Ultra-luxury cruise ship FOUR SEASONS I launched in Ancona

Fincantieri and Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings LTD, Joint Owner/Operator of Four Seasons Yachts, celebrated at the shipyard in Ancona the launching of FOUR SEASONS I, the first ultra-luxury vessel under construction for Four Seasons Yachts, which will be delivered at the end of this year and setting sail in January 2026.

With an all-suite, residential style product, FOUR SEASONS I will set a new standard for luxury at sea. The vessel, which will be using the very latest in environmental protection technologies, will be 34,000gt, 207 metres long, and will have 95 exclusive suites with remarkable custom design, focused on removing barriers between guests, the sea, and their surroundings. Each suite features extensive terrace decks, reaching up to impressive 457 square metres in the prestigious Funnel Suite, the Yacht's most exclusive accommodation.

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CTMA resells SAMSØ before using it

SAMSØ © Samsølinjen

In November 2024, CTMA acquired the Danish lifeline ferry SAMSØ in order to operate it on a summer seasonal route across the St. Laurent. SAMSØ will be replaced in 2025 by the battery electric ferry TYRFING, which is under construction at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey.

According to a Canadian sources, CTMA has quickly resold SAMSØ after it failed to convince local decision-makers about its bid.

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Baleària presents two electric fast ferries for the Tarifa-Tangier Ville route

Baleària has presented the first green corridor between Spain and Morocco, which will be operated by two 100% electric, zero (direct)-emission fast ferries. 11,500 kWh of batteries in each vessel will allow them to make the entire journey between the cities of Tarifa and Tangier with electric propulsion. Astilleros Armon in Gijón will build the two Incat Crowther-designed 87-metre vessels, which will operate at maximum speeds of 26 knots, with each offering an 800-passenger and 225-car capacity.

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IMO statement on the release of the GALAXY LEADER crew

IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez has welcomed the release of the crew of the GALAXY LEADER, after more than a year in captivity. The NYK-chartered PCTC GALAXY LEADER was seized by Houthi rebels near Hodeida, Yemen, while sailing for India.

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MPUNGU embarked on maiden voyage across Lake Victoria

On 10 January 2025, MPUNGU embarked on its maiden voyage to Mwanza across the waters of Lake Victoria between Port Bell in Uganda and Mwanza South Port in Tanzania. Entebbe shipbuilding facility of SECO Marine (U) Ltd. built the vessel for East Africa Marine Transport (EAMT) with contributing support from OSK Design.

Commissioned by InfraCo Africa, part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), and regional logistics company, Grindrod Limited (Grindrod), the 96m long vessel has the capacity to handle up to 1,000 tonnes of containerized cargo, the equivalent of 21 trailers. EAMT also benefitted from a European Union-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund (EU-AITF) grant for market and technical studies as well as for legal and regulatory support.

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Wasaline 2024 traffic and emissions numbers

Wasaline reported that cargo increased in 2024 by 6% in tonnage and by 3.2% in lane metres. Passenger numbers decreased by 9%. Passenger vehicles decreased by 9% and buses decreased by 1.3% in 2024. Revenue dropped by 3.7%, but the result is expected to be approximately at the same level as last year.

Wasaline reduced total carbon dioxide emissions by 5% in 2024. Last year, the use of green shore power increased by 22%, reaching 2,707 MWh, which saves 1,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

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DFDS 2024 preliminary financial results

DFDS' revenue for 2024 increased 9.0% to DKK 29.8bn which was in line with the latest outlook revenue growth range of 8-10%. The 2024 EBIT was DKK 1.5bn in line with the latest EBIT outlook range of DKK 1.5-1.7bn. The adjusted free cash flow for 2024 was DKK 1.0bn compared to an outlook of around DKK 1.2bn.

DFDS' EBIT for 2025 is expected to be around DKK 1.0bn. The EBIT expectation includes substantial negative earnings impacts from the changed competitive environment of the Mediterranean ferry network. The addition of the Türkiye & Europe South business area (previously Ekol International Transport) to the Logistics Division will as expected also reduce EBIT in 2025.

