The onward connection should give way first. It should be treated as the flexible part of the island plan—not as a fixed anchor for everything that follows—because onward connections cannot be guaranteed during disruption.
Why the onward connection comes first
An amber service status can signal that one or more sailings on the route are delayed by over 30 minutes, cancelled, or diverted to another port. It can also signal a temporary timetable.
Each of those changes can affect the next part of the journey. The published journey-planning guidance is explicit: a connection cannot be guaranteed, particularly during disruption. The onward leg therefore needs more flexibility than the rest of the plan.
How to check the disruption
Readers should check the live status for the intended route and identify what is actually reported:
- A delay of over 30 minutes
- A cancellation
- A diversion to another port
- A temporary timetable
An amber status is a signal to check the service details, not confirmation that a particular onward connection remains available. The onward leg should therefore be checked separately rather than assumed to follow automatically.
What still needs confirmation
The cited guidance does not provide a complete hierarchy for changing an island plan or state a route-specific weather threshold. It supports a narrower planning priority: make the onward connection flexible first.
Before relying on the rest of the itinerary, readers still need to confirm the current route status, the exact disruption and any diversion, and whether the onward connection is available for the intended journey. An arrival plan built around an unconfirmed connection remains vulnerable to further change.