Arriving late for a scheduled ferry departure will almost always result in missing your boat, as commercial passenger vessels operate on strict maritime timetables and close their boarding gates several minutes prior to departure. Unlike some flexible transit systems, standard ferry tickets are typically non-refundable and tied to a specific departure time slot, meaning late passengers will have to forfeit their fare, pay a change fee if permitted by the operator's policy, or purchase an entirely new ticket for the next available sailing.