Carnival Horizon makes relief call to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, delivering thousands of hurricane aid supplies
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
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- Published: 05 November 2025 05 November 2025
Carnival Horizon made a short relief call yesterday to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and delivered thousands of supplies to support Hurricane Melissa relief efforts across the island. Items, which included bottled water, baby food and diapers, canned goods and cereal, and hygiene supplies, were delivered to Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and offloaded with the assistance of the Jamaica Tourism Cares Taskforce. Jamaican crew members aboard Carnival Horizon assisted with delivering the items.
In addition to the supply delivery on Tuesday, Carnival Corporation partnered with the Miami HEAT and the Micky & Madeleine Arison Family Foundation to donate $1 million to Direct Relief to support recovery efforts.
“Jamaica has long been a beloved destination for Carnival guests thanks in large part to the warmth of its people. We know the strength and resilience of Jamaicans will help get them through this difficult time and we look forward to making our first official visit with guests as soon as government officials say they’re ready,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We also proudly have many Jamaican crew members across our fleet and we have been providing support to them as well.”
"We are deeply grateful to Carnival Cruise Line and our wider tourism partners for this generous donation of relief supplies to Jamaica. In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, our Jamaica Tourism Cares relief coordination taskforce has been engaging stakeholders across our key source markets to mobilize exactly this kind of support. These contributions bring immediate help to families and persons in need, including tourism workers, and signal to the world that our tourism family is standing with Jamaica. They also strengthen our ability to restore lives and livelihoods and help to enable Jamaica to recover and emerge stronger and even more resilient," said Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.
Photo: Carnival team members with Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett and Jamaica Tourism Cares Taskforce Member Joy Roberts
Stena Line acquires Wasa Line
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
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- Published: 04 November 2025 04 November 2025
Stena Line strengthens its position in the Baltic Sea by acquiring NLC Ferry Ab Oy/Wasaline and taking over operations of the ferry route between Umeå in Sweden and Vaasa in Finland.
“It is with great joy and enthusiasm that we at Stena Line take on the responsibility for Wasaline and the route between two important regions and cities, Umeå and Vaasa,” says Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line.
The only existing ferry connection between Umeå and Vaasa is jointly owned by the two cities through the 50/50-owned company Kvarken Link, which in turn owns NLC Ferry which operates under the auxiliary name Wasaline. Under the agreement signed today, Stena Line will acquire NLC Ferry and take over the operation of Wasaline. The vessel Aurora Botnia, which sails the route, will continue to be owned by Kvarken Link, the company jointly owned by the two cities.
“It is strategically important to ensure that the service between Vaasa and Umeå continues and has the possibility to grow in the future. We look forward to continuing to develop our work on environmental and operational efficiency together with Stena Line. Wasaline’s staff, both onshore and onboard, will continue to deliver the same great service as today. This will be a major boost for the region, bringing significant positive synergies,” says Peter Ståhlberg, CEO of Wasaline.
Opportunities for intermodality
In July 2025, Wasaline entered into a biogas agreement with Gasum and a Fuel EU Maritime pooling agreement with Stena Line, making the Umeå–Vaasa route the first international green shipping corridor.
With this next step Stena Line further strengthens its position as one of the leaders in sustainability within the ferry industry.
“With Wasaline, we not only gain a vessel equipped with the latest environmental technology and capable of sailing CO₂-neutral on a regular basis, we also enhance our access to alternative fuels. In addition, we gain a strong intermodal transport link toward Gothenburg and Trelleborg, and onwards to the European continent,” adds Niclas Mårtensson.
“Together with the City of Vaasa, we have strengthened the connections across the Kvarken and proven that the service is profitable. This has happened during a turbulent time when infrastructure, civil defense, and preparedness have become more relevant than ever. For us in Umeå, it is important to take steps that strengthen resilience and opportunities in our part of the world,” says Hans Lindberg, Chair of the Municipal Executive Board, Umeå Municipality.
“We are very proud of how brave we were, in both the City of Vaasa and Umeå Municipality, when we decided that the ferry connection across the Kvarken was essential. The project became reality thanks to CEO Peter Ståhlberg and the entire Wasaline team. The growing number of passengers and freight volumes each year show that it was the right decision. Now, it is time to bring in a larger operator with the knowledge, expertise, and resources that the cities themselves do not possess. We are very pleased to have found a shared vision with Stena Line,” says Frans Villanen, Chair of the City Council of Vaasa.
