May 3, 2018
Last week has seen a series of decisions being taken, which all impact the Mediterranean ferry scene. An overview:
- Caronte & Tourist have announced that the “New TTT Lines” Naples – Catania service has been closed on April 23.
- New TTT Lines operated two Visentini ro-pax ferries, the FLORENCIA, on charter from Grimaldi, and the CARTOUR GAMMA. Grimaldi has now acquired the CARTOUR GAMMA, and will put her together with the FLORENCIA on the route from Brindisi to Greece (Igoumenitsa and Patras).
- The New TTT Line seafarers who lost their jobs have been protesting against the closure. Grimaldi obviously needs crew for the routes to Greece, but not all are prepared to switch from Naples to the Adriatic side. At an event organized in Sorrento Emanuele Grimaldi said he would need up to 1,000 seafarers extra for all his upcoming ships.
- Grimaldi has transferred the EUROFERRY EGNAZIA and EUROFERRY OLYMPIA from the Adriatic to run between Salerno (instead of Naples) and Catania.
- Grimaldi asked the Naples Port Authority for a concession for a dock. As long as this concession is not granted Grimaldi will operate from Salerno.
- The Greek antitrust authority has given the green light to Attica to acquire Grimaldi Group’s 53% stake in Hellenic Seaways for EUR 78.5 million. See Attica’s press release on April 26.
- Part of the Hellenic Seaways deal is the transfer of two ferries from Attica to the Grimaldi Group: SUPERFAST XII will go to Grimaldi (EUR 74.5m), and HIGHSPEED 7 will be integrated in the fleet of Minoan Lines (EUR 25m).
