The acceptance of passengers with special requirements on board is regulated in the Decreto Legislativo No 52 of 8 March 2005, the corresponding implementing provision of the Ministry for Infrastructure and Transport, the Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 and in-house procedures.
Considered passengers with limited mobility (PMR) are persons whose mobility is limited due to a physical disability (sensory or motor, temporary or permanent), a mental disability or incapacity or any other type of disability, pregnancy or age, whose condition requires special attention and adjustment of the service provided to all passengers in order to meet the special requirements of these passengers.
Company accepts reservations of disabled persons and persons with limited mobility requesting reservation subject to the same conditions that apply to all other passengers and agrees to provide assistance at no additional costs.
1. Assistance in ports:
- PMR receive assistance, if required, upon accessing the port area, irrespective of whether they arrive in private vehicles, by bus or by train;
- PMR are accompanied to the ticket counter for purchase of the ticket for the sea voyage or, if they already have a ticket, to embarkation;
- PMR are accompanied to the ticket counter after disembarkation.
2. Assistance on board:
PMR receive assistance from the on-board personnel:
- during embarkation and disembarkation;
- during luggage processing;
- when accessing the booked accommodation;
- when accessing sanitary facilities.
If the PMR is looked after by an own attendant, these persons can request assistance both from the port and during embarkation and disembarkation.
In case of blind PMR, Company provides gratuitous accommodation for the attendant.
Passengers that are currently undergoing clinical treatment must be able to provide an original medical certificate of a public institution which must have been issued within 48 hours prior to departure.
Passengers who can only be transported on a stretcher must be accompanied by at least one person qualified for the assistance required.
Persons with handicap or with limited mobility must inform Transport Company of their specific requirements for accommodation upon booking or purchase of the ticket, e.g. seat, service required or necessity to bring medical devices, if these requirements or needs are known at this point
PMR must inform Company or the port office of any other kind of assistance no later than 48 hours prior to departure and they must present themselves at the agreed place/time before scheduled departure.
If the ticket is purchased through a travel agency or a tour operator, the passenger has to make sure that the request for required special assistance is filed in accordance with the applicable booking conditions of Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione S.p.A.
Purchase of a ticket with simultaneous notification of a disability entitles to privileged embarkation of the transported vehicle and the provision of reserved seating in the public areas of the vessel. In order to be able to utilise privileged embarkation, the disabled person or person with limited mobility has to visibly display the disability certificate and the ticket in the vehicle and must arrive for embarkation at least 2 hours before departure.
If aforementioned notification is not provided, Company shall do all that is in its power to guarantee the assistance required to enable the disabled person or the person with limited mobility to embark the booked vessel for departure and to disembark upon arrival.
In order to guarantee the best service possible, disabled passengers or passengers with limited mobility and persons requiring special assistance who are not travelling with a vehicle should present themselves at check-in at least one hour before departure.
In order to facilitate the stay of passengers with limited mobility, ships of Company’s fleet provide reserved parking spaces for the vehicles of passengers using wheelchairs; lifts and stair lifts; correspondingly equipped cabins including shower and toilet; reserved areas in the recliner area and communal areas as well as public sanitary facilities for disabled persons. All of Company’s ships provide PMR access to public areas (restaurants, self-service, cinema, etc.).
Passengers requiring oxygen supply must provide a corresponding supply sufficient for the crossing themselves as the oxygen available on board may only be used in emergencies.
The passenger may only embark one oxygen dispenser. Embarkation of oxygen tanks for filling of the oxygen dispenser must be authorised by the Ministry for Infrastructure and Transport – management headquarters; the authorisation is issued by the local port authority.
Additionally, the passenger has to provide a medical certificate upon embarkation that confirms ability to travel in accordance with the provisions already set out above.
Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione S.p.A.:
- ensures that own personnel responsible for direct assistance of disabled persons or persons with limited mobility received special training in support and sensitisation;
- guarantees that all new staff complete training in regard to disabilities and that the entire staff attend corresponding advanced training courses at an appropriate time;
- guarantees that, if a disabled person or person with limited mobility travels with an assistance dog, the dog will be allocated the same accommodation as this person, provided Company was informed of the dog in advance; this applies in accordance with applicable provisions regarding the transport of accompanying animals;
- guarantees compensation if wheelchairs or other mobility aids or parts thereof are lost or damaged during transport at the port or on board the ship if Transport Company or the port terminal is responsible for this damage or causes the damage due to negligence. If required, Company shall do all that is in its power to replace the equipment as soon as possible.
