Terms and Conditions

1. Who are we?

We are Ferry.Ninja, an online service for planning and booking ferry journeys around the world. We are an online travel agency (OTA), which means that we help you find ferry services and book them for you.

Ferry.Ninja is operated by Firebird GT Limited, a Limited Liability Company (Company number 1885055) operating under the laws of Hong Kong, with a registered address at Unit G, 15/F, TAL Building, 49 Austin Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") set out the rules for using our services, managing your booking, payment methods, changes, refunds, and cancellations. In this document "we" means Ferry.Ninja and "you" means our customer. We refer to ferry companies and shipping lines as "operators". Capitalized "Terms and Conditions" means this document; lowercase "terms and conditions" means those of operators and third parties.

2. How to contact us

For any questions, concerns, or assistance, please reach out to us:

• 2.1 Chat with us. An online chat service is available to customers who sign in to their account on our website or access our mobile apps.
• 2.2 Send us an email. If you cannot reach our support team via chat, write to info@ferry.ninja.
• 2.3 Reach out via post. You can send a written inquiry to: 432, Triq Fleur de Lys, Suite 1, Birkirkara, BKR 9061, Malta.

3. Our services

Our platform, accessible via web and mobile apps, lets you search for, compare, and book ferry tickets.

3.1 Use of our services

You can access and use our services via our website Ferry.Ninja ("the website") or through our mobile applications ("our apps"). Collectively, we call our website and mobile apps our "platform".

With our platform, you can view current and upcoming ferry timetables, book ferry tickets, and place reservations for ferry tickets that will be available in the future. Collectively, we call this "booking services".

It's important to note that as a travel agency, we do not own or operate any ferries, vessels, or ports. We offer booking services in line with the provisions set out in these Terms and Conditions.

By using our platform and booking services, even if you're just browsing, you affirm that you've read, understood, and accepted these Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy.

We strive for accuracy. However, given that certain data, like timetables, live journey updates, terminal and gate details, sea and port conditions, and fares, comes directly from ferry operators, we can't always guarantee 100% correctness. If the original sailing is not available or if the operator changes its schedule, we will offer you an alternative best available option.

For your convenience, we provide as much information as possible about the tickets, including photos and videos of ship classes, cabins, and seating. However, please understand that these images or videos might not always depict the exact vessel that you are booking. They only show what a ship or class of service of a particular operator looks like.

Our Apps

You can find our apps in the Apple App Store, Google Play, and the Huawei AppGallery. While we've designed them to be compatible with a broad range of devices, they won't work on every device. Before downloading, you can check if your device is compatible with the respective app store.

Age & Access Restrictions

To use our booking service, you must be at least 16 years old. If you're aged 16 or 17, you'll need consent from a parent or guardian. We hold the right to deny access to our website or apps or to reject a booking if you don't meet the age requirement or for any other appropriate reason.

You'll be responsible for any costs associated with using our booking service, such as internet fees or mobile data charges.

3.2 Creating an account

Every time you book tickets with us, we establish a personalized space for you called 'My Account'. To set up this account, we'll request your full name, email address, and telephone number. You will have various options for accessing your account: either via a sign-in link that we email you, a PIN code that is sent to your phone, or a password that you can create when you make a reservation.

Account Email. It's important that you provide a genuine email address. This isn't just for sending your ticket confirmations but also for communicating vital travel information. We strongly discourage the use of fictitious emails. Further, please ensure our emails don't get rerouted to your spam folder. If you find them in spam, marking them as 'Not spam' will help to prevent future emails, including ticket dispatches, from being placed in the spam folder.

Third-party Account Integration. For ease of use, you may have the choice to set up your account using credentials from Facebook, Google, or Apple. Opting for this means your details are auto-filled by these platforms, so it's essential to review them for accuracy. Using these platforms to sign in automatically sets up an account with us, and you can always access it using the respective platform's login details. For more on how we manage your data, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Booking Purpose and Payment Verification. Our service is open to everyone, whether you're booking for personal or business use, just one ticket or one hundred tickets. If you use someone else's card for payment, we might ask the cardholder to confirm and authenticate the transaction. To ensure the safety and authenticity of our transactions, we always reserve the right to validate transactions and to ask for additional information.

