Terra Nova Expeditions has been forced to replace a charter of the 'St. Helena', as the vessel has been unable to reposition from the Middle East Gulf in a safe and timely manner for the start of the inaugural Antarctic season. The company had intended to charter the vessel and convert it into a polar expedition cruise ship. On Aug 28, the company announced that, as the 'St. Helena' remained trapped inside the Gulf, it will now charter the expedition cruise ship 'Vestland Adventurer' from Norway’s Vestland Classic Cruises. The charter, which begins in November, was due to run for three years on a seasonal basis.
News
AKKA
The 'Akka' as the second ship in the Hibernia Line fleet, arrived in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer on June 10 at 1225 p.m., enroute from Trelleborg Following the 'Saint-Patrick', the arrival of the 'Akka' marked another major milestone before the launch of the route between Boulogne and Ringaskiddy. This dual presence symbolised the return of significant ferry activity to Boulogne-sur-Mer, with the future connection to Ringaskiddy, near Cork, Ireland. The Port of Boulogne-Calais announced in May that the service would offer six round-trip crossings per week, year-round, for passengers, vehicles, and freight. Departures from Boulogne were scheduled for the evening, with a crossing time of approximately 21 hours. The terminal in Boulogne-sur-Mer regained the prospect of regular activity, several years after the cessation of the last cross-Channel services. The 'Akka', charterer from the TT Line for three years, was scheduled to leave Boulogne on June 12. The 'Saint-Patrick' was then expected in the port of Boulogne on June 13. Report with photo: https://www.radio6.fr/article-77261-le-ferry-akka-est-arrive-a-boulogne-le-debut-d-une-belle-aventure-vers-l-irlande.html
NORDICA
The Finnish state-owned icebreaking company Arctia has secured a contract to deploy the 'Nordica' to Canada’s Arctic later in 2026, providing additional capacity for the Canadian Coast Guard, as Ottawa continued to expand its presence in the North. Under the agreement, Arctia will charter the 'Nordica' through the Qikiqtaaluk Horizon Arctic Services (QHAS), an Inuit-owned joint venture, with the Horizon Naval Engineering serving as the contractual counterpart. The vessel will support the Canadian Coast Guard with civilian operations including icebreaking, ice management, search and rescue, and environmental response. The ice breaker will not participate in any governmental, law enforcement, or defense-related missions. The vessel, supplied from Finland, was to operate independently while coordinating with the Canadian Coast Guard to provide icebreaking and navigation support throughout Canadian Arctic waters. The contract was initially for one year with extension options.
MERCANDIA IV
The 'Mercandia IV' has been lent by the Molslinjen to the Samsø Rederi, which is owned by Samsø Municipality. It will be used as a replacement ferry, that will ensure traffic between Sælvig and Hou when the 'Princess Isabella' is out of service. The ferry, which sails daily between Helsingborg and Helsingør for the Molslinjen, is expected to be used for the first time in the winter of 2028, when the 'Princess Isabella' is scheduled to be docked for maintenance.
GNV PEGASUS
Adria Ferries has announced that it has reached an agreement with GNV for the charter of the 'GNV Pegasus', which was to operate on the company's flagship Bari–Durrës route during the 2026 summer season. The agreement came as Adria Ferries moved to safeguard capacity and service reliability following the enginr room fire aboard the 'GNV Phoenix' which had previously been earmarked for charter operations during the peak summer period. Further operational details and sailing schedules for the 2026 summer season were expected to be confirmed in the coming months.

