A US-owned cruise ship has departed on her inaugural voyage while a Danish transport company has taken delivery of a double-ended ferry. Construction continues on a Ro-Pax vessel that will serve domestic routes in Japan. Lastly, orders have been placed for new ferries for operation on the US East Coast and in New Zealand.
The New Zealand Government, through its procuring company Ferry Holdings, has selected Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) as the builder for two new ferries.
Rail Minister Winston Peters confirmed the selection in a statement, describing GSI as, “the largest modern integrated shipbuilding enterprise in Southern China.”
Japan's Shinnihonkai Ferry and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding held a christening and launching ceremony for a new Ro-Pax ferry at Mitsubishi's Shimonoseki shipyard on Thursday, October 9.
Hamanasu is the second of two ferries to be built for Shinnihonkai Ferry and Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency. She is scheduled for delivery in the middle of 2026.
Danish transport company Scandlines will soon take delivery of a recently completed double-ended Ro-Pax ferry built to a design by Norwegian naval architecture firm LMG Marin.
The Baltic Whale (previously named Futura) will be operated between the Danish town of Rodby and the village of Puttgarden on Ferhmarn Island in the German portion of the Baltic Sea. The vessel was developed as part of a €80 million (US$88 million) investment.
Naval architecture firm Glosten has announced the completion of the design for a new ferry for the Fishers Island Ferry District in New York.
The new vessel is intended to replace the company's existing ferry, the Munnatawkett, with a focus on enhancing operational efficiency and safety.
Star Princess, Princess Cruises' newest 4,300-guest ship, has departed Barcelona for her inaugural voyage in the Mediterranean.
The ship will sail on an 11-day itinerary with stops that include Marseille, Gibraltar, Naples, Rome, and Sicily. Upon completion of this voyage, she will head across the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale, from where she will serve itineraries in the Caribbean.