Account Management. There are situations where we might decline the creation of an account or restrict access to our booking service for valid reasons. We also reserve the unilateral right to deactivate an account or specific features within it if we suspect any misuse, including potential fraudulent activity.

3.3 Ticket reservation service

We cooperate with various operators around the world and technology providers to make it possible for you to book ferry tickets online. Sometimes bookings are made in real time by automated systems and sometimes they are processed manually by our team members. Manual processing enables us to select the best seats and cabins possible and to offer you tickets that would otherwise not be available for online reservation. We constantly develop our platform and booking services to expand the share of automated bookings, and it is an ongoing process.

During normal office hours (Central European time) we aim to issue tickets within 1 hour from the moment you make a reservation. On weekends and at night, processing time may take longer, up to 3 hours.

Advance ticket reservation. We allow you to book tickets far in advance so you can plan your trips better. Operators around the world release tickets for reservation at different times, and we use advanced queue systems that allow you to use our booking service when you need it, not only when the operator opens its season. We will inform you about this service when you are booking tickets if you are making an advance ticket reservation.

3.4 Pre-booking

Our platform allows you to place reservations without passenger names and to provide passenger names and required passport information later when you have it. When available, this feature will be offered at the check-out process and we will let you know the deadline for providing passenger details to ensure that tickets are issued without delays.

4. Tickets

4.1 General information

When you search for ferries on our platform, we will give you a detailed schedule of sailings and explain the available types of seats, cabins, and vehicle options. We will explain which fares are available and what the cancellation and modification terms are for each fare.

When you book a ticket with us, the operator's terms and conditions also apply to your trip, as you will be using the travel services of the operator.

4.2 Passenger names

Different operators require the personal details of passengers for issuing tickets. This can include names, birth dates, passport numbers, and sex. We will ask you to provide the minimum required personal information about travelers to be able to reserve your tickets. To use our booking services you give your consent for us to provide your personal details to operators.

When you are booking tickets for a group of people, you are responsible for providing information for all passengers, and you must have their consent to use their information and to provide it to us and to operators.

Please make sure that you provide correct information, as we won't be responsible for any spelling mistakes, typos, or incorrectly provided passport details.

4.3 Combined journeys

A combined journey is a trip that has two or more "legs", or tickets. Combined journeys are made up of separate tickets that we've booked for you. For example, it can be a layover or a round-trip. While to you it may all seem like a single trip, in reality each leg is a separate trip, and if a delay to part of your journey causes you to miss your next connection, you may not be entitled to travel on another sailing and you may have to purchase a new ticket.

In case of layovers, we will always try to book tickets that give you enough time to change vessels or transport, but if you miss your connecting ferry you have two options. The first is to ask staff at the port to put you on the next available sailing. If consecutive legs are operated by the same company, you will most likely be entitled to take the next available sailing. If such an option is not available, you will need to buy a new ticket to continue your journey, and you can contact our support team to file a claim with the operator to get a refund for the missed journey.

4.4 Seat, cabin and vehicle reservation

Tickets that we book for you are issued in your name, which means they are assigned to you and only you can use them. There may be exceptions for some local routes.

During the reservation process, we will ask you about your seat or cabin preferences and we will book the best options to satisfy them. If such options are not available, we will book the next best available. Where you book a vehicle, trailer, or pet, you must declare accurate details (such as vehicle dimensions); the operator may refuse boarding or charge additional fees if the details are wrong.

4.5 Getting your tickets online

You'll need to have your ticket before boarding the ferry. Tickets are non-transferable unless we or the operator's terms and conditions state clearly that they are. That means you cannot let anyone else use your ticket. An E-ticket can only be used by one customer for one valid journey, and it's a criminal offense to amend and/or reproduce an E-ticket for fraudulent use. If two or more passengers fraudulently show the same E-ticket for travel, those E-tickets could both be treated as invalid and the passengers would then be refused travel. You're responsible for any fraudulent use of your E-ticket.

We always issue electronic tickets (E-tickets) and we send them to your email and, where available, in your app.

