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

Boreal set to keep Nordland's express boat routes for another decade

sep 15 2026

High-speedBoreal Sjø has been recommended as the winner of Nordland County Council's new ten-year contract for Nordlandsekspressen and Helgelandspendelen, keeping the Norwegian operator on two of the region's key high-speed passenger services.
The contract, announced on 10 September, is worth around NOK 2.5 billion over its term and combines what were previously two separate assignments into a single operation.

DFDS to expand in Egypt with second weekly sailing

sep 15 2026

Ro-roA second weekly sailing from Trieste to Damietta in Egypt is due to start in October, when DFDS adds a newly chartered RoRo to its Mediterranean fleet. At present, the 26,525 GT GALLIPOLI SEAWAYS, with a capacity of 3,214 lanem, operates the route, arriving at and departing from Trieste on Mondays. It is understood that a sister ship will be added to the line, as the current sailings are full both south- and northbound.

Rendering of NorthLinks new freight-flex RoPax newbuildings © naValue

Public invited to name the new NorthLink vessels

sep 15 2026

FerryCaledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) is calling for the public’s help to name the two new freight-flex vessels being built for Scotland’s Northern Isles, which will serve the Aberdeen to Kirkwall/Lerwick route, operated by Serco NorthLink Ferries.

NORRÖNA saves up to 26 tonnes of CO2 per week using shore power in Iceland

sep 15 2026

FerrySmyril Lines North Atlantic RoPax NORRÖNA connected to shore power at its Icelandic port of call Seyðisfjörður for the first time 10 September.

Russian RoRo ship attacked by drones in the Mediterranean

sep 15 2026

Ro-roThe Russian-owned and operated multipurpose RoRo ship LADY MARIIA was reportedly struck by several aerial drones in the Mediterranean on 6 September. At the time of the attack, the vessel was heading east, reportedly from Algeria towards Syria.

Fire-damaged MIN JIANG KOU now in Panamanian waters

sep 15 2026

Ro-roOn 9 September, a Panamanian television station broadcast newly recorded footage of the PCTC MIN JIANG KOU in Panamanian waters, assisted by three tugs. The footage showed relatively heavy smoke coming from the aft section of the 7,500 CEU, 2024-built LNG dual-fuel vessel.

Rendering of La Méridionales new cruise ferries © La Méridionale

Bookings open for La Méridionale’s new cruise ferries

sep 15 2026

FerryLa Méridionale is now promoting its two forthcoming cruise ferries, ALBANOVA and AZURA, on its website, with the two newbuildings also integrated into the online booking system for routes between Marseille and Corsica. According to the French ferry operator, ALBANOVA will serve the Marseille–Ajaccio route, while AZURA will be deployed between Marseille and Porto-Vecchio.

FIFI4MARINE first battery fire-suppression system to receive RINA Type Approval

sep 15 2026

SupplierFIFI4MARINE has become the first battery fire-suppression system to receive RINA Type Approval, marking a milestone for fire protection as lithium-ion battery installations rapidly expand across the maritime industry.

Arab Bridge Maritime acquires RoPax ferry from Trasmediterranea

sep 15 2026

FerryTrasmediterranea has sold the freight-oriented RoPax ferry CIUDAD DE IBIZA to Arab Bridge Maritime. The 2003-built CIUDAD DE IBIZA, which has a capacity of 1,600 lane metres and accommodation for up to 200 drivers and passengers, is currently chartered to Baleària for services in the Canary Islands.

Construction on Royal Caribbean’s fifth Icon Class vacation begins at Meyer Turku shipyard

sep 14 2026

CruiseRoyal Caribbean celebrated the start of physical construction of the fifth Icon Class ship (TBN: CHAMPION OF THE SEAS) with a keel-laying ceremony at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. Set to debut in 2028, the fifth vacation in the Icon Class will deliver a revolutionary combination of thrills, relaxation, family experiences and entertainment to be announced in the coming months.

DFDS appoints Sandeep Shahi as new Chief Digital & Information Officer

sep 14 2026

DFDS has appointed Sandeep Shahi as Chief Digital & Information Officer and member of the Executive Management Team. He will join the company on 16 November 2026, succeeding Rune Keldsen. Sandeep joins DFDS from FedEx, where he currently serves as Chief Information Officer for Asia Pacific, the Middle East, India and South Africa, while also leading Global Field IT worldwide.

