You can't stay in your car for safety reasons. In case of an emergency, like a fire or a collision, you need to be able to evacuate the ship quickly. Most of the time, you need to join rafts located above the car deck.
Park Your Car on the FerryYou don't want to run the risk that a large wave will make your car roll into other vehicles. Lock all of your doors before leaving the vehicle. Do not, however, turn on your car's alarm system.
About the disadvantages of ferriesThere are no perfect swimming facilities, and ferries also have their weaknesses. The main disadvantage of ferries, travelers often call the monotony of the landscape. During the entire journey from the deck, you can only observe the endless expanse of water.
Outside food and non-alcoholic beverages can be brought and consumed on board the ferry. Due to state law, alcoholic beverages that are not purchased on board the ferry cannot be consumed on the ferry. Please see our current COVID-19 rules related to masking.
Passengers are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages on or off a vessel except for beverages that they are transporting as personal baggage in unopened containers, which may not be opened while the vessel is underway.
If a vehicle is broken down onboard, the responsibility ultimately is with the owner of the vehicle. The ferry crew is under no obligation to re-start vehicles that have broken down.
Find a seat in the middle of the ferry; the lower you are, the better. So stay low (not the upper deck) and sit in the middle. But.. Window seats tend to be better (a tip that might collide with the seat in the middle of the ferry) if you keep your eyes on the horizon.
Once you find your parking spot on the ferry, put your car in park and engage the emergency brake. You don't want to run the risk that a large wave will make your car roll into other vehicles. Lock all of your doors before leaving the vehicle. Do not, however, turn on your car's alarm system.
No, you can't stay in your car during the ferry crossing between Dover and Calais. Once the vessel disembarks, you are not allowed to stay in the car parking deck for safety reasons. However, you can return to your car a few minutes before reaching the port of Calais, following the instructions of the crew.
Once on board the ferry you will disembark the coach and take the stairs to the passenger areas. You will not be allowed back down onto the vehicle deck during the crossing so make sure you have everything you need for the crossing with you. There is a large duty free shop and a self service restaurant on board.