E-mail. Your E-ticket is emailed to you as a PDF attachment. You will need internet access to receive the email, and you can print it out and bring it with you, or keep it on your mobile device and show it at the port (just make sure that the PDF file opens if you don't have internet access).

In-app. Where we offer an app, we will also push your tickets into it. The main advantage is that they work in offline mode. Just make sure that you open your tickets while connected to the internet so the app can save them.

4.6 Collecting tickets at the port

For some operators, collection at the port terminal may be the only possible option. We will email you (and send through the app) a special code with which you can collect tickets at the terminal (automatic machine or ticket office). We will send you instructions if you need to collect your tickets at the port, and please make sure that you plan enough time to collect them before boarding.

If you're unable to collect your tickets (for example, if the terminal's ticket machine is out of order), ask staff at the port for help.

Don't miss your ferry! We can't issue refunds for missed sailings. Please make sure you arrive at the right port and terminal, that you meet the operator's check-in cut-off time, and that you have your tickets and travel documents with you.

5. Payment

5.1 Payment methods

We serve a global clientele from over 100 countries. To cater to this diverse group, we accommodate various payment methods and offer multiple currency options.

• Card payments (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express)

Occasionally, to prevent fraudulent activity and ensure safe transactions, we might seek additional details related to your payment method.

Security. When you provide us with your credit card details we do not store them on our servers. Once we process your transaction, we purge your card information from our servers. In accordance with the recommendations of the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, customer card details are protected using Transport Layer encryption (TLS 1.2) and application-layer encryption with the AES algorithm and a 256-bit key length. In line with the PCI DSS standard, we do not store customer card details.

5.2 Multi-currency service

To make your booking experience as seamless as possible, we display ticket prices in various currencies. By default, we select the currency that aligns best with your location, but you can always choose another one: adjust the currency settings in the top right corner of our homepage or in the website footer.

If there's ever a need for a refund, be it full or partial, the amount is derived from what you initially paid and in the currency you used at the time of payment.

If your payment is made using a credit or debit card linked to a bank account in a different currency, your bank might impose certain fees or commissions. Moreover, when seeking a refund, the refund might be influenced by currency fluctuations between your ticket purchase and the time of the refund. For example, your bank could apply the prevailing exchange rate at the time of refund, irrespective of whether it's higher or lower than when you made your purchase.

5.3 Understanding our fees

As your travel agency, our ticket prices incorporate certain fees. These fees, shared between our suppliers, operators, technology providers and us, are invested back into improving the services we provide you. We actively oversee these charges, always aiming to ensure you get the most for your money.

Our prices are dynamic and booking fees can differ depending on various factors. For example, our ticketing fees may be lower in the app, and at times we may offer lower ticketing fees because we have special arrangements with operators. In any case, the price that we show is always final and includes everything: tickets, taxes, seat or cabin reservation fees, credit card fees, currency exchange fees, and ticket service fees.

You acknowledge and accept that Ferry.Ninja's travel information, online reservation, and ticketing services are not provided by the operator, and that Ferry.Ninja is only responsible for the ticket sale, not for the services provided by the actual operator. The final price you pay is for the complete service and contains a markup / premium on top of the original operator ticket price.

5.4 Discounts

We believe in transparent pricing. That's why we will always show you the final price. You will never experience a situation where the price suddenly changes at the last moment. We also try to be as informative and transparent as possible when it comes to discounts for younger travelers. We will display them on the timetable so you understand child discounts when selecting your sailings.

6. Changes, refunds and cancellations

6.1 Overview

Your ticket flexibility, whether it's changing or canceling, is determined by the fare type or tariff you opted for during the booking process. For example, Flexible and Regular fares allow modification and cancellation of tickets, while Saver and Non-flexible fares don't. The conditions of your fare are shown during booking and in your confirmation.

Most changes or refund requests can be managed via your online account. If you encounter challenges or need clarity regarding ticket changes, cancellations, or refunds, don't hesitate to contact our Support team.

6.2 Ticket modifications

Standard modification policy. Unless specified otherwise in the fare terms and conditions, standard modification is free of charge. You only pay the price difference between the new and the original tickets, plus a service fee for a new ticket reservation. The deadline for modification of tickets is 24 hours before departure of the ferry. The processing time for ticket modifications is one business day. Modification requests past the deadline can only be processed with approval from Ferry.Ninja.

