A circus boss whose company had to travel from Guernsey to Jersey via Portsmouth due to a "lack of ferry services" between the two Channel Islands said the detour cost £20,000 in lost time and accommodation.
Joel Hatton, manager and ringmaster of Gandey's Circus, said a gap in inter-island freight ferry travel meant they had no choice but to travel the extra 380km (230 miles) by sea.
It comes after the islands' governments chose different firms to operate services to the UK and France for the next 15 years, leading to fewer large inter-island vessels.
Authorities said previously they had been approached by a group, FerryBridge, offering to run vehicle and freight services between the islands.
The BBC has asked the governments of Jersey and Guernsey for comment.
Mr Hatton said in previous years, the circus had been able to perform in Guernsey before travelling directly to Jersey by ferry on the same day.
But he said they were "surprised" to discover a reduction in scheduled services this year.
So, having dismantled the big top on Monday, he said they then left Guernsey at 4:00 BST on Tuesday, before arriving into Jersey via Portsmouth at 07:00 on Wednesday.
It meant waiting in Portsmouth for five hours, he said, before loading all their equipment back onto freight ferries.
Due to time lost, they had to immediately start constructing the big top on their arrival into Jersey: "We were very tight on time due to losing a whole day travelling and being sat waiting in Portsmouth."
