Pending further developments, the ro-pax ROMANTIKA is not sailing for the time being and ticket sales have been halted.
Holland Norway Lines has a statement on their website (which is updated regularly).
The 1997-built ro-pax ferry CRUISE SMERALDA seems to be close to become a ship part of the Ancona-based Adria ferries fleet.
Market rumours, not confirmed but neither denied by the interested parties, say that Grimaldi Group is to sell the vessel currently deployed for Finnlines on the Malmö – Travemünde link to the Italian company active on the routes from the ports of Ancona and Bari to Albania.
CRUISE SMERALDA = 1,500 passengers | 2,200 lane meters.
Adria Ferries recorded very positive financial results in 2022 (EUR 68 million of revenues and EUR 18 million of profit) and has been looking for further tonnage at least for the last 12 months.
Due to the legal dispute ongoing with the Sicilian Region on the maritime continuity and the seizure of three ferries from the Court of Messina, Siremar – Caronte & Tourist Isole Minori announced that will stop serving the maritime link to and from Aeolian, Egadi and Ustica islands as from next September 30th.
One of the consequences of this decision is that 71 seafarers will be axed but the company said that it has no other options.
In order to face this situation, the Sicilian Region last week anticipated that it will look for other ferry operators to cover some subsidized maritime links with the small islands surrounding Sicily proceeding through a direct call to the remaining Italian ferry players.
HSC CHAMPION JET 3 is the new name of the former HSC Incat 045.
Spanish Trasmapi sold her to Seajets in early August. The 86m ship is currently at the port of Vigo, flying the Cypriot flag and will be delivered to the Greek crew soon.
The ship is the third sister ship of CHAMPION JET 1 and 2. She was built in Australia (Incat, Tasmania) in 1997.
Her carrying capacity is for 670 passengers and 200 private cars. She plies at 35 knots.
Seajets has the largest high-speed fleet of the Aegean, connecting 50 islands (Cyclades and Crete) with 400 connections.
Its fleet capacity is 24,000 passengers (one of the largest in Europe) and 3,800 vehicles.
Photo: Trasmapi
The Greek Minister of Shipping and Island Policy met with the Board of the Association of Passenger Shipping Companies and discussed all issues that concern the shipping and ferry industry. Millions of passengers are transported every year.
The Minister referred to the significant increase in passenger traffic and pointed out that in July and August, more than 4 million passengers were transported from the three main ports of Attica (Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio), which is a record number.
He also underlined that the majority of ferry companies have responded to society’s request, with significant discounts on ferry tickets.
Q2, 2023
- Sales amounted to EUR 132.4 million (EUR 141.0 million)
- Other operating revenue was EUR 0.1 million (EUR 2.4 million)
- Operating income totalled EUR 18.0 million (EUR 10.1 million)
- Net financial items were EUR -4.4 million (EUR -2.5 million)
- Income before taxes totalled EUR 13.6 million (EUR 7.6 million)
- Income after taxes totalled EUR 10.6 M (EUR 6.3 million).
H1, 2023
- Sales amounted to EUR 226.3 million (EUR 199.8 million)
- Other operating revenue was EUR 8.9 million (EUR 8.3 million)
- Operating income totalled EUR 17.1 million (EUR -8.0 million)
- Net financial items were EUR -7.9 million (-4.7 million)
- Income before taxes totalled EUR 9.2 million (EUR -12.7 million)
- Income after taxes totalled EUR 6.9 million (EUR -9.8 million)
Outlook for the full financial year 2023
The Board of Directors has decided to revise its earnings outlook for 2023. Provided that energy prices remain at current levels, Viking Line’s Board of Directors believes that income before taxes will be significantly better than last year.
On June 21, 2023, the outlook was:
Provided that energy prices remain at current levels, Viking Line’s Board of Directors believes that income before taxes will be better than last year.
Q2, 2023
- 882,209 passengers travelled with the Eckerö Group’s ships, which was 22% more than in the same period last year (722,917)
- The number of cargo units was 44,326, which was 7% more than in the same period last year (41,432)
- Sales increased by 23% to EUR 62.8 million (EUR 50.9 million)
- The operating result was EUR 11.9 million (EUR 1.0 million), which is the best second quarter operating result ever
- The result for the financial period was EUR 6.9 million (EUR -0.2 million), which is the third best second quarter result ever
- The sales of BIRKA STOCKHOLM and EXPORTER were completed in the second quarter and the Group has amortised EUR 46.0 million of its interest-bearing liabilities since the sale of the vessels. After these amortisations net liabilities amount to EUR 18.0 million and the equity ratio to 47.8% as of 30.6.2023.
H1, 2023
- 1,416,387 passengers travelled with the Eckerö Group’s ships, which was 32% more than in the same period last year (1,075,514)
- The number of cargo units was 86,763, which was 8% more than in the same period last year (80,561)
- Sales increased by 28% to EUR 102.1 million (EUR 79.9 million)
- The operating result was EUR 6.5 million (EUR -4.5 million), which is the best first half year operating result ever
- The result for the financial period was EUR 1.3 million (EUR -4.2 million), which is the third best first half year result ever
Outlook
The third quarter has started with volumes in excess of pre-pandemic levels. The continued relatively high bunker prices, high inflation and volatile Swedish krona create continued uncertainty. Despite these uncertainties the company is expected to deliver a full year result on a level with the best years before the pandemic.
P&O Ferries announced in a message that the Liverpool-Dublin route will be axed.
The company says that, earlier this year, the owner of our Liverpool site, Peel Ports, informed P&O that its current berth would no longer be available after the end of 2023.
P&O says it has been looking for solutions, but “no suitable alternative has been offered or found that would enable to maintain the current service into 2024.”
The company is now “beginning a consultation process with the employees affected by the intended closure of this service.”
NORBAY and NORBANK, which currently serve the Liverpool-Dublin route with 24 sailings per week, will be redeployed elsewhere on the P&O Ferries route network in the coming months.
Photo: Wikimedia 2013harry
Incat Tasmania has under construction the largest lightweight battery electric ship so far constructed in the world for delivery to Buquebus.
This ship, the world’s largest battery-electric Ro-Pax ferry, will be 100% battery electric. The energy storage system (ESS) battery storage at over 40MWh will be four times larger than any battery installation that has been constructed and installed anywhere in the world for the marine transport environment.
The batteries power a series of E-motors which drive the water jet propulsion system.
The electrical system integration is by Wärtsilä and ESS by Corvus Energy.
Incat 096 will have a capacity for 2,100 passengers and crew, 225 cars and will also include a Duty-Free Shop of over 2000 square metres.
According to the Hellenic Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy’s data, from July 1 to August 15, 2023, there was an increase in passenger traffic by 6.58%.
More specifically, a total of 3,140,906 passengers were transported from the country’s three major ports (Piraeus, Rafina, Lavrion), compared to 2,946,747 passengers, during the same period 2022.
Also, during the period of August 1 to August 15 the passenger traffic increased by 4,37% (1,118,445 pax) compared to the same period of 2022 (1,071,516 pax).