It's official: approval for Hellenic Seaways takeover by Attica

As Shippax earlier reported this week, Attica Group has clinched the EUR 178 million deal to acquire Greece’s largest ferry operator Hellenic Seaways on a promise to “give competitors some breathing room” on various lines in the Cyclades and North Aegean routes.

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EUROFERRY CORFU will start sailing under the Corsica Linea banner in June

As Shippax reported earlier this month, the Grimaldi Group has clinched a long-term charter deal with Corsica Linea. More details have emerged and the 2,459-lanemetre, 744-passenger EUROFERRY CORFU has reportedly been chartered for a period of five years.

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Financials & Statistics

First quarter 2018 result for Royal Caribbean

Total revenues remained stable for the quarter compared to the same period last year, reaching USD 2 billion. US GAAP net income for the first quarter of 2018 was USD 218.7 million or USD 1.02 per share and adjusted net income was USD 232.8 million or USD 1.09 per share. Last year, US GAAP and adjusted net income were USD 214.7 million or USD 0.99 per share.  

Scandlines grew its business in 2017

Total revenue grew by 4% to EUR 487 million in 2017 (2016: EUR 480 million). Recurring EBITDA grew by 7% to EUR 194 million (2016: EUR 180 million), corresponding to a recurring EBITDA margin of 40% (2016: 38 percent).

Tallink reports its audited 2017 results

The Group’s consolidated revenue amounted to EUR 967.0 million (EUR 937.8 million in 2016). EBITDA increased by EUR 8.9 million and amounted to EUR 158.3 million (EUR 149.5 million in 2016), net profit for the financial year was EUR 46.5 million or EUR 0.069 per share (EUR 44.1 million or EUR 0.066 per share in 2016).

Good start of the year for HH Ferries Group

Q1 2018 statistics: 239,000 cars were transported in (235,000). The number of trucks rose by almost 4% to 111,000 (107,000), equalling 1,311,000 tonnes (1,265,000 tonnes). 2,500 coaches were transported (2,700). The number of passengers increased to almost 1.29 million (1.28 million). The number of departures reached 11,900 – just below Q1 2017. The use of AutoBizz Smart increased by 5% compared to the same period last year.

Transport Scotland to buy Northern Isles ro-pax trio from Royal Bank of Scotland

Transport Scotland has come to an agreement with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to acquire the ro-pax trio serving Shetland and Orkney under the Serco NorthLink Ferries banner. Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), the Scottish state-owned enterprise that owns the ports, vessels and other maritime assets, will acquire HAMNAVOE, HJALTLAND and HROSSEY from RBS, owner of the vessels which are leased back to the Northern Isles operator. CMAL will use a loan from the Scottish Government.

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Silver Ferry introduces SILVER TIARA

Silver Ferry, part of the Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha Group, 25 April, introduced the 8,543-gross-ton SILVER TIARA on the four times daily 242-kilometre Tomakomai-Hachinohe route. Built by the Nakai Zosen Setoda Shipyard, the 148.8m long by 23.4m wide SILVER TIARA replaces SILVER QUEEN which will be transferred to the new, ten-hour Muroran-Miyako route that is set to be opened in June.

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Fjord1’s last ship in the ‘MM 62 FD EL’ series launched at Cemre Shipyard

The third and last unit in the three-ship series built for Fjord1, was launched at the Turkish Cemre Shipyard on 25 April. The three diesel-electric ferries – built at a cost of NOK 500 million in a cooperation between Havyard Ship Technology, Norway, and the Turkish Cemre Shipyard – have been designed and developed by Multi Maritime and are of the MM 62 FD EL type.

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Ro-pax catamaran launched at Damen Shipyards Singapore

CABINDA, a catamaran of the Damen Fast RoPax Ferry 4812 type, was recently launched at Damen Shipyards Singapore by Dr. Augusto da Silva Tomás, Minister of Transport for the Republic of Angola.

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Meyer Turku hands over MEIN SCHIFF 1 to TUI Cruises

The 3,132-passenger MEIN SCHIFF 1, the fifth Mein Schiff ship built by Meyer Turku for TUI Cruises, has been officially handed over by her Finnish builders to TUI Cruises. The 315m long and 111,500-gross-ton MEIN SCHIFF 1 is an evolution of the MEIN SCHIFF 3 to 6 series which were equally built by Meyer Turku. 

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Condor Ferries appoints new Executive Director

Following the departure of Fran Collins to Red Funnel, where she will become CEO, Condor Ferries has announced that her position as Executive Director Operations will be taken by Captain Elwyn Dop as from 4 June.

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Gelibolu Shipyard launches new double-ender for Gestas

GELIBOLU, the 87.6m double-ended ferry for cross-Dardanelles operator Gestas, was launched at the Gelibolu Shipyard on 24 April. The newbuilding was designed by ARTI Engineering, a local naval architecture consultancy that also designed Gestas's ÇANAKKALE. Construction of the TRY 12 million or EUR 2.4 million GELIBOLU took 15 months with delivery being set for June.

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CEO change at Red Funnel

A new CEO will take the helm of Isle of Wight ferry operator Red Funnel. With effect from 11 June 2018, Fran Collins will be replacing Kevin George who moves to be Chairman of the Red Funnel Group.

