Ferry (Ro-Pax)

A ro-pax ferry is a roll-on/roll-off ship carrying both vehicles and more than twelve passengers, the SOLAS threshold that makes it a passenger ship subject to the full passenger safety regime. It pairs vehicle decks reached by bow, stern, or side ramps with cabins, seating, and catering for routes that run from a few hours to most of a day. This separates it from a pure ro-ro freight ship, which is limited to twelve passengers (usually drivers) and needs no passenger certificate. Ro-pax tonnage spans small island ferries to ships above 50,000 GT with 2,000 lane meters and over a thousand berths. The open vehicle deck drives the damage-stability rules tightened after the Herald of Free Enterprise and Estonia losses.