Terms

Scandlines operates with three basic tariffs, Early Booker, Standard and Flex. In addition, we periodically have special offers and tickets on the individual routes.

The prices of the respective ticket prices will be displayed in the online booking when all travel data has been entered. Scandlines' prices vary according to season, travel day, vehicle length and tariff type.

The conditions on this page apply to the routes Puttgarden-Rødby and Rostock-Gedser until 22.12.2024.

Booking:

• Must be booked online from 15 up to 2 days before departure.
• Limited number of tickets per departure.
• Cannot be rebooked.

Validity:

• Valid only on the booked departure.
• Check-in at the port at least 15 minutes before departure.
• Check-in at the port opens 2 hours before departure.

Rebooking /cancellation:

• Rebooking is not possible.
• You have a 24-hour right to cancellation after ticket purchase.

Booking:

• Buy online, using Scandlines’ app or via customer services up to 2 hours before departure, or buy in a staffed lane at the port or with a bizz from Brobizz or EasyGo up to 15 minutes before departure.
• There is a handling fee of 15 EUR € for tickets purchased at the port and via customer service.

Validity:

• Valid for the booked departure and all other departures with free capacity on the booked day.
• Check-in at the port up to 15 minutes before departure.

Rebooking / cancellation:

• Booking may be amended for a fee of € 30 EUR plus any price difference.
• Bookings can be amended through the customer services on +49 (0) 381 - 77 88 77 66 no later than 2 hours before the booked departure or directly at the port on the booked day.
• Cancellation and refund is only possible with optional Refund Service which can be added for only € 13 EUR when booking the ticket.
• You have a 24-hour right to cancellation after ticket purchase.

Extra Benefits: 

• Preferential boarding in our VIP lane.
• 1 coffee, tea or water per person on board.
• Complete travel flexibility and free cancellation until 3 months after the booked departure.

Booking:

• Buy online, using Scandlines’ app or via customer services up to 2 hours before departure, or buy in a staffed lane at the port or with a bizz from Brobizz or EasyGo up to 15 minutes before departure.
• There is a handling fee of 15 EUR € for tickets purchased at the port and via customer service.

Validity:

• Guaranteed place on the next departure.
• Valid for all departures from the date of purchase until 3 months after the booked departure. 
• Check-in at the port up to 15 minutes before departure.

Rebooking / Cancellation:

• Can be rebooked or refunded for free up to 3 months after the originally booked outward journey date.
• Bookings can be amended through the customer services on +49 (0) 381 - 77 88 77 66 no later than 2 hours before the booked departure or directly at the port on the booked day.
• In case of a more expensive departure, the price difference is due when amending the booking or at check-in at the port.
• You have a 24-hour right to cancellation after ticket purchase.

Booking:

• Purchase online, in Scandlines' app, via customer service up to 2 hours before departure, or at a manned lane at the port up to 15 minutes before departure.
• There is a handling fee of 15 EUR for tickets purchased at the port and through customer service.

Validity:

• Valid for all available departures on the day.
• Valid for one motorcycle/moped including up to 3 people (length max. 2.5 m).
• Check-in at the port at least 15 minutes before departure.

Rebooking / cancellation:

• For motorcyclists, Standard tariff rules for rebooking and cancellation apply.

Booking:

• Purchase online or at the port, or via customer service 2 hours before departure.
• Please note, there is a handling fee of 15 EUR on tickets purchased through customer service.

Validity:

• Valid for a round trip on the same calendar day.
• Valid for all departures on the booked day.

Rebooking / cancellation:

• Pedestrian tickets and bicycle add-ons are non-refundable. Changes can be made by contacting customer service. Please note that there is a handling fee of 15 EUR for changes made through customer service.

Booking:

• Book online, via Scandlines app or at the customer services up to 2 hours before departure. At the port, the 1-day ticket is only available at the manually operated check-in and can be purchased there up to 15 minutes before departure.
• There is a handling fee of 15 EUR € for tickets purchased at the port and via customer services.

Validity:

• Only valid for the day of issue and for the same vehicle on the outbound and return journey
• Tickets can be used daily from 6 am. Return trip no earlier than 4 hours after arrival of the outward journey for motor vehicles. Does not apply for pedestrian passengers.
• For tax reasons, the 1-day ticket cannot be used by business customers whose main purpose of travel is the transport of goods or persons
• The 1-day ticket is only valid, when out- and homebound trip are done with the same vehicle (same category and license plate).
• During high season you will receive a cash-back voucher on your return journey when checking in, that can then be used on board or exchanged into cash. If you use the voucher for payment at one of our cashier on board and the billing amount is less than the value of the voucher, the difference will be paid out in cash (in EUR).

Rebooking and cancellation:

• Rebooking is possible for a fee of 30 EUR € plus any applicable price difference.
• You can rebook directly at the port or by calling the customer services on +49 (0) 381 – 77 88 77 66 no later than 2 hours prior to the booked departure.
• Cancellation with refund is only possible if your booking includes the Ticket Refund Service.
• Once you have booked your ticket, you have a 24-hour right of withdrawal.

Length surcharge

• The price is valid for cars up to 6 m in length.

Booking:

• Booking: Can only be purchased at the port.
• The return trip is valid for the booked day and all other departures with available capacity up to 30 days after departure.
• The ticket price is calculated based on the booked departure date. If the ticket is booked on an off-peak day, the full price of the ticket is the off-peak price, regardless of the season in which the return trip occurs.
• If the ticket is booked on a mid-season day, the mid-season price applies, regardless of the season in which the return trip is made.
• If the ticket is booked on a peak season day, the peak season price applies, regardless of the season in which the return trip is made.
• If the return trip is booked for a specific departure via CSC, our standard conditions apply.
• For vehicles over 6 m, a length surcharge is calculated according to applicable regulations.

Booking:

• Must be booked online at least 30 days before departure.
• Limited number of tickets per departure.
• Cannot be rebooked.

Validity:

• Reserved space on the booked departure.
• Valid for the booked departure and all other departures with free capacity on the booked day.
• Check-in at the port at least 15 minutes before departure.

Rebooking /cancellation:

• Rebooking is not possible.
• Upgrade is possible for a fee of 30 EUR€ plus any applicable price difference.
  You can upgrade by calling customer services on +49 (0) 381 – 77 88 77 66 no later than 2 hours prior to the booked departure.
• Cancellation and refund is only possible with optional Refund Service which can be added for only 13 EUR when booking the ticket. 
• You have a 24-hour right to cancellation after ticket purchase.

With our Refund Service, you can quickly and easily cancel your ferry ticket and get the ticket price refunded if your travel plans should unexpectedly change.

• Cancel your ticket and get the price refunded
• Buy online, using Scandlines’ app or via customer service in connection with your ticket purchase

Prices

• Refund service costs 13 EUR €

Validity

Vouchers issued in connection with travel restrictions, as a result of COVID-19, can be used for travel in the year 2021. However, it must be redeemed no later than 31.12.2021 by contacting our customer services and stating your unique number, which is on your voucher.

The voucher can be used as payment or partial payment of ferry tickets (excl. Flex tickets) and pre-ordered catering.

It is not possible to purchase Ticket Refund Service for a voucher, just as our 24-hour right of withdrawal does not apply either. Therefore, once the voucher has been used, the ticket cannot be cancelled and refunded. The entire amount on the voucher must be used on one booking, and any balance will not be refunded.

Our customer services is always available for further questions during opening hours. Contact us at servicecenter.germany@scandlines.com or +49 381-77 88 77 66.

In general

• The self-service machines in the harbours can only be used, if the vehicle has a total length of maximum of 6 m.
• Scandlines reserves the right to charge an Rebooking fee of 30 EUR for changes to booked tickets, used tickets or other services.
• There is a 24-hour right of withdrawal after purchasing a ticket. Within this time limit, the ticket can be cancelled at no extra cost and the full amount (excluding fees) will be refunded. The refunded amount will be paid into the credit card or account used for the original payment. It is not possible to refund the ticket for cash at check-in or at our customer services.
• When purchasing a ticket via customer services or the manned lane in the harbour, a handling fee of 15 EUR is charged.
• If you cancel your tickets via customer services, please attach your booking confirmation in an e-mail to servicecenter.germany@scandlines.com. 
• We make reservations for errors and changes.

Purchase and delivery of ferry tickets

• When purchasing and paying for ferry tickets via Scandlines' sales channels, the purchase agreement is considered concluded when the payment has been completed and the booking confirmation is displayed on the screen ready to be printed, sent via customer services or printed at the harbour.
• No physical ticket will be sent, you will receive the booking confirmation by e-mail. Remember to bring your booking confirmation for check-in at the harbour. If you have lost your booking confirmation, you can contact Scandlines by phone on +49 381 - 77 88 77 66.
• Each booking confirmation contains a unique booking number that can only be used once. Therefore, take good care of your order confirmation. It is your guarantee that payment for the selected crossing and the selected product has been completed.
• At check-in, you will receive your Boarding Card by presenting your booking confirmation. Your Boarding card must also be used when buying tobacco. If your booking confirmation contains services other than the ferry trip itself, you will receive your vouchers at check-in.
• The payment for your ticket will be deducted from your card when we send the booking confirmation. You only pay for what you have approved in your purchase.

