FährNews Aktuell – January issue

AKKA chartered to Attica Group, STAR back with Tallink and much more. | FährNews Current

Hello and welcome to the January issue of FährNews Aktuell in 2025. The top topics of this episode are presented by ferry-guide.com, where you can easily book Ferries online:

• STAR back at Tallink – Where the Ferry is now being used
• New ferry company in planning – How the new company wants to stand up to the big shipping companies
• And: AKKA chartered out – Where the Baltic Sea ferry is now headed

The top topics of the January 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 January issue of FährNews Aktuell for you to read again:

1 SILJA EUROPA remains chartered

[1] Tallink Grupp’s SILJA EUROPA will remain in the Netherlands for at least another six months as a refugee shelter. Tallink Grupp’s subsidiary Tallink Silja OY and Slaapschepen Public BV have agreed on this. There is an option to extend the contract by a further 7 + 6 + 6 months. In total, there is therefore an option to extend the contract by up to 19 months.
The SILJA EUROPA was last deployed for Tallink Grupp on the Tallinn-Helsinki route before being chartered out to the Netherlands in August 2022.

2 STAR returns to Tallink

Let’s stay with Tallink for a moment.

[2] The STAR, which last sailed for Irish Ferries as JAMES JOYCE is returning to Estonia after her charter assignment. From Sunday, February 9, 2025, it will now be deployed on the Paldiski-Kapellskär route.

The STAR’s departures complement those of the BALTIC QUEEN, which operates between Tallinn and Stockholm. This means that crossings between Estonia and Sweden are possible almost every day.

On board the STAR, breakfast and dinner are served in the buffet restaurant, but there is also a lighter meal concept and an improved shopping experience than previously on the route. Compared to the ro-ro ships REGAL STAR and SAILOR, which previously operated on the route, the STAR has significantly more public spaces for greater passenger comfort, including a children’s play area, for example.

Prior to the resumption of service on the Paldiski-Kapellskär route, the STAR will undergo the necessary renovation and preparation work in the dry dock in Naantali, Finland.
From February 9, 2025, the STAR will be deployed exclusively on the Paldiski-Kapellskär route, replacing the SAILOR and REGAL STAR ships that previously operated on this route and will now remain on standby for future business decisions.

3 Renaming of PEARL & CROWN SEAWAYS

[3] The Swedish shipping company Gotlandsbolaget confirmed to Shippax that the DFDS-Ferries PEARL SEAWAYS and CROWN SEAWAYS will be renamed NORDIC PEARL and NORDIC CROWN as part of their takeover by Gotlandsbolaget. The PEARL SEAWAYS will be the first to receive its new name NORDIC PEARL and will undergo a comprehensive refit and renovation process. The ship is currently at the Landskrona shipyard for the conversion work. The CROWN SEAWAYS, future NORDIC CROWN, is scheduled to follow from March.

[4] The traditional Copenhagen-Frederikshavn-Oslo route, which was last operated by DFDS, was already taken over by Gotlandsbolaget last year as part of a DDK 400 million (EUR 53.6 million) deal, including the two deployed Ferries and around 800 employees.

4 New ferry company plans route between Ireland and France

[5] Hibernia Line is planning a new ferry connection between Cork in Ireland and Boulogne-sur-Mer in France. The project is currently still in the planning phase.

[6] On the shipping company’s website there is already a concept drawing for a future ferry in the colors of the shipping company, as well as an edited image of a GNV-Ferry, also in Hibernia Line livery, with the name St. Patrick.

[5] However, it is not yet known which ships will be operated by Hibernia Line. As speculation has already arisen due to the picture with the GNV- Ferry, GNV told “Ferry Shipping News” that there are currently no plans to charter its ships to Hibernia Line.

[6] In total, there will initially be two chartered Ferries, which will enable six evening departures per port within a week. In the long term, the new ferry company would then like to switch to modern, sustainable and efficient newbuilds.

[5] The new route is scheduled to go into operation as early as this year, but according to Ferry Shipping News, the opening of the route is more realistic from 2026.

