Red Funnel

Making your booking
Passenger or vehicle reservations on our Southampton<>East Cowes route can be made by telephone, letter, in person or via this website. Please inform the Travel Centre if you require assistance prior to travelling.

If you are booking an Isle of Wight Holiday, please see our brochure or call us for further information on suitable accommodation to meet your requirements (Tel: 0844 844 2690).

On arrival at the terminal
If travelling by car, please go to the lane as directed by check-in staff and advise them if you are a wheelchair user, would like to be parked near the lift, or if you require any other form of assistance. An orange marker is placed on your car to indicate to the ship's crew that you will require assistance. The terminal areas all incorporate ramps and accessible toilet facilities.

Vehicle passengers unable to use the ships' stairs will be parked as near to the onboard lift as possible. Alternatively, they may board as foot passengers. Please ask terminal staff for help. A wheelchair and personal assistance is available for passengers at either end of their ferry journey.

Whilst on-board

• The on board facilities (café, bar, shop and disabled toilets) offer good access to wheelchair users, the only exception is access to the outer deck ('A' Deck).
• If you require any assistance during your journey, please contact the On Board Services Officer, located on 'B' Deck or alternatively ask any member of staff.
• If you are hard of hearing and unable to hear the public address announcements clearly, the On-Board Services Officer on 'B' Deck will be happy to assist you.
• If you are travelling alone, you will be assisted by a member of staff. In any emergency, report to the customer bureau on 'B' Deck, where you will be met and assisted for the duration of any such emergency.
• An emergency will usually be accompanied by the ringing of the ship's alarm, which is extremely loud! Your fellow passengers will move towards the Muster Stations. At this point, make your way to the customer bureau on 'B' Deck.
• Emergency situations are extremely rare. Our crews exercise regularly and our safety procedures are routinely tested and audited by the Marine & Coastguard Agency. We are accredited with International Safety Management Code standards for shipboard safety and prevention of pollution.

At the end of your journey

• If you require assistance at the time of disembarkation with a wheelchair or luggage please ask.
• If you need to take extra time to make your way back to the car deck again, please tell us in good time.
• Taxi ranks are available at all our terminals to assist with your onward journey - some taxis are wheelchair accessible. In Southampton, the CityLink buses are all fitted with wheelchair ramps and two dedicated wheelchair bays.

We hope you find this information useful and that it helps to make your journey a pleasant one. Have a Good Voyage!

Safety information for hearing-impaired customers

We rely heavily on the ship's public address (PA) system to communicate important safety information. In addition, it may also be used during the voyage to promote, facilities, offers, etc. Any message over the PA system is preceded by a "bing-bong".

At the start of your trip, the following pre-recorded message is broadcast:
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard. Please listen very carefully to the following safety announcement. In the unlikely event of an emergency, you will hear a continuous ringing of the ship's alarm bells. Additionally, the Master may make an announcement over this public address system. Remain calm and proceed to the nearest Muster Station. Muster Stations are clearly marked by a green sign depicting a family group. They are located on 'B' deck in the main lounges and on 'A' deck outside. Should it become necessary, the ship's crew will issue life jackets located at the Muster Stations and evacuate the vessel down the stairwells marked by the flashing exit signs. This vessel is equipped with life jackets and buoyant apparatus which, in the event of abandonment, will be boarded from the bottom of the stairwells at car deck level. Lifebuoys are also available. May we remind you that passengers are not permitted onto the car deck during the voyage. Thank you for your attention".  The On-Board Services Officer may then make an announcement concerning the location and availability of the on-board shop, bar and café.
 
At the end of the trip, the following announcement will be made:
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please. We will shortly be arriving in Southampton/Cowes. Will all vehicle drivers and passengers please return to their vehicles. In the interests of safety, may I advise passengers when returning to the car deck, to hold the hand rails and take extreme care at all times. I should like to remind passengers that smoking is strictly forbidden on the car deck and drivers are requested not to start their engines until instructed to do so. If stowed on the movable car deck, please ensure that car doors are closed before the deck is lowered. Please refrain from using mobile phones until clear of the terminal. Foot passengers are requested to remain seated until the ship is alongside. I should like to take this opportunity to thank you for travelling with Red Funnel and wish you all a safe onward journey." 

If you feel you would be unable to hear these or other announcements clearly, the On-Board Services Officer will be happy to assist you.