• All prices are in Euro.
• When you buy a ticket in Denmark or Germany, each country's price list and currency apply.
  All prices include VAT, charges, tax, etc.
• The shown prices apply to a car up to 6 meters incl. up to 9 people, unless otherwise specified.
• For vehicles over 6 meters, the length surcharge is automatically calculated when you book your ticket and costs 30 EUR per. running two meters.

For vehicles with a total length of more than 6 meters, a length surcharge is automatically expected when you book your ticket. The length surcharge costs 30 EUR per. running two meters. Read more about vehicle definitions.

The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) was implemented in 2005 to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in a cost-effective manner.

From 2024, shipping companies sailing between ports in the EU/EEA will pay annual EU allowances (EUA) for greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions will be reported and verified by EU monitoring.

There are significant costs associated with complying with ETS. As of January 1, 2025, Scandlines has therefore introduced an ETS surcharge on all crossings. The surcharge reflects the costs of CO₂ produced as determined by ETS.

All ticket prices include the ETS surcharge.

Please note that the ETS surcharge is added per crossing, so round-trip tickets will be charged twice – once for the outbound journey and once for the return journey.

The surcharge rates are as follows:

• Puttgarden-Rødby: 1,50 EUR
• Rostock-Gedser: 4 EUR

Read more about ETS at climate.ec.europa.eu. 

In most harbours, you can pay with VISA, American Express, Eurocard, Mastercard and Dankort. Deviations may occur.

The following applies to payment by debit card:

• You are always protected against abuse.
• You have the option to decline a payment when you receive your billing statement.
• You have no deductible in case of your card being misused in an online store that uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) in its payment system. The data you send in connection with purchases, paid for with payment cards, is encrypted (SSL), and thus only our payment solution provider can read them. Neither Scandlines nor others have the ability to read data.
• A card fee will be charged depending on the card type.
  Private payment cards issued outside the EU / EEA: 2.8%.
  Company card issued within or outside the EU / EEA: 2.8%

The fuel surcharge is added to ferry tickets for cars and camping vehicles to partially cover rising fuel costs.

The fuel surcharge applies per vehicle per crossing on our two routes:

• Puttgarden-Rødby: EUR 1,50 EUR
• Rostock-Gedser: EUR 4 EUR

Note that the fuel surcharge is added per crossing, so return tickets will be charged twice – once for the outward journey and once for the return journey.

The fuel surcharge applies to tickets for cars and camping vehicles booked with a departure from and including 2 January 2023.

At Scandlines, you can pay with cash in Yellow lane which is the manned service lane.

With payment by Bizz, the amount of the ticket is subsequently deducted from the customer's registered bank account, or the ticket price is charged via the payment service (PBS, Autogiro).

• Food on board that is either purchased online or via customer services will be included in your ferry booking. When you enter your booking number at check-in at the harbor, a food voucher is automatically printed. The voucher will be used as a means of payment for the pre-ordered food and must be handed over to the staff of Scandlines Kitchen Buffet / Scandlines Kitchen on board the ferry in question.
  
  
• The booking confirmation itself and the ticket cannot be used as a means of payment for the food on board. Forgotten or lost vouchers are not refundable, just as it is not possible to get the reserved table without the associated voucher.
  
  
• To secure the reserved table, you must present your voucher as soon as possible and no later than 15 minutes after the ferry has left for Rostock-Gedser and no later than 10 minutes after departure for Puttgarden-Rødby. If you arrive later, you will lose your priority seat and will be placed in the regular queue for the first available table. However, your voucher will be valid for the entire crossing, and can therefore still be used as a voucher for catering on board.
  
  
• If your ferry tariff allows rebooking and you meet all the conditions for rebooking, your purchase of food will also be rebooked. When rebooking to a departure with a higher price for pre-ordered food, any price difference must be paid at check-in at the harbour. This can only be done in the manned lane. Refunds in connection with rebooking to a departure with a lower price for pre-ordered food can only be made by later contacting customer services. In that case, the request for reimbursement incl. relevant documents must be received by customer service no later than one month after the day of departure.
  
  
• If you generally wish to cancel and get a refund for the food you have purchased before the start of the trip, you must notify customer services before the departure time stated on your booking confirmation. If the inquiry has been made after this deadline, the opportunity to cancel the purchase will lapse and your purchase of food will be lost.
  
  
• If you have ordered prepaid food and are sailing on a departure where Scandlines Kitchen or Scandlines Kitchen Buffet is closed, you can use your food voucher in the other restaurants onboard or you can get a full refund for your unused food voucher by contacting customer service. Find the telephone number and email for customer service here. Please note that you can only get a refund for the full amount of your food voucher if you do not use your food voucher onboard. We only refund unused food vouchers.
  
  
• If you have prepaid for breakfast, but are on a later departure that serves lunch or dinner, the difference in price must be paid in the restaurant on board.

Download the conditions of carriage along with the fare terms and conditions as a PDF file here

1. Scope of application
2. Contract of carriage 
3. Fare
4. Ferry ticket; loss; transferability of tickets
5. Ferry tickets providing for fixed travel dates; change in booking
6. Ferry tickets not providing for fixed travel dates and vouchers
7. Meals
8. Arrival in time for check-in
9. Travel documents / Compliance with entry rules
10. Security screening of passengers and their luggage
11. Carriage of vehicles
12. Carriage of unaccompanied children and of unaccompanied youth
13. Carriage of pets/guide dogs/assistance dogs
14. Carriage of luggage and special cargo
15. Conduct on board; authority of command
16. Liability
17. Claims in the event of delays and in the event of cancellations of passages
18. Cancellation by passengers / refund
19. No carriage by Scandlines
20. Prescription
21. Applicable law; place of jurisdiction; miscellaneous

• Information provided to passengers pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 392/2009


1. Scope of application

1.1 The present general conditions of carriage (referred to hereinbelow as the “GCC”) apply to the contract concluded by Scandlines Deutschland GmbH (referred to hereinbelow as “Scandlines”) and the passenger, as per the Scandlines ferry ticket, for the carriage of persons including their luggage (cf. Clause 14), vehicles (Clause 11), and pets (Clause 13). The present GCC also apply to contracts of carriage between the passenger and Scandlines regarding combination ferry tickets, in which services provided by Scandlines are combined with services provided by other shipping lines, respectively other services providers, to form a single service.

1.2 The present GCC shall also apply to persons travelling as part of a group tour. Every member of the tour group shall be subject to the rights and obligations stipulated in the contract of carriage and in accordance with the present GCC.

1.3 The present GCC shall also apply in the case of passengers availing themselves of a combined rail/sea carriage, with the exception that Scandlines shall not be liable for any damages a passenger may suffer in connection with the rail operation; on this, see also Clause 16.3. of the present GCC.

1.4 Should any provisions of the present conditions of carriage contradict the Scandlines fare terms and conditions, or should they be unlawful, then the fare terms and conditions or the laws shall take precedence. Should any provisions of the present GCC be invalid, the remaining provisions shall continue to be valid and shall continue in force.


2. Contract of carriage 

2.1 The contract of carriage shall come about on the basis of the present general conditions of carriage in accordance with the Scandlines fare terms and conditions respectively booked. Scandlines will consider a booking inquiry made by a passenger to constitute a request by same to submit an offer to the passenger for the conclusion of a contract of carriage. The conclusion of a contract for group travel tours and any amendment thereof must be made in writing.


2.2 The respectively agreed Scandlines fare terms and conditions have concomitant application; where they include special provisions, they shall take precedence before the present GCC.

2.3 The passenger has no claim to being carried on the next crossing unless this was expressly agreed or unless the passenger is using a ferry ticket for the crossing that, according to the fare terms and conditions, expressly establishes a claim to carriage on the next crossing. Claims pursuant to Regulation (EU) No. 1177/2010 for delay or cancellation shall remain unaffected hereby (cf. Clause 17 of the present GCC).

2.4 There shall be no claim to be carried by a certain ship / type of ship. Scandlines may perform the carriage and all services appurtenant to the carriage itself, using either ships of its own or charter ships, or by involving other shipping lines whose performance will correspond to that rendered by Scandlines itself. Scandlines is not under obligation to guard any luggage, special cargo, or vehicles brought on board, neither during the crossing nor while the ship is at harbor. Scandlines recommends that passengers cover their risks by taking out the corresponding insurance.


3. Fare

3.1 The fare for the individual carriage is based on the fare bracket selected on the day the booking is made and on the price that applies, under said fare bracket and on the booking date, for the date of carriage selected.

3.2 The obligation to pay the fare arises upon conclusion of the contract of carriage, so that the fare is due and payable immediately.

3.3 The prices set out under www.scandlines.de, www.scandlines.com, www.scandlines.pl, respectively www.scandlines.nl apply exclusively to ferry tickets purchased in Germany. The prices for ferry tickets purchased in countries that have not adopted the euro as their currency, such as Denmark or Sweden, may differ from these based on circumstances specific to the market and currency and are determined by the price lists of the local provider in the respective country. It is possible in certain currencies to pay for ferry tickets in a different currency than the national currency; the fare will be converted pursuant to the bank buying rate on the date of the booking.


