Algérie Ferries announced Thursday that its chartered vessel, the ‘El Venizelos’, has been detained at the port of Marseille since June 23rd following a routine technical inspection.
Despite this unexpected development, the company assures that its vital summer schedule will remain unaffected.
According to a press release from the National Passenger Maritime Transport Company (ENTMV), the detention of the ‘El Venizelos’ stemmed from a scheduled safety inspection conducted by the Port of Marseille authorities. This inspection identified technical recommendations concerning specific onboard equipment.
The Greek-flagged vessel, recently chartered to bolster Algérie Ferries’ summer services, accounts for a significant quarter of the fleet deployed for the summer of 2025. The ferry, capable of carrying 2,500 passengers and 850 vehicles, had only just made its inaugural crossing under the Algerian flag on June 22nd.
Just three days later, it underwent inspection by the Ship Safety Center under the Dirm Med (French Maritime and Maritime Administration), as part of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding. While the technical deficiencies noted were not made public, Algérie Ferries has committed to providing updates on the situation and reiterated its assurance that its 320 planned crossings between Algerian and European ports will proceed as scheduled.
SL/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA