Terms And Conditions
ALL BOOKINGS ARE SUBJECT TO OUR NORMAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS PLUS THE FOLLOWING
Passengers are allowed to carry with them, free of charge, up to 15kg of personal luggage used for social, domestic and private purposes. Excess or commercial luggage may be accepted on passenger vessels, subject to space availability and if accepted, will be charged at the passenger vessel cargo rates. CAMPING equipment, MUSICAL instruments, FILMING and RADIO TRANSMITTING equipment, COMMERCIAL SAMPLES, SURF & WINDSURFING BOARDS carried on passenger vessels will be charged at passenger vessel cargo rates. We reserve the right to transfer such items to the next available cargo vessel sailing should space not be available on passenger vessel sailings. If transferred to a cargo vessel sailing, cargo vessel rates will apply. For Health & Safety Executive (HSE) purposes the Company operates a single bag weight policy of 15kgs.
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 should 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.
Guernsey departure point is Inter Island Quay, St Peter Port and Sark departure point is La Maseline Harbour
We reserve the right to apply a surcharge to any of our fares.
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.
We regret we are unable to carry children under the age of 11 years unless they are accompanied by an adult, parent or guardian.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 availibility.
Student Concession
This is a concession for Sark residents aged 16 to 24 inclusive who are in full time education. An ID 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, subject to the Captain’s discretion and must be accompanied by an adult, kept on a lead at all times, or in a suitable carriage box, and must not be allowed to defecate on the vessel or on the quay areas. 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.
Passengers should take out adequate travel insurance to cover cancellation, delays, loss or damage to personal effects.
Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) (Amendment) Rules 1979 prohibit the carrying of certain articles, i.e. explosives, gases, radioactive or magnetic materials, flares, fireworks etc. Firearms must be declared before boarding the vessel and will be stored in a separate location on the vessel.
The Company reserves the right to refuse passage to any person who is or appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
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 is not offered by the Company.