Steel cutting marks start of construction for CARNIVAL TROPICALE

sep 14 2026

CruiseMEYER WERFT has marked a construction milestone for CARNIVAL TROPICALE with a symbolic steel-cutting ceremony at Papenburg on 11 September. The Excel-class newbuilding is being built for Carnival Cruise Line and is scheduled to enter service on her maiden voyage from Galveston, Texas, in April 2028. Her bow will carry the "Star of Texas", symbolising the ship's connection with her home port.

An as-yet unnamed ferry is to serve as a test platform in an EU-funded project © Søren Lund Hviid

RoPax ferry will be testing platform for the EU-funded Electric Blue project

sep 14 2026

FerryA new EU-funded green transition project with focus on electrification of ships has been launched through Horizon Europe Electric Blue, a four-year Horizon Innovation Action accelerating the transition towards cleaner and zero-emission shipping.

Roble Shipping receives its first newbuild RoPax ferry

sep 14 2026

FerryChina’s Taizhou Hongtai Shipbuilding has delivered MOTHER IMMACULATE STARS to Philippine ferry operator Roble Shipping Lines (Roble Shipping Inc.). The 6,531-GT MOTHER IMMACULATE STARS is the company’s first purpose-built RoPax ferry for its services from Cebu City.

ALD Sea Transport takes delivery of ALD 8

sep 14 2026

FerryPhilippines-based ALD Sea Transport took delivery of the newbuilding ALD 8 from China’s Zhejiang Tianshi Shipbuilding in early September.

Arial view of the capsized VIRGO TRANSPORT 8 © Screenprint from video published by the Indonesian Coast Guard

Indonesian capsizing claims several lives

sep 14 2026

FerryAt least six people have died and 129 remain missing, while 108 have been rescued from an Indonesian RoPax ferry that capsized in the Java Sea. The vessel involved is the 4,277-GT VIRGO TRANSPORT 8, which, according to initial reports, capsized while sailing between Surabaya and Banjarmasin in the South Kalimantan region.

VIKING ASTREA launched at Fincantieri's Ancona yard

sep 14 2026

CruiseFincantieri has launched VIKING ASTREA, the latest cruise ship under construction for Viking, at its shipyard in Ancona. Measuring approximately 54,300 GT and 239 metres in length, VIKING ASTREA will accommodate up to 998 passengers in 499 cabins. The vessel will be fitted with a propulsion system based in part on liquid hydrogen and fuel cells.

NIKOS TRAVLOS delivered

sep 14 2026

Ro-roNeptune Lines' second newbuilding, the 54,671 GT NIKOS TRAVLOS, has been delivered from the Fujian Mawei shipyard. The vessel is part of an eight-ship "Genesis" class contracted by the Greek PCTC operator. She is expected to arrive in the Mediterranean by the end of October, joining the extensive network of routes that the company operates in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

Freight volumes were stable across most of DFDS’ corridors in August

sep 11 2026

Ro-roDFDS’ total volumes of 3.1 million lane metres during August 2026 were on level with August 2025.

Management buyout of Irish Ferries’ owner was approved by shareholders

sep 11 2026

FinanceAt an extraordinary general meeting 10 September, 79.2% of Irish Continental Groups shareholders, the owning company behind Irish Ferries, voted in favour of a management buyout.

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Boreal set to keep Nordland's express boat routes for another decade

DFDS to expand in Egypt with second weekly sailing

Public invited to name the new NorthLink vessels

NORRÖNA saves up to 26 tonnes of CO2 per week using shore power in Iceland

Russian RoRo ship attacked by drones in the Mediterranean

Fire-damaged MIN JIANG KOU now in Panamanian waters

Bookings open for La Méridionale’s new cruise ferries

FIFI4MARINE first battery fire-suppression system to receive RINA Type Approval

Arab Bridge Maritime acquires RoPax ferry from Trasmediterranea

Construction on Royal Caribbean’s fifth Icon Class vacation begins at Meyer Turku shipyard

DFDS appoints Sandeep Shahi as new Chief Digital & Information Officer

Steel cutting marks start of construction for CARNIVAL TROPICALE

RoPax ferry will be testing platform for the EU-funded Electric Blue project

Roble Shipping receives its first newbuild RoPax ferry

ALD Sea Transport takes delivery of ALD 8

Indonesian capsizing claims several lives

VIKING ASTREA launched at Fincantieri's Ancona yard

NIKOS TRAVLOS delivered

Freight volumes were stable across most of DFDS’ corridors in August

Management buyout of Irish Ferries’ owner was approved by shareholders

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