Arriving in the Antilles in July 2024, the 'Ruby Express' was to carry out maritime transport between Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique and Saint Lucia, but management has found that operating the ferry is too expensive. It will be repatriated to Europe and possibly replaced by a smaller vessel. On Feb 1, 2025,, Onick Deravel, CEO of FRS Express des Iles, confirmed that the flagship of the fleet costs 20% more to operate than initial estimates and does not correspond to the competitiveness policy for customers. The vessel is 60 meters long and 16.5 meters wide and therefore difficult to maneuver in the ports served by the company, which extends the operating time. Because of its dimensions, only Martinique can accommodate the ship in the event of a breakdown. To clean the hull, it must be anchored in the bay of Saint-Louis in Guadeloupe. FRS Express des Iles has still not recouped the significant costs of putting the 'Ruby Express' into circulation. There was the transatlantic trip from FRS headquarters in Germany, fuel, maintenance and staff training. The operation of the 'Ruby Express' has allowed FRS Express des îles to refurbish the three other ferries already in circulation, the 'Gold Express,' 'Perle Express' and 'Corail Express'. The work will be completed in June 2025. Due to the high prices for purchasing new ships, the fleet will not be renewed in the immediate future. In a few months, the 'Ruby Express' will return to FRS's headquarters in Germany.
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STENA VINGA
Stena Line has been awarded a charter for the 'Stena Vinga' from March 2025 and the end of the year. The vessel will enter a contracted service in England for DFDS between Portsmouth and Jersey from March 28, and operate evening departures from Jersey and morning departures from Portsmouth and make five rotations per week during the high season.At the beginning of December it was clear that DFDS had won a tender for the service for the next 15 years, which means the end of Condor Ferries' 60-year history of service to the island. DFDS will operate the service with three vessels, one ro-ro vessel and two high-speed vessels. DFDS also plans to invest in three new vessels over the next six years. However, the 'Stena Vinga' will occasionally make a comeback in Stena Line's network and replace other ships, that are scheduled for maintenance. In return, DFDS will provide replacement ships during the periods when the 'Stena Vinga' is not operating the route. The 'Stena Vinga' has a regular position on the route between Gothenburg and Fredrikshamn, but has acted as a substitute within the shipping company's line network since the shipping company began traffic with the ship in 2018.
ENERGOS POWER
The company Deutsche Regas is shutting down the charter contract with the federal government for the 'Energos Power', one of the two LNG ships at the "Deutsche Ostsee" liquefied gas terminal in Mukran on Rügen: The ship belongs to the "Deutsche Ostsee" energy terminal. The reason was cited as being "the ruinous pricing policy" of Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH (DET). DET is 100 % owned by the federal government. It operates four LNG ships in Wilhelmshaven, Brunsbüttel and Stade. The "Deutsche Ostsee" terminal in Mukran consists of the two ships "Neptune" and "Energos Power" and is operated by Deutsche Regas. Deutsche Regas did not charter the "Neptune" from the federal government, but from the energy supplier Total. The federal government procured the "Energos Power" at short notice during the gas supply crisis in 2022 and won Deutsche Regas as the operator. Industry circles said at the time that the company would pay a total of 500 million euros in charter to the federal government until 2032.
BARLOVENTO EXPRESS
The Directorate General of the Spanish Merchant Navy has authorized the change of name of the “Vittorio M” to “Barlovento Express”, and it is thus registered in the naval registry of Santa Cruz de Tenerife —which is its original registry, since its debut as “Milenium Dos”— in the new stage of this ship, chartered on a long-term basis by Fred. Olsen Express to the Italian company Liberty Lines. The ship is berthed at the Astican Yard since Dec 2, 2024, where it arrived from Algeciras painted with the corporate image of Trasmediterránea and where it is undergoing various works to adapt it to the standards of Fred. Olsen Express, as well as the replacement of the stern ramp.
AKKA
The TT-Line have chartered the 'Akka' to the Attica group as a temporary relief vessel on the Ancona-Patras run. The ropax vessel is the former 'Nils Holgersson', built in 2001 by the SSW in Bremerhaven. When the name was taken over by a much larger newbuilding in 2022, the ferrys continued service for the TT-Line as 'Akka' on the routes in the Baltic. It is the name of a wild goose in the famous Swedish fairy tale "The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgersson'. The ship left Travemünde on Jan 27, 2025, and transited the Kiel Canal on Jan 28 en route to Algeciras with an ETA as of Feb 1.