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Moroccan families living abroad, planning to travel by sea to spend their annual summer holidays in Morocco, have been disappointed by the cancellation of five ferry trips linking Spain to the North African kingdom.
Just days before their planned trips, many who booked with the Italian shipping company Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), which operates ferries from Europe to Morocco, were surprised to learn that their trips had been canceled on short notice, a Spanish-based association that assists Moroccans traveling annually told Yabiladi on Thursday.
The canceled trips, connecting Barcelona to the ports of Nador and Tangier, have left many Moroccan families in distress, according to members of Amigos del Pueblo Marroquí ITRAN. The foundation, which works every year with Moroccans living abroad who travel from all over Europe, expressed the frustration of many families stranded in Barcelona with no alternative way to sail to Morocco.
«They don’t provide other alternatives for Moroccans who have already booked and are in Barcelona ready to board», said ITRAN members. The association explained that «although the company refunds the passengers, it takes a long time, sometimes up to four or five months».
Expensive alternatives
This does not solve their problems. According to ITRAN, these families typically purchase their tickets months in advance to secure better deals. «Even when they try to buy new tickets now that their trips are canceled, it’s hard to get them at the same price», ITRAN argued.
«They end up paying more because it’s the high season. Prices are double or triple», they explained. While trying to find a solution, these families are forced to stay in Barcelona, where they mostly «spend the night in their cars», the association lamented, adding that another GNV trip on July 14 was also canceled, leaving many in the same situation.
ITRAN, which also helps Moroccans traveling by ferry to know their rights and report such problems, noted that this is a recurring issue. They have filed complaints with Spanish authorities and consumer rights and port authorities in Barcelona over the last few seasons.
«We want Morocco to intervene. Authorities should address these people and try to prevent this problem that happens every year. We ask the Moroccan Ministry of Transport to find a solution for these Moroccans», ITRAN urged.
Contacted by Yabiladi on Thursday, GNV acknowledged that some «technical problems in recent weeks have prevented it from maintaining all scheduled trips».
Indeed, two days ago, videos of a GNV ferry on fire were shared online. The passengers of the ferry were evacuated by helicopter, as shown in one of the videos.
In a press release sent Friday to Yabiladi, GNV «acknowledges and regrets the inconvenience caused to some passengers by the recent technical problems».
GNV further explains that they have already «resolved the issues caused by the breakdown of the m/v Majestic, which had previously prevented them from operating all scheduled trips». The ferry company insists that «service on Moroccan routes is now regular and fully normalized».
For the record, the Marhaba Operation, launched this year on June 5, is expected to last until September 15, with Tangier Med being one of the most important ports. A month ago, GNV opened its second office in Morocco in Nador, after the first in Tangier, at the entrance to the port, as the Italian company seeks to keep up with growing demand, with a special focus on relieving pressure on major ports.
