New Mersey ferry Royal Daffodil makes first public cruise
Royal Daffodil, the first new Mersey ferry in more than 60 years, carried its first public passengers on 26 September ahead of regular service in October.
Archive
Archive
Older stories, by month.
September 2026
Portsmouth shore power runs three ships at once for the first time
Portsmouth International Port's shore power system reached peak capacity on 23 September with two Brittany Ferries ships and a cruise ship connected simultaneously.
Western Ferries names Sound of Scalpay and Sound of Sleat
Western Ferries named its two new 50-metre double-ended ferries for the Dunoon–Gourock route at Balaena Birkenhead on 23 September.
GNV names its four remaining LNG RoPax newbuilds
GNV's four 237-metre dual-fuel LNG RoPax ferries on order at Guangzhou Shipyard International will be named GNV JUPITER, MARS, MERCURY and VENUS.
Passports now required on Irish Sea ferries between Ireland and UK
From 28 September, Irish Ferries and Stena Line require valid passports (or passport cards) on their Ireland–UK routes to meet UK Border Force rules.
Unity Line's Bursztyn Unity begins sea trials ahead of November delivery
Remontowa started sea trials of the RoPax Bursztyn Unity on 28 September in the southern Baltic, after a delay from the earlier August–September schedule.
MARINA blames unsecured flammable cargo for June Aster fire
The Philippines' Maritime Industry Authority said a large amount of improperly secured flammable cargo was behind the 9 September June Aster fire; administrative charges have been filed against the master.
CLdN orders two 6,700 lane-metre RoRo ships from HD Hyundai
CLdN has ordered two dual-fuel LNG RoRo vessels of 6,700 lane metres from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for delivery in mid-2029.
Brittany Ferries charters VIZZAVONA as WEXFORD for Cherbourg–Rosslare
Brittany Ferries will rename the chartered RoPax VIZZAVONA as WEXFORD and deploy her on Cherbourg–Rosslare from March 2027, replacing NORBAY.
Measured methane data strengthens case for ship-specific emissions reporting
Verified methane slip figures for two MSC cruise ships, well below the FuelEU default, echo Brittany Ferries' call for reporting based on measured data.
Oma delivers fully electric combi-catamaran RYGERLYS to Rødne
Oma Baatbyggeri delivered the 46.3-metre electric car-and-passenger catamaran RYGERLYS to Rødne on 4 September for the Lauvik–Lysebotn route.
Molslinjen takes over Strömstad–Koster Islands ferries as Kosterlinjen
From 27 September Molslinjen operates the Strömstad–Koster Islands ferries for Västtrafik under the Kosterlinjen name, with two electric newbuilds due in early 2027.
KM Virgo Transport 8: 52 confirmed dead, 83 missing after Java Sea sinking
On day 13 of the search, Indonesia's Basarnas reported 108 survivors, 52 dead and 83 still missing from the 243 people on the manifest of KM Virgo Transport 8.
Interferry backs EU ETS revision, calls for shore power and ring-fenced revenues
Interferry welcomed the European Commission's proposed EU ETS revision but said ferry electrification depends on ports providing shore power and on all maritime ETS revenue being reinvested in the sector.
Stena Line orders two hybrid E-Flexer ferries for Gothenburg–Frederikshavn
Stena Line has ordered two hybrid E-Flexer 2.0 RoPax ferries from China Merchants Industry Weihai for delivery in 2030.
Keel laid for SPM Ferries' new Saint-Pierre–Langlade ferry JANOT
AISTER has laid the keel of JANOT, a Chartwell Marine-designed hybrid ferry with a bow ramp for beach landings, to replace Jeune France in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.
Spirit of Tasmania booking site overwhelmed as new-ship tickets go on sale
TT-Line's booking system received more than 150,000 visits in 30 minutes when added capacity on the new Spirit of Tasmania IV and V went on sale, ahead of planned sailings from 31 October.
HD KSOE to supply propulsion for Korea's first commercial electric car ferries
HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering will supply electric propulsion and 4.4 MWh batteries for two car ferries for Jeju's Seongsanhang–Udo route, due from 2027.
