About us

Wightlink provides the main link between the Isle of Wight and the mainland. Every year, we carry over 5 million passengers, making us one of the UK’s largest domestic ferry operators. We endeavour to provide Island residents with an easy and frequent service to the mainland, as well as giving millions of holidaymakers from all across the UK a taste of Island life.

At around 22 minutes a crossing on the catamaran and from 35 minutes by car ferry, there’s no easier way to get across the Solent. With our three great routes and close to 70,000 crossings a year, we strive to be the most flexible too. We are dedicated to delivering excellent customer service and offering facilities that make your trip even more enjoyable.

As most people who travel to and from the Isle of Wight do so with us, we are truly a part of Island life.

Mission

Wightlink is committed to improving the quality of the service that it offers. To succeed we must aim to satisfy all our customers by excelling in the service we deliver, thereby becoming: “The preferred choice of operator for cross-Solent travel”

What you should expect from us

Wightlink’s Customer Charter has been created to ensure that we deliver a top quality service by setting out our commitment to you. This is:

• that you, the customer will always be our primary focus
• never to compromise on your safety
• to offer you a quality service operating our scheduled services with minimum disruption, on time and, wherever possible, with capacity available to satisfy your demand
• to furnish you with a trouble-free experience, from your first contact with us in making a booking, to arriving at your destination
• to be courteous and honest with you and our stakeholders and to deliver the highest standards of customer service
• to foster mutual respect
• to ensure that our ships, terminals and facilities are kept to the highest standard of cleanliness

Our primary objective is to deliver this commitment at all times.

Should you feel that we have not met the above commitment in any way, we want to hear from you.  If you feel we have met, or exceeded, our commitment we would also like to hear from you, and would be grateful if you could tell other people about your experience. Our contact details can be found below.

‘Your Opinion Counts’ forms are available to download here, onboard our vessels, at all Ticket Offices, Quay Convenience stores and Coffee Quays.

Planning and booking your journey

We will provide you with all the information necessary for you to plan and book
your journey on any of our three routes across the Solent. Our staff will advise you
whenever possible on the best fare available for your journey and give you information on alternatives that may reduce the journey cost by travelling at different times or on a different route.

All the information you require is available from the following sources:

Wightlink website – www.wightlink.co.uk

• Download and print the current timetables for your chosen route
• Obtain a quote or make a booking for your journey
• Directions to all of our terminals
• Notices of any disruptions and cancellations provided at the earliest opportunity

Wightlink Call Centre – 0871 376 1000 (calls cost 7p per minute plus network extras) (see below for opening hours))

• Enquire about availability
• Obtain a quote or make a booking for your journey
• Up-to-date sailing information

Wightlink Ticket Offices – (see below for opening hours and locations)

• Fare enquiries
• Purchase tickets
• Contact staff regarding the transportation of dangerous goods
• Book rail tickets (Yarmouth, Ryde and Portsmouth Harbour)
• Book bus rover tickets (Portsmouth Harbour and Lymington)

At our Terminals and Onboard

Help and advice during your journey

• Our staff will be able to advise you of all the facilities available at our terminals and onboard our vessels.
• Our current timetables are displayed at all of our terminals and onboard our vessels.
• Staff will be able to advise of any delays or disruptions to our service.We aim to keep you as fully informed as possible.

Assistance with special needs

• We are committed to meeting the needs of all our customers and we will help you to ensure your journey with us is as easy as possible.
• All of our Ticket Offices and our vessels are accessible to wheelchair users, but in the main were built before the Disability Discrimination Act came into force. Our staff are trained to assist any customer who may need assistance.
• A wheelchair is available on each of our car ferries and at each of our terminals. We regret that we cannot accept bookings for wheelchairs in advance.
• Passenger lifts are available on all our car ferries. Please tell us when you arrive at the Terminal if you require lift access, but please be aware we cannot guarantee to place your vehicle beside the lift as space is limited in this area of the ship. We recommend you also advise us at the time of booking if you need lift access.
• Ramps are available to help wheelchair users access the lift from and to the car decks.

Catering facilities (see below for opening hours)

• A wide range of quality fresh food, coffee, teas and other beverages is available in all our retail outlets, as well as newspapers, magazines and various gifts. Our retail outlets are licensed for the sale of alcohol, with the exception of our Quay Convenience at Fishbourne.

