Refund Policy

Last Updated: June 29, 2026

1. Overview

We are committed to providing our customers with a fair, transparent, and straightforward refund process. This policy outlines the conditions under which refunds may be issued, the timeframes that apply, and the procedures you must follow to request a refund. This policy is governed by Irish law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2022, the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 80 of 2019), and applicable European Union consumer protection regulations.

As a travel service provider based in Ireland, we are also subject to the EU Passenger Rights Regulation (EU) No. 1177/2010 concerning the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway, which may provide you with additional entitlements in certain circumstances.

2. Eligibility Conditions for Refunds

A refund may be available to you under the following conditions:

• Your booking was made directly through irishferrries.com or via our customer service team.
• You submit your refund request within the applicable timeframe outlined in Section 3 of this policy.
• Your ticket or booking falls within a refundable fare category (see Section 5 for non-refundable items).
• You have not already commenced travel on the booking in question, unless the cancellation is due to a service disruption or extraordinary circumstance caused by us.
• You can provide your booking reference number, the name on the booking, and the email address used at the time of booking.
• The reason for your refund request falls within the acceptable grounds set out in this policy or under applicable Irish and EU consumer law.

Refunds for bookings made through third-party travel agents, comparison websites, or other intermediaries must be requested directly through the point of purchase. We are unable to process refunds for tickets not purchased directly through our platform.

3. Timeframes for Refund Requests

The timeframe within which you must submit your refund request depends on the nature of your booking and the reason for your request:

4. Cancellation Policy

If you wish to cancel your booking, the following cancellation charges apply based on how far in advance of the scheduled departure date you notify us:

Cancellation charges do not apply where the cancellation is caused by us, including in circumstances of significant schedule changes, vessel cancellations, or force majeure events directly attributable to our operations.

5. Non-Refundable Items and Services

The following items and services are non-refundable in all circumstances, except where required by applicable Irish or EU law:

• Booking and administration fees — any service charges applied at the time of booking are non-refundable.
• Port taxes and surcharges — where these have been paid to third-party port authorities, they cannot be refunded by us.
• Travel insurance premiums — purchased through our platform at the time of booking; please contact your insurer directly.
• Special promotional or sale fares — tickets purchased under promotional rates marked as "non-refundable" at the time of booking.
• Seat upgrades, cabin upgrades, and onboard add-ons — these ancillary services are non-refundable once the booking has been confirmed.
• Pet transport fees — fees paid for the transport of animals are non-refundable.
• Meals and pre-ordered food and beverage packages — food and drink packages pre-ordered at the time of booking.
• Tickets that have been used — any portion of a return journey that has already been completed.

6. Partial Refunds

A partial refund may be issued in the following circumstances:

• You hold a return ticket and wish to cancel only one leg of the journey, provided the cancellation is submitted within the applicable timeframe.
• A portion of your booking relates to a refundable fare type while another portion relates to a non-refundable add-on or service.
• A cancellation charge or administration fee is applicable, and the remainder of the ticket price is refundable.
• A service disruption affects only part of your journey, and the remaining portion was delivered as contracted.

Partial refund amounts will be calculated based on the refundable portion of your booking and communicated to you in writing prior to processing.

7. Exchange and Amendment Policy

If you do not wish to cancel your booking outright, you may be eligible to exchange or amend your booking instead of requesting a refund, subject to the following conditions:

• Amendments must be requested at least 48 hours before the scheduled departure.
• Date and time changes are permitted on standard and flexible fare tickets. A fare difference may apply if the new sailing is priced higher than the original booking.
• Name changes on bookings may be permitted in limited circumstances, subject to a name change administration fee of €15 per passenger.
• Route changes may be accommodated where availability exists, subject to applicable fare differences.
• Non-refundable promotional fares are generally non-amendable. Any permitted amendments on promotional fares will incur an amendment fee of €30 per booking.

To request an amendment, please contact our customer service team using the contact details provided in Section 10 of this policy.

