Mersey Ferries Suspended: Why the New £26m Royal Daffodil Can't Step In

If you normally catch the ferry from Seacombe, it isn't running today, and it hasn't run since Saturday 10 October. This is how to get across the river this week, why there is no second boat to take over, and the questions the operator still hasn't answered.

We checked the Mersey Ferries service notice on Sunday morning. It still reads: "17th and 18th Oct. Mersey Ferries services are currently suspended." Tickets for the Liverpool Sightseeing River Cruise are unavailable too.

Is the Mersey Ferry running today?

No. Sunday 18 October is the ninth day in a row without a sailing. The Liverpool Echo reported the suspension had reached a full week on Friday 16 October, with no morning or evening commuter crossings and no river cruises.

Mersey Ferries' latest statement, quoted by the Echo, says: "Due to a mechanical issue with the Snowdrop's engine, we are unfortunately currently unable to run our commuter and Liverpool Sightseeing River Cruise services until further notice." It says engineers are working on Snowdrop on site. No return date has been given.

How to get across while the ferry is off

There are two options, and both cover commuter times only.

• Replacement bus: runs between Seacombe Ferry Terminal and Hamilton Square station for the morning and evening commuter services. From Hamilton Square, Merseyrail runs under the river into Liverpool.
• Merseyrail: accepts Mersey Ferries tickets for commuter sailing times only, according to the operator's statement.

Neither option covers daytime or weekend crossings, so plan those by train or bus. Don't head for Woodside either: the terminal is closed for major refurbishment, and even a normal service runs only from Pier Head and Seacombe.

If you had a river cruise planned for half-term, check before you go. The operator isn't selling cruise tickets while the service is suspended.

Why one broken engine stops the whole service

Snowdrop is the only vessel operating on the route. When she can't sail, nothing does.

That wasn't always the case. Royal Iris of the Mersey made her last passenger sailing on 29 March 2026 and was decommissioned on 31 March, as we reported when Royal Daffodil made her maiden voyage. Since then, Snowdrop has carried the service on her own. She was built as Woodchurch in 1959 and has been working the Mersey since around 1960.

Royal Daffodil was meant to join her. That's the part of the story that needs explaining.

Where is Royal Daffodil?

The £26m ferry was built at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead and has already sailed with passengers on board. Here is what has been announced so far.

The operator's statement puts it plainly: "Although the Royal Daffodil was undergoing initial passenger trials last week, the vessel has not yet entered full passenger service and is currently unavailable." The Echo reported that she is expected to enter full service later this month and is completing her final trials.

Mersey Ferries' own Royal Daffodil page still says she is "due to arrive on the water in 2026".

The "licensing issue" claim

If you've been following this on Facebook, you've probably seen it. Posts shared on several local pages since the start of the suspension say the ferries were stopped "due to a licensing issue".

That claim hasn't been confirmed. Mersey Ferries hasn't mentioned licensing in any statement: it blames Snowdrop's engine. The Wirral Globe reported "technical issues" on 13 October, and the Echo's early coverage said it hadn't been specified which of the two ferries had the problem.

It's still the obvious question to put to the operator. If the engine fault explains Snowdrop, what explains Royal Daffodil? A new ferry needs her crew trained and her certification in place before she can carry fare-paying passengers. Mersey Ferries hasn't said whether either is holding her back.

What the operator hasn't said

The ferries are run by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Its statements so far cover the fault and the replacement bus. They don't cover:

• Why Royal Daffodil is unavailable. The statements don't say whether it's crew training, outstanding sign-off, a defect or something else.
• When Snowdrop will be back. The only answer so far is "until further notice".
• Royal Daffodil's first scheduled sailing. "Later this month" is the closest there is to a date.
• Season tickets. The operator hasn't said whether commuters who paid for crossings they can't make will get refunds or extensions.
• A back-up. The operator hasn't said whether running a one-boat fleet from March to Royal Daffodil's entry into service was planned with a fallback in mind.

We'll update this article as soon as the operator gives a return date or answers any of these.

What to do next

Check the Mersey Ferries service notice before you set off, and allow extra time for the bus link to Hamilton Square at commuter times. Keep your ferry ticket with you for Merseyrail.

Once sailings restart, our Mersey Ferry times and fares guide has the full commuter timetable, from £3.10 for an adult single. If you want other ways across the river in the meantime, see getting around Liverpool without a car.