4. Ferry ticket; loss; transferability of tickets

4.1 Under the contract of carriage, Scandlines shall issue to the passenger a carriage document either in German or in English version prior to departure (this may be a ticket or the booking confirmation) (referred to hereinbelow as “ferry ticket”). The passenger – and in the case of travel groups the group leader – shall receive the ferry ticket at departure by purchasing it in the harbor, or at check-in by submitting the booking confirmation. In the case of personalized electronic ferry tickets, there will be a claim to carriage only in those cases in which the passenger has provided satisfactory identification and a valid electronic ferry ticket has been issued in the passenger’s name. For all other ferry tickets, a claim to carriage will exist only upon a valid ferry ticket being submitted that is not subject to significant damage.

4.2. Term of validity: Ferry tickets will be valid for the term set out on the ferry ticket itself or in the fare terms and conditions respectively agreed.  Clause 6.1. shall have concomitant application.

4.3. Loss: In the case of non-personalized ferry tickets: Lost or mislaid ferry tickets will not be replaced. In the case of personalized ferry tickets: Lost or mislaid ferry tickets will be replaced, provided the passenger is able to satisfy Scandlines that the ferry ticket originally has been properly issued and has been paid, and that the ferry ticket has not already been used to obtain carriage or a refund, or has not already been replaced, without this being the result of negligence on the part of Scandlines. The pre-requisite for obtaining a replacement for a lost / mislaid ferry ticket is an undertaking by the passenger to pay the fare for the lost / mislaid ferry ticket retroactively if and to the extent the lost / mislaid ferry ticket should be used to obtain carriage or a refund by someone else. Scandlines does not demand refunds for any losses that Scandlines has caused negligently or intentionally.

4.4 Transferability of tickets: In the case of non-personalized ferry tickets: The ferry ticket shall be transferable until departure (Sections 793, 807 of the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB), German Civil Code). In the case of ferry tickets providing for the carriage of vehicles, they may be transferred only to such vehicles that are allocatable to the same Scandlines price category. In the case of special fare brackets (e.g. fares for children or students), the ferry ticket may be transferred only subject to the conditions applying under the special fare bracket, and only to such persons meeting the conditions applying to the special fare bracket.  Personalized ferry tickets are not transferable.

5. Ferry tickets providing for fixed travel dates; change in booking

5.1. Should Scandlines issue to the passenger, under the contract of carriage, a booking confirmation setting out certain defined travel dates, then these travel dates shall be binding. There shall be no claim to be carried on other crossings. Any claims established by Regulation (EU) No. 1177/2010 for the cases of cancellation and delay shall remain unaffected hereby (cf. Clause 17.).

5.2. Contrary to the stipulations of Clause 5.1., it is possible for a passenger to perform a change in booking only subject to the pre-requisites expressly determined in the fare bracket that has been booked in accordance with the fare terms and conditions. This also applies to any changes in booking of additional services (e.g. meals).


6. Ferry tickets not providing for fixed travel dates and vouchers

6.1 Bookings that do not provide for fixed travel dates have a term of validity as provided for under Clause 4.2., unless agreed otherwise in the provisions applicable to the fare respectively booked.

6.2 In the case of ferry tickets not providing for fixed travel dates, the return trip must be commenced within three months of the outward route unless otherwise agreed in the fare bracket respectively booked pursuant to the fare terms and conditions.

6.3 Vouchers shall be valid for three years unless expressly provided for otherwise in the voucher. The period shall commence running at the end of the calendar year in which the voucher was acquired. Following expiry of the period, the voucher shall lapse. Vouchers provided in the context of sweepstakes, lotteries, or contests are governed by the terms of validity defined in the rules of the respective game of luck or contest. Unless otherwise provided for, these vouchers as well shall lapse after three years; the period shall commence running beginning in the year in which the voucher was issued.

7. Meals

7.1. Meals served on board that the passenger has already booked online or in the Scandlines Service Center along with the carriage will be included as part of the Scandlines ferry booking. Upon presenting the booking number at check-in in the harbor, a meal ticket will be issued for these additional bookings. The voucher will serve as the means of payment  for the pre-ordered meal on board and is to be submitted to the staff of the respective restaurant on board.

7.2. The booking confirmation or the ferry ticket alone will not be accepted on board as a means of payment. Meal tickets that have been forgotten or lost will not be reimbursed, nor is it possible to receive the table reserved and the pre-booked meal on board without submitting the valid voucher.

7.3. In order to be able to use the reserved table, passengers are kindly asked to redeem their voucher no later than fifteen minutes following departure. Once this period has lapsed, passengers will no longer be entitled to the table reservation. However, the meal ticket will continue to be fully valid for the booked crossing.

7.4. In the event pre-booked meals are not consumed, passengers shall nonetheless be obligated to pay the price payable therefor, less any expenditure saved by Scandlines, if any. Passengers are obligated to inform Scandlines of their intention not to consume the meals booked prior to departure.


8. Arrival in time for check-in

8.1 Passengers are to allow sufficient time to check in during the check-in period. The check-in period is binding.

8.2 Passengers traveling without a vehicle shall cease to be entitled to carriage and shall continue to be obligated to pay the fare if they do not pass through check-in in due time during the check-in period – this being no later than fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled departure time in the ports of Puttgarden, Rødby or Gedser, and thirty minutes prior to the scheduled departure time in the port of Rostock – or if they fail to arrive in such good time, in cases in which the ferry arrives later or in which Scandlines is responsible for the delay, that it can be assumed that they will board the ship in due time, assuming normal circumstances are given, and that the undisrupted operation of the ferry would not be jeopardized by a later admittance of the passengers.


8.3 Important note: Passengers accompanied by guide dogs or comparable assistance dogs (cf. Clause 13.3.) must arrive for embarkation at least sixty minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. In all other regards, Clause 9 applies here as well.

8.4 Passengers traveling with a vehicle shall cease to be entitled to carriage by a certain ferry, and shall continue to be obligated to pay the fare, if the vehicle is not made available for loading in the port of departure in the period stipulated by Scandlines prior to the scheduled departure of the ferry (this period being referred to hereinbelow as “check-in period”). The check-in period may vary depending on the ferry crossing; the check-in periods have been set out for each ferry crossing in the respectively applicable schedule. The loading of vehicles is subject to the pre-requisites of the check-in as well as the border processing and customs clearance having been completed and of no other impediments given in the passenger’s sphere of responsibility preventing the immediate loading of the vehicle.


9. Travel documents / Compliance with entry rules

9.1. Passengers are themselves responsible for ensuring that, as their own contractual accessory obligation, they have the necessary (travel) documents for themselves, any minors accompanying them, as well as their luggage / vehicles / animals, such documents including specifically valid entry documents pursuant to the applicable entry rules of the country of the destination port, particularly the necessary identification documents and/or visa, and that they do not violate the other regulations on foreign trade, customs, taxes, import, passports, and health, including the import rules regarding pet animals and fresh foodstuffs. Scandlines is entitled but not obligated to check prior to departure whether passengers are complying with the respective entry rules. Should this not be the case, the passengers have to under their own responsibility, and their own costs, procure for the return journey.

9.2 Scandlines is entitled to refuse to provide carriage services to a passenger who does not submit a complete set of the necessary documents and/or who does not comply with the relevant entry rules.

9.3 Where a passenger is unable to enter a country in light of his or her lacking the required travel documents / failing to comply with the entry rules, and therefore continues to travel with Scandlines or returns to the port of departure with Scandlines (without the passenger being entitled vis-à-vis Scandlines to continue traveling or to return), then Scandlines shall have a claim, if Scandlines does carry the passenger notwithstanding, to the fares accruing for these additional crossing segments. Where Scandlines is under obligation, pursuant to stipulations of the law, to bear the costs of a traveler’s continued travel or return upon the traveler having been refused entry, or to itself perform the onward carriage or return carriage, then Scandlines shall be entitled vis-à-vis the passenger to claim reimbursement of these costs. Scandlines shall also have a claim to reimbursement in the event of Scandlines being obligated to pay penalties or fines or to lodge them, or to incur any other expenditures as a consequence of a passenger lacking the required travel documents or failing to comply with other rules in place in the destination country.


10. Security screening of passengers and their luggage

Passengers shall be entitled to carriage only if they have declared their willingness to participate in controls initiated by Scandlines of the ferry tickets and identification papers bearing their photographs, and to have their vehicles and luggage located on the premises of the respective ferry port and on the respective ships searched and if they assist with such controls and searches; this includes body searches in the event of specific indications being given that Scandlines may have the right to refuse to provide carriage services to a passenger, or where conduct by the passenger is imminent that is likely to affect safety or that is liable to punishment under criminal law.

