Dozens of tourists were stranded in St. George's with their cruise ship leaving in mere hours after a ferry encountered technical problems.

According to a statement from the Department of Marine and Ports, on Monday the 1 p.m. ferry scheduled to travel from St. Georges to Dockyard encountered a "mechanical problem," forcing it to return to the depot.

Many tourists were reportedly concerned that they would not be able to return to the Explorer of the Seas, which was in port in Dockyard and scheduled to leave the Island at 5 p.m.

A spokesperson for the department said yesterday: "The 3 p.m. ferry operated as regularly scheduled and all passengers were able to board and were transported to the Explorer of the Seas. There were no passengers left behind."

While the Department of Marine and Ports say that the vehicles are still getting serviced on a regular schedule, at least one ferry-goer said that the ferries, some of which have been active since the spring of 2002, are looking worse every day.

"The problems have been there a long time, and it's been getting progressively worse," said the businessman, who asked not to be identified.

"More than one third of the seats are in need of repair. On one of the ferries both of the toilets are out of order and more than one of the ferries belches black smoke when the engines are revved."

While locals often take to the lower level, which is better maintained, visitors more commonly take to the upper deck, which is more affected by the issues.

"Tourists probably feel particularly disgusted, especially being that they're more likely to want to sit on the upper deck."

When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the Department said: "All ferries are maintained in accordance with the maintenance schedule. Any mechanical issues or malfunctions that may arise are rectified in a timely fashion."