12 Ways To Ruin a Ferry Ride (And How To Avoid Them)

Traveling by ferry is one of the most relaxing, scenic, and peaceful ways to travel. From taking a ferry from Athens to the Greek Islands and traveling through the Norwegian Fjords to enjoying a picturesque ferry ride from Italy to Croatia, part of the excitement is the journey itself.

However, traveling by ferry can also go wrong if you don’t know the basic things you can and can’t do. Luckily, we’re here to ensure you don’t make any unnecessary mistakes. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of 12 things not to do on a ferry. You risk ruining your trip if you do any of the following things.

Don’t Carry Too Many Bags

If you’re traveling in your car and catching a drive-on ferry, don’t make the mistake of carrying too many bags. One of the best things about traveling on a ferry that carries your car is that you can leave most of your belongings in your vehicle. Therefore, carrying your big bags around the ferry makes no sense.

Instead, leave your larger bags in your vehicle and carry a smaller rucksack with any essentials you need for the journey. That way, you can freely move around the ferry without feeling tired and sore. You’ll also have much more legroom when you eventually take a seat to relax and look out of the window.

Don’t Leave Essential Items in Your Vehicle

Conversely, you shouldn’t leave any essential items you might need for the journey in your vehicle. During most ferry services, the car deck is closed for the trip. As a result, you won’t be able to return to your car once the ferry has left port. With that in mind, you should always keep essential items like money, medication, and ID on you.

If you leave it in your vehicle, you likely won’t be able to return to it until you reach your final destination. This could make your journey surprisingly dull should you want to spend money in the duty-free souvenir shop. Furthermore, it could make the trip uncomfortable if you have to go without your medication.

Don’t Forget To Pack Snacks

Most ferries have a food court, canteen, or small cafe serving food and beverages. However, while the food and drink on ferries taste great, they’re usually overpriced. So, we strongly recommend packing snacks and a drink for the journey. We don’t know about you, but we hate spending more than we would typically for snacks we don’t even like that much.

Luckily, packing our own snacks and drinks allows us to save money and enjoy things we love. When we take a ferry, we usually pack a sandwich, potato chips, a bottle of water, and some sweets, although you can pack whatever you like. However, we advise against packing smelly foods because you could annoy the other passengers.

Don’t Expect Reliable or Free WiFi

If you have something important that requires cell service or a WiFi connection, do it before you get on your ferry. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely you’ll have any cell service once your ferry has left port. Worse yet, WiFi availability depends on the ferry company and vessel.

Sadly, it’s not uncommon for ferries to have no WiFi or WiFi you must pay to use. To avoid disappointment, download your music playlist, book, and games, and book onward transport or accommodation before the ferry sets sail. If you don’t, your journey could quickly become frustrating. If you’re traveling for work, it’s also worth letting people know you might not be reachable.

Don’t Jump off the Ferry

This next thing not to do on a ferry might sound unnecessary because who’d want to jump off a ferry, right? However, you’ll be amazed how many people have jumped off ferries in the past. For example, in 2023, a man from Queens, New York, was arrested for jumping off a ferry into Great South Bay.

Jumping off a ferry isn’t a great idea for obvious reasons. Firstly, there’s a very good chance you will injure, or worse, kill yourself. Secondly, you could be arrested and charged with a crime for doing so. You’ll also waste the other passengers’ time because the ferry will likely have to double back to pick you up from the water.

Don’t Lean Over the Edge

Just because you’re smart enough to know not to jump off a ferry doesn’t mean you can’t fall victim to an accident by leaning too far over the edge. One of the best things about traveling by ferry is walking around the deck, which allows you to take in spectacular views and get fresh air.

However, you should be cautious when walking around the deck because making mistakes could make you fall overboard. Unfortunately, there have been tragic instances where travelers have leaned too far over a ferry’s edge and fallen in the water. In most cases, these people lose their lives. To avoid an accident, stand sensibly at the barriers, don’t climb, and don’t lean over the edge.

Don’t Get Drunk

Save this

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.

Most larger ferries worldwide have a bar or restaurant where travelers can purchase alcoholic beverages. Many ferries also have a duty-free that sells large bottles of alcohol. While there is nothing wrong with having one or two boozy drinks during the journey, don’t get drunk. Getting drunk on a ferry is a bad idea for several reasons.

First, you won’t be able to drive your car off the ferry when you arrive at your final destination if you’re drunk. Second, you might feel sick if the ferry rocks in harsh weather. Third, there’s a good chance you might annoy other passengers if you display drunken behavior. It’s worth noting that you can’t bring your own alcohol onto most ferries.

Don’t Speak Loudly at Night

If you’re traveling with family or friends, be weary of how loud you talk at night. While you might be traveling for vacation and don’t mind staying awake at night, other passengers on your ferry might be traveling for work and want to get some shut-eye. Therefore, it’s essential to be considerate.

When the night rolls in, we prefer to get some shut-eye anyway to wake up refreshed and ready to explore. We recommend you do the same. By all means, talk to your family and friends and play games, but turn the volume down when the sun sets. That way, passengers who want to sleep without listening to your conversation can.

Don’t Play Audio Out Loud

If you’ve ever sat next to someone on a ferry, train, bus, or plane who insists on watching their favorite TV shows or listening to music aloud, you’ll know just how annoying and headache-inducing it is. If you haven’t, lucky you, and don’t be like that person.

Playing audio out loud on a ferry is exceptionally irritating for everyone around you. Other passengers haven’t paid to be on the ferry to sit and listen to you watching the latest episode of Breaking Bad. They want to enjoy a relaxed ferry ride in peace. The simple solution to this is to use your headphones. If you don’t have any headphones, see if you can buy some from the duty-free.

Don’t Put Your Feet on the Chairs

While you likely won’t face financial punishment like you can on some train services, you should never put your feet on the chairs on a ferry. Doing so is unclean and disrespectful. Even if your feet are clean, there’s no excuse for placing your feet on the seat opposite you.

If you do, there’s a good chance a staff member will tell you to put your feet down. We’ve even seen other passengers tell people off for putting their feet on the seats. We admit it’s much easier to get comfy if you can stretch out and lie down, but it’s not worth the hassle and arguments.

Don’t Leave Your Pets in the Car

If you’re traveling with your furry companion, they’ll unlikely be able to sit on the ferry with you. Often, the only animals allowed to sit with passengers on a ferry are support animals and guide dogs. However, that doesn’t always mean you can leave your pet in your vehicle.

While many ferry companies allow pets to stay in their owners’ vehicles, others don’t. In these instances, pets must be dropped off at the onboard kennels. Don’t panic; ferry kennels are typically excellent, with many ferry companies seeking professional guidance to ensure pets have an enjoyable journey. You can find the rules regarding pets on the ferry operators’ website.

Don’t Forget To Take Your Sea Sickness Tablets

Ways to save money traveling to Greece Ferry — © Stratos Giannikos / Adobe Stock

Generally speaking, most ferry journeys are calm and relaxed. It’s unlikely you’ll experience harsh weather and unpleasant sailing conditions. However, it’s not uncommon for ferries to make journeys in unfavorable conditions. A quick Google search shows videos of small and large ferries rocking in violent weather.

If the weather doesn’t look promising, we strongly recommend taking sea sickness tablets before your ferry departs, especially if you’re prone to motion sickness. That way, should the ferry encounter severe weather conditions and start to rock, hopefully, you won’t feel nauseous. You should take sea sickness tablets approximately 30 to 60 minutes before departure.