The management board of the high-speed boat route between Van Don and Co To Island said on March 11 that it had adjusted its schedule.
Departures from Ao Tien Port in Van Don to Co To have been reduced from two daily trips, morning and afternoon, to just one. However, an additional trip from Van Don to Co To will run on Mondays, while a return trip from Co To to Van Don will be added on Fridays.
Routes linking Van Don with Minh Chau Island and Quan Lan Island will continue operating two trips per day.
Operators said schedules may be adjusted again once global conditions and fuel prices stabilise.
A ferry owner noted that vessels on the Van Don-Co To route typically carry more than 100 passengers. Without consolidating trips, operators could face heavy losses.
Ticket prices on several island routes have also increased. Fares on the Quan Lan-Van Don route rose from VND 150,000 to VND 200,000 per passenger per trip. The Van Don-Minh Chau route increased from VND 140,000 to VND 180,000, while the Van Don-Co To route climbed from VND 250,000 to VND 300,000 for adults.
The adjustments came after retail prices for RON95-III petrol increased by VND 2,080 to VND 29,120 per litre and diesel rose by VND 480 to VND 30,710 per litre from 11.45 pm on March 10.
The rise was linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East and disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a route that handles about 20 per cent of global oil trade.
However, authorities in Vietnam later cut fuel prices on the evening of March 11, reducing RON 95 petrol by VND 3,880 per litre to VND 25,240 and diesel by VND 4,240 per litre to VND 26,470.