Vessel Loading

For the safety of our passengers and crew, and the timely loading of our vessels, please note the following details:

• Passengers will be directed to park their vehicles either on the bottom or top deck.
• Foot (walk-on) passengers will be directed to a designated area to meet the Marine Atlantic shuttle bus, which will transport you to the vessel.
• Reminder: do not open strollers on the vehicle decks.
• All boarding passes must be scanned prior to boarding the vessel, so please have them ready. Employees will provide you with directions during the boarding process.
• Passenger and commercial vehicles are carried on every crossing. Our loading plans are finalized prior to each sailing, and are prepared with safety, security and maximizing vehicle capacity in mind. Commercial drop trailer traffic is normally loaded first, followed by passenger, and finally, live tractor trailer traffic.
• Please note that you may not depart the vessel in the sequence in which you were first boarded.

Persons with Disabilities

Persons with a disability or persons who need to be placed near an elevator on the vehicle deck must identify themselves to the ticket agent during check-in. You will then be placed in a specific lane. You are asked to turn on your four-way flashers during the boarding process. The flashers identify the need to be placed in close proximity to the elevators.

Please note that due to the loading sequence and specific vehicle placement on the vehicle deck, a person in this line may not necessarily board the vessel at the beginning of the loading process.

Points to Remember

• Please refrain from using cell phones during loading and unloading.
• Personnel are on the vessel deck to direct you on the placement of your vehicle. Please follow their directions.
• Smoking is not permitted on the parking decks, including inside passenger vehicles.
• The health and safety of passengers and crew is of the utmost importance to Marine Atlantic. Therefore, we request that you not start your vehicle until asked to do so by a Marine Atlantic employee, or when the vehicle directly in front of you begins to move.
• Do you have a question regarding the loading of pets? Please refer to our Pets section here.
• Pets need to be kept away from the driver's side window during the loading process.
• Remembering where you've parked: Blue Puttees and Highlander passengers are asked to note the colour of the deck they've parked on; Atlantic Vision passengers are asked to remember their deck colour and the colour of their elevator.