An Australian operator has placed the second in a series of locally built Ro-Pax ferries into service while an American cruise operator has named its newest ship. Orders have been placed for new ferries including a hydrofoil-equipped vessel for use in Japan.
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has announced the launch of the Seven Seas Prestige at its Marghera shipyard. The vessel is the first of two new cruise ships currently under construction for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, a Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings subsidiary.
Scheduled for delivery in 2026, the Seven Seas Prestige has a gross tonnage of 76,550 tons and measures 257 metres in length. It will accommodate 822 guests in 411 suites.
Danish naval architecture firm Knud E. Hansen has been selected to undertake design work on two new Ro-Pax ferries that China's Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) is building for New Zealand operator KiwiRail.
The vessels, designed to serve both road and rail, are scheduled to enter service on Cook Strait in 2029.
Molslinjen has placed an order for a third battery-powered catamaran for its operations on the Kattegat. This vessel will join two others already on order, completing a fleet that represents what the company described as the “world's largest electrification project at sea.”
The ferry will be the third in a series of electric vessels designed for the route to Aarhus. Construction of the first two units is already underway.
A new Ro-Pax ferry recently commenced operational sailings in the waters off the Southern Moreton Bay Islands community in South East Queensland, Australia.
Island Venture is a sister ship of Island Odyssey, which began serving the route earlier this year.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has signed a contract with Kyushu Yusen and the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT) to build a new jetfoil high-speed passenger ferry.
The ship will be constructed at the company's Kobe Works and is scheduled for delivery in June 2029, after which it will serve the Hakata-Iki/Tsushima route.
