P&O Ferries to increase capacity on its Tilbury – Europoort route

NORSTREAM © P&O

P&O Ferries has announced a capacity increase by up to 60% on its London/Tilbury – Rotterdam/Europoort route, starting from 2nd March 2025.

Following a successful launch of the new route in 2024, a second vessel will be added to the route, which will continue to offer 12 sailings per week with daily departures from both Tilbury and Europoort. The ships NORSKY and NORSTREAM will cover the route, increasing capacity by up to 60 per cent.

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Viking Line, Port of Turku and Ports of Stockholm celebrate one year of cooperation to establish a green shipping corridor

VIKING GLORY © Viking Line

Viking Line, Port of Turku and Ports of Stockholm have been working together for a year on a project which aims to establish a green, fossil-free shipping corridor between Stockholm and Turku. The parties have now laid a solid foundation for the project and developed a clear plan for a common way forward.

During the first year, the parties have identified and prioritised the most important goals and measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in shipping. A clear project plan with activities has been developed, including:

Viking Line
- Pre-study of battery installation on VIKING GRACE and VIKING GLORY
- Installing Elogrids on the vessels
- Increase sales of biogas supplements for transport between Stockholm and Turku

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SILJA SERENADE returns home upgraded from Remontowa

SILJA SERENADE © Kai Ortel

On 5 February, Tallink/Silja’s cruise ferry SILJA SERENADE returned to the Helsinki-Stockholm route, after the ship has undergone major technical maintenance and upgrades at the Remontowa shipyard in Gdansk, Poland. Tallink Group tells that in addition to these essential improvements, several areas of the ship have been refreshed to enhance the onboard experience.

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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings orders its largest cruise ships to date

Fincantieri announced that the Letter of Intent signed with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) and announced on 8 April 2024 has been transformed into a firm order for the construction of four new cruise ships, destined for the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) brand. With an approximate 226,000 gross tonnage, the new units will be the largest ever built for NCL.

The ships will be built at the Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard, with the first unit to be delivered in 2030 and the others to follow in 2032, 2034, and 2036. With over 5,100 berths, the ships will be able to accommodate over 8,300 people, including crew. Designed according to the highest standards of comfort and technology these ships will also include sustainability features.

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(Updated with interior photos) New Copenhagen-Oslo brand and logo to be revealed early spring

NORDIC PEARL with the new logo © Hans Kristian Riise

The new brand and logo for the Copenhagen-Oslo route will be revealed to the market in early spring and painted on the ships' sides, reveals Gotlandsbolaget in a press statement. In 2024, Gotlandsbolaget acquired the Oslo - Copenhagen cruise ferry line from Danish company DFDS.

The deal included a workforce of approximately 800 employees and the two vessels, PEARL SEAWAYS, now renamed NORDIC PEARL, and CROWN SEAWAYS, to be renamed NORDIC CROWN this spring.

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VIKING XPRS has undergone a complete refurbishment

VIKING XPRS © Viking Line

VIKING XPRS' on-board shop has been renovated from floor to ceiling. A new restaurant. Bright, fresh interiors. Technological updates that reduce fuel consumption. VIKING XPRS returns from the shipyard to service on the Helsinki–Tallinn route on 7 February after three weeks at Oresund Dry Docks in Landskrona.

VIKING XPRS has sailed under the Finnish flag for almost two years and has increased its popularity on this highly competitive route. VIKING XPRS offers 15 weekly departures from the two ports and serves the most passengers of all of Viking Line vessels. Last year, the total number of passengers on VIKING XPRS was more than 1.6 million.

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Supervisory Board of MEYER WERFT constituted

MEYER WERFT GmbH has changed its corporate structure with the appointment of a new, co-determined Supervisory Board. This measure is part of the stabilization and restructuring plan agreed between the new shareholders from the federal and state governments, the Meyer family and the financing banks. The final conditions for the completion of the participation of the federal and state governments in the companies have thus been implemented.

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WALLENIUS SOL acquires Mann Lines

WALLENIUS SOL has acquired Mann Lines, a provider of liner ro-ro and container vessel services, logistics and forwarding. The acquisition reinforces WALLENIUS SOL's platform for growth, supporting the development of a more sustainable and digitally driven shipping and logistics industry.

"This acquisition will among other things, result in a larger fleet and an expanded port network stretching from the Baltic countries to Northwest Europe," says Elvir Dzanic, CEO, WALLENIUS SOL.

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Rönner Group continues to operate the Flensburg shipyard FSG – SeaRoad ro-ro to be completed

The future of the two insolvent shipyards Flensburg FSG and Nobiskrug is taking shape: The Rönner Group from Bremerhaven will continue to operate the Flensburg shipyard and the Lürssen Group from Bremen will take over the facilities and land at the shipyard site in Rendsburg. Completion of the ro-ro vessel with LNG propulsion for the Australian shipping company SeaRoad will continue at the Flensburg shipyard.

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Over 300 delegates booked. Limited number of cabins left.

It is now only two months left until the 2025 Shippax Ferry Conference and we are now close to 300 booked delegates. Limited number of cabins are left, so register soon to secure a seat.

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.