Ship passenger rights

On this webpage, you will find relevant links to legislation, case law and studies on ship passenger rights. For specific information and advice on your rights as a ship passenger and how to claim these rights, please visit the 'Your Europe'.

The single market for maritime transport in the European Union has greatly benefited passengers as they can expect the same rights, no matter where they travel in the Union.

EU law protects passengers whose travels are delayed or cancelled and give persons with disabilities or reduced mobility the same opportunities for travelling by ship.

Below, you will find an overview of links relevant to EU legislation on air passenger rights. 

EU legislation governing ship passenger rights came into force on 18 December 2012, following the adoption of Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010. The rules cover the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway. You can find a summary of the Regulation here: Summary of provisions concerning the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway

Other than EU Regulation 1177/2010, governing the rights for passengers travelling by sea and inland waterway additional legislation also covers passengers’ rights. In particular, Regulation (EC) No 392/2009 governs the liability of carriers in the event of accidents:

Through the link below, you can find a table on the application of EU Regulation No 392/2009 on the liability of carriers:

Table on the application of EU Regulation 392/2009

Through the link, you can find a summary of the rights of passengers in the event of accidents when travelling by sea and inland waterway:

Summary of rights of passengers travelling by sea in the event of accidents

In its judgment in C-570/19 Irish Ferries, the European Court of Justice clarified certain provisions of EU Regulation 1177/2010 concerning the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterways in particular as regards the notions of extraordinary circumstances or re-routing under comparable conditions.

The European Commission follows on its actions on passenger rights as set out in the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and in 2021, it evaluated EU Regulation 1177/2010 on the protection of the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterways in view of modernising the applicable rules.

Further information can be found at: Passenger Rights Studies.

Evaluation of Regulation EU 1177/2010

In 2016, the Commission published a report on the application of the Regulation on passenger rights when traveling by sea and inland waterways. The report gave a status on the passengers’ protection and the implementation by Member States.

Report on the application of EU Regulation 1177/2010 concerning the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway

Passengers can use the enquiry form to the Commission to obtain information on how to exercise their rights through the EU enquiry form.

National Enforcement Bodies (NEBs)