Storm rolling in, or a delay on the departure board? This page gathers every official live source for the Dover-Calais crossing in one place. Three operators sail around the clock, so even when the weather bites there is usually another boat soon.
Live updates per operator
Each operator posts delays and cancellations on its own channels first. Check yours before you leave for the port:
Delayed or cancelled: what to expect
- Usually just the next boat. With dozens of departures a day across three operators, a cancelled sailing usually means moving to the next one rather than losing your trip. Contact your operator, or check in at the port of Dover as planned unless they tell you otherwise; delayed sailings often still load.
- Sometimes with another operator. When sailings are disrupted, the three operators also carry each other’s passengers. We saw it during our own operator test: we were waved onto an earlier boat from another company.
- Rerouting or a refund. Under EU and UK passenger rights rules (Regulation 1177/2010), a cancellation or a departure delay of more than 90 minutes gives you the choice between rerouting and a full refund, plus meals and refreshments while you wait.
- Compensation for a late arrival. On a crossing this short you are owed 25% of the ticket price from one hour of delay and 50% from two hours. This does not apply when the weather makes sailing unsafe: in a storm you can still choose rerouting or a refund, but not this percentage.
Storms in the Strait of Dover
Most disruption on this route comes from south-westerly gales. The crossing is short and both ports handle rough weather well, so delays are far more common than cancellations, but in a severe storm sailings can stop for a few hours. The forecast below shows how wind and waves change on the route, so you can see whether a bumpy crossing is coming.
Wind and waves for the crossing, from our partner site FerryWeather โ. More weather and live views of both ports on our webcams and weather page.
Traffic around Dover
When sailings are disrupted, traffic around Dover often reacts before the ferries do. At busy times Operation Brock queues lorries on the M20 and the Traffic Assessment Project (TAP) holds them on the A20. Allow extra time on the approach roads even if your sailing is confirmed; cars follow the normal signed route into the port. EES registration at the French border in Dover can also add time while the system beds in, so check our ferry checklist before you go.
See it for yourself
- Where is your boat right now? Follow it on our live ferry tracker.
- Queues and sea state show up on the Dover and Calais webcams.
- Planned departures are in the ferry timetable.
Need a different sailing?
Is your ferry not going, or do you want another time? Compare the departures of P&O Ferries, DFDS and Irish Ferries at a glance.