Dogs and other pets

• Dogs can react strangely to the noise and motion of a ship and for the comfort and safety of all our customers, we have therefore allocated dedicated areas for our customers and their pets on our car ferries. On our catamarans, customers can bring their dogs into the passenger cabin.
• We ask that all animals are kept off the seats as a consideration to your fellow travellers. 
• Dogs may also be left in cars for the duration of the ferry journey, although please do ensure that they have sufficient ventilation. 
• We welcome dogs and other pets on all our ferries, provided that they are controlled for the comfort and safety of all our customers.

Dangerous goods

• It is a legal requirement to declare any dangerous goods such as LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) presented for shipment. Wightlink must be notified at the time of booking and at least 24 hours in advance of travel.
• For further information please call our dedicated Dangerous Goods hotline: 023 9285 5237 or ask a member of our Ticket Office Staff for advice. 
• Firearms (including sporting guns) must be declared in advance of embarkation or loading.
• Dangerous goods are not permitted on our catamarans.

Luggage

• Luggage trolleys are available at our Portsmouth Harbour, Ryde and Lymington terminals.
• For security reasons luggage must not be left unattended in any circumstances on any of our terminals or ships. Unattended baggage will be dealt with in the appropriate manner without exception.
• Regrettably we are unable to offer a porter service, although our staff will endeavour to assist whenever possible.

Security

• For your safety and security, CCTV equipment is used widely on all our premises and vessels.
• Security checks of all areas, both onboard and ashore, are carried out at frequent intervals throughout each day.
• All information held electronically will comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

Smoking

• For your comfort and safety all of our catamarans, buildings and internal spaces onboard our ships are strictly non-smoking.
• Smoking on the car decks of our vessels is strictly prohibited; this includes the inside of your vehicle until you are well clear of the vessel.
• Smoking is permitted only on the Upper External Decks of car ferries on the Portsmouth - Fishbourne route and on the AFT end of the Sun Deck on the Lymington-Yarmouth route. We ask you to be considerate towards non-smokers in these locations and use the ash disposers provided.

Toilet facilities

• Toilet facilities are available at all of our terminals and onboard our vessels. Disabled toilets and baby changing facilities are available on our car ferries, and in all terminals.
• We aim to present a very high standard of cleanliness in these facilities, with dedicated cleaners attending throughout the day. 
• Should you find that any of these facilities do not meet your expectations, please inform a member of staff as soon as possible.

Car Parking

• Pay & Display car parking is available at most of our ports, with the exception of Portsmouth Harbour and Yarmouth. Passengers using the Portsmouth Harbour route can use our Gunwharf Road car park, which is a short walk to Portsmouth Harbour Terminal. Passengers who wish to park at Yarmouth are advised to use the council car park close to the Terminal.
• All our car parks are managed on our behalf by a third party contractor who ensures that the appropriate payments are made in accordance with the level of charges that will be clearly displayed. 
• Should you have any queries regarding parking please contact:
  Route Manager
  Wightlink Ltd
  Gunwharf Terminal
  Gunwharf Road
  Portsmouth PO1 2LA
  bookings@wightlink.co.uk
  Phone: 023 9285 5216
  Fax: 023 9285 5486

Mobile Phones
For safety reasons the use of hand held mobile phones whilst driving on Wightlink property is strictly prohibited.

Turn-up Customers
We always advise you try to pre-book your journey, especially during the holiday periods when we are very busy. We appreciate that this may not always be possible however; and we welcome customers whose travel plans are decided at short notice. In these circumstances, once you arrive at the port, we will endeavour to board you as soon as possible. Priority will be given to pre-booked traffic however, so you may have to wait until space becomes available.
In this event the staff will give you an indication of how long your wait might be.

Delays and Cancellations
We will make every reasonable effort to avoid delays to our services, run from the scheduled ports and using the scheduled vessels unless circumstances such as weather, mechanical failure, operational reasons or safety issues prevent us from so doing. We do not undertake that services will depart or arrive at the scheduled times.

When planning an onward journey from one of our ports, we advise customers to obtain the latest travel information for all transport operators to make sure that the planned connections are practically feasible.

Please be aware that Portsmouth Harbour is a working naval port and therefore comes under the jurisdiction of the Queen’s Harbour Master (QHM). QHM may, from time to time, close the harbour to commercial vessels to allow naval vessels to enter and leave. This occasionally causes either an early departure or slight delay to our advertised times. We will keep you as well informed as possible when this type of situation occurs.

