Ferry news, cruise, ro-ro and high-speed

Marathon acquires Omborddata and Panasoft

jun 09 2026

Marathon Software has acquired Sweden's Omborddata AB and Finland's Panasoft Oy. The combined group becomes a Nordic provider of specialised software for crew management and payroll administration for the maritime industry. The acquisitions bring together two companies under common ownership. Omborddata holds a strong position in the Swedish market and Panasoft in the Finnish market.

Tallink recorded small gains in May despite temporary route closure

jun 09 2026

FerryIn May 2026, AS Tallink Grupp transported 481,810 passengers, representing a 1.9% increase compared to May 2025. The number of cargo units increased by 1.5% to 22,948 units, while the number of passenger vehicles decreased by 0.6% to 65,104 units compared to the same period a year ago.

Next Northern Isles operator will also have access to a third newbuild RoPax

jun 09 2026

FerryTransport Scotland has announced the public tender for the routes between the Scottish mainland (Aberdeen) and the Orkney and Shetland Islands (Northern Isles Ferry Services – NIFS4). The new contract, valued at GBP 850 million, will run for 10 years and, following a pre-qualification process, will be awarded to the new operator on 30 June 2028.

Tallink passenger vessel ROMANTIKA returns to Tallinn–Stockholm route for the summer season

jun 08 2026

FerryAS Tallink Grupp is bringing the passenger vessel ROMANTIKA back to the Tallinn–Stockholm route for the peak summer season. From July onwards, the ship will operate weekend services, while special entertainment and concert cruises will also take place from Tallinn throughout the summer.

Sallaum Lines marks a historic double delivery with the OCEAN EXPRESS and OCEAN NAVIGATOR

jun 08 2026

Ro-roSallaum Lines celebrated a major milestone in its fleet expansion programme with the simultaneous delivery of OCEAN EXPRESS and OCEAN NAVIGATOR, two new PCTCs joining the company’s growing Ocean Class fleet.

Finnlines new mascot will make the trip across the Baltic Sea more fun for families with children

jun 07 2026

FerryThis summer, Finnlines passengers on the route between Sweden and Finland will be joined by the new mascot Stella. The playful ship's dog is part of the shipping company's effort to make the journey even more fun for families with children.

Fjord Line takes over Transportsentralen Kristiansand to strengthen freight operations

jun 05 2026

FerryFjord Line is acquiring both the staff and operational activities of freight forwarding firm Transportsentralen Kristiansand, with the transfer taking effect 1 July 2026. The operator has seen significant freight volume growth on its Kristiansand–Hirtshals route, particularly since deploying its LNG-powered vessels there in 2023.

139-metre and 1,800 CEU capacity MALACCA HIGHWAY © Kai Ortel

K Line orders four 1,380 CEU capacity LNG-fuelled car carriers for European operations

jun 04 2026

Ro-roKawasaki Kisen Kaisha, (K LINE) has signed contracts with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. to build four LNG dual-fuelled car carriers for its European subsidiary, KESS (K Line European Sea Highway Services GmbH).

GNV deploys LNG-fuelled GNV AURORA and GNV VIRGO on Morocco routes

jun 04 2026

FerryGNV has assigned its two newest vessels, the LNG-fuelled GNV AURORA and GNV VIRGO, to its Moroccan services, underlining the growing importance of the North African market within the operator's network. GNV AURORA was christened at Tangier on 3 June at a ceremony attended by more than 500 guests, including Moroccan transport minister Abdessamad Kayouh, GNV chairman Pierfrancesco Vago and CEO Matteo Catani.

Grimaldi's Trasmed posts EUR 21.5 million EBITDA, targets zero debt by 2027

jun 04 2026

FinanceTrasmed, the Spanish operator of the Grimaldi Group, closed 2025 with positive EBITDA of EUR 21.5 million, an improvement of more than 70 per cent, the company announced at the SIL Barcelona logistics fair on 3 June. Revenues rose 9.4 per cent to EUR 165.4 million, while debt fell by 66 per cent year-on-year. Trasmed expects to reach a positive net result in 2026 and a zero-debt position by 2027.

Baleària transports over 8.3 million lane metres of cargo in 2025, cuts emissions per load unit by 12%

jun 02 2026

Spanish ferry operator Baleària transported 8,392,000 lane metres of goods in 2025, a 10% increase on the previous year. The figure was announced at Barcelona's International Logistics Exhibition (SIL), where the company presented its freight services.

Missing routes, not price, hold back UK ferry travellers

jun 02 2026

A new survey from ferry comparison site Ferrygogo finds that the biggest obstacle to ferry travel in the UK is not cost but the absence of direct routes that take travellers where they actually want to go.

Echandia launches new battery system it says lowers upfront cost and footprint by 30 percent

jun 02 2026

Echandia announced the launch of Echandia Core, a new marine battery system built on lithium-titanium-oxide (LTO) technology. Developed for fully electric and hybrid vessel applications, Echandia Core is designed, according to the company, to deliver the safety, lifetime and predictable performance of LTO with a lower upfront investment and smaller installation footprint.