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Royal Caribbean Group signs agreement with Chantiers de l'Atlantique for Sixth Edge Series ship

Lead ship in the series, CELEBRITY EDGE © Marc Ottini

Royal Caribbean Group announced that it has signed an agreement with Chantiers de l'Atlantique to order a sixth Edge Series ship for delivery to Celebrity Cruises in 2028. Edge 6 or "XCEL 2" will be the sister-ship to CELEBRITY XCEL, which is preparing to take its inaugural sail later this year.

Other Edge Series ships include CELEBRITY ASCENT, CELEBRITY BEYOND, CELEBRITY APEX, and CELEBRITY EDGE– the first ship in the series that was delivered in 2018.

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Stena welcomes STENA SHIPPER to its fleet

Stena RoRo is expanding its fleet with the purchase of the ro-ro vessel GIUSEPPE LUCCHESI. The vessel will be renamed STENA SHIPPER and will fly the Danish flag. In connection with the deal, Stena RoRo takes over a contract with the Tunisian shipping company Cotunav for traffic on the Rades – Marseille route. The seller is CIN (Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione SpA, a company within the Moby Lines SpA group.

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Gemlik: Grimaldi Group's Motorways of the Sea expand to another Turkish port

ECO MALTA © Grimaldi Lines

The Grimaldi Group continues to expand its presence in Turkey. The latest move is the addition of the port of Gemlik (Gemport) to the Trieste-Patras-Ambarli ro-ro route, with regular calls that started in mid-December last year. This expansion marks an important step not only for the new route but also for the group's Motorways of the Sea, which now extend to the Asian side of the country.

Two of Grimaldi's GG5G vessels, the ECO MALTA and ECO MEDITERRANEA, currently serve the Trieste-Patras-Ambarli-Gemlik route, calling at each port twice a week. Given the market's positive response to the introduction and enhancement of this service, a third vessel may soon be added to meet the growing demand for cargo space and quality transport.

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Ferry Terminal Turku: Constructor of the passenger terminal selected, and contract signed

Port of Turku Ltd and Skanska have signed a contract for the construction of the Ferry Terminal Turku passenger terminal. The construction work will begin in January 2025, with the planned completion date at the end of 2026.

The main facade materials of the passenger terminal, named ORIGAMI, will be glass and aluminium. The three-story complex will cover over 10,000 square metres, and its diverse facades are highly demanding.

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Baleària opens a new route between Barcelona and Algiers

REGINA BALTICA © Baleària

Baleària continues to diversify its connections to Algeria, with a new route from the port of Barcelona to Algiers, which is the company's first international line from the port of the Catalan capital. This service, for both passengers and freight, begins operating on 20 January, with departures on Mondays at 13:00 from Barcelona and on Saturdays at 14:00 from Algiers.

The company currently offers four routes to Algeria: in addition to the new Barcelona-Algiers connection, Baleària maintains a weekly departure between Valencia and Algiers and another departure from the Valencian port to Oran or Mostaganem, depending on the week. In total, three weekly departures are offered between Spain and Algeria.

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Negotiations with investors for FSG Nobiskrug shipyards are reported at an advanced stage

FSG Nobiskrug shipyards has received several offers from potential investors. These are industry-related companies from Germany, not financial investors. This was reported by the provisional insolvency administrators Dr Christoph Morgen and Hendrik Gittermann at an event in Rendsburg on 17 January.

Meanwhile, the preparations and work on the 210-metre-long ro-ro vessel are to resume at the Flensburg site in February if possible, thus providing the shipyard with short-term employment. The provisional insolvency administrator Dr Morgen is in close contact with the Australian shipping company SeaRoad regarding this matter.

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Secure your seat and book now to the 2025 Shippax Ferry Conference!

It is now less than 2.5 months left until the 2025 Shippax Ferry Conference. Few outside Commodore cabins and sponsorships now remain, so it's highly recommended to register as soon as possible. Seats are limited.

MAXIMIZE YOUR COMPANY’S EXPOSURE WITH AN EXHIBITION STAND

NORDIC PEARL offers a great exhibition area, so don’t miss booking an exhibition stand and/or sponsorship early to ensure a favourable place. The exhibition area is on the same floor as the auditorium, and all coffee breaks and happy hours take place there, so there is a very high exposure for all exhibitors.  

As a bonus, all exhibitors, sponsors and speakers will also be exclusively invited to a reception held at the conference hotel Tivoli Hotel on the 1st of April, the day before the conference starts.