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Delayed NORDERAUE delivered by Neptun Werft

Neptun Werft, a subsidiary of the Meyer Gruppe, has delivered the double-ended ferry NORDERAUE to the German coastal ferry operator Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei Föhr-Amrum GmbH. The 1,200-passenger newbuilding is expected to leave her building place for the Isle of Wyk later during week 17.

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AVIC Weihai delivered ROSA DEI VENTI

ROSA DEI VENTI, AVIC Weihai’s yard number W0247, has been handed over to Milano-based Giovanni Visentini Trasporti Fluviomarittimi. Long-term chartered to Gruppo Grendi, the 2,500-lanemetre ro-ro freighter will replace the 2,715-lanemetre STENA FREIGHTER between the northern Italian mainland port of Marina di Carrara and Cagliari in Sardinia.

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Delivery of Irish Ferries' W.B. YEATS delayed

The delivery of Irish Ferries’ new EUR 144 million W.B. YEATS from German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) has been delayed, affecting the summer holiday plans of up to 10,000 passengers who had booked to use the new ro-pax ferry in July on its crossings between Dublin and Cherbourg. No reason has been given for the delay by the shipyard and no firm delivery date yet announced.

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Financing close to be finalised for new Wasaline ferry

The funding for a new ferry that will replace the 1981-built WASA EXPRESS on the Umeå-Vaasa route is making further progress with the City of Vaasa now having agreed to also step in with a EUR 25 million loan meant to co-finance the project.

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Brødrene Aa delivers zero emission FUTURE OF THE FJORDS

The Fjords, co-owned 50/50 by Fjord1 and Flåm AS, has taken delivery of its 42-metre and 400-passenger zero emission ferry, FUTURE OF THE FJORDS. She will begin her operation on the 90-minute UNESCO World Heritage listed fjord route between Flåm and Gudvangen in mid-May.

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DFDS to long-term charter a Stena E-Flexer for the Calais-Dover route

In yet another surprise move, DFDS has announced that it will charter a Stena E-Flexer to replace CALAIS SEAWAYS on the Calais-Dover route in 2021. Stena RoRo recently ordered a fifth E-Flexer ship without much fanfare. The ro-pax has been specifically adapted for the Calais-Dover route in conjunction with DFDS that will bareboat charter the ship for a period of ten years with a purchase option.

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Arkoumanis family expands ro-pax activities through purchase of WIND AMBITION

WIND AMBITION, originally Sessan Linjen’s PRINSESSAN BIRGITTA, has found new owners. A company controlled by the family of Ioannis Arkoumanis has acquired the vessel and has taken her over from C-Bed at Odense, Denmark, for further deployment in the Mediterranean.

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Launching ceremony for Torghatten Nord’s SAMNØY

The launching ceremony has been held for the NB 1081 project at the Tersan Shipyard in Turkey. The double-ender, named SAMNØY, is under construction for Norwegian Torghatten Nord and is the second in a series of five newbuilds for the company, two of which are being built at the Vard Brevik shipyard.

Hurtigruten to convert up to nine vessels to LNG and hybrid battery propulsion

As part of its commitment to the operation of the Norwegian Coastal Express service, a tender which it recently won alongside newcomer Havila Kystruten, Norway’s Hurtigruten is to re-engine up to nine of its fleet with new LNG diesel engines and hybrid battery systems.

Norwegian Cruise Line takes delivery of NORWEGIAN BLISS

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) took delivery of its latest vessel on 19 April in Bremerhaven – the 167,800-gross-ton NORWEGIAN BLISS, the latest cruise ship to emerge from Germany’s prolific shipbuilder Meyer Werft and NCL’s first cruise ship specifically designed for cruising in Alaskan waters.

NOVA STAR to enter service between Gdansk and Nynäshamn on 1 June

Polferries will introduce NOVA STAR between Gdansk and Nynäshamn on 1 June, following drydocking and refit work at local shiprepairer Remontowa in Gdansk. Original plans were for the ferry to have entered service at the end of March.

Assembly starts for Color Line’s COLOR HYBRID

Assembly of the first of 14 prefabricated blocks that will make up the lower hull of the world’s largest plug-in hybrid ferry – Color Line’s COLOR HYBRID – were put in place on 16 April at Poland’s Crist Shipyard in Gdynia. More blocks for the vessel’s upper hull are being fabricated at Lithuania’s Western Shipyard in Klaipeda.

DFDS axes Zeebrugge-Rosyth route

DFDS has pulled the plug on the freight-only thrice-weekly Zeebrugge-Rosyth route which was operated by FINLANDIA SEAWAYS. The loss-making service was already discontinued on 16 April following a fire in the engine room of the 1,891-lanemetre FINLANDIA SEAWAYS.

MEIN SCHIFF 1 arrives in Cadiz for five-week transformation into MARELLA EXPLORER

TUI Cruises' 76,998-gross-ton, 1996-built MEIN SCHIFF 1 arrived at the Cadiz shipyard of Spain’s Navantia on 14 April to begin her five-week upgrade and transformation into UK cruise line Marella Cruises’ latest fleet addition MARELLA EXPLORER.

Interferry welcomes immediate application of energy efficiency correction

Confirmation by the International Maritime Organization of a 20% correction in its Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) calculation formula for ro-ro and ro-pax vessels has been welcomed by trade association Interferry as an incentive to revive newbuild projects that have been inhibited by the current criteria.