Top 20 conventional ro-pax ferry operators

From our newly released Shippax Market 25 publication, we present our latest listing of the Top 20 conventional ro-pax ferry operators' fleets, ranked by gross tonnage, lane metres, and passenger capacity as of 1 April 2025.

Shippax Market is our annual publication with traffic figures, statistics, analyses for the previous year covering the ferry, cruise, ro-ro and high-speed industry.

Outline design for new ferries to Orkney's northern islands

© Knud E. Hansen

Orkney Islands Council has revealed the outline design for three new ferries to serve the outer North Isles (Westray, Stronsay, Sanday, and Eday) using existing infrastructure, while a dedicated smaller vessel is proposed for the islands of North Ronaldsay and Papa Westray. The proposed monohull conventional ro-pax ferry design has a passenger capacity of 190, a crew of 10, and a car deck capacity for 34 cars.

The 60-metre by 14.5-metre single-ended ferries will have diesel-electric/battery-hybrid machinery comprising five gensets and two Voith Schneider propellers for propulsion. The Danish ship design firm Knud E. Hansen has developed the concept and basic design for the three North Isles ferries.

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FRS Express des Îles strengthens fleet with the addition of TOPAZE EXPRESS

The FRS Group and its subsidiary FRS Express des Iles announced a development in their operations in the Caribbean: the addition of the modern high-speed catamaran TOPAZE EXPRESS, scheduled to enter service at the end of 2025.

With a length of 42 metres, a maximum speed of 28 knots, and space for 400 passengers across two decks (280 seats on the main deck, 120 on the upper deck, plus an open-air aft area).

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NEOLINER ORIGIN under sail for the first time

NEOLINER ORIGIN successfully performed its very first sea trials. Built by RMK Marine for Neoline Armateur, it is equipped with 66-metre carbon fiber masts and a total sail area of 3,000 m². NEOLINER ORIGIN is a 136m-long sailing commercial ship capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 80% compared to conventional ships of equivalent size by reducing energy needs and using wind as the main propulsion energy.

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Color Line selects NAPA to provide fleetwide electronic logbook solution

Color Line has signed an agreement with NAPA, the global provider of maritime software, to deploy NAPA Logbook across its entire fleet of five vessels throughout 2025. The implementation of the electronic logbook solution helps meet growing safety, compliance, and efficiency requirements for ferry operators, while reducing onboard workload for crew. The vessels will operate along domestic Norwegian routes and international services between Oslo and Kiel.

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Wallenius Marine and Knud E. Hansen launch new concept for a ro-ro vessel

A new ro-ro vessel concept developed in collaboration between Wallenius Marine and Knud E. Hansen builds on the Shippax award-winning Sleipner PCTC concept and on operational data from the Sleipner vessels FUTURE WAY and WAY FORWARD.

The new ro-ro design, which includes an engine room in the bow, creates (despite its length of 170 metres) a large cargo capacity of 2,720 lanemetres, equivalent to 181 trailers. The Sleipner RoRo concept means that loading and unloading can be carried out quickly and efficiently via the stern ramp and main deck across the full width of the ship, as the engine room has been relocated to the bow.

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Successful MES Deployment for New SPIRIT OF TASMANIA IV

The MES deployment was the first MES test conducted from the brand-new SPIRIT OF TASMANIA IV, which recently arrived in Tasmania to be laid up until the port infrastructure in Devonport is ready to accommodate these new builds: SPIRIT OF TASMANIA IV and her sister ship SPIRIT OF TASMANIA V.

The MES installed on each vessel consists of 4 x 22m MES (22-metre inflatable evacuation slides with a 100-person SOLAS B liferaft attached) plus an additional 16 x 100-person self-righting liferafts, resulting in a total liferaft capacity of 2,000 persons. The complete MES and liferafts were manufactured and operationally packed at the Liferaft Systems Australia production facility in Hobart, Australia, then shipped to Rauma, Finland for installation at the RMC Shipyard.

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Construction Started At Wuhu Shipyard On An 800-Passenger Ro-Pax Ferry For Hebei Port Group

Wuhu Shipyard held a steel cut ceremony for QINREN NEW ERA, an 800-passenger ro-pax ferry built for the Hebei Port Group, tailored for the international route from Qinhuangdao, China, to Incheon, South Korea. QINREN NEW ERA will officially be put into operation in 2027.

The 180m x 26.4m QINREN NEW ERA has deadweight tonnage of 6,800, a rated passenger capacity of 748 people and 181 cabins, together with crew team of 70 people.

A semi-trailer loading capacity of up to 350 TEU is provided and a total of 2,330 lane metres. The economic speed is 17.5 knots, the service speed is 20 knots, and the cruising range is up to 4,500 nautical miles.

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The Third Icon Class Ship, LEGEND OF THE SEAS, Floated Out At The Meyer Turku Shipyard

The third ship in the Icon Class, LEGEND OF THE SEAS, floated for the first time ever at the Meyer Turku shipyard. The completed ship will be delivered to Royal Caribbean in summer 2026. Following the ceremony, the ship was moved to the outfitting dock, where finishing work will continue for just under a year. 

At 365 metres long, nearly 50 metres wide, and with a gross tonnage of approximately 248,000, LEGEND OF THE SEAS is the third ship in Royal Caribbean's Icon Class.

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Record Number of Foot Passengers on Öresundslinjen Ferries in August

The gangways on Öresundslinjen's ferries have rarely been as busy as this August. A total of 372,455 foot passengers crossed the Öresund– the highest figure in more than 25 years, and a sharp rise from 356,000 in August 2024. The last time numbers were higher was back in August 1999, before the opening of the Öresund Bridge.

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GNV VIRGO Completes Sea Trials as GNV’s First LNG-Powered Ship

GNV announced that GNV VIRGO, its first LNG-powered ship, has successfully completed sea trials and is expected to be delivered to the shipowner later this year, 11 months ahead of schedule. GNV VIRGO is the third ro-pax vessel ordered from Guangzhou Shipyard International in Guangzhou, China, as part of a rapidly progressing growth programme that will see the company's fleet add eight new vessels between 2025 and 2030, including GNV POLARIS and GNV ORION, already in operation.

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Geiranger Fjordservice Acquires One Of Three Electric Catamarans Available From Brødrene Aa

Geiranger Fjordservice has secured one of the three Brødrene Aa vessels originally ordered by Norled, strengthening its fleet with a significantly larger sightseeing vessel. The travel company, based in Stranda, will also be looking to expand its workforce to meet the demands of the new addition.

The new flagship, with capacity for 280 passengers, is expected to be ready for service well before the turn of the year. Only minor adjustments and final touches remain before the vessel sets sail. Built by Brødrene Aa, the vessel is fully adapted to meet the latest zero-emission requirements for operations in the UNESCO-listed World Heritage fjords.

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Damen launches latest Island Class for BC Ferries

On 27 August, Damen Shipyards Group launched the latest Island Class ferry for Canada's BC Ferries. The vessel is the second of four Island Class vessels currently under construction at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania. Once operational, the ferries will provide low emission services connecting coastal communities along the coast of British Columbia.

When delivered, the ferry will be the eighth Island Class vessel that Damen has built for BC Ferries. The Island Class is based on the design of the Damen 8117 Electric Ferry (E3).

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