After the high cost of flights, the fuel boom driven by the crisis in the Middle East also affects ships and ferries: price increases, delays and cuts are coming on routes to Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica
After the high cost of flights, the high cost of ferries and ships now also looms over the summer. The boom in fuel prices caused by the war in the Middle East also risks having an impact on tourists who choose to travel by sea. The main trade associations, Assarmatori and Confitarma, are raising the alarm: rising prices, fewer connections and risk of cancellations.
Ferries and expensive fuel: Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Calabria increasingly distant
The expensive fuel is also hitting maritime transport hard, making it increasingly expensive to reach typical summer destinations such as Sicily and Sardiniabut also crucial connections such as those with the Corsica and between Calabria and Sicily (even for commuters, not just tourists). The most exposed routes are the long-range ones, such as Genoa-Palermo and Genoa-Olbia, where fuel consumption has a decisive impact on costs. But signs of tension also come from the shorter routes: in the Strait of Messina, commuters have already reported significant increases, while between Corsica and Tuscany there have been stoppages and inconveniences in connections with Livorno, with tourists and workers left stranded for hours, especially in the Bastia area. With fuel prices skyrocketing, in some cases it may be more convenient for shipowners to keep their ships idle, while still continuing to bear fixed costs, rather than operate at a loss. A dynamic that risks making the islands less and less accessible, especially in a boom period, the summer. This is why the companies are asking the government for urgent action, proposing a tax credit linked to the increase in costs incurred in the spring months. Without corrective measures, the risk, they explain, is that of a “compromise of services”, with fewer connections and reduced frequencies, especially towards the larger islands.
Rising prices and company strategies: from the slowest ships to the most expensive cruises
If the situation does not improve, the effects on summer travel will be inevitable. The companies are already studying countermeasures: come on slow steaming (reduced speed to consume less fuel, but obviously longer times) to the increase in the number of passengers and cargo on board to spread the costs. In the case of Sardinia, even small operational changes such as speed reduction could increase travel times by up to two hours.
And the dear energy is also reflected on the cruise sector. Some companies have already introduced supplements to cope with the increase in costs: among these StarCruises and Dream Cruises, which apply extras of up to around 20 euros per day per passenger, variable based on the itinerary. For departures from Singapore we are talking about 9 euros per day, while from Hong Kong it can reach 19 euros. The companies have clarified that these are temporary measures, linked to the trend in fuel prices, but the signal is clear: the entire maritime tourism sector is under pressure.
Ultimately, the risk is that, after the high cost of flights, even the sea will become less accessible. When organizing summer 2026, it will be necessary to take into account that even the trip itself (whether by plane or ship or car) could have a significant impact on the final budget.