How to modify tickets: use the "Sign in" button in the top menu and then find your order on the "My orders" tab, or click the link to your order in the confirmation email that we sent you.

What to do if you missed the deadline: please contact our Support team and we will do our best to assist you.

How to modify your ticket if you missed your ferry: go to the ticket desk at the port and try to modify tickets for missed sailings there. Some, but not all, operators allow modification for a few hours after departure.

6.3 Cancellations and refunds

Standard cancellation policy. Unless specified otherwise in the fare terms and conditions, we refund 80% of the total price of the canceled ticket. Our service fees are non-refundable. The deadline for the cancellation of tickets is 24 hours before departure of the ferry. The processing time for ticket cancellations is one business day. Tickets booked with Saver and Non-flexible fares cannot be canceled.

How to cancel your tickets: click the "Sign in" button in the top menu and then find your order on the "My orders" tab, or click the link to your order in the confirmation email that we sent you.

Refunds. If you have booked a refundable ticket (Regular and Flexible fares), please cancel it directly with us. This will ensure that your refund is processed efficiently and on time. Please note that refunds are processed by card issuers and banks within 7 to 14 business days.

Returning tickets at the port. We recommend that you cancel your tickets with us directly. If you are not able to contact us and return your tickets at the port instead, we will have to wait for a refund from the operator before we can issue a refund to you. This process may take additional time, up to 4 weeks. Furthermore, you may incur additional cancellation fees from the operator for cancelling at the port.

No refunds for missed ferries. We will make no refunds for missed sailings. Please make sure you arrive at the correct port and terminal, that you meet the operator's check-in cut-off time, and that you have enough time to board. It is your sole responsibility to locate the correct terminal and gate and to arrive in time for boarding. Please make sure to have all travel documents required for your trip, including passports, visas, vehicle documents, and e-tickets.

6.4 Delayed or cancelled services

If the service you've reserved is affected by delays or cancellations (including those caused by weather or sea conditions), you might be entitled to a refund, rerouting, or compensation from the operator under its terms and applicable passenger-rights law. Ask the operator or port staff directly and then notify us, and we'll gladly step in to facilitate your claim with the operator.

6.5 Multi-leg journeys

For those journeying with multiple tickets: each ticket is treated as a unique reservation. This means a delay in your initial leg could cascade into missing your subsequent connection. Many operators usually allow passengers to continue their journey on the next available service. When in doubt, port and operator staff are your go-to advisors.

7. Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

By using our booking service or making a booking with us, you agree that:

• you have received these Terms and Conditions in a way that you can understand clearly;
• you accept the most recent version fully; and
• you are committed to paying for the tickets you book.

These Terms and Conditions may change in the future. The version that applies to you is the one available on the website at the time you make your booking. If you do not agree with the most recent Terms and Conditions, you must stop using our booking service, website and apps.

8. Liability

We act as your agent, authorized to make reservations for tickets on your behalf. With some operators we act as an official agent. With others we are not labeled as an official agent, and we book tickets using open public resources when authorized by you.

We do not provide the transport services, so we are only responsible for booking the service itself.

You are financially liable for all bookings made with us through your account, as well as any losses we incur if you breach the Terms and Conditions or misuse our booking service. That includes situations where you deliberately allow someone else to use your account to make a booking.

We are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. Loss or damage is foreseeable if either it is obvious that it will happen or if, at the time the contract was made, both we and you knew it might happen. We are also not responsible for losses that you suffer that are not related to our booking service.

We will not be liable for any loss or damage due to delays or cancellations, including missed connections. For example, we would not be liable to pay for the costs of a hotel booking, onward travel (for example a taxi or flight), or an event that you had to cancel because your ferry was cancelled or delayed.

We serve as a booking intermediary. We neither own nor operate any ferries, vessels, or ports. Once we issue and dispatch tickets to you, our primary service commitment is fulfilled.

