Shippax
Newsletter– week 8

DFDS
reports challenging 2025 with
revenue growth but sharp profit
drop

DFDS
released its 2025 Annual Report 2025,
showing revenue up 4% to DKK 30.9
billion (from DKK 29.8 billion in
2024), driven by network adaptations
and logistics improvements. However,
EBIT fell 65% to DKK 0.5 billion (from
DKK 1.5 billion), impacted by
competitive pressures, cost issues,
Mediterranean challenges (now turning
profitable in Q4), and a slowdown in
Channel volumes despite growing
onboard spending.

Weakened
2025 for Tallink Grupp

AS
Tallink Grupp released its unaudited
2025 financial results. Revenue was
EUR 765 million (down from EUR 786
million in 2024), EBITDA EUR 130
million (down from EUR 175 million),
and net profit EUR 17.3 million (down
from EUR 40.3 million). The company
paid nearly EUR 113 million in loans
and interest, contributed EUR 97
million in taxes to Estonia, and plans
to propose a EUR 0.06 per share
dividend.

Limited
cabins left. Secure a seat now!

There are
now only 2.5 months left until the
2026 Shippax Ferry Conference, and
over 350 delegates are booked. Several
cabin categories are sold out, and we
have limited cabins left. Secure a
seat now!

WHERE? GNV’S
RHAPSODY

ROUTE? Genoa
– Olbia and return

WHEN? 5-7
May 2026

REGISTER
NOW

We still
have a few sponsorships and exhibition
stands left to maximise your
company’s exposure!

THEME

“OPTIMISING
OPERATIONS, ENHANCING EXPERIENCES”

MAIN
PROGRAMME SESSIONS

Moderators

Frederik Erdmann – Moderator and
contributing correspondent Shippax

Alan Lam – Co-moderator and
correspondent and analyst Shippax

RoPax
executives panel debate 1

Matteo Catani – CEO GNV

Christophe Mathieu – CEO Brittany
Ferries

Pierre Mattei – CEO and Owner of
Corsica Ferries group

Kasper Moos – CEO P&O Ferries

Marcus Risberg – CEO Viking Line

More TBA

RoPax
executives panel debate 2

More TBA

RoRo
executives panel debate

Mohamed Badawy – Chairman UME
Shipping

Elvir Dzanic – CEO Wallenius SOL

Euan Lonmon – Director Grendi

Dan Mikkola – Managing director Godby
Shipping

More TBA

Keynote
speakers

Tobias Billström – Former Swedish
minister for foreign affairs,
migration, deputy speaker of
parliament, entrepreneur and advisor

Thomas P. Illes – Maritime business
consultant and university lecturer

Bruce Peter – Professor of Design
History at the Glasgow School of Art

More TBA

New
ships & projects

Robert Clifford – Chairman Incat

Frederik Gerhardt – Lead Naval
Architect RISE (Research Institutes of
Sweden)

Nikias Ioannidis – Business
Development LMG Marin

Victor Laravoire – Project Execution
Director LMG Marin

Kristian Lind – Chief Technical
Officer OSK Design

Ivana Melillo – Energy Efficiency
Director GNV

Juan Pablo Molina – Corporate
Technical Director Balearia

Roberto Prever – CEO NAOS Ship and
Boat design

Per Westling – Managing Director Stena
RoRo

Zhou Zhiyong – Vice President Shanghai
Merchant Ship Design & Research
Institute (SDARI)

Ferry
industry performance and megatrends

Frederik Erdmann – Moderator and
correspondent for Shippax

Alan Lam – Co-moderator and
correspondent and analyst Shippax

New
technologies and inspirations

Diego Caride – Business Development
Director, Marine Division, Ingeteam

Giorgio Caviglia – Global Business
Development Manager GF Piping Systems

Magne Ekerum – Chief Design Officer
Seat Innovation

Manos Giakoumelis – Chief Technology
Officer Liknoss

Konstantina Katachana – Product
Manager Liknoss

Alex Rubio – Group Product Manager
Quvia

Markus Tompuri – Account Director,
Ferry (Global), Safety Solutions, NAPA

Oier Urrutia Madariaga – Key Account
Manager Ingeteam

VID FIREKILL – Speaker TBA

Wärtsilä – Speaker TBA

Rules
& Regulations Debate

Johan Roos – Director of Regulatory
Affairs, Interferry

Tiina Tuurnala – CEO of the Finnish
Shipowners’ Association

More TBA

Designers’
Talking Table

Thomas P. Illes – Maritime business
consultant and university lecturer

Emelie Posniak Hansen – Architect and
Sales Manager for Interior at OSK
Design

Bruce Peter – Professor of Design
History at the Glasgow School of Art

More TBA

Interferry
update

Mike Corrigan – CEO Interferry

More TBA

Shippax
Awards

Frederik Erdmann, Alan Lam

The
world’s largest battery
installation on a RoPax got its
final approval from the class

Wasaline
has successfully completed sea trials
following a major battery upgrade on
board AURORA BOTNIA, which now
features the largest battery capacity
ever installed on a RoPax vessel in
service worldwide. The vessel’s
battery capacity has been expanded
from 2.2 MWh to 12.6 MWh.

