This year marks the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the first ferry to become often referred to as a ro-pax – the Majestic of Grandi Navi Veloci. While the ship and its numerous sister ships featured high-quality passenger accommodation, ro-paxes soon became regarded mainly as ferry companies’ response to budget airlines, providing a no-frills […]
Demand for Fred. Olsen Express’ ferry services in the Canary Islands is on the up: the operator reports that its new route between Playa Blanca in Lanzarote and Corralejo in Fuerteventura has recorded a 40% increase in passenger traffic since its introduction last year. Added to that, July 2022 saw the return of the company’s […]
For the 10th instalment of its Annual International Student Design Competition for a Safe, Affordable Ferry, spanning 2022-2023, the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) shook things up by introducing a new stipulation for the participating teams. Although previous years’ contests had called for ferry designs to meet specific operational demands, the panel of judges had […]
Having successfully weathered the effects of the pandemic, the Italian-based shipyard group is going from strength to strength Unlike some other regional yards, the Palumbo Group did not experience any significant impacts as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, neither suffering a major absence of workers due to illness nor any significant disruption of planned […]
Fincantieri has signed a contract with Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings, joint owner/operator of Four Seasons Yachts, for the construction of a second ultra-luxury Four Seasons vessel. This second vessel’s order is worth more than €400 million, and the ship will be delivered in 2026. Fincantieri landed the order for the first 207m-long, 27m-wide, 180-guest ship of […]
An upturn in cruise ship activity was a high point for the yard operator in 2022. Seaspan’s Vancouver Drydock handled a number of large repair projects during 2022, most notably having four cruise ships stopping by over the course of a few months. Two of the cruise ships were worked on simultaneously, in a first […]
Knud E. Hansen river ship concept brings rhythm ‘n’ cruise to the Mississippi One of the most popular cruise destinations in the US is the Mighty Mississippi: the country’s second-longest river. Each year, tens of millions of visitors sign up to cruise portions of the river, picking from a wide range of itineraries and vessel […]
The global expedition cruise fleet continues to grow at a brisk pace and at the high end of the market the cruise yachts that some hotel groups are introducing mark further diversification of the cruise industry. The switch to clean fuels poses challenges for both, but these are felt more in the expedition segment. Both […]
(image: DIV Group) Croatian boatbuilder Brodosplit has commenced construction of an eco-friendly passenger sailing ship, drawing on a combination of electricity and wind power to fuel its trips. The 63.5m x 10m vessel will feature a height of 5.35m from the main deck, a steel hull and superstructure, plus three aluminium alloy masts, and […]
(Image: Roberta Weisbrod, WFSA) Since 2016, the Philippines has managed an impressive turnaround in reducing its tally of ferry-related accidents and casualties (see Ship & Boat International May/June 2019, pages 38-40, and November/December 2019, pages 22-24, for more background). Now, IMO’s Technical Cooperation Division has teamed up with the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) of the Philippines […]
The Naval Architect November/December 2021
A research project led by the University of Kent is exploring viable scenarios for electrifying Channel crossings.
Shiprepair & Maintenance: 4th Quarter 2021
Rolls-Royce has supplied new engines, an advanced automation system and a tool for remote servicing on the high-speed catamaran Avemar Dos