With its planned route, the shipping company is aiming for a strategic positioning to better connect Ireland with mainland Europe. Interestingly, the project is being led by Managing Director Aidan Coffey, who was involved in the launch of the DFDS service between Rosslare and Dunkerque in 2021.

All in all, the new project should be interesting from both a logistical and a ferry enthusiast’s point of view, should it be successful in the markets served by shipping companies such as Brittany Ferries, P&O Ferries, Irish FerriesDFDS and Stena Line between the European mainland and the British Isles.

5 New electric fast ferries for Baleària

[7] Baleària will operate the first environmentally friendly corridor between Spain and Morocco from 2027 on the Tarifa-Tanger Ville route. Two 100% electric and therefore emission-free high-speed ferries are to be built by Astilleros Armon in Gijón. The two new vessels will be 87 meters long and will be able to travel at a maximum speed of 26 knots. They will each offer space for 800 passengers and 225 vehicles. Both ships will also each have four diesel generators with a total output of 11,200 kW for any unforeseen events.
The batteries will be fully recharged during the one-hour stopover in the two ports. Recharging is carried out by two innovative autonomous robotic arms installed in each port and connected to the ship via the Onshore Power System.

The design of the vessels is similar to the two 123-metre long LNG fast ferries ELEANOR ROOSEVELT and MARGARITA SALAS from Baleària, which were also built by Armon, but have been optimized for the ports of Tarifa and Tangier Ville.

6 Attica Group charters AKKA

[8] According to several consistent media reports, the Attica Group has chartered the AKKA from the German shipping company TT-Line. The AKKA is to replace the ships of Superfast Ferries during their planned stays at the shipyard.

[9] According to the booking platform of Superfast Ferries, the AKKA will operate once a week on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona-Patras route [10] and once a week on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Venice-Patras route from February 10, 2025.

[9] According to Superfast Ferries, the AKKA should take 27 hours and 30 minutes on the route to Ancona and 26 hours on the return journey.

[10] The route from Patras to Venice is scheduled to take 34 hours, with the return journey taking 33 hours.

[11] The AKKA can be found in the timetable described until the end of April, the end of the booking options on the Superfast Ferries website.

If you would like to experience the AKKA in the Adriatic yourself, then book your ticket for the Ferry with our partner ferry-guide.com. Here you can also see all alternative crossing options directly when you make your booking if a departure does not fit into your schedule, for example. You will also receive a price overview of the individual shipping companies during the booking process. At ferry-guide.com you can easily book online at Ferries. You can also find the link to ferry-guide.com at the top of the video description or at the end of this video in the endcard.

Attica Group has published the timetables from Bari and Venice to Igoumenitsa and Patras for this year. These routes are now also bookable on ferry-guide.com.

[12] According to the latest sources, the charter contract for the AKKA is to have a duration of 12 months.

[13] The AKKA was already on its way through the Kiel Canal on January 28, 2025, so the reports appear to be true.

[14] Built in Germany in 2001 as the NILS HOLGERSSON, the AKKA will significantly increase freight capacity on the Italy-Greece route with its 2,600 loading meters. There are 227 cabins in various categories for the 744 passengers.

[15] The number of cabins was a major problem on the Ferry AF CLAUDIA currently in service. With 76 cabins, the AF CLAUDIA has only a third of the number of cabins of the AKKA.

[14] The AKKA is 190.75 m long and has a width of 29.5 m. She reaches a maximum speed of 21.5 knots, which is just above the maintained cruising speed of 20.5 knots on this connection.

[14] In addition to a store and various catering options, AKKA also offers a sauna and a fitness room for sports enthusiasts.

7 KRITI I and II probably before scrapping

[16] The Kriti I has been moored in Elefsis Bay since October 7, 2024. Her sister has also been keeping her company since November 2. This indicates that the two ships will soon come to an end in Greek shipping. Both ships are 46 years old and have been operating in Greek coastal shipping for 28 years. It is assumed that both ships will be sold for scrapping.

