The long-awaited Lebanon-Cyprus ferry has once again been postponed for a period of 10 days.
The Larnaca-bound ferry, which departed from Jounieh, known as the Cedar Waves, and operated by the Abou Merhi Group, is now docked at the port instead of embarking on its return journey.
According to a source in the government, this development had no relation to security issues, despite the current conflict situation in Lebanon. In fact, the decision was made prior to the situation escalating.
The Cedar Waves website has confirmed this, along with the fact that it is all set to return after the stipulated time period.
Charges begin at $95 for a one-way trip. Tickets go up to $145 for the ?Plus? ticket, and $175 for the ?Lounge? ticket. The latter of these will give upper deck access, but will not include food.
The Cedar Waves website also states that journeys to Latakia, Syria, and to Mersin, Turkey will also be launched soon. If this does happen as they say it will, it would be the first international passenger ferry service to be launched in the region in over 20 years.
The Lebanon-Cyprus ferry?s return has been highly rumored for some time in both Lebanon nd Cyprus. There was an attempt to relaunch it earlier, but it was cancelled on account of logistical issues.
The returned ferry route will last over four hours and function as a great beacon of hope for a nation marred by war and its ricocheting effects.
The southern suburban area of Beirut was hit by the Israeli army after Hezbollah attacked northern Israel. However, Jounieh, the departing destination, which is located in the country?s Christian area, over 20 kilometers from Beirut, remains intact.