Inasmuch as national or international security regulations, including compliance with the ISPFS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code) in the event, for example, of an increased hazard level, obligate Scandlines to perform further-reaching controls and measures on the premises of the respective ferry port and/or on the respective ships, the passenger agrees to such controls and measures. In implementing the controls, Scandlines may also avail itself of suitable third parties whom it has separately commissioned. Where a passenger is not willing to subject himself or herself to such controls, any and all claims to carriage and to compensation shall be precluded.


11. Carriage of vehicles

Passengers shall have a claim to carriage with a vehicle only with the vehicle for which they have concluded a valid contract of carriage, which belongs to one of the categories of vehicles for which the fee brackets for the crossing are in force at the time the contract of carriage was concluded, and inasmuch as such vehicle has been officially admitted to be used in international road traffic.


12. Carriage of unaccompanied children and of unaccompanied youth

12.1. The carriage of unaccompanied children under the age of 14 years is precluded. The carriage of unaccompanied youth between the ages of 14 and 17 years (including 17 years of age) may be performed if, upon the demand of Scandlines, the written consent to such carriage from a legal guardian is submitted and proof is submitted that all other papers / documents required to enter the country of the destination port are available. Scandlines will not look after the unaccompanied children / unaccompanied youth.

12.2 The ship’s command or any other Scandlines agent is entitled to check prior to departure, without being obligated to do so, the age, the availability of written consent of a legal guardian, as well as the availability of all other documents that may be required to enter the country of the destination port.

12.3. Express reference is made to the provisions of Clauses 9. and 19., which apply in their full scope also to unaccompanied children / unaccompanied youth.


13. Carriage of pets / guide dogs / assistance dogs

13.1 The carriage of animals that are not pets in the customary sense, and of pets traveling without an accompanying person (referred to hereinbelow as “animal owner”) is precluded. The carriage of pets that do not comply with the entry rules and statutory requirements of the destination country is likewise precluded. The ship’s command or its agent is entitled to check prior to departure, without being obligated to do so, whether or not the entry rules are being complied with. The provisions made in Clause 9.2 regarding failed entries and in Clause 19. regarding refusal to provide carriage shall apply mutatis mutandis.

13.2. Live pets will be carried only in vehicles or in suitable special equipment provided by the passenger (e.g. trailers). As an exception and until revoked by the ship’s command or its agent, small animals may be transported in corresponding carry-on containers from which they cannot escape, and/or on a leash. In any event, it must be ensured that the pets brought on board are constantly being supervised by the animal owner and that they do not represent any nuisance and/or hazard for other passengers and their luggage/vehicles, nor for the crew and the vessel. Any instructions issued in this regard by the ship’s command and its agent are to be followed.

13.3 Guide dogs and comparable assistance dogs (working dogs, dogs deployed in a psycho-therapeutic context) accompanying disabled passengers are carried at no charge and need not be placed in a transport container on the ferry. The carriage on the ferry, and the offer to do so free of charge, are premised on proof being submitted of the dogs being medically required. Passengers wishing to travel with an assistance dog must inform Scandlines in advance by telephone. The provisions of Regulation (EC) 1177/2010 apply. These passengers must check in at least sixty minutes prior to the scheduled departure time.

13.4 Muzzles are obligatory for dogs (except for guide dogs and comparable assistance dogs) on the ferry, unless they are being transported in a vehicle, in a carry-on container or – to the extent available – in dog kennels made available by Scandlines if this is required by the applicable stipulations of the law. Should stricter regulations apply in the country of the port of departure or the destination port as concerns the obligation for dogs to wear muzzles, the animal owner is to correspondingly comply with these regulations at departure, respectively in entering that country.

13.5 Pets are not allowed to be brought into the restaurant unless this has been permitted by the ship’s command or its agent; this prohibition does not apply to guide dogs or assistance dogs.

13.6 Where an animal owner repeatedly violates the above conditions of carriage for animals on board the ferry, in spite of being warned, and in particular fails to keep a dog on a leash or to have a dog wear a muzzle, the ship’s command or its agent is entitled, without being obligated to do so, to take the animal into its custody and to return it to the animal owner only upon the latter disembarking from the ferry, and/or to have the animal and the animal owner disembark at the next port (also at a port not scheduled as a port of call). Scandlines shall invoice the animal owner for taking custody of the animal and for having the animal and its owner disembark at a port (also at a port not scheduled as a port of call) for a cost allowance in the amount of EUR 50.00. Scandlines reserves the right to charge significantly higher expenditures or to assert significantly higher damages. The animal owner is free to prove that Scandlines did not incur any expenditures or suffer any damages at all, or that the expenditures or damages were significantly lower.

13.7 The animal owner shall be liable for any soiling of the ferry and its installations caused by the animal, for damages caused to the ferry and its installations, and for damage caused to other passengers in accordance with the stipulations of the law. Any soiling of a lesser degree may be removed by the animal owner himself or herself, provided this is done promptly; where the animal owner fails to remove the soiling promptly and/or fails to do so properly, Scandlines shall invoice the animal owner for the cleaning costs, with the minimum charge being EUR 30.00. The animal owner is free to prove that Scandlines did not incur any expenditures or suffer any damages at all, or that the expenditures or damages were significantly lower.


14. Carriage of luggage and special cargo

14.1 Hand luggage and customary luggage that passengers keep in or on a vehicle, or that is otherwise in their possession, their custody, and control will be carried without a separate fee being charged (referred to hereinbelow as “luggage”). Scandlines recommends that luggage be marked with passengers’ contact information. The carriage of luggage and/or special cargo that is not accompanied by an accompanying person (referred to hereinbelow as “party in possession”) is precluded.

14.2 The carriage of luggage and/or special cargo, including firearms and ammunition, which is in violation of the laws
or regulations of Germany or of the port of departure or port of destination is precluded.

14.3 No larger items of luggage, bulky goods, or freight of any kind will be carried unless Scandlines has agreed to so carrying this cargo in writing (referred to hereinbelow as “special cargo”).

14.4 Corpses will be carried only in vehicles and only if both the provisions of the country of the departure port and of the country of the destination port regarding the carriage of corpses, and the provisions of the International Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses of February 10th, 1937, are complied with.

14.5 There will be a claim to the carriage of firearms and/or ammunition only if, in due time prior to departure, the ship’s command has been notified of them and only if, and insofar as, the ship’s command or the staff it has correspondingly instructed as agent expressly consent at departure to the carriage of the firearms and/or ammunition. Such consent may be made dependent on the party in possession handing over the firearms and/or ammunition to the ship’s command for the latter to keep in custody. Scandlines shall bear the costs resulting as a consequence. Should firearms and/or ammunition be brought on board without the obligation to give notice being complied with, or without the consent of the ship’s command or the staff it has instructed as agent for this purpose, the ship’s command may take them into custody and/or disembark them at any time and at any location whatsoever, destroy them, or otherwise render them harmless. The further rights enjoyed by the ship’s command (cf. Clauses 10 and 19 of the present GCC) and the provisions of the law shall remain unaffected hereby. Scandlines shall invoice the party in possession for costs in the amount of EUR 50.00 for keeping in custody firearms and/or ammunition regarding which no notice has been given, unless the expenditures incurred or the damages arising are higher. The party in possession is free to prove that Scandlines did not incur any expenditures or suffer any damages at all, or that the expenditures or damages were significantly lower.

14.6. The passenger shall be liable vis-à-vis Scandlines and other travelers for damages suffered by Scandlines and/or other travelers from the objects brought on board by the passenger, including luggage and special cargo, such liability to be governed by the statutory provisions.

14.7 Scandlines, the ship’s command or other agents of Scandlines have the right to inspect the luggage and the special cargo on a random sample basis.

14.8 Scandlines may take into custody any luggage and/or special cargo that is left on board and is found by Scandlines, doing so against reimbursement of its expenditures, and may transfer it to the respective ship’s port of registry. Scandlines is entitled to search the luggage and/or the special cargo and/or to deposit same with third parties. Scandlines will give notice of its having found the luggage and/or the special cargo and of its keeping it in custody, sending such notice to the address provided on the identification markings of the luggage/special cargo. Scandlines, respectively the third party with whom the special cargo was lodged, shall be liable in this regard only for gross negligence and intent of its legal representatives, employees, or the persons it employs in the performance of its obligations. Passengers may assert their claims regarding the luggage/special cargo they have left behind in writing, submitting proof of their being entitled to so assert claims, and must do so within a preclusive time limit of three months following their arrival in the port of destination. Following expiry of said period, Scandlines may deal with the luggage or the special cargo at its discretion.


15. Conduct on board; authority of command

15.1. During the carriage, passengers are to conduct themselves as is required by the safety and good order of the ferry operations, their own safety, and the consideration to be taken of other passengers. The captain has the highest authority of command and is responsible for taking decisions on board the ship that concern the nautical safety of ships and serve to avert danger. Passengers are to follow the instructions issued by the ship’s command and its agent. Should the obligations regarding conduct be violated, Scandlines shall be entitled to take the measures necessary to prevent such conduct, including the arrest of a passenger on the order of the captain or the captain’s agent until the ship reaches the next port (also a port other than a port of call). This shall also apply inasmuch as this serves the safety or protection of the arrested passengers themselves or of other passengers, taking account of the need to ensure the proper carriage at sea. Scandlines may refuse to continue carrying a passenger and may file charges under criminal law for his or her conduct on board.

