ABSTRACT
Contracts to carry passengers at sea are subject to the ordinary rules governing contracts generally and are not in any sense specialized or out of the ordinary so far as the rights and liabilities of the two parties to the contract are concerned. The Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 1974 came into force internationally on 28 April 1987. It applies to any contract made on or after 1 January 1981 for the carriage of passengers for reward with or without their luggage where either: the contract is for international carriage and is made in the UK; the contract is for international carriage where either the place of departure or of destination is in the UK. The Secretary of State can increase the limit of liability for personal injury claims in relation to a carrier whose principal place of business is in the United Kingdom.
