Porto Torres: The ferry from Genoa departs more than five hours late.

Further disruption to maritime connections between Genoa and Porto Torres. The GNV Excelsior ferry, scheduled to depart from the Ligurian port yesterday evening at 7:00 PM, Thursday, July 16, cast off at approximately 1:30 AM, leaving approximately 1,500 passengers stranded at the dock. Long lines of cars and heavy vehicles formed at the port, prompting protests over the serious disruption. The Coast Guard reportedly communicated the reasons for the delayed departure after boarding the vessel for an inspection. The cause appears to be technical problems related to an engine failure. The cause is yet to be determined. The vessel is scheduled to arrive in the port of Porto Torres this morning around 11:30 AM, a delay of approximately four hours. On June 19, a fire in the engine room of the GNV Azzurra knocked out two engines, and the ferry, off the coast of Corsica, was towed to Porto Torres, causing serious inconvenience to passengers forced to travel without air conditioning. A nightmare journey that seems to be repeating itself once again.