From September, DFDS will increase capacity on the Rosslare–Dunkerque route by adding a third vessel and offering seven weekly roundtrips.
The additional RoPax, —OPTIMA SEAWAYS—, will join ATHENA SEAWAYS and VICTORIA SEAWAYS, which already serve the route.
DFDS said growing demand for direct links between Ireland and continental Europe is driving the need for extra capacity.
The route has previously operated as a three-ship service at various times.
From mid-September 2026, DFDS will strengthen its Karlshamn–Klaipeda service with the chartered CIUDAD DE VALENCIA.
Adding the modern Visentini RoPax will bring a major increase in passenger capacity and extra freight space, supporting further growth on the Baltic route.
Built in 2020, CIUDAD DE VALENCIA can carry up to 950 passengers and offers 2,562 lane metres. Capacity includes space for 250 cars.
Compared with the vessel it replaces (OPTIMA SEAWAYS), passenger capacity will almost triple.
DFDS currently operates two RoPax ferries on the Karlshamn–Klaipeda route. It also runs four other ferries on Baltic Sea routes linking Germany and Sweden, Sweden and Estonia, and Denmark and Lithuania.
A few days after opening the tender for the Genoa–Porto Torres service, Italy’s Ministry of Transport has now launched two more procedures for subsidised maritime continuity routes to Sardinia.
The tenders cover the following links, currently operated by Grimaldi Euromed:
Each procedure is worth more than EUR 115 million. The contracts will run for five years, with a possible 36-month extension.
The service requirements are clear:
The new tenders are part of Italy’s wider effort to guarantee regular maritime links between the mainland and Sardinia under public service obligations.
The Port of Gothenburg has acquired a large area located in the port’s outer areas. The agreement – signed on Tuesday 31 March with the seller Platzer – creates conditions for the continuation of the port’s long-term plan for further expansion of the port. The total transaction value, which also includes a minor property sale, amounts to SEK 684 million.
Rail operations for new vehicles have resumed at the Port of Calais, marking a significant milestone for multimodal logistics at the French gateway.
Eleven years after the last train carrying new cars arrived, the first service operated by Groupe Charles André (GCA), with support from rail operator VIIA, reached the port’s intermodal terminal yesterday afternoon.
The relaunch signals the start of a regular service, strengthening the port’s role in automotive logistics chains.
Key operational details:
The traffic will primarily consist of vehicles from Stellantis, underlining the growing importance of rail–sea intermodal solutions for finished vehicle logistics.
https://www.smyrilline.fo/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Annual-Report-2025.pdf
CEO Trond Kleivdal highlighted stable operations and growing willingness to pay among travellers.
Color Group expects a satisfactory result in 2026, while monitoring geopolitical risks and fuel markets.
Color Group 2025 Key Figures
Activity remained stable, while profitability declined year-on-year.
https://www.colorline.no/om-oss/pressesenter/color-group-2025-et-tilfredsstillende-resultat
AS Tallink Grupp has signed a charter agreement for the passenger vessel SUPERFAST IX.
CEO Paavo Nõgene stated that the charter will provide stable cash flow. He added that SUPERFAST IX is not ideally suited to the route due to her large passenger capacity.
The vessel will be handed over on 1 May in Tallinn. Until then, she will continue operating between Estonia and Sweden.
Before delivery, SUPERFAST IX will undergo scheduled maintenance at Turku Repair Yard (Naantali) from 3 to 18 April.
If you wonder why this vessel has created so much fuzz in French media, then read this. Tallink’s initial press release (26/3) stated that the vessel would go to Hibernia Line. This Dublin-based unlimited company (https://chamber.corkchamber.ie/list/member/hibernia-line-unlimited-company-24864) is expected to run a service between Cork and Boulogne-sur-Mer. Surprise: An updated version of the Tallink press release no longer mentions Hibernia Line.
Hibernia Line also removed a rendering of the ferry on the website https://hibernia-line.com/.
The Hibernia Line project is said to involve two vessels. Industry sources suggest AKKA. The same sources speak about a mid-June start of the operations.
Seajets’ CHAMPION LEAGUE JET 2 is undergoing her final refit at Elefsis Shipyards (ONEX) dry dock ahead of the 2026 summer season.
The vessel (ex ORHAN GAZI 1, JUMBO JET 1) was acquired in April 2024, together with her sister ship CHAMPION LEAGUE JET 1 (ex OSMAN GAZI 1), from Turkish operator IDO.
Built by Austal in Australia in 2007, she has a capacity of 1,200 passengers and 225 cars. Her service speed will be 35 knots.
CORSICA Linea has taken delivery in China of its second LNG-powered RoPax ferry, named CAPU ROSSU.
A dedicated ceremony was held at CMJL Jinling Shipyard, in coordination with industrial partner Stena RoRo. The delivery follows a construction programme that included keel laying in February 2025 and sea trials in January 2026.
CAPU ROSSU is part of a series of vessels designed by Stena RoRo and built at the Weihai shipyard.
According to CORSICA linea, the ship was designed to meet the specific needs of Mediterranean transport. The company expects CAPU ROSSU to reach Marseille in May and to enter service in June on routes serving Corsica.
Two welcome ceremonies are scheduled following the vessel’s arrival in Europe: 11 June in Marseille and 12 June in Ajaccio.