But that’s it for the January issue of FährNews Aktuell in 2025. 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 collision of the EXPRESS 5 with a quay wall and the closure of the port of Holyhead. Have fun and see you soon!

Sources

• [1] “Tallink Grupp extends charter agreement for SILJA EUROPA to Holland”, Shippax. Accessed: January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/tallink-grupp-extends-charter-agreement-for-silja-europa-to-holland.aspx
• [2] “Passagerarfartyget Star återvänder till Estland – börjar trafikera rutten Paldiski-Kapellskär”, News Powered by Cision. Accessed January 29, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://news.cision.com/se/tallink-silja-line/r/passagerarfartyget-star-atervander-till-estland–borjar-trafikera-rutten-paldiski-kapellskar,c4095500
• [3] “PEARL SEAWAYS and CROWN SEAWAYS to become NORDIC PEARL and NORDIC CROWN”, Shippax. Accessed January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/pearl-seaways-and-crown-seaways-to-become-nordic-pearl-and-nordic-crown.aspx
• [4] “Gotlandsbolaget Invests in Oslo-Frederikshavn-Copenhagen Route Post-Acquisition | Ferry Shipping News”. Accessed: January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://ferryshippingnews.com/gotlandsbolaget-invests-in-oslo-frederikshavn-copenhagen-route-post-acquisition/
• [5] sandra, “New Kid on the Block? Hibernia Line”, Ferry Shipping News. Accessed January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://ferryshippingnews.com/new-kid-on-the-block-hibernia-line/
• [6] “About The Service | Hibernia Line”. Accessed January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://hibernia-line.com/about-the-service/
• [7] “Baleària presents two electric fast ferries for the Tarifa-Tangier Ville route”, Shippax. Accessed: January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/baleria-presents-two-electric-fast-ferries-for-the-tarifa-tangier-ville-route.aspx
• [8] “Attica Group charters the Ferry AKKA for Superfast Ferries – Lübecker Hafenrundschau”. Accessed: January 29, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://luebecker-hafenrundschau.de/blog/attica-group-chartert-die-ferry-akka-fuer-superfast-ferries/
• [9] “New Reservation”. Accessed January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.superfast.com/en-gb/booking?br=N9D0_7y7UPFzzOiqoGbYUI7l2cdBOEREM0Y4RkIyQkY3NzNGfDF8MHwwfFRydWV8R1I6R1JBfElUOkFOQ3wyMDI1MDIxMHxJVDpBTkN8R1I6R1JBfDIwMjUwMjEy
• [10] “New Reservation”. Accessed January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.superfast.com/en-gb/booking?br=NtEzzSNV5sVSDrgf7UcQ8kFUCT1BOEREM0Y4RkIyQkY3NzNGfDF8MHwwfFRydWV8R1I6R1JBfElUOlZFTnwyMDI1MDIxM3xJVDpWRU58R1I6R1JBfDIwMjUwMjE1
• [11] “New Reservation”. Accessed January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.superfast.com/en-gb/booking?br=QKqevl8d_r4UXDzAyk640djdVEdBOEREM0Y4RkIyQkY3NzNGfDF8MHwwfEZhbHNlfEdSOkdSQXxJVDpBTkN8MjAyNTA0Mjg
• [12] “‘Akka’ sails into the Mediterranean”. Accessed January 29, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.thb.info/rubriken/faehrschifffahrt/detail/news/akka-faehrt-ins-mittelmeer.html
• [13] “MarineTraffic: Global Ship Tracking Intelligence | AIS Marine Traffic”. Accessed January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/shipid:133387/zoom:10
• [14] “Akka Ferry | TT-Line”. Accessed January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.ttline.com/de/ttline/schiffe/akka/
• [15] “AF Claudia ship – Adria Ferries”. Accessed January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.adriaferries.com/en/ferries/af-claudia.html
• [16] sandra, “IMAGE CARDS week 02-2025”, Ferry Shipping News. Accessed: January 28, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://ferryshippingnews.com/image-cards-week-51-2024-2/

You can find this and other episodes of FährNews Aktuell on the FährNews YouTube channel.