Cat Ba Island Faces 12-Hour Delays for Departure Amidst Weather-Induced Ferry Congestion

Travel disruptions have emerged on Cat Ba Island, a popular tourist destination in northern Vietnam, due to adverse weather conditions. Since the morning of September 13, strong winds, attributed to the influence of a tropical depression, have led to the temporary closure of the Cai Vieng ferry terminal, a primary link between the island and the mainland. This has forced hundreds of vehicles and numerous tourists to seek alternative routes via the cable car or the Gia Luan ferry terminal. However, the shift in traffic to Gia Luan has resulted in severe congestion since around 11 AM on the same day. Ms. Do Nhung, a tourist from Hanoi, along with her family of 11, had planned to depart Cat Ba on September 13 but was forced to stay an extra night due to the weather. Considering the impact on her young children's schooling, her family split, with five members opting for the cable car while the rest waited for the ferry on the morning of September 14. Upon arriving at Gia Luan at 6 AM on the 14th, Ms. Nhung reported hundreds of cars already in line, estimating a 7-hour wait to secure a spot on the ferry. She remarked, "We even considered leaving our car on the island to take the cable car." Another tourist, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Huan, stated that his family had been waiting since noon on September 13 and had not yet boarded a ferry by the morning of the 14th due to the overwhelming number of people. Some tourists have chosen to leave their personal vehicles on the island, incurring overnight parking fees of VND 40,000-70,000, and then taking the cable car back to the mainland. Mạnh Tân, a visitor from Hanoi, departed at 8 AM for the Gia Luan ferry terminal but had only moved a few dozen meters in four hours, remaining about 400 meters from the terminal. He expressed uncertainty about returning to Hanoi on the same day. Images showed long queues of people waiting to board the Cat Ba cable car to return to the mainland on September 13. As there are no eateries in the waiting area for the ferry, many people waited in their vehicles. Some families sent members to walk to the terminal to buy light snacks like instant noodles and bread to bring back to their relatives. Around 1 PM on September 14, the Cai Vieng-Dong Bai terminal reopened, prompting some vehicles waiting at Gia Luan to divert. However, many families, like Ms. Nhung's, found themselves unable to turn back due to the sheer volume of vehicles already at the Gia Luan terminal, forcing them to continue waiting. Tourists have three main options for returning from Cat Ba to the mainland: ferries from Cai Vieng or Gia Luan, the Cat Ba cable car, or high-speed boats. Ferry operations can be suspended for safety reasons when wind speeds exceed level 4 or wave heights reach 0.8-1 meter. While the Gia Luan terminal is situated in a more sheltered area, it is still susceptible to the impacts of strong winds. According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, heavy rain is expected in northern lowland areas over the next few days due to the influence of the tropical depression and a convergence zone. Specific areas from Nam Nghe An to Quang Tri will see rain shifting north, with some places in the southern North Central Coast and Thanh Hoa to northern Ha Tinh receiving over 450 mm of rain in the next two days. Accuweather forecasts Hai Phong to experience prolonged heavy rainfall until September 16. Source: VnExpress