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\nA broken ramp on the Bluebridge Connemara left hundreds of passengers stuck on the ferry overnight.
\nPhoto: Supplied\n<\/p>\n
Bluebridge ferry is apologising as up to 36 passengers had to disembark from the Livia ferry after the ship was overbooked on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Bluebridge spokesperson Will Dady said in an effort to accommodate passengers caught up in the cancelled Connemara sailings, stand-by passengers were accidentally boarded onto the Livia’s afternoon sailing from Wellington.<\/p>\n
He said the company is grateful to passengers who agreed to return to shore and has worked with to reschedule and compensate them for their costs.<\/p>\n
“It’s been a difficult few days following the mechanical issue on the Connemara and we apologise again for the disruption caused to our valued passengers and freight customers. We’re doing absolutely everything we can to get back on schedule as quickly as possible,” Dady said.<\/p>\n
The Connemara’s sailings have been cancelled since Thursday as teams worked to repair a winch on the ship’s stern door, which saw 200 passengers stuck for nearly 15 hours when it seized<\/a>.<\/p>\n Its other ship the Livia operated additional sailings on Saturday to make up some of the shortfall.<\/p>\n A Bluebridge spokesperson said at this stage, repairs to the door were going as planned and the ship was expected to sail as scheduled at 8.30pm.<\/p>\n One passenger on Friday told RNZ they had to cancel their trip to the South Island as a result of the disruption.<\/p>\n Others were reasonably relaxed, and told RNZ the ferry company had given them places to sleep and food and drink.<\/p>\n The Connemara is expected to resume sailing at 8.30pm on Monday.<\/p>\n