15.2. Imbibing of alcoholic beverages brought on board the ship is prohibited.


16. Liability

16.1. General

16.1.1 In no event shall the liability of Scandlines exceed the amount of the damage that has been proven. Should the party suffering damages have contributed to same by his or her fault or neglect, the provisions of applicable law shall apply regarding the preclusion of the obligation to compensate for damages, and the reduction of such compensation, in the event of contributory fault or neglect of the party suffering damages.

16.1.2 Scandlines shall be liable for indirect or consequential damages only if Scandlines has caused such damages by gross negligence or intent. Claims asserted due to vacation time having been lost are precluded. The provisions of Regulation (EC) 392/2009 shall remain unaffected hereby.

16.1.3 None of the present conditions of carriage provides for a waiver by Scandlines or its performing carrier, or by servants or agents acting on their behalf, of applicable exclusions or limitations of liability pursuant to Regulation (EC) 392/2009 or applicable law, unless expressly provided for otherwise.

16.1.4 Scandlines shall not be liable for damages resulting from the compliance with state regulations, respectively by passengers’ failure to comply with them.

16.1.5 The preclusion and the limitation of liability on the part of Scandlines shall correspondingly apply to the benefit of Scandlines´ servants or agents, as well as Scandlines´ legal representatives, employees, or the persons employed in the performance of Scandlines´ obligations.

16.2. Liability in the event of personal injury and/or property damages; deductible

16.2.1 Scandlines shall be liable for damages arising in the context of the carriage at sea resulting from the death of or personal injury to a passenger, as well as from the loss of or damage to luggage, including vehicles of the passenger, in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EC) 392/2009, with its limitations of liability having concomitant application, subject to the following proviso: Should a vehicle be damaged, the liability of Scandlines shall be subject to a deductible of 330 units of account, and in the event of loss of or damage to other luggage, the liability of Scandlines shall be subject to a deductible of 149 units of account. These amounts shall be deducted from the loss or damage. The limitations of liability shall not apply should it be proven that the damage resulted from an act or omission of Scandlines done with the intent to cause such damage, or recklessly and with knowledge that such damage would probably result. Any servant or agent acting on behalf of Scandlines or the performing carrier shall lose its claim to having its liability restricted if it is proven that the damage resulted from an act or omission of the corresponding party done with the intent to cause such damage, or recklessly and with knowledge that such damage would probably result.

16.2.2 In cases of the carriage at sea of travelers that are not covered by the scope of application of Regulation (EC) 392/2009, where such cases do not concern the loss of life, limb, or health, do not concern any essential obligations relevant to the performance of the contract of carriage, and are not based on intention or gross negligence on the part of Scandlines, its legal representatives, employees, or the persons it employs in the performance of its obligations, the liability of Scandlines shall be limited in terms of its amount, to the compensation of the foreseeable damage typical for the contract in question.

16.3 In the context of combined rail/sea transport, exclusively the provisions of the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail / International Convention for the Transportation of Passengers (COTIF/CIV) shall apply as regards the liability vis-à-vis passengers for personal injury and/or property damages that a passenger may suffer by accident in connection with the rail operation while being in the rail car, while boarding the rail car, or while leaving the rail car (Article 33 Section 2 of the CIV).


17. Claims in the event of delays and in the event of cancellations of passages

17.1 In the event of unfavorable sea conditions and inclement weather such as extremely high or low water levels; storms; build-up of ice, or risk of ice building up, in (departure or destination) ports and on sea crossings; unavailability of (departure or destination) ports and sea crossings for any other reasons, sovereign measures, risks of disease, threatened terrorist attacks, or the cancellation of ships for reasons for which Scandlines is not responsible, Scandlines shall be entitled to cancel crossings.

17.2 The arrival times and departure times set out in the timetable published by Scandlines are experience-based and, in light of the imponderabilities given in shipping, cannot be guaranteed; they do not form part of the contract of carriage. Scandlines is pursuing its best efforts to avoid delays or cancellations; nonetheless, arrival times and departure times may be subject to change without notice, e.g. in the event of unfavorable sea conditions or inclement weather. Passengers will not be entitled to demand compensation of any damages in the event of changes to such arrival times and departure times for which Scandlines is not responsible.

17.3 Passengers shall be entitled to passenger claims for delay / cancellation in accordance with the pre-requisites set out in Regulation (EU) 1177/2010. In the event of a departure being cancelled or delayed and this necessitating a stay of one or several nights or a stay additional to that intended by the passenger, within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 1177/2010, the total costs of accommodating a passenger ashore – not including the costs of transport to and from the port terminal and place of accommodation – shall be limited to EUR 80.00 per passenger and night, and shall be borne for a maximum of three nights (Article 17 paragraph 2 of Regulation (EU) 1177/2010).

17.4 In the case of claims pursuant to Article 19 of Regulation (EU) 11177/2010, Scandlines shall not make any payments of compensation of less than EUR 6.00 (Article 19 paragraph 6, second sentence, of Regulation (EU) 1177/2010).

18. Cancellation by passengers / refund

18.1 Should a passenger cancel a carriage or fail to appear, Scandlines shall be entitled to demand payment of the fare – less the expenditures saved or / and less what Scandlines will acquire by pursuing its efforts otherwise. Deviating provisions may be set out in individual fare brackets in accordance with the respective product and fare terms and conditions. Inasmuch as they set out particular provisions, they shall take precedence before this Clause 18.1.

18.2 Where a travel agent has brokered the contract of carriage between Scandlines and the passenger, then in the event of a passenger cancelling the carriage, the passenger is to assert his or her claim to repayment vis-à-vis the travel agent, who will then settle such claim with Scandlines. Should this result, in an individual case, in the settlement becoming unreasonably difficult for the passenger, then the passenger may assert his or her claim directly and in writing vis-à-vis Scandlines.

18.3. Reimbursements of ferry tickets acquired using “points” under a Scandlines customer bonus program will be made only subject to the pre-requisites of the membership terms of such customer bonus program.

18.4. Reimbursements of ferry tickets paid for by credit card will be effected only by crediting an amount to the credit card account specified in making payment, and in the currency in which such payment was made. The amount credited to the credit card account may deviate from the amount reimbursed as a consequence of currency conversions and of the fees charged by the credit card company. These deviations do not give rise to any claim to refund vis-à-vis Scandlines.

18.5. In all other cases, reimbursements shall be transferred by wire transfer to a bank account. A disbursement in cash at check-in or in the Service Center is precluded.

18.6. Scandlines may refuse to refund passengers whose application is filed later than six months following expiry of the ticket’s term of validity.

18.7. Scandlines reserves the right to refuse to refund a ferry ticket that a passenger has presented to the authorities of a country by way of proving his or her intention to leave the country again, unless the passenger proves to Scandlines that he or she is entitled to remain in the country, or that he or she will leave the country with a different transport enterprise.

19. No carriage by Scandlines

19.1 Scandlines may refuse to carry a passenger or to continue carrying a passenger who

19.1.1 Does not comply with the provisions and regulations applicable for entry of the destination country (including the entry rules for animals accompanying the passenger), see Clauses 12 and 15 of the present GCC;

19.1.2 Is not fit to travel due to a general or contagious illness, infirmity, or for other reasons, and/or who jeopardizes the
health or safety of the other passengers to a greater than negligible degree;

19.1.3 Is dependent on being accompanied but is traveling without a companion, see Clause 14 of the present GCC;

19.1.4 Has not yet paid the fare for the respective crossing at the time of departure, or has not made full payment, and who fails to immediately pay the remaining amount still outstanding; the rights under Section 323 of the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB, German Civil Code) shall remain unaffected hereby; on the provisions for payments becoming due, see Clause 3.2. of the present GCC;

19.1.5. Has provided false or incomplete information on the characteristics of the vehicle category and type of vehicle that the passenger is bringing on board, meaning that the vehicle has been inaccurately classified in a lower fare bracket according to the underlying Scandlines price list, see Clause 13 of the present GCC;

19.1.6. Has provided false or incomplete information on the dimensions, weight, and scope of special cargo, on which information, inter alia, Scandlines had based its consent to carry such special cargo, see Clause 16 of the present GCC;

19.1.7. Jeopardizes, to a greater than negligible degree, the safety of other passengers by persistently failing to comply with the rules governing the carriage of animals, luggage, and/or special cargo and/or by repeatedly failing to comply with the instructions issued by the ship’s command or any other agent of Scandlines, see Clause 11 of the present GCC;

19.1.8. Refuses to allow the implementation of security measures / search measures / controls required by the law or by the authorities, be this on the premises of the respective ferry port or on the respective ship.

