We aim to ensure equal opportunities for ship travel for everyone. In a port, the terminal operator will assist you in the port terminal and in proceeding to the ship. During the journey, assistance is provided by the carrier.

The assistance service is free of charge

The assistance service is intended for passengers with reduced mobility due to a physical or mental disability, those with visual or hearing impairments, elderly passengers, those with temporarily reduced mobility and anyone else requiring special assistance. The assistance service is free of charge.

Person requiring assistance may have up to two luggage, whose weigh does not exceed 35kg.

Inform of your needs in advance

1. Please inform your travel agent or shipping company of your need for assistance when booking your trip, and at the latest 48 hours before departure. If you have not made an advance notification of your need for assistance, efforts will be made to ensure you can travel on the service. However, it may be that not all your requests can be fulfilled.
    
2.  Upon arrival at the harbour, report at the pick-up point or at check-in, in accordance with the instructions provided by the shipping company, and at the latest 60 minutes before the vessel’s stated departure time. You can contact the assistance service from the pick-up point with the pick-up point phone.
   
   All Port of Helsinki’s passenger terminals have pick-up points located in the terminals’ entrance halls. Pick-up points can be identified by a white-on-blue sign depicting an assistant and a wheelchair user.
   Service maps showing the location of pick-up points.
    
3. Our trained assistance staff will come and assist you in the following
   
   •  moving from the call point to check-in and security control in the port 
   •  embarking and disembarking from the ship
   •  storing and retrieving baggage on the ship
   •  proceeding through immigration and customs points
   •  making your way to the toilet facilities
   •  handling and carrying mobility equipment
   •  temporary replacement of damaged or lost mobility equipment with equipment which is a suitable alternative
   •  ground handling of recognised assistance dogs and their carriage on board the ship. Assistance dogs always travel free of charge with the person they assist.
    
4. When the ship arrives to the harbour, you will be picked up from the ships info point and assisted to the terminals pick-up point.

Feedback and complaints

An EU regulation concerning the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway came into force on 18 December 2012. The regulation obligates ports and shipping companies to provide an assistance service for passengers with disabilities, reduced mobility or other requirements for special assistance.

Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council

Feedback and complaints about the service must be submitted to the shipping company or port within two months of the trip.

• Feedback concerning the Port of Helsinki’s terminals can be submitted using this feedback form
• Feedback concerning a shipping company should be submitted through the shipping company’s website.
• You can also escalate your complaint to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom), if you feel that the port or shipping company’s feedback does not meet your expectations.

Shipping companies pages for passenger assistance

TallinkSilja Oy

Viking Line

Eckerö Line  

Finnlines  

Further information about passengers’ rights

Port of Helsinki’s Passenger service coordinator Leonard Sannemann
email: firstname.lastname(at)portofhelsinki.fi

Other services available at passenger terminals

All the Port of Helsinki passenger terminals are suitable for the physically impaired.

• Parking for those with disabilities
• Toilet facilities for those with disabilities
• An assistance service and pick-up points
• Lifts

Check also

Terminal Service maps showing the location of pick-up points.
Parking Maps indicating parking spaces for those with disabilities