Shippax News Bulletin – 10
- In association with Interferry
Dear Subscriber,
Please find the headlines of the news added to the Shippax website during week 10.
Please note that further news might be added to the website during the course of the day.
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We wish you all a great weekend!
US shipyard delivers the first two of six 28m passenger catamarans to Mexican operator Ultramar
US aluminium ship builder Midship Marine, based in Harvey, Louisiana, has delivered the first two vessels in a six-vessel order for 28m all-aluminium passenger ferries to Mexican operator Ultramar – CITY JET 1 and CITY JET 2.
Steel cut for first Global-Class cruise ship
Building of the first Global-Class cruise ship at MV Werften has commenced today, 8 March, with the first steel cut. The cruise ship will sail under Genting Hong Kong’s Dream Cruises banner – at 204,000gt she will become the largest cruise ship to date to be built in Germany.
Financials
Revenue up 3.0% to EUR 335.1 million in 2017 (2016: EUR 325.4 million)
EBITDA down 3.0% to EUR 81.0 million in 2017 (2016: EUR 83.5 million)
Turnover of NOK 4,968 million in 2017, an increase from the NOK 4,896 million in 2016.
EBIT reached NOK 630 million, up from NOK 616 million in 2016.
The Board of Color Line has also decided not to proceed with the option to list the company on the Oslo stock exchange at the present time, mainly due to prevailing market conditions.
(Torghatten ASA – the parent company of Torghatten Nord, Bastø Fosen, FosenNamsos Sjø, Torghatten Trafikkselskap and Kystekspressen)
Turnover increased by 3.7% to NOK 9.74 billion in 2017 (NOK 9.39 billion)
EBITDA reached NOK 1.314 billion (NOK 1.345 billion).
MV Werften delivers luxury river cruise ship CRYSTAL DEBUSSY
Yesterday, 8 March, MV Werften officially handed over CRYSTAL DEBUSSY to Crystal River Cruises, several months ahead of schedule.
Kapetan Luka acquires UNIVERSAL MK1 from Société Maritime Côte d'Azur
Following a long period of lay-up, the high-speed catamaran UNIVERSAL MK1 has been bought by Kapetan Luka from Société Maritime Côte d'Azur, becoming the fourth vessel in the Croatian operator’s passenger-only fleet.
P&O Cruises Australia’s PACIFIC EDEN to join UK operator Cruise & Maritime Voyages
UK cruise line Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) is getting a sixth ship in the spring of 2019 in the shape of P&O Cruises Australia’s 55,877-gross-ton PACIFIC EDEN, built in 1992 as Holland America Line’s STATENDAM.
Viking Ocean orders six more cruise ships at Fincantieri
There seems to be no stopping relatively new cruise line Viking’s march into the luxury end of the market as it orders a further six vessels from Fincantieri for delivery 2024 through to 2027. This latest order means that the Italian cruise vessel building giant will have built 16 vessels for Viking by 2027 – believed to be a record for a single cruise line.
Ponant adds two more Explorer-Class newbuilds from Vard
Ponant – the French niche cruise operator that is controlled by the Artemis Group – has signed a contract with Vard for the construction of two additional luxury expedition cruise vessels which will be identical to the four Explorer-Class vessels ordered in 2016.
FRS Helgoline’s new fast ferry set to leave the Philippines for Hamburg
The new EUR 15.47 million fast passenger ferry building for Germany’s Förde Reederei Seetouristik for its FRS Helgoline service linking Hamburg, Wedel and Cuxhaven with the Island of Heligoland is set to begin its long delivery voyage from Cebu in the Philippines by 20 March.
MSC further expands ro-ro network
Hard on the heels of the inauguration of a ro-ro service to West Africa, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has announced a new direct ro-ro service connecting Izmir with Trieste.
Four more zero-emission ferries for Fjord1
Fjord1 pumps up its newbuilding tally with four more full-electric double-enders ranging in size from 85 to 116 metres to be built by two Turkish shipyards.
Clipper Navigation’s new VICTORIA CLIPPER V to enter service on the Seattle-Victoria service on 9 March
The latest addition to the fleet of US west coast fast ferry operator Clipper Navigation, the 440-passenger capacity VICTORIA CLIPPER V, will make her maiden passenger carrying voyage on 9 March, bringing new levels or service and comfort on the Seattle, US to Victoria, British Columbia service.
