McArthur and Wishart call for overhaul of NorthLink cabin policy

Northern Isles MSPs Liam McArthur and Beatrice Wishart have today called on the Scottish Government to reverse the withdrawal of shared passenger cabins on NorthLink vessels operating the route from Aberdeen to Orkney and Shetland under the upcoming contract.     

The option for individual passengers to book berths in shared cabins was removed during the pandemic to comply with social distancing rules.   

Scottish Government ministers have since resisted growing calls for the option to be reintroduced, meaning individual passengers seeking to book a berth to sleep in must pay the price of a full cabin.  

Mr McArthur and Ms Wishart have pushed for the government to reinstate the previous policy on shared cabins, which would offer a far more affordable means of overnight travel on the lifeline service.   

The Northern Isles Ferry Service consultation on the design of the new contract for the Aberdeen – Northern Isles route is now open and will close on 13 October.  

Commenting, Mr McArthur said:   

“To get a good night’s sleep on NorthLink sailings, islanders should not be held to ransom. For years, a system of ‘shared’ cabins worked perfectly well on the Aberdeen route and allowed islanders to keep costs down when travelling.   

 “Covid saw ‘shared’ cabins suspended, but NorthLink has since refused to reintroduce the option. Charging full prices for cabins that are often at less than 50% occupancy fails to make good use of available capacity and leaves passengers either out of pocket or sleeping in chairs or on the floor. 

“One constituent recently likened the situation to making someone with a motorbike book deck space for a motorhome. 

“With the new contract for the Northern Isles ferry services open for consultation, Scottish Ministers must take the opportunity to make clear that ‘shared’ cabins will be part of the offer once more. Overcharging islanders to use their lifeline service is simply not acceptable.” 

Ms Wishart commented:   

“The loss of the longstanding policy of shared cabins has removed personal choice and inconvenienced many on NorthLink sailings.  

“With limited ability to sleep horizontally on the vessels, shared cabins were an option to try and get a good night’s sleep while reducing travel costs.  

“The withdrawal of the policy has also impacted the value of concessionary vouchers. For sole passengers, securing a berth in a cabin now means using a voucher plus a cash contribution or a second voucher.  

“I would encourage as many people as possible to take part in the Northern Isles Ferry Service consultation that is now open to ensure that the contract design for the lifeline service can properly reflect and meet the needs of islanders.”