A new ferry has been delivered to a Russian operator while two other vessels are being built for owners in Florida and Scotland. A cruise company has meanwhile placed orders for sister ships of two earlier vessels in its fleet.
Parkol Marine Engineering has laid the keel of a new lifeline ferry ordered by the Shetland Islands Council of Scotland.
The new ferry will replace the 1986-built Good Shepherd IV. Chartwell Marine, which was responsible for the detail design work, said the vessel will provide a transport link between Fair Isle and the Shetland mainland.
The Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) of Panama City, Florida, has floated out a new Ro-Pax ferry ordered by the Fisher Island Community Association (FICA) of southern Florida.
Named Falcon, the vessel is being constructed at ESG's Allanton and Port St Joe facilities and is scheduled for delivery in the spring of 2026. Design work will be provided by the Elliott Bay Design Group of Seattle, Washington.
MSC Cruises and French shipbuilder Chantiers de l'Atlantique have entered into agreements for the construction of two additional cruise ships for delivery in 2030 and 2031.
The ships will be the seventh and eighth in a series that includes MSC World Europa, which was delivered in 2022, and MSC World America, which was handed over earlier this year.
Russian transport operator Neva Travel has confirmed that four new passenger vessels will be introduced into service in the waters in and around Saint Petersburg in 2026.
The new vessels will consist of a Project 04580 32-metre catamaran ferry/tour boat, two Project 04710 27-metre sightseeing catamarans, and a Project 04240 22-metre sightseeing monohull vessel.
Russian transport company Neva Travel has taken delivery of a new catamaran ferry built by the Sredne-Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant of state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation.
Fort Shanets is the sixth vessel in the Project 04580 series of ferries designed by local engineering firm Forss Technology in compliance with Russian Maritime Register of Shipping requirements.
The vessels may be operated both as commuter ferries and as tourist shuttles.
