Italy Ferry Strike on July 5-6 2025: What Travelers Need to Know

Monday, June 30, 2025

Palermo harbor lighthouse under clear sky during Italy ferry strike.

Italy ferry Strike news is back on Summer Travel agendas. Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) crews represented by the UGL Sea and Ports union have announced a 48-hour walkout beginning at 200 p.m. Saturday, July 5 2025. The stoppage covers long-distance sailings-including the busy Sicily ferry corridors-and is scheduled to end at 159 p.m. Monday, July 7. If you plan to ride GNV between mainland ports and Sicily, Sardinia, Tunisia, or Spain that weekend, read on to minimize disruption.

Key Points

48-hour GNV walkout starts 2 p.m. July 5.
Why it matters: Sicily and other overnight routes face cancellations.
Genoa, Civitavecchia, and Naples terminals most exposed.
Essential services law may keep one daily "guaranteed" crossing.
Rebooking on competitor lines likely tight-act early.

Italy Ferry Strike Snapshot - How It Works

GNV is Italy's second-largest long-distance ferry brand, moving roughly 1.7 million passengers a year on 25 ships. Under Italian Strike law, maritime unions must give ten days' notice and must preserve a minimum level of "essential service." For overnight ferries, that usually means at least one crossing per route remains on the schedule, often the earliest or latest departure. All other sailings depend on crew turnout at boarding time, so last-minute scrubs are common. Tickets canceled for "cause di forza maggiore" (strike or weather) can be refunded or rebooked for another date without penalty.

Italy Ferry Strike Background - Why It Matters

Summer walkouts targeting cruise-ferry lines are frequent because they hit during peak traffic, maximizing leverage. GNV engineers and deckhands argue that staffing levels have not kept pace with 2024 traffic growth, citing fatigue and safety concerns. Management counters that the fleet meets International Safety Management requirements and has hired 320 seasonal staff. Talks collapsed in late May, leading UGL to file a Strike notice with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport's strike calendar. Past maritime strikes-most recently in July 2023-scrubbed 60 percent of GNV's Sicily departures and sparked shortages on competing lines.

Italy Ferry Strike Latest Developments

One-paragraph overview: As of June 28, the union plans to proceed unless the company agrees to a rotation rest schedule and a €150 ($162) monthly hazard premium. The Ministry has not attempted compulsory arbitration.

Negotiations and Union Demands

Union officials told the MIT conciliation panel they want 15 crew on the Genoa-Palermo night run instead of 13 and parity pay with Tirrenia crews on comparable vessels. GNV offered a mid-season review but no wage hike. Mediation resumes July 2.

Routes and Timetable Changes

GNV has flagged the following departures as "at risk":

Genoa ↔ Palermo and Genoa ↔ Palermo Termini Imerese (nightly)
Civitavecchia ↔ Palermo (day and overnight)
Naples ↔ Palermo (evening)
Genoa ↔ Olbia, Genoa ↔ Porto Torres (Sardinia links)
Civitavecchia ↔ Tunis and Barcelona ↔ Tangeri (international sailings)

The company will post guaranteed crossings by noon July 4 on its service updates page. Passengers booked on canceled sailings may transfer to Moby or Tirrenia if space allows.

Passenger Rights and Refunds

Italian Regulation EU 1177/2010 entitles travelers to:

Re-routing at the earliest opportunity or at a later date at your convenience.
A full refund within seven days if the crossing is canceled.
Compensation equal to 25 percent of the ticket price for arrivals delayed by 2-6 hours on voyages over four hours, 50 percent for longer delays.

Claims must be filed within two months of travel, and GNV must reply within 30 days.

Analysis

For U.S. travelers relying on overnight ferries to reach Sicily, the walkout lands at the start of Italy's busiest beach week. Rental-car inventory on the island is already tight, and a surge of rebooked passengers could overwhelm alternative carriers. Flying may seem tempting, but domestic routes Palermo-Rome and Catania-Milan are near capacity. Travelers who must cross the Strait of Messina can fall back on the hourly 20-minute Villa San Giovanni-Messina shuttle, which smaller unions say they will keep running. Travelers boarding in Genoa or Civitavecchia should build in at least one extra day and keep Hotel reservations flexible. If you booked a cabin, confirm whether your fare was "promo" or "standard"; promo fares receive vouchers rather than cash refunds. Finally, print or screenshot your boarding pass; if the sailing is pulled after security, ground staff use the pass to process refunds.

Final Thoughts

The July 5-6 Italy ferry Strike underscores the value of padding Mediterranean itineraries. Lock in refundable fares, monitor service updates daily, and, if flexible, sail before 2 p.m. July 5 or after July 7. Should the walkout proceed, arrive at port early, carry snacks and water, and keep a credit card ready for backup rail or air bookings. With proactive planning, even a peak-season disruption need not sink your summer getaway. Italy ferry strike or not, preparation is your best Travel Insurance.