World's largest electric ferry China Zorrilla arrives in Uruguay
Incat's 130-metre battery-electric China Zorrilla has arrived in Uruguay aboard the heavy-lift ship Black Marlin for Buquebus's Buenos Aires–Colonia service.
Sicily's island ferry fares rise 18% again, prompting protests
Società Navigazione Siciliana has reinstated an 18% fare increase on state-contracted Sicilian minor-island routes, which local groups say takes cumulative rises since 2022 to 84%.
MV June Aster fire off Palawan kills 76
A fire that began in the cargo hold of the MV June Aster on a Manila–Coron voyage killed 76 people, with 43 survivors and 13 unaccounted for as of 14 September.
DFDS August freight flat, passenger numbers down 4.6%
DFDS carried 3.1m lane metres of freight in August 2026, unchanged on a year earlier, while passengers fell 4.6% to 934,000, mainly on the Dover Strait.
Damen unveils 450-passenger Fast Ferry 5012
Damen has launched the FF 5012, a 50-metre catamaran design derived from its FF 4212 for rougher, open-water routes, carrying up to 450 passengers.
Attica Group reports lower fleet emissions intensity for 2025
Attica Group cut the greenhouse-gas intensity of its owned fleet in 2025 and achieved fleet-wide ISO 45001 certification.
Compagnie Maritime Nantaise orders wind-assisted RoRo for space cargo
Sogestran's Compagnie Maritime Nantaise has ordered a specialised RoRo with three rigid OceanWings sails from Guangzhou Shipyard International for Europe's space industry.
CTMA seeks licence to use Cyprus-flagged SUPERSTAR II on Magdalen Islands route
Canada's CTMA has applied for a temporary coasting trade licence to run SUPERSTAR II between Cap-aux-Meules and Souris while MADELEINE II is in maintenance this winter.
Jadrolinija plans ten new ships by 2030
Croatia's Jadrolinija is preparing a €200–260m fleet renewal: seven new ferries and three fully electric passenger vessels by 2030.
ABB to deliver shore power at Lerwick for NorthLink ferries
ABB will install shore power at Holmsgarth Berth 3 in Lerwick, giving NorthLink ferries shore connections at both ends of the Aberdeen–Lerwick route.
FINNECO III makes first FINNECO-class call at Esbjerg
Finnlines' hybrid RoRo FINNECO III was scheduled to call at Port Esbjerg on 11 September, the first of three inducement calls on its Biscay–Baltic service.
Misrata–Benghazi passenger ferry service set to start
Misrata Maritime Terminal said a Misrata–Benghazi passenger ferry service using the vessel Gothica would start on Thursday 10 September.
Tallink Grupp carried 2.8% more passengers in August
Tallink Grupp carried 611,913 passengers in August 2026, up 2.8% year on year, while cargo units rose 6.2%.
CMAL appoints naValue for Oban–Craignure ferry concept design
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited has hired German consultancy naValue to help develop concept designs for new Oban–Craignure ferries, including low-emission options.
ABB to supply power and propulsion for New Zealand's new Cook Strait ferries
ABB will supply hybrid-electric power, Azipod propulsion and automation for KUPE and COOK, two rail-enabled RoPax ferries being built at Guangzhou Shipyard International for delivery in 2029.
Scottish Government to explore a single ferries body for the Clyde and Western Isles
Scotland's 2026–2031 Programme for Government commits to exploring a single organisation for the Clyde and Western Isles ferry network.
MacGregor to equip TT-Line's Green Ship 2.0 RoPax ferries
MacGregor has won contracts with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard to supply RoRo equipment for TT-Line's two battery-hybrid LNG RoPax newbuilds.
Electric ferry MISTERØY starts sea trials in Türkiye
Özata Shipyard has begun sea trials of MISTERØY, the first of three fully electric double-ended ferries for Norway's Torghatten Nord.
Wallenius SOL extends B100 biofuel use across its fleet
Wallenius SOL has switched one vessel to Advanced FAME B100 biofuel and is extending its use to its B-Class ships, creating a FuelEU Maritime compliance surplus.
Molslinjen plans 12 MWh battery storage at Samsø ferry port
Molslinjen will install a 12 MWh battery energy storage system at Ballen on Samsø to support the electric ferry TYRFING, with commissioning expected in March 2027.