I agree with The Warden's take on this one.

There could well be a market for a direct UK - Morocco ferry, but I think the market is freight (trucks), not people. Most likely 'unaccompanied' trucks, meaning just the trailer, no driver or traction engine.

It's not all that difficult to start up a truck-only ferry route. You just need to get hold of a ferry (perhaps on a wet-lease, whereby it comes with crew) and make arrangements for docking at each end.

To carry passengers, however, introduces an order of magnitude more complications... cabins, housekeepers, food service, health control, advertising, web bookings, agency commissions, onboard security, and on and on and on.

There just might be enough trade between the UK and Morocco to justify a weekly truck-only ferry. The economics of it to the shippers would be quite attractive if they no longer need to pay UK wages to a driver to schlep a truck down to Morocco - just drop the trailer at the UK port, and then a Moroccan driver picks it up at the Moroccan port.

Michael

You only have to look at the fresh fruit and veg on the supermarket shelves to realise how much comes from Morocco—strawberries and raspberries, mange tout and green beans, olives and oils. My Moroccan brother-in-law had never seen a mushroom in Morocco when he came to the UK 30 years ago, now he eats mushrooms grown in Morocco.

Yes we have a lot of Moroccan produce on the shelves in the UK,

But there isn't a lot of UK hauliers transporting it. Most of the HGV's crossing to Spain are Spanish, French or Moroccan registered.

It will be interesting to see if it takes off or not. If it does it would be a 3 day journey at least, compared with the current 2 days of the Ferry - Drive - Ferry route

Still no ferries from Spain.
 

Continuing tension with repoorts stating there will be no Spain-Morocco ferries this summer for Operation Marhaba.

This from Morocco World News: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/202...-spanish-ports

And from El Pais (in Spanish): https://elpais.com/espana/2021-06-06...Q1nMpcHb7_5nRg

Translation:

Morocco frustrates Operation Crossing the Strait by allowing only ships from France and Italy
Rabat, which will resume air connections from June 15, justifies the measure to avoid a rebound in the covid

Operation Paso del Estrecho (OPE) will not run this year through Algeciras, where the largest flow of travelers is registered, nor through any of the other Spanish ports, such as Valencia, Alicante and Almería. As happened last summer, the Moroccan government has adopted preventive health measures and Morocco can only be reached by sea through the French port of Sète and Genoa, in Italy. However, the air connections, which were suspended since March, will be opened progressively from next Tuesday, June 15, according to the Moroccan Foreign Ministry this Sunday afternoon through a statement.


The Foreign Ministry has made no mention of the borders with Ceuta and Melilla, which have remained closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic.

Operation Crossing the Strait, known in Morocco as Marhaba, was conceived in 1987. It usually begins in mid-June and ends in September, although it requires several months of prior coordination between various countries. In its latest editions, the operation regulated the passage from Europe to Morocco of three million passengers each summer and almost 800,000 vehicles

This year, Moroccans living abroad who embark in Sète or Genoa will have to undergo a PCR test prior to boarding and, once on board, they will undergo another test.

Morocco has arranged two groups of countries to control the flow of travelers by plane. In a first list, called A, are those that have good indicators regarding the control of the pandemic. This is where Spain and the rest of the European Union are located for the moment. Travelers from these countries must present a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test.

In list B are countries that do not have "accurate statistics" on the development of the pandemic or are experiencing a severe spread of the latest variants of the virus. Travelers coming from these countries must have an “exceptional authorization” before embarking on the trip, they will have to present a PCR test carried out 48 hours before boarding and once they land in Morocco they will have to keep a 10-day quarantine.

Morocco took very drastic preventive measures from the beginning of the pandemic. But the evolution of the health crisis in this country of 36 million inhabitants has been very favorable in recent months and the Government has decided to relax the restrictions. Vaccinated people now number 9.1 million, of which 5.8 million have already received the second dose.

Last year there was great expectation about whether Morocco would cancel this operation. The Foreign Minister, Naser Burita, only cleared up the doubt on June 22, when there was barely a week left to begin. On that occasion, he said: “Operation Marhaba is a concept that needs to be prepared for since April and that requires coordination with several countries. It is not a simple passage, but an animation with cultural activities and fun. It is obvious and natural that the Marhaba operation, as we know it, with its preparation and programming, will not take place ”.

In Spain, the director of the Center for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES), Fernando Simón, described last year the decision taken by Morocco as "very prudent". The president of the Junta de Andalucía, the popular Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, also welcomed the “prudence” of Rabat.