Your Views
Should you have any feedback about our service we would like to hear from you, as your views are important to us.

Please contact a member of staff in the first instance who will welcome your views.
Customer comments are dealt with by our Management team, who are responsible for delivering a high level of Customer Service.

Should you wish to contact us please write in further detail to:-
Customer Services
Wightlink Ltd
Gunwharf Road
Portsmouth
PO1 2LA
feedback@wightlink.co.uk

To allow us to investigate your query fully please provide us with as much information
as possible including the following:-

• Date, time of travel and booking reference number if available
• Port of departure
• Vessel travelled on (if known)
• Your address and contact number
• Full details of the nature of your query

Your correspondence will then be directed to the relevant department.
We will acknowledge your correspondence as soon as we receive it, but a full reply may take up to 28 days, as all queries are investigated fully.

Further Information

Refunds

• All refunds are subject to the Terms & Conditions of the ticket type you have purchased.
• All refund requests must be made in writing to:
  Cashiers Department
  Wightlink Ltd
  Gunwharf Road
  Portsmouth
  PO1 2LA
  gunwharfcashiers@wightlink.co.uk

We will acknowledge your request for a refund on receipt of your letter. You will be advised of the outcome within 28 days. 

OPENING HOURS and contact information

Head Office
Wightlink Ltd.
Gunwharf Road
Portsmouth
PO1 2LA
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday, 0900 - 1700 hours
Closed on Christmas Day and Bank Holidays.

Gunwharf Ticket Office
Wightlink Ltd
Gunwharf Road
Portsmouth
PO1 2LA
Opening Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week - closed on Christmas Day

Fishbourne Ticket Office
Fishbourne Car Ferry Terminal
Fishbourne Lane
Ryde
Isle of Wight
PO33 4EU
Opening Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week - closed on Christmas Day

Portsmouth Harbour Ticket Office
Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station
The Hard
Portsmouth
PO1 3PS
Opening Hours: 0400 - 0100 hours, 7 days a week
Ticket Office closed Christmas Day

Ryde Pier Ticket Office
Ryde Pier Head
Ryde
Isle of Wight
PO33 2HF
Opening Hours: 0400 - 0100, 7 days a week
Ticket Office closed Christmas Day

Lymington Pier Ticket Office
Car Ferry Terminal
Undershore Road
Lymington
SO41 5SB
Opening Hours: 0545 – 2359 hours, 7 days a week - closed on Christmas Day

Yarmouth Ticket Office
Car Ferry Terminal
Quay Street
Yarmouth
Isle of Wight
PO41 0PB
Opening Hours: 0545 – 2300 hours, 7 days a week - closed on Christmas Day

Quay Convenience Gunwharf
7 days a week 0630 – 2100 hours

Quay Convenience Fishbourne
Tuesday – Thursday & Saturday 0700 – 1900 hours
Friday, Sunday & Monday 0700 – 2100 hours

Coffee Quay Portsmouth Harbour
Sunday – Thursday 0800 – 2130 hours
Friday & Saturday 0800 – 2230 hours

Coffee Quay Ryde Pier
Monday – Thursday 0530 – 2030 hours
Friday, Saturday & Sunday 0530 – 2230 hours

Quay Convenience Lymington
Monday – Saturday 0715 – 1930 hours except Tuesday when it will close at 1845 hours
Sunday 0815 – 1915 hours

Yarmouth
There are no café facilities at our Yarmouth terminal, but there is a vending service available serving hot and cold drinks and a small range of snacks and confectionery.

Call Centre
Monday – Saturday 0700 – 2100 hours
Sunday 0730 – 2000 hours
Closed Christmas Day

Enquiries and bookings 0871 376 1000

bookings@wightlink.co.uk

Wightlink Administration Offices
Monday – Friday 0900 – 1700 hours
0871 376 1000 (calls cost 7p per minute plus network extras)

feedback@wightlink.co.uk
Closed on Christmas Day and Bank Holidays

Please note that over Christmas and other national holidays, opening hours
may differ to those published. Please refer to our website www.wightlink.co.uk
for the revised times.

Details correct at time of being issued 8 October 2009

Download a full colour copy  here

Downaload a two colour copy  here

Download 'Your Opinion Counts' form  here