- CLdN decided to introduce an additional ro-ro –ADELINE– on the Rotterdam-London service. From each port there will be two extra sailings per week.
- GNV’s ro-pax ferry LA SUPREMA made a transatlantic crossing, and is now in San Juan, the capital of Maria-ravaged Puerto Rico. She is acting as a relief ship after the hurricane.
- CMA CGM will bring in STENA CARRIER and ARK FORWARDER for their new Morocco Express service (see Ferry Shipping News, week 37). These two Stena RoRo ships have a capacity of about 2,700 lane meter.
- Stena’s former TRELLEBORG, operating as SUNNY between the islands of Qeshm (Iran), has been sold for scrap.
- Ro-pax STENA EGERIA arrived in Durrës on October 8. She has been chartered by Adria Ferries for one year, from Stena RoRo. She replaces the BRIDGE, which was spotted in Port Suez on October 10. STENA EGERIA has been renamed AF MICHELA.
- ABB is going to provide an Azipod propulsion system for the new Viking Line cruise ferry to be built in China, the first installation of Azipod propulsion in a cruise-ferry application.
- Ship2Shore reports that the Onorato Group (Moby/Tirrenia) is aiming at a sale & lease back contract with foreign investors, to cash money from MOBY TOMMY, JANAS, BITHIA and ATHARA.
Geneva-based shipping company MSC has signed a letter of intent with Guangzhou Shipyard International for four new ro-pax ships, plus four options, says a Fairplay report.
Although an official confirmation has not been given yet, it is believed that the ro-pax ferries will start to be delivered in 2019 to MSC’s subsidiary GNV. The 3,000 lane metre, 2,500-passenger overnight ferries would be LNG-ready.
MSC, who also own Italian ferry company SNAV, acquired the last remaining shares of GNV in January 2016, making it a 100% MSC subsidiary.
GNV operates 10 ro-pax ferries, on 15 routes in the Western Mediterranean.