19.1.9. Scandlines may refuse to carry a passenger for other reasons given in the person of the passenger or in his or her conduct (e.g. considerable inebriation, riotous behavior) or in the luggage he or she is bringing on board, in particular if the carriage would jeopardize the undisrupted operation of the ferry (cf. Clause 10 of the present GCC), or if

19.1.10. False information was provided in applying for the conclusion of a contract of carriage, particularly concerning the age of an unaccompanied child or unaccompanied youth and the decision taken by Scandlines to carry the passenger at the terms and conditions agreed was based, inter alia, on this information (cf. Clause 12 of the present GCC), or if the passenger

19.1.11. Was previously notified by Scandlines prior to booking the carriage, according to the due assessment by Scandlines of the circumstances and in its discretion, that from this time onwards, Scandlines will no longer carry the passenger because, in earlier cases of carriage, the passenger has already violated the stipulations of the Clauses cited, in particular Clause 19.1.9, and that Scandlines therefore cannot reasonably be expected to provide carriage services to this passenger.

19.2. Where Scandlines refuses to carry a passenger, or to continue carrying a passenger, for the reasons cited above, the ship’s command or any other Scandlines agent may disembark the passenger, at the latter’s costs, in the next port (which need not be a port of call) (Clause 18.1 shall apply mutatis mutandis).

19.3. Any other statutory claims to compensation of expenditures given on the part of Scandlines – in particular, without limitation, the claims under Clauses 9 (entry rules), 13 (pets), and 14 (luggage) of the present GCC – shall remain unaffected hereby.


20. Prescription

20.1. The entirety of all claims of a passenger vis-à-vis Scandlines for death or physical injury of a passenger, or for the loss of or damage to luggage, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 392/2009 shall become statute-barred pursuant to Article 16 of said Regulation.

20.2. All other claims to compensation a passenger may have, to the exception of claims arising from the loss of life, limb or health or resulting from the intentional or grossly negligent dereliction by Scandlines of its duties, shall become statute- barred after one year, beginning on the last day of the year in which the claim arose and in which the passenger became aware of the circumstances giving rise to the claim and the person of the debtor, or should have become aware without gross negligence being involved.

21. Applicable law; place of jurisdiction; miscellaneous

21.1. Exclusively German law shall apply to the contractual relationship in place between the passenger and Scandlines.

21.2. For all actions brought by or against merchants within the meaning of the Handelsgesetzbuch (HGB, German Commercial Code) or by legal entities under public or private law or by persons who do not have their residence or  their usual place of abode in Germany or in some other Member State of the European Union, or whose residence or usual place of abode is unknown at the time the action is brought, the proper courts of law at the registered seat of Scandlines in Hamburg are agreed as the courts of decision in the first instance.

21.3. Information regarding complaints
Should you have cause to criticize us, or should you not be satisfied with a Scandlines product, respectively the services provided by Scandlines, please contact us in writing via email under the following address: customerservice.germany@scandlines.com. In your correspondence, please provide the exact reason for why you are dissatisfied, along with information as to the place and time, and also include the booking number (if any).
The European Commission provides a platform for the online resolution of disputes (ODR), which is available at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/.
Scandlines is not obligated, nor is Scandlines willing, to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer conciliation body.

21.4. The headings in the present GCC have been included exclusively for ease of reference and are not relevant for their interpretation.



Hamburg, 01/04/2020




Information provided to passengers regarding their rights at sea pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 392/2009

Important note: Scandlines is under obligation pursuant to Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No. 392/2009 to provide passengers with the following information on departure. Said Regulation provides for the carrier’s liability for passengers, their luggage, and their vehicles.
The Regulation applies to any case of international carriage (i.e. any carriage in which, according to the contract of carriage, the place of departure and the place of destination are situated in two different States, or in a single State if, according to the contract of carriage or the scheduled itinerary, there is an intermediate port of call in another State) and to any carriage at sea within a single Member State, if

• The ship is flying the flag of or is registered in a Member State;
• The contract of carriage has been made in a Member State; or
• The place of departure or destination, according to the contract of carriage, is in a Member State.


Claims of passengers in the event of death or personal injury

For the loss suffered as a result of the death of or personal injury to a passenger caused by a shipping incident, the carrier shall be liable to the extent that such loss in respect of that passenger does not exceed 250,000 units of account, unless the carrier proves that the incident resulted from an act of war, hostilities, civil war, insurrection or a natural phenomenon of an exceptional, inevitable and irresistible character, or was wholly caused by an act or omission done with the intent to cause the incident by a third party. If and to the extent that the loss exceeds the above limit, the carrier shall be further liable unless the carrier proves that the incident which caused the loss occurred without the fault or neglect of the carrier.


For the loss suffered as a result of the death of or personal injury to a passenger not caused by a shipping incident, the carrier shall be liable if the incident which caused the loss was due to the fault or neglect of the carrier. The burden of proving fault or neglect shall lie with the claimant.


The liability of the carrier for the death of or personal injury to a passenger shall in no case exceed 400,000 units of account per passenger and incident.

Advance payments

Where the death of, or personal injury to, a passenger is caused by a shipping incident, the carrier shall make an advance payment sufficient to cover immediate economic needs on a basis proportionate to the damage suffered within fifteen days of the identification of the person entitled to damages.   In the event of the death, the payment shall not be less than   EUR 21,000. The advance payment shall not constitute recognition of liability.
Should the person who received the advance payment not be entitled to damages, or should the incident causing the damage have occurred as the consequence of an act of war or of a natural disaster, or should it have been caused by radioactive contamination, chemical, biological, bio-chemical, or electromagnetic weapons or by a cyber attack, the carrier shall be refunded for the advance payment. Should the death of or personal injury to a passenger have been caused or contributed to by the fault or neglect of the passenger, the carrier shall be refunded for the advance payment as a whole or in part.


Delays in the carriage of luggage / loss or damage of luggage or vehicles; hand luggage

For the loss suffered as a result of the loss of or damage to hand luggage, the carrier shall be liable only if the incident which caused the loss was due to the fault or neglect of the carrier; the fault or neglect of the carrier shall be presumed for loss caused by a shipping incident. This presumption may be disproved by the carrier. The liability of the carrier for the loss of or damage to hand luggage shall in no case exceed 2,250 units of account per passenger, per carriage.
For the loss suffered as a result of the loss of or damage to luggage other than hand luggage, the carrier shall be liable unless the carrier proves that the incident which caused the loss occurred without the fault or neglect of the carrier. The liability of the carrier for the loss of or damage to luggage other than hand luggage shall in no case exceed 3,375 units of account per passenger, per carriage.
The liability of the carrier for the loss of or damage to vehicles including all luggage carried in or on the vehicle shall in no case exceed 12,700 units of account per vehicle, per carriage.

The carrier shall not be liable for the loss of or damage to monies, negotiable securities, gold, silverware, jewellery, ornaments, works of art, or other valuables, except where such valuables have been deposited with the carrier for the agreed purpose of safe-keeping.
The carrier and the passenger may agree that the liability of the carrier shall be subject to a deductible not exceeding  330 units of account in the case of damage to a vehicle and not exceeding 149 units of account per passenger in the case of loss of or damage to other luggage, such sum to be deducted from the loss or damage.

Notices regarding luggage

In the case of damages to luggage, its loss or destruction or its delayed delivery, the passenger is to notify the carrier in writing. In the case of apparent damage to hand luggage, such notice must be given before or at the time of disembarkation of the passenger; in the case of all other luggage, such notice must be given before or at the time of its re-delivery. In the case of damage to luggage which is not apparent, or loss of luggage, notice must be given within fifteen days from the date of disembarkation or re-delivery or from the time when such re-delivery should have taken place. The notice in writing need not be given if the condition of the luggage has at the time of its receipt been the subject of joint survey or inspection.
If the passenger fails to comply with these deadlines, he or she shall be presumed to have received the luggage undamaged.


Contributory fault

If the carrier proves that the death of or personal injury to a passenger or the loss of or damage to his or her luggage was caused or contributed to by the fault or neglect of the passenger, the court seized of the case may exonerate the carrier wholly or partly from its liability in accordance with the provisions of the law of that court.

Assertion of claims vis-à-vis insurers

Any claim for compensation covered by insurance or other financial security may be brought directly against the insurer or other person providing other financial security, up to a maximum amount of 250,000 units of account in respect of each passenger on each distinct occasion.

Limitation period

Any action for damages arising out of the death of or personal injury to a passenger or for the loss of or damage to luggage shall be time-barred after a period of two years. In this context, the commencement of the limitation period may vary depending on the nature of the claim involved.

SMILE has been terminated on 31 January 2024. If you have enrolled in the SMILE program, you have accepted the membership terms below.

1. Card issuer

Contracting party and the company issuing the SMILE card is Scandlines Danmark ApS (in the following “Scandlines”).

2. Description of SMILE

The SMILE card is a membership card with no credit function. The SMILE program allows you to earn points, based on the purchase of goods and services you make on www.scandlines.com and other Scandlines’ homepages, at Scandlines ticket offices, on board Scandlines’ ferries and in Scandlines’ BorderShops. Furthermore, the SMILE card entitles you to participate in special membership benefits and membership offers from Scandlines and cooperation partners, if any, of Scandlines.

3. Membership

The SMILE card is freely available to any individual above the age of 18 (however persons with place of residency in Sweden must be above the age of 20). Upon request from Scandlines, age and place of residency have to be verified.

