New company plans large newbuilding to reopen Bergen- Stavanger – Newcastle ferry service

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 07 July 2022 07 July 2022

 

 

A company based in Norway’s second city plans to build a large cruise ferry with high quality passenger facilities that would reopen a service between Bergen and Stavanger in Norway and Newcastle on the UK east coast.

Called Bergen Cruise Line (BCL), it expects to have the ship in service in 2026. 

“The BCL concept is a large cruise ferry of 210 x 31 meters with the capacity of 2 380 passengers and 200 crew combined with a large car deck and cargo capacity. A concept designed for maximum capacity utilization in high and low seasons combined with extensive onboard cruise offerings and revenues,” the company says on its website.

"This leading edge cruise ferry concept is being developed by a highly experienced team with expertise in all aspects of designing and operating this type of ship. The team also has in-depth knowledge and experience with the planned UK - Norway route and market. The ship will be built at a highly competitive cost level by a leading shipyard. The BCL team is co-operating with Fosen Yards and other premium suppliers ensuring solutions and quality adapted to the European market," BCL continued.

Large battery pack to drive down emissions

Automatic control of all-electric motors would save more than 50% energy compared to the last vessel operating the same route, the company said, referringto a mid-1980s built DFDS vessels of just under 34,000 gross tons that was 161 metres in length. The service closed some 15 years ago.

The main power system of the ship would be fueled by LNG and future fuel-cell technology. A 13,500 kWh battery power means that the ship is going emission-free into Norwegian fjords. This would exceed the 11,500 kWh capacity of the battery packs, currently the largest ordered,  to be installed on two E-Flexer type ropax vessels that Stena RoRo is building and which Brittany Ferries will operate on bare boat charter. In port, the vessel would be maneuvered entirely on battery power, delivering zero emissions, BCL said.

“The investment estimates are a total of 2 230 MNOK (ship building cost 2 100 MNOK) with 635 MNOK share equity and aiming to exceed 15% ROI (return on investment),” it continued.

The ship would make three return crossings in each direction during the peak season and two in the off season, BCL said.

Photo: cgi exterior of the projected vessel, captured from a video on company website

Britain forces companies to pay UK minimum wage to ferry crews

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 07 July 2022 07 July 2022

The UK government has introduced new legislation to make sure seafarers get paid at least equivalent to the UK National Minimum Wage of £9.50 per hour, the government said in a statement.

“Vessels and services that call on UK ports at least every 72 hours on average, or more than 120 times a year, will fall under these new pay requirements and the ports, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Department for Transport will all have a role in ensuring compliance,” the government said.

It is interesting to note that the legislation applies to all vessels that fall under the criteria, irrespective what flag they fly. In practice, it will affect mostly passenger and freight ferries. Reference to "vessels and services" implies that a company that serves the UK at a high frequency cannot avoid paying the UK minimum wage by e.g. by rotating ships on services to various countries.

Vessels that break law can be denied access to port

The government said The Seafarers’ Wages Bill that was introduced in the House of Lords on 6 July  enables port authorities to deny access to services calling regularly at UK ports who do not pay their workers equivalent rate to the UK National Minimum Wage (NMWe) for time spent in UK waters.

The topic become of urgency in the spring, when DP World owned ferry company P&O Ferries dismissed 800 seafarers and replaced them by cheaper crews. Maritime Minister Robert Courts said: “Britain’s rich maritime history and exciting future is thanks to the extraordinary men and women who work at sea.Fair pay for seafarers is a must and the new laws we’ve introduced in Parliament today send a clear signal to operators that the UK will not let seafarers be priced out of their jobs by rogue bosses."

"Following P&O Ferries’ shameful conduct, the government launched the consultation on the Seafarers’ Wages Bill in May 2022. The response, published alongside the introduction of the bill today, shows that the overwhelming majority of respondents agreed that pay protection must remain at the forefront of the sector’s objectives,” he said

Explora Journeys adds two newbuildings; to use LNG, hydrogen on ships three to six

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 06 July 2022 06 July 2022

Explora Journeys, the luxury segment unit in the cruise division of Geneva based MSC group, said it has increased the number of newbuildings by two to six and that its third to sixth newbuildings would use LNG and that they would have a 6MW hydrogen fuel cell.

The fuel cell would allow the ships to generate power emission free for the hotel load when in port.

Explora III and Explora IV will be 19 metres longer than the  first two 243 metre, 64,000 gross ton ships the line has on order at Fincantieri. The extra length is needed to accommodate the systems needed for the LNG and hydrogen fuels that were not included in the design when they were ordered

Explora V and Explora VI that the company has decided to add to its order book with Fincantieri, will feature new type of LNG engines that will tackle the issue of methane slip, Explora Journeys said in a statement.

A firm order for the ships five and six is subject to financing, it added.

Photo: Explora I

 

Marella Cruises returns to Asia 2023/24

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 06 July 2022 06 July 2022

Marella Cruises, the UK focused line that is part of TUI AG group, will return to Asia in the winter of 2023/24, Travel Weekly reports.

Marella Discovery 2 will operate a series of four 15 night cruises from Singapore and positioning voyages to and from the Mediterranean via South East Asian ports.

The company used Marella Discovery in Asia for a few winters before the pandemic, but this is the first time the line returns to the region since then.

Photo: Marella Discovery, sister ship of Marella Discovery 2, in Dubai in 2018.