If an incoming voyage for which a pilot has been ordered is cancelled within a period of 2.5 hours prior to the last given ETA, or if the new ETA is delayed by three (3) hours or more, the voyage will be considered as cancelled. The applicable cancellation tariff for incoming voyages applies. The applicable cancellation tariff for incoming voyages has been determined by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) and can be found in paragraph 4.3 of the tariff brochure. 

If a voyage from the hinterland (Bolnes, Volkerak, Handelskade, Krammer, Kreekrak and 's Gravendeel) for which a pilot has been ordered is cancelled less than 1.5 hours prior to the last ETA/ETD, or of which the ETA/ETD is delayed by 2 hours or more, the voyage will be considered as cancelled. For cancelled hinterland voyages, the applicable cancellation tariff for outgoing and berth shift voyages applies. This cancellation tariff has been determined by the ACM and can be found in paragraph 4.3 of the tariff brochure. 

Outgoing and berth shift voyages must be ordered 2 hours prior to ETD through the Port Community System. If an outgoing or a berth shift voyage for which a pilot has been ordered is cancelled less than 1.5 hours prior to the last ETA/ETD, or if the ETA/ETD is delayed by 2 hours or more, the voyage will be considered as cancelled. For outgoing and berth shift voyages, the applicable cancellation tariff for outgoing and berth shift voyages applies. This cancellation tariff has been determined by the ACM and can be found in paragraph 4.3 of the tariff brochure. 

*For channel-bound ships and ships subject to the LNG regime, a different pilotage order time applies (see below, for details see our publication ‘Procedures’). 

**For detailed information on ordering a pilot via the Port Community System, please refer to the website of the Port of Rotterdam Authority and Portbase.  

LNG 

Pilotage Order Times 

Pilots for outgoing LNG carriers must be ordered at least 12 hours prior to ETD. There are three reasons for this: LNG carriers often need assistance of more tugs than  other  ships;  pilotage  requires  thorough  advance  planning  because  LNG  carriers are piloted by two pilots; and the outgoing voyage has to be integrated in the existing traffic flow including voyages of other special ships such as deep draught  ships.  LNG  carriers  not  only  have  a  big  impact  on  the  capacity  of  the  waterway  but  also  on  the  capacities  of  the  nautical  service  providers,  so  early  ordering is an absolute necessity.  

For the same reasons, incoming LNG ships must be ordered at least 12 hours prior to ETA. This is because of the impact on the waterway due to the LNG carrier’s special arrival manoeuvre requiring more tugs than is the case with other types of ships.  

CHANNEL-BOUND SHIPS

A minimum pilotage order time of 12 hours prior to ETA applies to ingoing voyages of channel-bound ships with draughts of more than 17.40 metres (‘geulers’) and to ingoing voyages of channel-bound ships with draughts of more than 14.30 metres (‘semi-geulers’) with destination Rotterdam/Botlek.  

The manoeuvres of these ships have a big impact on the capacity of the waterway and,  in  most  cases,  tidal  windows  have  to  be  determined  and  more  tugs  than  usual have to be ordered. Channel-bound ships with draughts of more than 14.30 metres (‘semi-geulers’), moreover, will need tugboat assistance from as early as the Lower Light of the leading line. The impact on the capacity of the waterway as well as on the capacities of the nautical service providers is so big that this makes early ordering a necessity.  

For  the  same  reasons,  a  similar  arrangement  applies  to  outgoing  voyages  of  ‘geulers’  and  ‘semi-geulers’,  where  a  minimum  pilotage  order  time  of  12  hours  prior  to  ETD  applies  to  channel-bound  ships  with  draughts  of  more  than  17.40  metres (‘geulers’) and to channel-bound ships with draughts of more than 14.30 metres (‘semi-geulers’) departing from Rotterdam/Botlek.