Major Croatia-Italy ferry routes cancelled after serious Dalmacija engine failure
17 August 2026 – Croatia’s largest ferry Dalmacija has suffered a serious engine failure, forcing Jadrolinija to cancel its ferry services between Croatia and Italy during the peak summer season, tportal.hrhas revealed.
The 2023-built Dalmacija, the largest vessel in the state-owned Jadrolinija fleet, was scheduled to operate services connecting Split with Bari and Ancona, and Dubrovnik with Bari.
The Ancona route operates year-round and is considered important for tourism and the economy of Dalmatia and neighbouring Herzegovina. The seasonal Bari services have also carried a significant number of Italian tourists so far this summer.
According to tportal.hr, Dalmacija failed to sail from Dubrovnik over the weekend after a serious problem was discovered with its engine.
Jadrolinija apologised to passengers affected by the cancellations.
“Due to a technical problem with the Dalmacija vessel, we have to cancel upcoming journeys on the ferry routes to Ancona and Bari. All passengers will be provided with refunds and reimbursement of costs incurred as a result of the cancellation in accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 1177/2010. We are doing everything within our capabilities to offer passengers alternative transport. Jadrolinija’s technical services are doing everything possible to return the Dalmacija to service as soon as possible, and we will inform the public in a timely manner,” the company said.
Jadrolinija did not provide specific details about the nature of the engine failure, the expected repair timeframe or location.
The company also did not confirm whether another ferry could be deployed to operate the Italy routes, or how long the disruption is expected to last.
The cancellations come during Ferragosto, one of the busiest periods of the summer travel season, when ferry connections between Croatia and Italy are particularly important for tourists and residents.
Source: www.croatiaweek.com
