FährNews Aktuell – Issue November 2024

Copenhagen-Oslo under new operator, end of GNV ARIES, and much more. | FährNews Current

Hello and welcome to the November issue of FährNews Aktuell in 2024. The top topics of this episode are presented by ferry-guide.com, where you can easily book Ferries online:

• Copenhagen-Oslo under new operator – What’s next for the Capital Cities route
• NORMANDIE at La Méridionale – Where the veteran will be used in the future
• And: The end of GNV ARIES – Why GNV decided to scrap it

The top topics of the November issue of FährNews Aktuell were presented by ferry-guide.com, the easy online booking platform for your ferry crossing. But here we go with this issue of FährNews Aktuell.

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And here is the entire November issue of FährNews Aktuell for you to read again:

1 Gotlandsbolaget takes over Copenhagen-Oslo

[1] On October 31, 2024, the Swedish ferry company Gotlandsbolaget officially took over the Oslo-Frederikshavn-Copenhagen route from DFDS.

[2] In addition to the two cruise ferries CROWN SEAWAYS and PEARL SEAWAYS, Gotlandsbolaget is also taking over the more than 800 employees. The purchase price is 400 million Danish kroner, which corresponds to approximately 54 million euros.

[1] CEO Håkan Johansson was proud to continue the route’s legacy and emphasized that the focus is on improving the passenger experience. Plans include upgrades in the cabin area and a more comprehensive overhaul of the public areas on board. While the route will initially operate under the DFDS brand, the introduction of a new identity and brand is planned for next year.

2 NORMANDIE goes to La Méridionale

The fleet renewal at Brittany Ferries through the procurement of e-flexers continues to progress. However, this inevitably means that older ships that are very popular with ferry enthusiasts, such as the NORMANDIE, are also making way.

[3] Built in 1992, the 161m-long Ferry [4] will leave the fleet and enter service for La Méridionale in the Mediterranean from June 2025, the French shipping company announced. It is planned to operate between Marseille and Tangier.

[3] The NORMANDIE has a capacity of 2160 passengers and 1720 loading meters for vehicles.

[4] She will be replaced early next year on the Portsmouth-Caen route by the GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE, [5] which will have a capacity of 1310 passengers and 2390 lane meters.

3 Stena Lines NewMax project picks up speed

[6] The Swedish ferry company Stena Line has launched the first of its two ships in the new “NewMax” series, the STENA FUTURA. At the same time, Stena Line announced the successful keel laying of the second vessel, the STENA CONNECTA, which is now under construction.

The ships are being built at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai and were presented at a joint launching and keel laying ceremony.

Once in operation, the STENA FUTURA and STENA CONNECTA will increase freight capacity on the Belfast-Heysham route by 40%. In this way, Stena Line aims to meet the increasing demand for capacity between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

The two NewMax hybrid ships will also make a significant contribution to increasing sustainability at Stena Line, as both can be powered by methanol. In addition, there are other technologies that enable the ships to use both battery power and shore power, if available. The goal of Stena Line is to switch to renewable fuels by 2030 and reduce CO2 emissions by 30%.

[7] The new cargo ferries of the NewMax class are ships with a length of 147 meters. They offer 2800 loading meters for cargo.

4 GLEN SANNOX handed over

[8] The GLEN SANNOX received its passenger certificate and full official operating license on 26 November 2024.

The much-delayed GLEN SANNOX and her sister GLEN ROSA were originally due to be delivered by Ferguson Marine in 2018 and 2019. The original budget of £97 million for the two Ferries increased massively to almost four times that amount.

With their Wärtsilä engines, the 102-metre-long dual-fuelFerries will be able to run on both LNG and marine diesel. The ships are designed to carry 127 cars or 16 trucks or a combination of both.

5 Armas Trasmediterránea takes over connections from Melilla

[9] Armas Trasmediterránea will operate the maritime lines connecting Melilla with the cities of Almería and Motril from January 2025. These routes have been designated as public service lines by the Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.

The shipping company was awarded the contract by the Spanish merchant navy for a period of two years, with the option to extend for a further two years. The VOLCÁN DE TIMANFAYA, which has space for 950 passengers, 350 vehicles and 1,350 loading meters of cargo, will be deployed on both routes.

Three trips a week are planned between Almería and Melilla as well as Motril and Melilla. There will also be additional connections during periods of high demand, such as Christmas, Easter and the summer vacations.

[10] It is also emphasized that this new regulation is intended to strengthen the economic and social development of Melilla by securing its connection to the Iberian Peninsula. This underlines the role of Armas Trasmediterránea as an important player in the field of regional mobility.

6 GNV ARIES is scrapped

[11] The GNV ARIES is currently moored in the port of Piraeus and will subsequently be scrapped in a shipbreaking yard in Turkey. This was announced by Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), a company controlled by the MSC Group.