More
complementary RoRo services for
mixed cargo within CLdN

CLdN has
announced an agreement with Samskip to
purchase its quay-to-quay and
door-to-door freight business between
the Continent and UK & Ireland.
The acquisition covers the container
shipping services currently operated
by Samskip between Rotterdam, Belfast,
Blyth, Grangemouth, Hull and Tilbury
and Cork, Dublin and Waterford.

Top
executive at P&O Ferries’
owner forced to step down

Sultan
Ahmed bin Sulayem has stepped down
from his positions as Chairman and CEO
of the multinational port operator DP
World, which owns P&O Ferries.
This follows reports linking him to
the case involving the now deceased
convicted sex offender Jeffrey
Epstein.

Pioneer
ferry offered on the second-hand
market

The
ferry AMPERE, built in 2015, is now
entering the second-hand market,
reportedly as the first fully
electric ferry ever. The Norwegian
ship broker Truls Strandheim of J
Gran & Co AS has been tasked by
the ferry operator Norled with
selling AMPERE when the vessel is
replaced by new tonnage on the
concession-based route between Lavik
and Oppedal on 1 September this
year.

Port
Marlborough and StraitNZ
Bluebridge sign long-term
partnership agreement

Port
Marlborough and StraitNZ Bluebridge
have confirmed their long-term
partnership through a new 39-year
commercial agreement that secures the
future of StraitNZ’s Cook Strait ferry
services through Waitohi Picton to
2064. The agreement provides long-term
certainty for StraitNZ’s operations in
Picton and enables further coordinated
planning for both businesses to
support freight and passenger services
across Cook Strait over the next four
decades.

Record
bookings for the third year in a
row – Stena Line attracts Danish
ski travelers to Sweden

Interest
in ski trips to Sweden continues to
grow strongly, and for the third year
in a row, Stena Line is reaching new
heights in terms of Danish guests
wanting to experience the Swedish
mountains. In 2026, Stena Line is
recording its highest booking level to
date, and demand for trips during this
year’s ski season is particularly
strong. During this year’s ski season,
demand has been particularly high and
booking levels are once again
exceeding those of the previous year.
The number of Danish bookings in
January increased by 9 percent
compared to the same period last year,
which represents a new record for the
company.

MacGregor
to supply cargo access solutions
and deck machinery for four New
Major Vessels for BC Ferries

MacGregor
has been selected to supply cargo
access solutions and deck machinery
for four New Major Vessels as part
of BC Ferries’ historic fleet
renewal plan. These next-generation,
diesel-battery hybrid, all-electric
ready vessels will be built at China
Merchants Industry (CMI) Weihai
Shipyard Co., Ltd. The order was
booked to MacGregor’s first quarter
2026 orders received.

Royal
Caribbean Group Appoints
Christopher J. Wiernicki to Board
of Directors

Royal
Caribbean Group announced the
appointment of Christopher J.
Wiernicki, former Chairman & CEO,
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), to
its Board of Directors, effective
immediately.

Wiernicki
brings more than four decades of
commercial, government and
international experience in marine and
offshore design, along with
operations, infrastructure and safety
management, ports and bunkering,
digitalization, cyber security, and
clean energy transition expertise.

Godby
Shipping orders two new RoRo
vessels at CIMC Raffles

Godby
Shipping announced the order, placed
on 11 February 2026, for two Stream
RoRo 1700 vessels, with options for
two additional units, from CIMC
Raffles shipyard in China. The vessels
will measure 125 m in length overall,
with a beam of 24 m and a trailer
capacity of 1,700 lane metres.

Construction
is scheduled to begin in June and
November 2027, with launches planned
for May and October 2028. Deliveries
are expected in September 2028 and
January 2029.

RoRo
and project cargo Asia-Río de la
Plata service launched by Grimaldi
Lines

Grimaldi
Lines launched on 17 February a new
monthly regular service between Asia
and the Río de la Plata for RoRo and
project cargo, using the port of
Montevideo as a hub for cargo bound
for Asunción, Paraguay.

The
inaugural voyage departed Taicang
(China) on 17 February, with an
estimated transit time of 37 days. The
service will offer a direct connection
to Montevideo and Zárate, with the
option of onward transit to Asunción.
The vessel assigned to launch the
service is the 7,724 CEU/5,400
lanemetre GRANDE TEXAS which later
will be joined by a second vessel on
the service.