PRIMULA SEAWAYS collided with boxship MSC MADRID off Flushing
DFDS’ 4,650-lanemetre PRIMULA SEAWAYS – on her way to Brevik and Gothenburg – collided with containership MSC MADRID off Flushing around 02:15 local time on Saturday 3 March.
Telenor Maritime to provide WiFi, 3G and backhaul services to Finnlines
Telenor Maritime team up with Finnlines and announces the introduction of the mobile ecosystem onboard their passenger ships, deploying a connectivity platform with Mobile/3G, Premium Wi-Fi, Ka-VSAT and mobile broadband backhaul. Digital services that support the complete digital value chain vastly enhancing the customer experience onboard.
Grimaldi Group and Fincantieri sign LoI to make two Cruise-Class ro-paxes larger and greener
Fincantieri and Grimaldi Group have signed an LoI to refurbish and lengthen CRUISE ROMA and CRUISE BARCELONA by 29 metres, increasing the intake to over 3,600 lanemetres, 3,000m² of car space and 3,500 passengers.
The Seajets-owned AQUA JEWEL will be chartered by Atlânticoline for the 2018 summer season, serving the Azores island chain, except Corvo.
In addition to the conventional ferry AQUA JEWEL, Atlânticoline will charter the Incat78 high-speed wave piercer MEGA JET which the Azores ferry operator already chartered from Seajets during the 2017 summer season. AQUA JEWEL will serve the Azores from 3 May until 29 September and will be joined by MEGA JET from 15 June until 12 September.
Fjord1 orders seven zero-emission double-enders
There is no stopping Fjord1. To meet the concession requirements, the Norwegian domestic ferry operator has ordered seven more battery-powered ferries which have been designed by the Havyard Group and should be introduced on 1 January 2020.
Luxury cruise vessel SILVER SPIRIT, owned by Silversea Cruises, drydocked at the Palermo facility of Italy’s Fincantieri on 5 March to begin a major two-month lengthening and upgrade programme. This is believed to be the first time that a luxury cruise vessel has been lengthened.
JR Kyushu Jet Ferry’s MoU for Austal trimaran becomes firm contract
In early December Austal Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JR Kyushu Jet Ferry to develop a new high-speed trimaran passenger ferry concept for JR Kyushu Jet Ferry’s South Korea to Japan route. On 5 March, that MoU became a firm AUD 68 million contract.
Rederi AB Lillgaard sells two of its diminutive ro-ros
The Åland-based newspaper Ålands Sjöfart reports that Rederi AB Lillgaard has disposed of two of its diminituve ro-ros, only retaining the 780-lanemetre FJÄRDVÄGEN in the fleet.
Cruise passenger record for Baltic Sea ports
With data from 32 Baltic Sea ports, the latest edition of the Cruise Baltic Market Review is showing a dramatic increase in cruise passengers visiting the Baltic region. The report shows that these 32 Baltic Sea ports altogether welcomed 5,054,849 cruise passengers in 2017, a 16.6% growth over 2016. Moreover, since the year 2000, the average year-by-year growth has been 9.7%. The number of calls and turnarounds also soared by 15.4% and 3.9%, respectively.
Golden Star co-owner called off hunger strike
The highly competitive nature of the ferry business in Greece was again brought into focus by a shipowner who went on a hunger strike at the Piraeus waterfront Shipping and Island Policy Ministry, protesting the exclusion of his company from certain Aegean island routes and charging Greece’s Shipping minister “had a negative attitude” towards his company.
Encouraging start for Interferry security committee
Following an inaugural conference call last November, Interferry’s newly-formed Security Committee held its first in-person meeting on February 15, hosted by regulatory affairs director and committee secretary Johan Roos in our Brussels office.
V2V EMPRESS returns to service between Vancouver and Victoria after re-engining
The start-up of any new fast ferry service never runs smoothly and this has most certainly been the case in British Colombia for Australian-owned V2V Vacations. However, with a new General Manager, new main engines for the fast ferry and a new homeport, things are looking up for V2V Vacations.
Hurtigruten’s first shore connection in Bergen
On Wednesday 28 February, the SPITSBERGEN – Hurtigruten’s lastest acquisition – was connected for the first time to the shore grid during a regular eight-hour call in Bergen, Norway, enabling her to stop engines while alongside.
Trinidad & Tobago’s new GALLEONS PASSAGE leaves China for the Caribbean
The ro-pax catamaran recently bought by the Government for Trinidad & Tobago to maintain its vital sea bridge between Port of Spain and Scarborough has left China for the Caribbean.
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