The ferry linking Cyprus and Greece during the summer will now be carried out by the Italian-flagged AF Marina, Deputy Shipping Minister Marina Hadjimanoli said on Wednesday.

“The first route of the ferry is scheduled on May 29, while the last route, from Piraeus to Limassol, is scheduled for September 1,” she said.

Hadjimanoli added that 22 routes are scheduled for this season with the same fares as the previous year, as the ship’s fuel had already been secured before the recent price increases caused by the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

“This line has been embraced by the public and has contributed to the creation of a new segment of the tourism market, strengthening the connectivity of Cyprus with Greece and by extension with continental Europe,” she said.  

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According to Hadjimanoli, the AF Marina is set to provide enhanced amenities and boast an expanded passenger capacity, as well as designated cabins for those travelling with animals.

The ferry has a passenger capacity of 394 people who will be accommodated in a total of 10 double cabins, 20 single cabins and 58 quadruple cabins, all of which are equipped with private bathrooms.

In addition, the AF Marina features two triple cabins for disabled passengers, eight quadruple cabins for passengers with pets, as well as 84 seats.

The ferry’s on-board infrastructure includes a café, a restaurant, a casino and a medical clinic, which have already undergone an inspection by officers of the deputy ministry of shipping and the deputy ministry of tourism.

Hadjimanoli said that in the last four seasons, the ferry service recorded a 6.3 per cent passenger increase. Moreover, the number of disabled passengers increased by 157.1 per cent, while at the same time, the number of transported vehicles and pets increased by 35.1 per cent and 74.6 per cent respectively.

In her announcement, the minister emphasised that, as of this year, there would be an adjustment to the ferry’s cancellation policy.

This was considered essential, as numerous passengers previously made multiple bookings but only utilised one of them, consequently denying other prospective travellers the opportunity to secure a seat.

The latest cancellation regulations state that tickets that have been reserved and subsequently cancelled will not be reimbursed, with the exception of port charges.

This follows the publishing of an audit report on the ferry’s booking availability which had been made public in early April.

Following a series of complaints regarding the unavailability of ferry tickets, the audit office found that on average, ferries were running at 49 per cent of full capacity.

Yet the company operating the routes, Scandro Holding Ltd, which continues to be the contractor for the upcoming summer season, was still receiving full payment of of €5.47 million per year via state subsidy, plus an additional 6 per cent of revenue from the sales of tickets.

The investigation revealed that, although demand was high and tickets sold out as soon as the platform opened, the ferries were operating with an average number of passengers of 173 per route, with a capacity of 350.

The ferry is currently undergoing upgrades in Italy, with the aim of ensuring the provision of quality and safe services to the public.

Reservations and ticket sales for this year will open on 22 April.

The AF Marina is the only maritime connection between Cyprus and Greece, running for approximately three months every summer.

It takes over from the Daleela ferry, which operated the route under the same contractor for four consecutive seasons.