Ignoring the increasing diplomatic tensions between Spain and Morocco, one reason given for excluding Spain is to limit the number of arrivals so Morocco can manage the influx safely.

The Spanish ports and port workers unions aren't happy, stating huge revenue and job losses if traffic can't resume.

A quick look at ferries from Sete yesterday showed most sailings in September are full already unless you travel without a vehicle. With the expected huge number of campervans etc looking to travel this autumn I doubt the France/Italy routes will be able to cater for the demand.

Now the UK has left the EU more long term travellers are looking to Morocco to get round the 90 EU visa issues post Brexit

That's a very reasonable thought.

My guess - this is purely speculation on my part - is that sometime later this summer, perhaps mid-July or August, ferries from Spain will resume normal operations. I say this because I think there will be a pushback from both the Moroccan diaspora in Europe (who object to the higher prices and limited availability of ferries) and Moroccan families in country (who object to lost business, and inability to re-unite with family from abroad).

Just a guess... but it will be politically difficult for the Moroccan government to keep the Spanish ferry restrictions in place if COVID remains under control in Morocco.

Here in Canada, we're already seeing a lot of pushback against the border closure between Canada and the USA, with public opinion strongly in favour of allowing fully vaccinated travelers to cross the border without restrictions. I think public opinion in Morocco will be similar.

Michael

There's nothing wrong with a bit of optimism and seeing as my 690 Enduro is parked in southern Spain I also want the ferries to resume, however there are strong counter feelings in Morocco about

(1) the failure of Spain to backup the USA acknowledgement of Morocco's claim to what was formerly Spanish Sahara,

(2) the historic claims to Ceuta and Melilla, the borders of which with Morocco have been closed for more than a year, and

(3) most importantly, the argument over Spain allowing the Polisario leader to be spirited into the country under false name to receive medical treatment despite claims of his war crimes.

I can't see how this will play out other than a continued face-off.

The lunacy is freight still continues between Spain and Morocco on the ferries and has done since the border closed in 2020. If the political issue was serious enough you'd think they'd shut the routes completely.

If the reports in the Spanish press that the maritime traffic is worth over a billion euros in business to the Spanish ports, then the Moroccan side has to be worth similar levels of revenue.

Which ever way you look at it the limited number of GNV sailings from Sete and Genoa is not going to be enough to move the expected number of people and vehicles this summer. At the moment La Meridiniale haven't been authorised to run ferry services again, but I expect that will change soon. Even so space is going to be scarce and prices high.

That will end up putting a lot of pressure on both sides to move things forward

Foreign Office Update
 

You guys see the latest update from the UK Foreign Office?

"Updated: 13 June 2021

Latest update: From 15 June, direct flights between the UK and Morocco resume; you will need to provide proof that you have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with the second dose administered at least two weeks prior to travel, or a negative PCR test result before boarding your flight or ferry to Morocco (Summary and Coronavirus)..."

Shame it's so hot now

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-ad..._content=daily

See the discussion above, Shugs.
No improvement with Gib Strait ferries, and even for fly-ins and rentals, for the UK you still have the Amber hoops to jump through when you come back.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-ambe...and#amber-list

Plus, as you say, darn hot right now.
Hopefully by the cool season access will ease.

Additional ferries for the Sete, Marseilles and Genoa routes have been arranged until the 15th September along with orders from the King that ferry and flight prices are kept reasonable for MRE's.

Even with the extra sailings the capacity is a long way short of whats needed to meet demand if they expect similar numbers to 2019. Might put added pressure on the Spanish routes, but diplomatic tensions haven't eased.

There are also discussions underway to open a new route from Portugal to Morocco. This would be better news for those who don't fancy 40 hrs on a GNV barge

More info on the Portugal route

https://infoferrymaroc.blogspot.com/...e8aHzOxeNdsLHA

Please note this site is not very reliable for information, at lot published is speculation and guesswork

3 hour crossing time? I hope it's the old gas turbine NGV we used from Marseille to Corsica - 45 knots flat out! I'd pay €450 for that ride.:funmeteryes:

I'm a bit suspicious on that time, its about 300km I think. Still better than 40 hours from Sete

[moved ferry chat to Ferry Thread]

I think Portimao sounds like a promising solution.
Looks about as far as Alicante - Oran which is an overnighter.
That would suit me fine.