8. How to Request a Refund — Step-by-Step Guide

To ensure your refund request is processed promptly, please follow these steps:

1. Gather Your Booking Information: Before contacting us, please have the following information ready:
   • Your booking reference number
   • The full name of the lead passenger on the booking
   • The email address used to make the booking
   • Your original payment method details (last four digits of card, etc.)
   • A clear description of the reason for your refund request
   • Any supporting documentation (e.g., medical certificate, death certificate for bereavement claims)
2. Submit Your Request: Send your refund request by email to [email protected] with the subject line: "Refund Request — [Your Booking Reference]". Alternatively, you may contact us by phone or use the contact form on our website at irishferrries.com.
3. Acknowledgement: We will acknowledge receipt of your refund request within 2 business days.
4. Review and Assessment: Our customer service team will review your request and assess it against the eligibility criteria and applicable policy terms. We may contact you to request additional documentation or information during this stage.
5. Decision Notification: We will notify you of our decision in writing within 7 business days of receiving all required information and documentation.
6. Refund Processing: If your refund is approved, it will be processed in accordance with the processing times set out in Section 9 of this policy.

9. Refund Processing Times by Payment Method

Once a refund has been approved, the time it takes for the funds to appear in your account will depend on your original payment method:

Please note that while we process refunds within the timeframes above, your bank or financial institution may require additional time to credit the funds to your account. We are unable to expedite refund processing times once a refund has been submitted to the payment processor.

Refunds will always be returned to the original payment method used at the time of booking. We are unable to redirect refunds to a different payment method, card, or bank account.

10. Service Disruptions and Our Obligations

In the event that we cancel, significantly delay, or significantly alter your sailing due to circumstances within our control, you are entitled to the following in accordance with EU Regulation No. 1177/2010 and Irish consumer law:

• A full refund of your ticket price if you choose not to travel.
• Re-routing to your final destination at the earliest opportunity at no additional cost.
• Where a delay exceeds 90 minutes, the right to care and assistance (meals, refreshments, and accommodation where applicable).
• Compensation of up to 25% of the ticket price for delays of 1 to 2 hours, and up to 50% for delays exceeding 2 hours, in accordance with Regulation 1177/2010, subject to force majeure exceptions.

In cases of force majeure (extraordinary circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to severe weather, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, port closures, or government restrictions), the above compensation provisions may not apply. However, you will still be entitled to a full refund of your ticket price if the sailing is cancelled.

11. Dispute Resolution Process

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your refund request, you have the following options for escalation and dispute resolution:

Step 1: Internal Escalation

In the first instance, please contact our customer service team and request that your complaint be escalated to a senior customer relations manager. You may do this by emailing [email protected] and marking your email as a formal complaint. We will respond to formal complaints within 10 business days.

Step 2: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

If you remain dissatisfied after our internal escalation process, you have the right to refer your complaint to an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body under the EU ADR Directive (2013/11/EU) as transposed into Irish law by S.I. No. 343 of 2015. You may also use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

Step 3: Regulatory Bodies

You may also contact the following regulatory bodies for assistance:

• Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC): The CCPC provides consumer advice and enforcement in Ireland. Visit www.ccpc.ie or call 01 402 5555.
• National Transport Authority (NTA): For complaints relating to ferry passenger rights under EU Regulation 1177/2010 in Ireland, the NTA acts as the designated enforcement body.
• Small Claims Court: For disputes involving amounts up to €2,000, you may make a claim through the Small Claims Court in Ireland without the need for legal representation.

12. Consumer Rights Under Irish Law

This Refund Policy does not affect your statutory rights as a consumer under Irish law. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 and applicable EU directives, you retain certain rights that cannot be waived or limited by our policy, including but not limited to:

• The right to a remedy where a service does not conform to the contract.
• The right to a full refund where a service is not provided at all or is significantly different from what was contracted.
• The right to a 14-day cooling-off period for contracts concluded at a distance, where applicable and where travel has not yet commenced.

13. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update and amend this Refund Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business practices, applicable law, or regulatory requirements. Any changes will be published on our website at irishferrries.com with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Changes will not apply retroactively to bookings made prior to the date the updated policy takes effect.

14. Contact Information for Refund Requests

For all refund requests, enquiries, and complaints relating to this policy, please contact us using the details below: