Why do some ferry checkins close so early?
At P&O Ferries Hull to Rotterdam, for all passengers, including foot passengers, check in closes 90 minutes prior to departure.
On Stena Line ferries between Harwich and Hoek van Holland, all passengers must check in no later than 45 minutes prior to departure.
My experience with foot passengers on this kind of ferries is that the foot passenger terminal is deserted, as most passengers travel with a vehicle. This was true for Nynäshamn–Gdańsk and for Hoek van Holland–Harwich. Then why do they close the checkin 90 or even 45 minutes before departure? There should be plenty of time for foot passengers to get on board when arriving 30 or 20 minutes before.
Best Answer
There are some possible reasons for this, though the exact logic applied is likely different for each ferry line.
1) Consistency in policy, everyone has the same rules for checking in. That way motorists can't complain about having the arrive an hour before foot passengers (because, yes, some will).
2) Convenience with paperwork, if everyone is checked in by a set time then the paperwork required for departure can be started and filed with the proper people. With most ferries, the crew members have multiple things to do during loading, so efficiency is key to an on-time departure.
3) Immigration / Customs / Port authorities may require departure paperwork to be submitted XX minutes ahead of sailing, hence resulting in a check in time = XX + paperwork creation time.
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How many hours before ferry departure should I arrive?
If you are travelling with a vehicle and you already have your tickets, we recommend arriving at the port at least 1 hour before your ferry's departure time. If you are travelling with a vehicle and you still need to collect your tickets, we recommend arriving at least 2 hours ahead of time.What time can you board Stena Line?
Check-in opens from 16.00 (Monday-Friday) and from 15.00 (Saturday and Sunday) and closes 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time for foot passengers and 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time when travelling with a vehicle.How long does it take to board a ferry?
This will be dependent on several factors such as the volume of passengers on board, the time of year, and the position of your vehicle on board. On average, disembarkation is complete within 30 minutes, but this can take longer. Extra time should be allocated to exit the port through Border Agencies checkpoints.What time is the Harwich ferry boarding?
First boarding for the morning sailing commences at approximately 07:45 hours. For night sailing, first boarding commences approximately 20:30 hours....HOOK OF HOLLAND ROUTE.Monday to SundayDeparts HarwichArrives HookStena Britannica23:0008:001 more row10 things you need to know before your flight | Travel Guide
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