Next steps
The acquisition is subject to approval by the respective municipal councils of Umeå and Vaasa, expected to take place in November 2025. The transaction is also conditional to customary closing conditions such as authority approvals. The closing is expected to take place in the beginning of the year 2026.
Stena Line is one of Europe’s leading ferry operators, with 20 routes across the continent. In the Baltic Sea, Stena Line currently operates ferry routes between Trelleborg–Rostock, Karlskrona–Gdynia, Ventspils–Nynäshamn, and Travemünde–Liepaja. With the addition of Umeå–Vaasa, Stena Line will have its fifth Baltic Sea route. Stena Line also operates several ports in the region.
Hurtigruten sails its first climate-neutral voyage
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
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- Published: 03 November 2025 03 November 2025
After announcing the initiative earlier in October, Hurtigruten’s MS Richard With has departed Bergen on the company’s first climate-neutral voyage. The ship set sail on October 29 and is currently charting a course along the legendary Coastal Express route to Kirkenes and back, carrying local passengers, goods, and tourists along the way.
The battery-hybrid ship will complete a 5,000-kilometre round trip using 100% advanced biofuel, reaffirming Hurtigruten’s position as a leader in sustainable travel initiatives along Norway’s coast and across the wider maritime industry.
“This marks a historic moment in Hurtigruten’s more than 130-year legacy along the Norwegian coast. Most importantly, it’s further proof that emission cuts are possible today by using sustainable biodiesel, without the need to invest billions in new ships or infrastructure,” says Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten.
The voyage runs on HVO100, an advanced biofuel delivered by energy company St1. Produced from waste and residual materials like used cooking oil and fat waste, it transforms what would once have been discarded into a valuable source of energy.
“Lifecycle analyses show that this fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% compared with fossil alternatives,” said Lea Rankinen, Managing Director of St1 Norway, Hurtigruten’s fuel supplier.
“This voyage demonstrates how circular solutions can deliver real emission reductions today. Hurtigruten is showing decisive leadership, and for us at St1, this is about using technology and resources more intelligently. We turn waste into fuel and show that the energy transition is possible now,” said Rankinen.
Over the past four years, Hurtigruten has invested around €100 million in technical upgrades, one of the most extensive environmental upgrade programs of its kind in Europe. MS Richard With is one of the vessels equipped with battery packs and new engines, significantly improving energy efficiency. Furthermore, advanced sewage treatment systems and purification units have reduced NOx emissions by more than 80%, and all ships in the fleet are now fitted with shore power connections.
“Hurtigruten believes that sustainable biofuel is the fastest and most cost-effective way to cut emissions. This is especially true for shipping, where zero-emission technology for larger vessels is still a few years away,” says Felin.
The fuel is produced from raw materials collected by St1’s British subsidiary, Brocklesby, and processed at St1’s biorefinery in Gothenburg. The entire production is ISCC-certified, ensuring compliance with sustainability requirements and full traceability at every stage.
Photo credit: Malin Askevold Helle
Rauma Shipyard waves off Spirit of Tasmania V ropax ferry designed for challenging seas
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
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- Published: 30 October 2025 30 October 2025
The Spirit of Tasmania V car and passenger ferry built at the Rauma Shipyard, and her crew, today started the voyage to Tasmania via Europe. The vessel was completed and officially delivered to the client, TT-Line Company PTY Ltd in June of this year. The two Spirit of Tasmania RoPax ferries, Spirit of Tasmania IV and Spirit of Tasmania V, were built in Rauma as the largest single export contract ever between Finland and Australia.
An historic moment was today witnessed at the Rauma Shipyard when the second Spirit of Tasmania RoPax ferry started the voyage towards her home port Devonport. The start of this voyage was a symbolic conclusion for the largest single export contract ever between Finland and Australia. Officially the vessel was delivered to the client already in June of this year.
Bob Moss, the Master of the Spirit of Tasmania V, was also at the helm of sister ship Spirit of Tasmania IV on her voyage to Tasmania earlier this year.
"Spirit of Tasmania vessels are technologically advanced in almost every respect. They are extremely powerful and nimble manoeuvrable," commented captain Bob Moss, praising the craftsmanship and dedication of the Rauma shipyard.