We cannot be held liable for:

• personal injuries, deaths, or property damage tied to the provision of any services or incidents during travel;
• situations beyond our control, including natural disasters, severe weather and sea conditions, acts of war, civil disruptions, health crises, and labor strikes;
• overbookings, service downgrades, or instances of food poisoning;
• delays or failures of transportation due to various reasons;
• claims rooted in inaccurate, outdated, or incomplete travel documents;
• missed sailings, irrespective of the cause.

We are explicitly exempt from all claims related to baggage, vehicle or property damage, personal injuries or deaths, delays, or any issues resulting from the actions or negligence of operators. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

9. Other important information

9.1 Right of withdrawal

For ferry bookings made via our platform, please note that there isn't a standard "cooling-off period." In essence, tickets purchased through our website or app are final and are not eligible for a withdrawal right.

9.2 Claim process

We value your feedback and aim for seamless travel experiences. If you find our services below expectation, kindly address your concerns in writing within 30 days from your travel date to info@ferry.ninja. All claims will be thoroughly reviewed, factoring in the details provided by you against our Terms and Conditions. If any shortcomings are identified on our end, a refund will be processed. Please be aware that circumstances beyond our control won't qualify for a refund.

9.3 Using Ferry.Ninja | part 1

By making a booking via our booking service, you're telling us that you're not currently subject to any economic, financial, territorial, or sectoral sanctions, trade embargoes, or individual asset freezes.

You're also telling us that neither you nor the person you're buying tickets for is listed on any sanctions-related list of designated or blocked persons imposed, administered, or enforced from time to time by the EU and implemented by its Member States, the United Nations Security Council, His Majesty's Treasury of the United Kingdom, the US government, including those administered by the US Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, or any other relevant authorities with jurisdiction over you or us from time to time that would prohibit you from using our booking service.

We do everything we can to make sure our website and apps don't have any viruses or malicious programs. But it's important that you're protected against all computer viruses and software that could affect your device after using our website or apps or a third-party website or apps, just in case anything is missed. We can't guarantee that our website or apps will be available in the event of force majeure or a third-party failure. You also agree that we may take our website, apps, or booking service offline if we feel it's necessary for maintenance purposes.

9.4 Using Ferry.Ninja | part 2

Our tech teams are always bringing out new features, which means we regularly update our apps. We recommend that you download and install all published updates.

You're not allowed to do any of the following:

• Use any device, software, automated agents, scripts, or routine to hack, or attempt to hack, into or interfere with our booking service or the security of our websites or apps, or to create multiple accounts, or to strip, scrape, or mine data from our booking service;
• Change, destroy, or upload content (except when we ask you to do so), or attempt to do so;
• Use, or attempt to use, any engine, software, tool, agent, or other device or mechanism (except the search mechanisms we provide, other third-party commercially available web browsers, or software to assist with accessibility) to navigate or search our booking service;
• Use our booking service to collect or store personal data about other users without their consent;
• Change, copy, disassemble, reverse compile, or reverse engineer any part of our booking service, or access our booking service to build a similar or competitive site or service; or
• Use any electronic means, including robots, spiders, scripts, or other automatic devices, to use our booking service. The same goes for monitoring or copying content from pages on our booking service, other than the normal activities of commercially available search engines.

9.5 Linked travel arrangements

We may offer you additional travel services, such as transfers, guides, hotels, and experiences. In this case, the Terms and Conditions of the package operator will apply.

9.6 Intellectual property

Access to our website and apps doesn't give you any intellectual property rights relating to them, other than a right to use them in line with these Terms and Conditions. You can't under any circumstance copy, represent, change, transmit, or publish any part of our website or app (regardless of your device) without clear written permission from us, or the companies in our group, first. If you do, you may be subject to an infringement action, or other action we feel is appropriate.

9.7 Proof, disputes, and alternative dispute resolution

Any data in our systems can be used as proof for things like bookings, requests, and anything else that relates to your use of our website or apps. This data can be used in legal proceedings, in the same way as any written document.

If you have any questions or complaints about our booking service, our website, or our apps, please contact us using the details set out in Section 2.

9.8 Travel advisories & warnings

Travelers are urged to stay updated with current advisories and warnings by referring to their home country's official notifications. If you opt to travel against an active advisory or warning, please be aware that you are doing so at your own risk, taking on any potential consequences related to personal injury, property damage, or other risks.