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West cowes

Vehicle Ferries

Cruise to the Island in under an hour

Meet Our Fleet

Our three Raptor Class Ro-Pax ferries service our cross-Solent route between Southampton and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. These vessels are some of the largest ferries to serve the Isle of Wight, each capable of carrying over 200 cars and up to 892 passengers, and each completing an impressive 4,000 sailings each year – that’s 45,000 miles per vessel!

Image of the ferry on the water

Red Falcon

Our original Raptor Class Ro-Pax ferry was built in 1994 by Ferguson Shipbuilders in Glasgow. In 2004, Red Falcon was refitted and extended, and in 2014 an interior refit gave the vessel a refreshed, contemporary look and feel.

Facilities

Wifi icon
Free Wifi
Wheelchair friendly icon
Accessibility
Coaches Welcome icon
Coaches Welcome
Lift icon
Car Deck Lift
Red Osprey

Red Osprey

Our second vehicle ferry was built in 1994 by Ferguson Shipbuilders in Glasgow. In 2003, Red Osprey was refitted and extended, and in 2015 an interior refit gave the vessel a refreshed, contemporary look and feel.

Facilities

Wifi icon
Free Wifi
Wheelchair friendly icon
Accessibility
Coaches Welcome icon
Coaches Welcome
Lift icon
Car Deck Lift
Image of the ferry on the water

Red Eagle

Red Funnel’s third addition to the vehicle fleet, Red Eagle was constructed by Ferguson Shipbuilders in 1996 and refitted and extended in 2004, followed by a complete interior overhaul in winter 2018.

Facilities

Wifi icon
Free Wifi
Wheelchair friendly icon
Accessibility
Coaches Welcome icon
Coaches Welcome
Lift icon
Car Deck Lift

Fleet FAQ

View frequently asked questions about our fleet. 

Please see our contact page for full details

We have baby changing facilities on all three of our vehicle ferries. For a full list of onboard facilities, go to our fleet page.

All of our vessels cater for disabled customers and have disabled access. All three of our vehicle ferry’s have lift access from the main deck to the passenger lounge which can be requested upon arrival. Customers are not permitted to stay in their vehicle for the duration of the crossing however under extreme circumstances a request can be made to the captain upon arrival. More accessibility information...

Dogs are carried free of charge, please see our pet policy 

E-scooters are prohibited on board all Red Funnel vessels and throughout all terminal areas, both indoor and outdoor. This includes all aspects of e-scooter usage on site and includes the charging, transportation and storage of e-scooters. Those traveling with non-electric (push) scooters via our ferries must dismount and push their scooter at all times. Our policy is in place for the safety of our customers and staff due to fire safety concerns associated with e-scooter batteries, as well as the incidence of both e-scooter and push scooter-related accidents resulting in personal injury. Our policy is consistent with other transport operators and reflects a policy undertaken by ABP (Associated British Ports), which prohibits the use of scooters in any part of their port operations and estates. We thank our customers for understanding that our on-board and terminal areas are unsuitable environments for scooter usage. The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority.

For Vehicle Ferries: 

Visit the Ticket Office at East Cowes or Terminal 1, Southampton or phone us on 023 8001 9192

 

For Red Jet Passengers: 

Visit the Ticket Office at West Cowes or Terminal 2, Town Quay, Southampton or call us on 023 8001 9192.

In accordance with the statutory ban on smoking in public areas, Red Funnel enforces a No Smoking policy inside all its terminal areas and inside its vessels. The no smoking policy includes all synthetic/e/electronic cigarettes, cigars and pipes.

The only exception is the designated smoking area on 'A deck' (outside deck) of the Passenger Vehicle Ferries where smoking and vaping is permitted. Customers are requested to always use the cigarette bins provided and never throw cigarette butts into the sea.

Please be advised some sailings may be entirely non-smoking if we are carrying certain goods. You will be advised of this in the onboard safety announcement after you board. 

Customers can travel with electric bikes, however charging electric bikes is strictly prohibited onboard any of our vessels and throughout all our terminals. 

Please click here for Government guidance on the transport of items classified as dangerous by individuals in private vehicles and by foot passengers on board our vessels. If you have any queries, please get in touch with our dedicated Freight team by emailing [email protected] prior to travel.

No, you are not permitted to fly drones from our ferries without prior written permission, and completion of a full risk assessment. If you wish to apply for permission, please contact our Marketing department via email.

Customer Reviews

1 2 3 4 5
Very good service and it’s nice to be able to relax on your trip across the solant.
Fri, Dec 13 2024
1 2 3 4 5
Good service throughout!
Thu, Dec 12 2024
1 2 3 4 5
Efficient but expensive.
Thu, Dec 12 2024