The car and passenger ferries built by RMC will be used on the open sea route between Geelong and Devonport in Australia, in the Bass Strait known for challenging navigation conditions for which they were specifically built. The vessels replace their sister ships built in Finland in the 1990s. The new vessels provide clearly higher passenger, vehicle, and cargo capacities than their predecessors. The employment impact of the project was more than 3,500 direct person-years.
– RMC has during the ten-year history of the company built five car and passenger ferries, the two Spirit of Tasmania RoPax vessels being the most recent ones. We specialise in building vessels demanding navigation conditions and the four multi-purpose corvettes of the ongoing Squadron 2020 project are also designed for challenging seas. There could not be better testimony to the capabilities of our personnel to successfully complete different types of total deliveries in good cooperation with demanding partners, RMC’s CEO Mika Nieminen gives praise.
In addition to the four multi-purpose corvettes currently under construction for the Finnish Navy as part of the Squadron 2020 project, RMC is making preparations for the icebreaker deliveries to the United States which are estimated to have an employment impact of thousands of person years.
"We look forward to the new projects which will give us the opportunity to leverage the significant investments we have made in the recent years as well as the continuous efforts to strengthen our competencies," Nieminen confirms.
RMC believes that when it comes to icebreaking expertise, the company is a strong alternative also in Finnish icebreaker sourcing and in fulfilling the future needs of Nato countries for government vessels. A significant future potential in terms of ropax vessels lies in the electrification of shipping and RMC has taken steps to prepare for both new build projects and modernisation of existing ships.
Main data on Spirit of Tasmania V vessel:
Length: 212 m
Beam: 31 m
Draught: 7 m
Gross tonnage: 48,000 t
Speed: 26 knots (48 km/h)
Lane metres: 3,700 m
Passengers: 1,800
Cabins: 301
Sea Cloud Cruises appoints industry icon Bill Smith as Brand Ambassador for North America
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
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- Published: 29 October 2025 29 October 2025
Sea Cloud Cruises, one of the world’s most storied names in cruise travel, has appointed William “Bill” Smith as Brand Ambassador for North America. In this newly created role, Smith will collaborate closely with Mirell Reyes, CEO of Sea Cloud Cruises North America, and Kevin Smith, Chief Sales Officer (CSO), to further elevate brand awareness and deepen engagement with the travel advisor community and past guests.
As Brand Ambassador, Smith will play a key role in enhancing Sea Cloud Cruises’ profile among luxury travelers and the travel trade, further strengthening brand visibility in the North American market. Representing the boutique cruise line on roadshows, fam and press trips, co-hosting webinars with the CSO, and establishing an Advisory Board, he will also develop loyalty and top advisor programs.
“Bill Smith’s vast experience, industry respect, and innovative spirit make him an invaluable advisor and addition to our leadership circle,” said Mirell Reyes, CEO of Sea Cloud Cruises North America. “He brings not only expertise, but also a driving passion for authentic luxury travel, which aligns with our brand. I am excited to welcome Bill to our team having him work alongside with his son, Kevin Smith, as we continue to build meaningful connections for our guests and travel advisors increasing brand awareness.”
Photo: Bill Smith, Guest Chef Laurent Tourondel and Kevin Smith
Smith’s remarkable career in the cruise industry has earned him widespread recognition, culminating in his 2016 induction into the CLIA Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement. His extensive background includes senior leadership roles with industry-leading cruise lines such as Crystal Cruises and Silversea Cruises, in addition to luxury travel consortia Virtuoso, where he was instrumental in developing sales, marketing, and trade engagement strategies that helped shape the modern luxury cruise landscape.
“As I have closely watched the growth of Sea Cloud Cruises in North America over the last two years, I was intrigued to return to the industry once again, with such respect for the boutique sailing yachts and of course its leadership team of Mirell Reyes and Kevin Smith,” said Brand Ambassador Bill Smith. ”I am honored to step into the role of Brand Ambassador as we immerse our partners in the authentic luxury lifestyle brand and unparalleled romance of sailing that truly sets Sea Cloud Cruises apart.”
Known for his strategic acumen and deep relationships within the advisor community, Smith has long been a respected voice in advancing collaboration between cruise lines and travel professionals.
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