Baleària Canarias unveils summer programme with 12-ship fleet to boost inter-island links

jun 02 2026

Baleària Canarias has set out its programme for the 2026 summer season across the Canary archipelago, deploying a fleet of 12 vessels to serve inter-island routes and connections with the Spanish mainland.

Heavy lift vessel bound for Hobart to collect hull 096

jun 01 2026

High-speedThe semi-submersible heavy lift vessel BLACK MARLIN is en route to Hobart to collect Incat Hull 096, the battery-electric high-speed craft CHINA ZORRILLA, ahead of its delivery voyage to South America. The BLACK MARLIN will travel to Tasmania via South Africa and Melbourne, where it will load the vessel before transporting it to operator Buquebus.

Kristian Durhuus new Copenhagen Malmö Port CEO

maj 29 2026

PortKristian Durhuus will assume the position of CEO of Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) on 1 June 2026. Kristian Durhuus brings a strong leadership and commercial background, most recently serving as CEO of Molslinjen A/S and Øresundslinjen AB, as well as COO at Copenhagen Airports A/S.

Fincantieri cuts first steel for Crystal newbuild CRYSTAL GRACE

maj 29 2026

CruiseFincantieri has held the first steel-cutting ceremony for CRYSTAL GRACE, the lead unit in a new series of high-end cruise ships ordered by Crystal, at its Marghera shipyard. Delivery is scheduled for spring 2028, with two sister ships to follow.

(Video) Fire breaks out on GNV PHOENIX in the Port of Naples during maintenance

maj 28 2026

FerryA significant fire erupted aboard the GNV PHOENIX, a RoPax ferry recently acquired and operated by Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), while it was docked at the Port of Naples for routine maintenance on Wednesday evening, 27 May 2026.

BC Ferries unveils Summit Class as fleet renewal accelerates

maj 28 2026

FerryBC Ferries has revealed the names for its New Major Vessels, introducing the Summit Class with four ships named after British Columbian trees: SUMMIT ARBUTUS, SUMMIT CEDAR, SUMMIT MAPLE and SUMMIT SPRUCE. The first four vessels in the Summit Class were approved by the BC Ferry Commission in 2025 and are expected to enter service beginning in 2029, with all four vessels anticipated to be in service by 2031.

Fred Olsen steps down as Bonheur chairman after seven decades

maj 28 2026

Veteran Norwegian shipowner Fred Olsen has stepped down as chairman and board member of Bonheur, the Oslo-listed investment company at the heart of his family's industrial empire, the company confirmed ahead of its annual general meeting on 27 May 2026.

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Marathon acquires Omborddata and Panasoft

Tallink recorded small gains in May despite temporary route closure

Next Northern Isles operator will also have access to a third newbuild RoPax

Tallink passenger vessel ROMANTIKA returns to Tallinn–Stockholm route for the summer season

Sallaum Lines marks a historic double delivery with the OCEAN EXPRESS and OCEAN NAVIGATOR

Finnlines new mascot will make the trip across the Baltic Sea more fun for families with children

Fjord Line takes over Transportsentralen Kristiansand to strengthen freight operations

K Line orders four 1,380 CEU capacity LNG-fuelled car carriers for European operations

GNV deploys LNG-fuelled GNV AURORA and GNV VIRGO on Morocco routes

Grimaldi's Trasmed posts EUR 21.5 million EBITDA, targets zero debt by 2027

Baleària transports over 8.3 million lane metres of cargo in 2025, cuts emissions per load unit by 12%

Missing routes, not price, hold back UK ferry travellers

Echandia launches new battery system it says lowers upfront cost and footprint by 30 percent

Baleària Canarias unveils summer programme with 12-ship fleet to boost inter-island links

Heavy lift vessel bound for Hobart to collect hull 096

Kristian Durhuus new Copenhagen Malmö Port CEO

Fincantieri cuts first steel for Crystal newbuild CRYSTAL GRACE

(Video) Fire breaks out on GNV PHOENIX in the Port of Naples during maintenance

BC Ferries unveils Summit Class as fleet renewal accelerates

Fred Olsen steps down as Bonheur chairman after seven decades

Most read

(Video) Fire breaks out on GNV PHOENIX in the Port of Naples during maintenance

BC Ferries unveils Summit Class as fleet renewal accelerates

Heavy lift vessel bound for Hobart to collect hull 096

FRS introduces emission-free electric ferry to island connection in Finland

Fred Olsen steps down as Bonheur chairman after seven decades

Baleària Canarias unveils summer programme with 12-ship fleet to boost inter-island links

Missing routes, not price, hold back UK ferry travellers

Tallink passenger vessel ROMANTIKA returns to Tallinn–Stockholm route for the summer season