From WhatsApp lists to a clean manifest: selling seats on a scheduled ferry

2026-09-05 · 4 min read

On a scheduled run, the most common problem is also the simplest one: nobody is sure how many seats are left.

One list, one truth

When every booking goes into the same trip list, the seat count is always right, whether the booking came from the office, a phone call or a message.

Know your passenger types

Locals, residents and visitors often pay different fares. Setting the fares once means nobody has to remember them or work them out at the jetty.

Print or share the list

A clean passenger list for the captain, ordered and complete, is better than a screenshot of a chat. It is also a record if a question comes up later.

Confirm by message

A short confirmation message with the trip, the time and the seat gives passengers certainty and cuts the number of calls you take.

The Ticketing side of Harborline is made for this: scheduled trips, seat counts, fares and passenger lists in one place.