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Good to know

Here you will find important information and regulations regarding your sea journey.

Accessibility and assistance

At Tallink Silja Line, we want every passenger to travel as independently, comfortably, and safely as possible. Our customer service, terminal, and ship staff are trained to assist passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility every step of the way – from booking through disembarkation.

This page explains our quality standards for assistance and accessibility, based on EU Regulation No. 1177/2010 on the rights of passengers traveling by sea and inland waterway.

Reduced mobility can result from a sensory, motor, or cognitive disability — permanent or temporary — as well as age or any other factor that limits movement or function.

  • Planning your trip

    Sea travel comes with its own set of considerations, especially in the event of an emergency. If you have a disability or reduced mobility, we recommend:

    • Thinking ahead about any limitations sea travel may involve.
    • Bringing a personal companion on board whenever possible.
    • Reaching out to our customer service team for additional information before you travel.
  • Booking your trip

    Let us know about your mobility or functional needs when you book, so we can prepare to support you properly. Please also tell us if you’ll be traveling with a personal assistant or an assistance dog.

    A few helpful details:

    • Passengers aged 0–14 must travel with a parent or supervisor. A free assistant can also be added to the same booking at no extra cost.
    • In rare cases, and only where strictly necessary, we may ask a passenger with a disability or reduced mobility to travel with a personal assistant – this assistant travels free of charge.
    • We do our best to accommodate every booking, but we may occasionally need to decline one for safety reasons, or if we’re unable to arrange safe boarding, disembarkation, or transport. If this happens, we’ll help you find an alternative departure – for example, if accessible cabins are fully booked. You’re welcome to request a written explanation, which we’ll provide within five working days.
  • Cabins

    All Tallink Silja Line ships have cabins adapted for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility. Since these cabins are limited in number, we recommend booking well in advance.

    If you’re traveling with an accompanying passenger or assistant, let us know at booking — we’ll always try to arrange nearby cabins for you.

    Find the right cabin for your trip.

  • Traveling with an assistance dog

    Service and guide dogs travel free of charge with Tallink Silja Line.

    • Dogs must wear a clearly marked vest or harness identifying them as a certified assistance dog.
    • Assistance dogs are welcome in public areas, except where restricted by national regulations.
    • They aren’t permitted in saunas, swimming areas, or allergy cabins.
    • Please let us know when booking if an assistance dog will be joining your trip.

    Read more about traveling with pets.

  • Booking assistance services

    We offer free assistance in ports during embarkation and disembarkation, tailored as closely as possible to your individual needs.

    How to book assistance:

    If you didn’t have a chance to let us know about your assistance needs in advance, please know that we’ll still make every reasonable effort to help you board, disembark, and travel safely.

    • Please note: if you need continuous personal assistance during the trip – for example with meals, lifting, medication, or toilet visits – you’ll need to bring a personal assistant, as our staff provide general (not personal) assistance.
  • Traveling with a vehicle

    If you’re traveling with a vehicle, please indicate at the time of booking if you need assistance or any special services.

    We recommend that passengers who use a wheelchair board through the terminal, as this is much more convenient than boarding via the car deck.

    On the car deck itself, we aim to park vehicles for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility as close to an elevator as possible, with extra space around the vehicle for easy entry and exit. If you need additional space, just let us know at check-in.

  • At the terminal

    Terminal operators manage assistance services on-site. Look for the specially marked meeting point in each terminal – you’ll either find assistance staff there or a call button/phone to reach them.

    From there, staff will accompany you from the meeting point through check-in and onto the ship – and to your cabin, whenever possible. Lift access is available for boarding and disembarking. If you need any additional travel information, just ask. Our staff are happy to help.

    We also work closely with terminal operators to make sure:

    • Parking spaces for reduced-mobility passengers are available near terminals, with accessible routes.
    • Signs and information are accessible to all passengers.
    • The route to and from the ship is safe and easy to navigate.
  • On board

    Once you’re on board, our staff at the ship’s information desk are available throughout the voyage for any questions or support you need.

    • All ships carry wheelchairs for emergency situations.
    • If your mobility aid is lost or damaged due to our error or negligence, we’ll do our best to provide a suitable temporary replacement, and handle any claims in line with EU Regulation 1177/2010, Article 15.

    As mentioned above, our staff provide general assistance rather than personal care – so we recommend bringing a companion if you’ll need ongoing help during the trip.

  • Onboarding & disembarkation

    If you’ve booked assistance, staff will escort you from the terminal to the ship 1 hour before departure, and from the ship back to the terminal 30 minutes after arrival.

    Each passenger may bring up to two pieces of luggage, totaling no more than 35 kg. For additional luggage, please arrange transport yourself – a travel companion or personal assistant can help here.

    • Please note: This is not a general baggage transport service. Assistance with luggage is provided only as part of the assistance service and only for the passenger who has booked it.
  • After your trip

    We’re always working to improve, so if anything didn’t go smoothly, please let us know. And if there was something you especially liked, we’d be happy to hear that too. Your feedback helps us do better.

    Submit your feedback within 2 months of your trip.

  • Our commitment to accessibility

    Accessibility is something we continually work to improve:

    • We aim to make all passenger information accessible and easy to understand for everyone.
    • We aim to ensure that passengers who need additional support or have reduced mobility can travel on our ships as independently and comfortably as possible.
    • If travel is disrupted, we pay special attention to the needs of passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility and their companions.
    • IMO accessibility recommendations guide the planning of new ships and the renovation of existing ones.
    • We collaborate with disability organizations, experts, and volunteers, and regularly carry out accessibility surveys across our fleet.
    • Accessibility is a key consideration in how we plan for the safety of passengers, crew, and ships.

    Our operating company, HT-Shipmanagement, is certified under the IMO’s International Safety Management (ISM) Code, meaning regular audits ensure we comply with relevant laws and regulations – including EU Regulation 1177/2010 – and keep striving to do better.

    Read the full EU regulation.

    • Note: EU Regulation 1177/2010 doesn’t require existing ships, infrastructure, or terminals to be rebuilt or replaced – but we’re committed to continuous improvement wherever possible.