Travel agents need “to keep one eye open” on laws and regulations regarding disabled customers, a leading travel lawyer has warned.

Kicking off this year’s UK Cruise Convention in Southampton, Joanna Kolatsis, partner at Gates and Partners Solicitors, told agents that they should be aware that claims regarding issues over disability access on cruise lines could increase, following a number of recent cases in the aviation sector.

Kolatsis was the first to speak in the business sessions, which began the conference this morning.

She warned agents to be aware of the differences in UK legislation compared with the US.  The Disability and Discriminations Act in Britain does not cover cruise ships, she said, but all US registered ships, and ships sailing in US waters fall under American regulations.

Kolatsis said reams of legislation had been brought in for the aviation sector by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and agents should be aware of these and how they could be applied to the cruise market.

“Travel agents need to keep one eye open,” she said. “Following on from a number of aviation claims, agents need to be open to discussions, and they need to be commercially aware to avoid unnecessary claims and protect brand loyalty.”