; onwards travel should be arranged bearing these facts in mind. We reserve the right to cancel or change the times of sailings due to adverse weather conditions or operational reasons. If such a change or cancellation is made the £2.50 administration fee is waived. Full refunds will be issued for tickets on sailings cancelled by IOSS.
Disabled Persons:
Due to the design of the Company’s vessels, we do not have facilities for disabled passengers on board. Access for embarkation and disembarkation of the vessels in both Guernsey and Sark can get difficult and, because of the large tidal range of the Channel Islands, this can be anything up to 30 steps in Sark's harbour and a very steep ramp in Guernsey's harbour. For insurance reasons Company staff are unable to carry wheelchair bound passengers up or down the steps and on or off its vessels. Company staff will give assistance to disabled persons who are able to walk up or down the steps, there is a hand rail and it is wide enough to have a person along side to assist up and down the steps Sark side.
Invalid Carriages / Mobility Scooters Plus Power Assisted Wheelchairs, Bicycles and Tricycles:
These are not permitted to be driven on Sark unless they are licenced by the Sark Road Traffic Committee. For details of licencing please contact the Chairman of the Road Traffic Committee either by email: road.traffic@gov.sark.gg or by telephoning the Committee Secretary on 01481 832118.
Group Travel:
Groups of 12 to 20 persons can be booked by emailing groups@sarkshipping.gg or by visiting www.sarkshipping.gg/group-bookings. Groups of 12 to 20 persons must travel on the same outward and return sailings.
Groups of 21 persons or more can be booked by emailing the office directly to groups@sarkshipping.gg. Upon request, return sailing times can differ for groups larger than 21 persons. Bookings will be made as a reservation but must paid in full no later than 21 days before departure date and are subject to availability.
Student Concession:
This is a concession for Sark residents aged 16 to 24 inclusive who are in full time education. A student travel card will be issued upon submission of a completed application form together with a passport sized photograph, proof of age and a letter of confirmation from the university or college which they attend, giving details of the full time courses for which they are studying. Application forms are available at the Sark and Guernsey offices.
Animals:
Dogs may be carried on all vessels at the Captain’s discretion. They must be accompanied by a responsible adult and kept under proper control at all times. Dogs must remain on a lead or within a suitable carrier for the duration of the voyage and whilst on quay areas.
Any dog that, in the opinion of the Master or crew, presents a risk, nuisance, or distress to other passengers or crew must be suitably restrained and may be required to wear a muzzle. The Company reserves the right to refuse carriage or require removal of any animal that is not adequately controlled.
Dogs must not foul the vessel or quay areas. Owners are responsible for the immediate clean-up and safe disposal of any fouling.
All other animals must be contained in a suitable carriage box and the Company reserves the right to charge passenger vessel cargo rates for the carriage of animals in a carriage box. Passengers travelling with animals are responsible for the actions of those animals.
In the event your dog requires assistance to get on or off the boat you must carry them on/off yourself.
Assistance dogs: Registered assistance dogs are permitted to travel free of charge by prior arrangement.
Insurance:
Passengers should take out adequate travel insurance to cover cancellation, delays, loss or damage to personal effects.
Prohibited Article:
Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) (Amendment) Rules 1979 prohibit the carrying of certain articles, i.e. explosives, gases, radioactive or magnetic materials, flares, fireworks etc.
Dangerous Items & Restricted Carriage
For the safety of all passengers and crew, some items cannot be carried freely onboard our vessels and must be declared in advance.
This includes firearms, ammunition, bows, crossbows and any other item capable of causing injury.
You must tell us about these when booking, or as soon as possible afterwards, and no later than 24 hours before travel.
We may refuse travel if this has not been done.
Travelling with Firearms or Weapons:
If you are travelling with a firearm or similar item:
• You must bring the original valid certificate/licence
• The item must be in a locked case
• The item must be handed to our staff before boarding
• You cannot keep it with you during the journey
The Captain will keep the item securely during the crossing and return it once you have disembarked.
If documents are missing or do not match the item, we may refuse carriage.
Undeclared Items
If a weapon or dangerous item is brought to the harbour without prior notice:
• We may not be able to carry it
• You may miss your sailing
• Additional handling charges may apply
We cannot delay departure to process undeclared items and no refund will be due if travel is refused for safety reasons.
Master’s Authority
The Captain has final authority on all safety matters onboard the vessel.
Passengers must follow crew instructions at all times.
Failure to do so may result in removal from the vessel without refund.
Items that must NOT be brought onboard as passenger luggage:
These items are not permitted in passenger baggage and may only be shipped as cargo (or may be refused entirely):
• Petrol or diesel
• Fuel containers (full or empty unless certified clean)
• Gas cylinders (including camping gas)
• Fireworks or flares
• Explosives or ammunition
• Paints, solvents, resins or strong chemicals
• Large quantities of oils or lubricants
• Wet batteries or leaking batteries
• Generators or machinery containing fuel or oil
• Fuel-powered equipment (mowers, strimmers etc.) unless drained
• E-scooters or similar devices using large lithium batteries
• Any item emitting fumes or strong odours
We may refuse carriage if we believe an item presents a fire, safety, stability or pollution risk.
Lithium Batteries & E-Bikes:
Lithium batteries present a significant fire risk at sea. The following rules apply:
Normally Allowed
• Mobile phones
• Laptops
• Cameras
• Power banks under typical consumer size
Must be declared before travel
• E-bike batteries
• Mobility scooter batteries
• Large battery packs
• Commercial equipment batteries
We may require batteries to travel as cargo (or may be refused entirely).
Damaged or swollen batteries will not be carried.
Machinery & Equipment:
Machinery must be
• fully drained of fuel
• cool to the touch
• clean and dry
If not, it will be refused for safety reasons.
Right to Refuse Items
Our crew and shore staff may refuse any item they reasonably believe could:
• start a fire
• leak fuel or chemicals
• damage the vessel
• endanger passengers
• delay departure
If an item is refused at the harbour due to not following these rules, the booking will be treated as a no-show and normal ticket conditions apply.
Alcohol:
The Company reserves the right to refuse passage to any person who is or appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Bicycles:
Due to limited space we do not carry bicycles on passenger vessel sailings. Please email the Guernsey office at info@sarkshipping.gg or by telephoning 01481 724059 to arrange shipment of bicycles on scheduled cargo vessel sailings.
Compensation:
Compensation is not offered by the Company.
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