GNV has recently taken delivery of its new Ferry GNV POLARIS and announced plans to gradually remove older and less efficient ships from the fleet. The GNV ARIES was delivered in 1987 and purchased by GNV 2021 as the then PRIDE OF YORK from P&O Ferries.

[12] The Ferry was in operation on the Naples-Palermo route until the end, [11] but could no longer meet modern requirements.

The Ferry offered space for 850 passengers and 2,250 loading meters for vehicles and freight. The sale price was not disclosed. This decision marks the transition to a more modern and efficient fleet at GNV.

7 Black Friday and Advent calendar

This year, you can also get some discounts on Black Friday. For example, on your next ferry crossing. Viking Line, for example, is offering up to 50% off your next ferry crossing between Sweden, Finland and Estonia. For a detailed overview of all offers, please visit our partner ferry-guide.com. You can find all the current Black Friday offers at https://ferry-guide.com /black-friday.
From Sunday, the ferry-guide.com Advent calendar will also start again, where you can win various surprise packages with merchandising items as well as travel vouchers from Scandlines or mini cruises, e.g. from Stena Line or Viking Linecan win. All persons from Germany, Austria and Switzerland aged 18 and over are eligible to take part. All information and conditions of participation can be found on the ferry-guide.com homepage at the start of the Advent calendar.

But that’s it for the November issue of FährNews Aktuell in 2024. Did you like the issue? Then please leave a Like. If you have any other comments or requests, please write us a comment. We look forward to your feedback!

To book your ferry crossing, you can now click on the link to ferry-guide.com. Otherwise, feel free to subscribe! If you haven’t had enough FährNews yet, we can recommend the last issue of FährNews Aktuell. Among other things, it dealt with the delivery of the SAINT-MALO and the expansion at Baleària. Have fun and see you soon!

Sources

• [1] sandra, “Gotlandsbolaget Invests in Oslo-Frederikshavn-Copenhagen Route Post-Acquisition”, Ferry Shipping News. Accessed November 26, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://ferryshippingnews.com/gotlandsbolaget-invests-in-oslo-frederikshavn-copenhagen-route-post-acquisition/
• [2] “the-new-owner-of-the-oslo-frederikshavn-copenhagen-route-invests-heavily-in-the-ships.pdf”. Accessed November 26, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://storage.mfn.se/f4ffaa3b-e886-4831-960c-5166e0abfcbf/the-new-owner-of-the-oslo-frederikshavn-copenhagen-route-invests-heavily-in-the-ships.pdf
• [3] “M/S NORMANDIE (1992)”. Accessed November 26, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.faktaomfartyg.se/normandie_1992.htm
• [4] “La Meridionale adds NORMANDIE to its fleet from June 2025”, Shippax. Accessed November 26, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/la-meridionale-adds-normandie-to-its-fleet-from-june-2025.aspx
• [5] “The ferry site”. Accessed November 26, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.ferry-site.dk/ferry.php?id=9946324&lang=en
• [6] “Stena Line marks significant milestones in build of NewMax ships, Stena Futura and Stena Connecta”, News Powered by Cision. Accessed November 26, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://news.cision.com/stena-line-ukie/r/stena-line-marks-significant-milestones-in-build-of-newmax-ships–stena-futura-and-stena-connecta,c4058445
• [7] “Stena Line lays the keel for STENA FUTURA – the first of its NewMax ships”, Shippax. Accessed November 26, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/stena-line-lays-the-keel-for-stena-futura-the-first-of-its-newmax-ships.aspx
• [8] “GLEN SANNOX finally handed over to Caledonian Maritime Assets”, Shippax. Accessed November 26, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/glen-sannox-finally-handed-over-to-caledonian-maritime-assets.aspx
• [9] “Armas Trasmediterránea will operate the lines that link Melilla with Almería and Motril”, Shippax. Accessed: November 28, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/armas-trasmediterrnea-will-operate-the-lines-that-link-melilla-with-almera-and-motril.aspx
• [10] “Armas Trasmediterránea operará las líneas que unen Melilla con Almería y Motril – FERRYBALEAR”. Accessed November 26, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://ferrybalear.com/armas-trasmediterranea-operara-las-lineas-que-unen-melilla-con-almeria-y-motril
• [11] sandra, “ARIES to Leave GNV’s Fleet and Bound for Scrap in Turkey”, Ferry Shipping News. Accessed November 26, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://ferryshippingnews.com/aries-to-leave-gnvs-fleet-and-bound-for-scrap-in-turkey/
• [12] “M/S NORSEA (1987)”. Accessed November 26, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.faktaomfartyg.se/norsea_1987.htm

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