Orders have been placed for new ferries for operation in various regions. Interestingly, three of the four vessels mentioned in this roundup are catamarans that are each capable of seating at least 300 passengers and reaching speeds of over 25 knots. South Korean operator orders fast catamaran...
Commercial Mariner – Passenger Vessels
Passenger Vessel News Roundup | December 15 – Large Finnish Ro-Pax, catamaran commuter ferries, and an LNG-fuelled cruise ship
An operator in Finland acquires a second large ferry for trips to and from Sweden while an Italian builder lays the keel for a future dual-fuel cruise ship. A UK design firm unveils a proposed commuter catamaran for North American customers. Finally, construction begins on a new inter-island ferry for the US Virgin Islands. Finnlines […]
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VESSEL REVIEW | Poseidon – Hawaii tour company adds dolphin-watching catamaran to fleet
Honolulu-based tour operator Hawaii Dolphin recently acquired a new wildlife excursion vessel built to a design by New Zealand naval architecture firm Teknicraft Design. Poseidon is a semi-displacement, aluminium catamaran vessel measuring 50 by 17 feet (15.2 by 5.1 metres) and capable of...
US rural ferry operations to receive over US$220 million in grant funding
The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has confirmed the award of grants totalling US$220.2 million from the government’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to modernise the nation’s ferry systems. The program focuses in part on expanding ferry service in rural communities, helping communities acquire modern ferry boats (including electric boats), and upgrading shore infrastructure […]
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Passenger Vessel News Roundup | November 21 – A catamaran ferry for Guadeloupe, a Spanish low-emission commuter boat design and more
Deliveries include a new cruise ship and a catamaran ferry for an operator in France’s overseas territory of Guadeloupe. A Spanish builder discloses progress on a new ferry series designed to run on low-emission alternative fuels. Finally, a French yard secures an order for two LNG-fuelled cruise ships. New fast ferry to operate in French […]
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VESSEL REVIEW | Roatan Dream – Fast catamaran for Honduran tour company
Honduran maritime tourism company Dream Ferries recently took delivery of a new catamaran ferry built by US-based Midship Marine. Roatan Dream is now servicing the busy tourist route between the mainland town of La Ceiba and the Caribbean islands of Utila and Roatan. The vessel has an LOA of 41...
VESSEL REVIEW | GSC 1 & GSC 2 – Cruise tenders built for shuttle service in the Bahamas
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has taken delivery of two new catamaran passenger tenders in a series. Stationed at NCL’s base at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, the 24.7- by eight-metre GSC 1 and GSC 2 are each capable of transporting 354 passengers in comfort and safety from the company’s cruise...
Virgin Islands Port Authority secures approval for cruise port expansion
The Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) has received approval from its Board of Governors to progress on the expansion of its cruise ports on St Croix and St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. In St Croix, the Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) and VIPA are collaborating to allow larger ships to visit...
Fatigue, complacency led to ferry strike on mooring dolphin near Seattle, NTSB report finds
Fatigue and complacency led to a passenger and car ferry striking a mooring structure, or dolphin, at a ferry terminal in Seattle, Washington, last year, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said earlier this week. The contact resulted in US$10.3 million in damages to the vessel and...
Presumed human remains included among debris found near wreckage of Titan submersible
Marine safety engineers with the US Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) recovered and transferred remaining Titan submersible debris and evidence from the North Atlantic Ocean seafloor earlier this month, the coast guard said in a press release on Tuesday, October 10. The salvage...