Norwegian
Cruise Line Holdings enters into
agreement with Fincantieri for
three new cruise ships

Fincantieri
announces the acquisition of a
significant order from Norwegian
Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. for the
construction of three next-generation
cruise ships further consolidating the
long-standing relationship between the
two Groups. The value of this
agreement, subject to financing and
other typical terms and conditions, is
considered very important.

The three
vessels will be built respectively for
Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania
Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas
Cruises, each as a sister ship to the
most recent newbuilds built by
Fincantieri for their respective
brands. All units will be constructed
at Fincantieri’s Italian shipyards,
with deliveries scheduled between 2036
and 2037.

Hurtigruten
opens a new route from Copenhagen
to North Cape and Tromsø

Hurtigruten
is launching a new sailing from
Copenhagen to Tromsø via North Cape as
one of three new routes along Norway’s
coast. The new itinerary gives
Scandinavians and international
travelers the opportunity to journey
from the continent to the Arctic, with
stops in some of Norway’s most iconic
coastal towns and natural areas.

Demand
from Scandinavia is growing strongly.
The number of Danish customers has
increased by 17 percent from 2024 to
2025, while the number of Swedish
travelers has grown by 20 percent
during the same period.

New
Red Sea RoRo route introduced

The
Egyptian company Rite Agency, in
partnership with Dubai-based MarineNav
Shipping, introduced a shortsea RoRo
route in the Red Sea at the beginning
of January. The route connects Port
Tawfik (Egypt), Jebel Ali (United Arab
Emirates), Djibouti (Djibouti), and
Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and, according
to the two partners, in addition to
RoRo units is also targeting project
and heavy-lift cargo.

GNV
ATLAS employed as an accommodation
vessel in the Black Sea

GNV’s GNV
ATLAS, with 257 cabins, has been
employed as an accommodation vessel in
the Turkish Black Sea port of Filyos
from the beginning of February and for
a period of six months. The vessel
will house personnel working on the
development of Turkey’s Sakarya oil
field.

The GNV
ATLAS, built in 1990, was most
recently operated by GNV on routes
between Spain/France and Morocco.

ROMANTIKA
has returned from charter in the
Mediterranean

Algerian
Madar Maritime chose not to exercise
the six-plus-six-month charter options
on Tallink’s ROMANTIKA. As a result,
the nine-month charter period that
began on 31 May 2025 has now expired,
and on 2 February 2026 ROMANTIKA
returned toward the Baltic Sea.

Major
interior upgrades on Stena Lines
Kiel ferries

Stena
Line has during the planned overhaul
dockings at the Remontowa Repair Yard
in Gdansk in January refurbished and
modernised large parts of the public
spaces onboard STENA GERMANICA and
STENA SCANDINAVICA on the
Gothenburg–Kiel route. The renovation
includes restaurant and bar areas as
well as outdoor decks.

Stable
results for Viking Line in 2025

Viking
Line’s turnover increased by 2.8% to
EUR 112.6 million during 1 October–31
December 2025 (EUR 109.5 million for
the same period in 2024). Operating
profit was EUR 3.6 million (EUR 1.5
million). Passenger-related revenue
increased by 3.2% to EUR 99.2 million
(EUR 96.1 million), while freight
revenue was EUR 12.8 million (EUR 12.9
million) and other revenue EUR 0.6
million (EUR 0.6 million).

CLdN
will be present in Warrenpoint for
the next 55 years

A new
long-term contract between CLdN and
Warrenpoint Port secures freight
operations at Warrenpoint for the next
55 years. Under the new agreement,
CLdN will continue operating its high
frequency RoRo freight service between
Warrenpoint and Heysham, moving
approximately 125,000 freight units
and trade cars each year.

Smyril
Line’s first RoRo newbuilding has
been launched

The
first of Smyril Line’s two upcoming
RoRo newbuildings has been launched.
The ceremony took place on 12
February at the CIMC Raffles
shipyard in China, where the keel
for yard number H616 was laid back
in September 2025. H616, which will
later be named AKRANES, is expected
to be delivered in May this year,
while H617 will be delivered in
July.

Grimaldi
Group took delivery of GRANDE
MICHIGAN

On 12
February 2026 Grimaldi Group took
delivery of GRANDE MICHIGAN.
Commissioned from China Merchants
Heavy Industries Jiangsu, the
newbuilding is the eighth
ammonia-ready PCTC in the fleet of the
Italian shipping group, meaning GRANDE
MICHIGAN is designed for future
conversion to ammonia as a carbon-free
alternative fuel.