Maritime links across the Strait of Gibraltar suffered further disruption on Monday as Storm Ingrid continued to batter southern Spain. The Ceuta Port Authority confirmed that high-speed operator DFDS cancelled its 10:30 Algeciras→Ceuta and 12:00 Ceuta→Algeciras sailings after westerly gusts reached 60 km/h and wave heights exceeded safety thresholds. Other operators, Baleària and Armas Trasmediterránea, said they were monitoring conditions and might suspend afternoon departures if winds failed to ease.
The cancellations follow nearly a week of weather-related interruptions that have left thousands of passengers stranded and have delayed time-critical cargo, including perishable food and auto-parts headed to North-African assembly plants. Travel-management companies are advising clients to reroute via Málaga–Melilla or to postpone non-essential trips until the weather window stabilises.
![Storm ‘Ingrid’ Forces Fresh Ferry Cancellations on Ceuta–Algeciras Route]()
For travellers suddenly faced with rerouting through alternative ports or swapping ferries for emergency flights, having the correct documentation in hand is critical. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) can fast-track Schengen or Moroccan visa paperwork, provide real-time entry-requirement updates, and even arrange courier services for passports, removing one more uncertainty from an already chaotic travel week.
Under EU Regulation 1177/2010, affected passengers are entitled to re-routing or reimbursement and, in some cases, hotel accommodation; however, operators have invoked the “extraordinary circumstances” clause to exempt themselves from compensation. Mobility teams should remind employees to keep receipts for incidental expenses and to check corporate travel-insurance policies for weather-disruption clauses.
Meteorological models suggest Ingrid will move east overnight, only to be replaced on Tuesday by a new Atlantic low dubbed ‘Joseph’. Port authorities warn that further cancellations are likely through mid-week, potentially affecting the busy Tarifa–Tangier shuttle as well.
The cancellations follow nearly a week of weather-related interruptions that have left thousands of passengers stranded and have delayed time-critical cargo, including perishable food and auto-parts headed to North-African assembly plants. Travel-management companies are advising clients to reroute via Málaga–Melilla or to postpone non-essential trips until the weather window stabilises.
For travellers suddenly faced with rerouting through alternative ports or swapping ferries for emergency flights, having the correct documentation in hand is critical. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) can fast-track Schengen or Moroccan visa paperwork, provide real-time entry-requirement updates, and even arrange courier services for passports, removing one more uncertainty from an already chaotic travel week.
Under EU Regulation 1177/2010, affected passengers are entitled to re-routing or reimbursement and, in some cases, hotel accommodation; however, operators have invoked the “extraordinary circumstances” clause to exempt themselves from compensation. Mobility teams should remind employees to keep receipts for incidental expenses and to check corporate travel-insurance policies for weather-disruption clauses.
Meteorological models suggest Ingrid will move east overnight, only to be replaced on Tuesday by a new Atlantic low dubbed ‘Joseph’. Port authorities warn that further cancellations are likely through mid-week, potentially affecting the busy Tarifa–Tangier shuttle as well.