The SMILE card is personal and non-transferable, and only available to private persons, not companies. A SMILE membership requires that you have an email account, as the membership is email based.

You can sign up to the SMILE program  on our website at www.scandlines.com/smile. It is also possible sign up to SMILE via the Scandlines app from Google Play or App Store.

4. Membership levels

The SMILE program has two membership levels, SMILE and SMILE+ (both memberships together “SMILE” in the following, as far as not distinguished explicitly between the two membership levels). The level  SMILE+ is no longer available for enrollment by new or existing members. It will remain active, however, until the individual SMILE+ membership automatically expires 12 months after the latest purchase date of the SMILE+ membership. After the expiration of the SMILE+ membership, the membership will continue as a SMILE membership.

Under the duration of a SMILE+ - membership, you earn extra points when you shop on board our ferries and in the BorderShop. When purchasing tickets, no extra points are earned – regardless of ticket type.

Further details regarding the advantages of SMILE can be obtained under www.scandlines.com/smile.

5. Earning points

Points can be earned using the Scandlines app or the SMILE card on purchases of goods and services made on www.scandlines.com and other Scandlines websites, Scandlines ticket offices, on board Scandlines’ ferries and in Scandlines’ BorderShops, with the explicit exception of tickets for Helsingør-Helsingborg, gangway tickets, bicycle tickets, bus tickets, lorry tickets, magazines, papers and tobacco.

The accrual rates applicable for all given products at any given time are available on scandlines.com/smile.

Each point has a value of DKK 0.01, and 0.5 point is earned per 1 DKK spent on the abovementioned purchases.

No points are earned for fees or surcharges, etc.

Points are earned by presenting the SMILE card, or using the SMILE section in the Scandlines app in connection with payment, or automatically when purchases are made on Scandlines’ websites while you are logged in as a SMILE customer.

You may check the status of your SMILE points by visiting www.scandlines.com/smile or directly in the SMILE section of your Scandlines app. 

6. Use of points

SMILE points can be used for payment of tickets, shopping on board Scandlines’ ferries, and in the Scandlines BorderShops.

Points can be used in combination with cash payment unless otherwise expressly stated.

You can request a cash refund of your own points in accordance with the Payment Services and Electronic Money Act for a period of up to one year following expiry of said points. Scandlines will charge a cash fee, currently DKK 25 per cash refund unless the refund is requested following expiry of the points. Tickets bought for points or a combination of points and cash are subject to changes and refund according to the rules on changes and refund applicable to the ticket type in question.

If you have bought a ticket for a combination of points and cash and you wish to change this ticket or request a refund hereof, be aware that any points used to buy the ticket will be refunded prior to cash. 
No points are earned when spending SMILE points on a purchase.

The SMILE Point ticket
As a special treat for SMILE members, when you reach 25,000 points you can buy a SMILE Point ticket. The ticket is subject to some specific conditions: 

- The ticket is bought for 25,000 points and has a value of DKK 549.
- The ticket cannot be rebooked and cancellation service cannot be purchased.
- The ticket can be refunded within 24 hours as per the applicable ticket conditions.
- The ticket can only be purchased online and is only presented to you once you have earned 25,000 points or more. 
- The price of the ticket applies regardless of whether it is for Gedser-Rostock or Rødby-Puttgarden and regardless of season.
- There is a fee of DKK 25 to buy the ticket. The fee is not refundable, even if the ticket is refunded.

The SMILE return ticket
If you purchased a SMILE Point ticket, you will also have the opportunity to buy a SMILE return ticket. The ticket is subject to the following conditions:

- The price of the ticket is DKK 549. 
- The ticket cannot be rebooked and cancellation service cannot be purchased.
- The ticket can be refunded within 24 hours as per the applicable ticket conditions.
- The ticket can only be purchased online and is only presented to you if you have chosen a SMILE Point ticket for your departure.
- The price of the ticket applies regardless of whether it is for Gedser-Rostock or Rødby-Puttgarden and regardless of season.

7. Validity and expiry of points

Points earned before your SMILE card has been activated by sign-up, cf. Section 3, will not be valid if activation and registration of the SMILE card is not carried out within 4 weeks from the date of earning.

Furthermore, any earned points will expire if not used within 24 months of the date of the respective earning. 

8. Other benefits

Besides from earning points, the SMILE memberships include other special benefits. The benefits applicable at any time are described on www.scandlines.com/smile.

9. Termination of membership; deletion of SMILE account; termination of SMILE program

You can delete your SMILE account or terminate your SMILE membership at any time by sending us an email to that effect to servicecenter.germany@scandlines.com, or by using the corresponding functions in your user account on our website ore in the app. When you delete your SMILE account or terminate your membership your points will expire immediately. In case of such deletion or termination, you are obliged to destroy your SMILE card or return it to Scandlines.

Scandlines may at any time by giving one months’ written notice terminate the SMILE program. If Scandlines chooses to terminate SMILE, any and all earned points will expire at the same time as the termination of SMILE comes into effect. Notice on such termination will be given to the members via e-mail and Scandlines will also make this information available on www.scandlines.com.

If according to applicable law, court decision, injunction from a public authority or the like, SMILE has to be terminated, such termination will come into force immediately without prior notice, and any and all earned points will expire at the same time as such termination of SMILE without this giving members right to any compensation what so ever from Scandlines.

10. Abuse and exclusion

Scandlines reserves the right to permanently exclude a member from the SMILE program in case the member has abused the membership. In case of abuse already earned but unused points on the members account will immediately be deleted and the member will be excluded from SMILE. In case of abuse Scandlines reserves the right to deny the member access to the premises of Scandlines and companies belonging to Scandlines Group*.

Examples of abuse may be: Illegal conduct such as fraud or attempt hereto, unacceptable behaviour towards Scandlines and companies belonging to Scandlines Group*, Scandlines’ business partners, employees or passengers, violation of these Terms and Conditions for SMILE or any other conduct that from Scandlines’ point of view is considered immoral or unethical.

Furthermore Scandlines reserves the right to cancel the earning of points related to bookings that are cancelled or in case the member has used the membership in an improper way.

In case a member is excluded from SMILE the member is obliged to return the SMILE card to Scandlines upon request or to return the card to Scandlines as soon as possible.

11. Lost cards

In the event of loss or theft of your SMILE card, please go to scandlines.com/smile immediately to block your card. Any points used from a lost or stolen SMILE card in the meantime are regarded as spent and will not be refunded. 

It is always possible to find your SMILE card by downloading the Scandlines app from either Google Play or App Store. Please note that finding your SMILE card requires login. 

12. Personal data

Scandlines and relevant companies within Scandlines Group* are responsible for the handling of your personal data is being done in accordance with the relevant and applicable mandatory rules regarding protection of personal data as well as with our Data Protection Declaration which can be found on www.scandlines.com/terms/data-protection. Scandlines and relevant companies within Scandlines Group* are data controller according to the applicable rules on protection of personal data.

13. Miscellaneous

Applicable rules and conditions governing Scandlines’ products and services also apply to all products and services included in SMILE or which have been paid for totally or partially with points. Scandlines General Conditions of Transport and Scandlines Ticket-Terms apply to ferry tickets bought for points. These conditions and terms are available on www.scandlines.com. 

Scandlines reserves the right, at any time and at its sole discretion, to alter, amend or revise these Terms and Conditions by giving one month notice. Members will be notified by e-mail of any substantial changes or amendments to these terms and conditions. Such changes and amendments are considered approved if the member continues to use his or her SMILE card, or if the SMILE membership is not terminated within one month of notification. Special mention of these consequences will be made in the notification. If a member rejects the changes or amendments, his/her membership may be duly terminated by Scandlines pursuant to Section 9 of these Terms and Conditions.

If one or more conditions of these Terms and Conditions are deemed void by a competent authority or court, this shall not affect the validity of the rest of the Sections of these Terms and Conditions. 

These Terms and Conditions replace any and all prior versions of Terms and Conditions for SMILE.

14. Choice of law

Any dispute relating to these Terms and Conditions shall be governed by the laws of Denmark and decided by the Danish courts. 

*Scandlines Danmark ApS, Scandlines Catering ApS, Scandlines Deutschland GmbH, Scandlines Bordershop Rostock GmbH and Scandlines Bordershop Puttgarden GmbH.

1 May 2023

According to Article 23 Paragraph 1 of EU regulation 1177/2010:

Rights of disabled persons and persons with limited mobility

In order to

• comply with applicable safety requirements, or
• to carry out embarkation, disembarkation or transportation of this person in a safe or operationally feasible manner if this is not possible due to the design of the passenger ship or the infrastructure and organisation of the port including the port terminals,

carriers, travel agents and tour operators can refuse to make a booking for a disabled person or a person with limited mobility, to issue or make a ticket available to them, or to take the person on board the ship.

The assistance to be provided according to Article 10 of EC Regulation No. 1177/2010 for disabled people and persons with limited mobility by the carrier and terminal operator requires that

• there be a confirmed booking for the journey and
• that the person's need for assistance be communicated to the carrier or terminal operator at the latest 48 hours before the time when assistance will be needed, and
• that the person be present at the port or designated contact point at a time specified by the carrier in writing, which may be no earlier than 60 minutes before the announced embarkation time, or
• if an embarkation time has not been specified, be present at the latest 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

Rights of all passengers if travel is interrupted

1. Delay by more than 90 minutes or cancellation:

a) Assistance: Proportionate to waiting time, free snacks, meals or refreshments are to be provided given that these are available or can be reasonably provided.

            There is however no entitlement to assistance:

• for passengers with open travel dates, if a departure time has not been specified, or
• for passengers who were informed of the delay/cancellation before purchasing the ticket, or
• if the passenger is to blame for the delay/cancellation.
  
  

b) Alternative transport to the destination specified in the travel contract under comparable conditions at the earliest possible time and at no extra cost, or

c) refund of the ticket price and free return transport to the point of departure specified in the travel contract at the earliest opportunity if applicable.

There is however no entitlement to alternative transport, refund of the ticket price or free return transport:

• for passengers with open travel dates, if a departure time has not been specified.

2. Delays or cancellations that require a stay of one or more nights or an extension to the stay expected by passengers:

a) as under 1. a), and

b) if practically feasible, free suitable accommodation on board or on land as well as transportation between the port terminal and the accommodation. This entitlement does not apply if

• weather conditions have caused a delay/cancellation.

The total costs for accommodation on land can be limited to 80 EUR per passenger per night and for a maximum of three nights.

c) as under 1. b), or

d) as under 1. c).

All entitlements outlined do not apply:

• to passengers with open travel dates, if a departure time has not been specified, or
• to passengers that were informed of the delay/cancellation before purchasing the ticket, or
• if the passenger is to blame for the delay/cancellation.

3. Delayed arrival at the destination:

For a delay in arrival at the destination of  > 1 hour for a scheduled journey time of up to 4 hours, the passenger is entitled to compensation of at least 25% of the ticket price. If the delay is twice the time specified, then compensation shall be 50% of the ticket price.

Entitlement to compensation does not apply:

• to passengers with open travel dates, if a departure time has not been specified, or
• to passengers that were informed of the delay/cancellation before purchasing the ticket, or
• if weather conditions have caused a delay/cancellation, or
• if the delay/cancellation was caused by exceptional circumstances.

 

Further information:

You can obtain further information on EU Regulation 1177/2010 from the competent national enforcement body, E-Mail: fahrgastrechte@eba.bund.de.

22 April 2022

Click here to download this content as a PDF-file of EU-Regulation 1177/2010.

Summary of provisions concerning the rights of passengers travelling by sea in the event of accidents[1]

 [The carrier shall provide at least this information to the passengers prior to or on departure to the extent this Regulation applies to their carriage] 

 

Regulation (EC) No 392/2009 on the liability of carriers of passengers in the event of accidents becomes applicable in the EU and EEA States[1] on 31 December 2012. It incorporates certain provisions of the 1974 Athens Convention (as amended by the 2002 Protocol) relating to the carriage of passengers and their luggage by sea.

The Regulation applies to all carriers in international carriage, including carriage between EU Member States, and certain types of domestic carriage, provided that:

- the ship is flying the flag of a Member State or is registered in a Member State, or

- the contract of carriage has been made in a Member State , or

- the place of departure or destination or both, according to the contract of carriage, are in a Member State;

It covers liability of the carrier in respect of passengers, their luggage and their vehicles, as well as mobility equipment in the event of accidents. Accidents under the Regulation include both 'shipping'[2] and 'non-shipping' incidents in the course of the carriage.

 

RIGHTS OF PASSENGERS

Right to compensation for death or personal injury

Shipping incident: the passenger has a right to compensation from the carrier or the carrier's insurance provider of up to 250.000 SDR[3] in any event, with the exception of circumstances beyond the carrier's control (i.e. act of war, natural disaster, act of a third party). Compensation can go up to 400.000 SDR unless the carrier proves that the incident occurred without his fault or neglect.
Non-shipping incident: the passenger has a right to compensation from the carrier or the carrier's insurance provider of up to 400.000 SDR, if he/she proves that the incident was the result of the carrier's fault or neglect.

Right to compensation for loss of or damage to cabin luggage

Shipping incident: the passenger has a right to compensation from the carrier of up to 2.250 SDR, unless the carrier proves that the incident occurred without his fault or neglect.

Non-shipping incident: the passenger has a right to compensation from the carrier of up to 2.250 SDR, if he/she proves that the incident was the result of the carrier's fault or neglect.

Right to compensation for loss of or damage to luggage other than cabin luggage

The passenger has a right to compensation from the carrier of up to 12.700 SDR (vehicles, including luggage carried in or on the vehicle) or 3.375 SDR (other luggage), unless the carrier proves that the incident occurred without his fault or neglect.

Right to compensation for loss of or damage to valuables

The passenger has a right to compensation from the carrier of up to 3.375 SDR for the loss of or damage to monies, negotiable securities, gold, silverware, jewellery, ornaments and works of art, only when these have been deposited with the carrier for the agreed purpose of safe-keeping.

Right of a passenger with reduced mobility to compensation for loss of or damage to mobility equipment or other specific equipment

The passenger has a right to compensation from the carrier corresponding to the replacement value or the repair costs of the equipment concerned, unless the incident was caused without the carrier's fault or neglect. Fault or neglect of the carrier shall be presumed in case of a shipping incident.

Right to an advance payment in the event of a shipping incident

In case of death or personal injury, the passenger or other person entitled to damages has a right to an advance payment to cover immediate economic needs. The payment shall be calculated on the basis of the damage suffered, shall be made within 15 days and shall not be less than 21.000 EUR in the event of death.

 

ELEMENTS OF PROCEDURE

Written notice

In case of damage to cabin or other luggage, the passenger must give timely[4] written notice to the carrier. Failure to do so will result in the passenger losing his/her right to compensation.

Time limits for exercise of the passenger's rights

In general, any action for damages before a competent court must be introduced within a period of 2 years. The starting point of this limitation period may differ depending on the nature of the loss.

Exemptions concerning liability

Liability of the carrier can be reduced if he proves that the death of or personal injury to a passenger or the loss of or damage to his luggage was caused or contributed to by the fault or neglect of the passenger.

The limits on the different amounts for compensation will not apply if it is proved that the damage resulted from an act of the carrier, or a servant or agent of the carrier or of the performing carrier, done with the intent to cause such damage or with knowledge that such damage would probably result.

 

---

[1] Summary drafted in accordance with article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 392/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 (OJ L 131, 28.5.2009, p. 24) on the liability of carriers of passengers by sea in the event of accidents. This summary has no legal value.

[2] The Regulation will become applicable to EEA States in accordance with the Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 17/2011 (OJ L 171, 30.6.2011, p. 15) following the relevant notifications by EEA States concerned.

[3] 'Shipping incident' for the purposes of this Regulation include: shipwreck, capsizing, collision or stranding of the ship, explosion or fire in the ship or defect in the ship. All other incidents in the course of the carriage for the purposes of this summary are 'non-shipping' incidents.

[4] Loss or damage suffered as a result of an accident are calculated on the basis of "units of account", which are either "Special Drawing Rights" (SDR) as defined by the International Monetary Fund. Information and conversion rates for SDR can be found on: http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/sdr.htm. On 6 November 2012 1 EUR = 0.84 SDR.

If, for any reason, you are dissatisfied with a product or service, there are several ways you can file a complaint.

Start by contacting us

We always do our best to make sure you have a good trip, but if you are unhappy with a product or service provided by Scandlines, we want to hear from you.

Send an email to our customer service at scandlines@scandlines.com and tell us about your experience. We'll be in touch as soon as possible to try to find a solution.

Should we not be able to find a solution, you can file your complaint at two authorities.

File a complaint to Nævnenes hus

File a complaint via the complaint portal www.naevneneshus.dk to Nævnenes Hus, Toldboden 2, 8800 Viborg.

File a complaint to The European Commission

File a complaint via The European Commission’s online complaint portal. This portal is especially relevant if you are a consumer living in another EU country. When you file a complaint, you will have to register our email: scandlines@scandlines.com.

When border shopping on the ferry or at our BorderShop in Puttgarden or Rostock, you should always make sure you comply with customs regulations.

The rules state that duty-free products bought in an EU country can be brought into Denmark as long as the products are intended for personal use. This applies to all products, including tobacco, spirits, beer and wine.

‘Personal use’ means that only you, members of your household or private guests who will be using/consuming the product(s).  

However, there are restrictions on the purchase of duty-free tobacco products on board, and you can only purchase these by showing your boarding card.
 
The amount and type of goods that you buy should not raise suspicion that you have bought them for commercial purposes. As a consumer, you must therefore be able to justify that the goods are intended for personal use. In cases of doubt, the Danish Customs and Tax Administration will make the final decision.  

Read more about customs regulations, guidelines and how the authorities assess whether goods are for personal use at skat.dk.

Read The Danish Maritime Authority’s Guidance on transport of Dangerous Goods in private vehicles (PDF).