Siem Group, Bygg nr. 93 ved Fosen Yard, RoPax "Honfleur"

In meantime there was anywhere a report that the Honfleur-crew was planned with 130 people... .
So TT is out (Nils Holgersson / Peter Pan has a crew of 66) and others also, 130 is much too much.
Baja Ferries has bought a Roro-Ship for rebuilt to a RoPax = also out.
From my list now only Irish Ferries is thinkable theoretic... .
They need still replacements for Blue Star 1 and Epsilon.
 
Litauiske Aros Marine står bak en del av interiøret til Honfleur, som også har lagt ut et par bilder fra innsiden. Skal si det ser fresht ut, og likhetene med konsepttegningene synes tydelig. (Foreslår sterkt at ett av de viste fellesområder døpes "Pink Panther Bar" eller noe lignende...).

Viser seg at Aros Marine har både Color Hybrid, en del MSC World Europa suiter, samt Disney Wish sin "Tower Suite" på porteføljen, så standarden synes å være høy.

Kilde: https://arosmarine.com/project/passenger-ship-mv-honfleur/
 

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Soon is now febr. 2023 already - and still no news about any ferry-route for Honfleur.
How long will SIEM continue this ?

It costs every day money for the polish minimum-crew onboard and the port-fee in Gdynia.
And most of the technical things, the hull etc. was built in 2018 !
Everything will be older and older every year - but not better.
The start of the nearly completed airport BER was delayed by 6 (!) years - than f.ex. all escalators was not working anymore (was never in use) and needed than to be replaced by new ones.

Some electric installations, maybe cabin-details, furnitures insides are built in 2021 - but circa 75% of the ferry is built in 2018 = 5 years ago.
So the value of Honfleur goes down every day a little bit more - similar as a new car hanging around many years in the showroom of the car-dealer. Than this car is still new - but the dealer will offer it much cheaper than the original new-price.
But when SIEM goes down with the price so much, that f.ex. Irish Ferries, DFDS, TT, Brittany or Stena will say "ok, if the Honfleur is soooooooooooooo cheap - then we will buy her" ?

Irish Ferries need 2 replacement-ferries for Blue Star 1 (return to Greece is soon now, end of may) and Epsilon (is in the timetable for this year - but i think that the new owner Euroafrica will not wait some years longer for to use this ferry on Ystad-Swinousjcie for Unity Line. DFDS could replace the chartered ferry from Gotland or one of the 80ies Newcastle-Amsterdam ferries. TT has still 3 old ferries from 1988-1993 in the fleet. Brittany could replace the Barfleur from 1992 - still remaining in the fleet also if all E-Flexers are arrived. And Stena has a lot of very old ferries from the 80ies (Europe, Nautica, Urd, Gothica, Vision, Spirit, Danica) in the fleet, so one new ferry now would be a good deal.

Would be a good time NOW for to sell (or charter out) the ferry now in jan./febr./march - so that the ferry-company can use the ship for the complete european summer-season and has still time for to sale tickets.
Or why SIEM is not starting any new own ferry-route for a couple of years ?
Just hire some cheapest (service-)crew people more, speak with the ports, building a simply booking-website etc. - and the new route could start easy in april/may/june.
There are still many long-distance attractive monopoly-routes available as f.ex. Bergen-Newcastle/Edingburgh/ Aberdeen, Oslofjord-Rostock/ Wilhelmshaven/Bremerhaven, Hanko-Rostock/Gdynia, Gdynia-swedish east-coast, Rostock-Riga, Gijon-Dublin/Portsmouth etc. .
If SIEM get than a financial "black 0" result only - it is much much better than to wait year after year and finally maybe to sell the ferry for ca. the half price only.
 
The strange thing is - that she was in dry-dock in dec. - and now in febr. again - each time for ca. 2, 3 weeks duration !
And nobody knows why... .

ACTUALLY NOW SHE IS BUNKERING FUEL IN GDYNIA !!!
So maybe she will travel to nowhere tomorrow ? Or new sea-trials with potentially buyer onboard ?
The mystic ferry without end... - nobody here is actually in Gdynia for to have a look for eventually painted brand-name on the sides ?
Or Siem is renting out here as accomodation-ship ?
 
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Refvik, you are too fast for me... :) - i just wanted post this link too... .
Seven Yield is a kind of competition to Stena RoRo. Maybe SIEM is planning only to charter out the Honfleur - and not to sell it.

A lot of new interior-pictures to see !
For a Ropax ferry comfortable with a stage / Showlounge-Bar, A la carte restaurant, different other lounges with different kind of seatings.
2 cinemas and big duty free shop area ! More comfortable and more space for the passengers than all the other Ropax-newbuildings from the last years !

Also many details about the cabins, machinery etc. .
But the crew-number of 130 is much too high ! Because of this much too high operation-costs.
Only for comparison: The TT´s newbuildings needs 66 crewmembers, the polish newbuildings under construction actually needs only 44 crewmembers ! Sure, the Pax-capacity is smaller with only 800 and 400 instead of 1670 of Honfleur - but 130 crew is much too much in these times with fast rising up salaries and wages !
The question is, how many crewpeople are minimum needed for normal full operation - but with double-jobs, f.ex. if the shop is only open 1st and last hour and between the staff from the shop has other work to do onboard. Maybe also some of the ca. 130 crew-single-cabins can be used for travellers / truck-drivers than for to sell more cabins on each departure.
 
Mhmmm - yes, Fosen is the officially direction - but the dates are nonsens and actually the Honfleur is going with 17 knots to the polish north-coast - and not direction Norway. Maybe new Sea-trials ? With new intererested charterer / buyer onboard ? Or it has something to do with warranty from the Fosen Yard ? WAS SOME HOURS TURNING 2 rounds and than BACK TO GDYNIA NOW.
 
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BALEARIA takes the HONFLEUR !
This is reported by polish media !
So the sea-trials this month was with / for Balearia... - painting of Logo etc. shall start next week already !

Unclear for which route and if bought or chartered.
My speculation:
She will replace the Visentini Marie Curie on the very long route Huelva-Tenerife.
Same Dual-fuel-LNG-technology - but the Marie Curie is much too small for this route now (+43 % more passengers), but only 120 cabins.
Many people want travel with their car or camper to the Canary Islands now.

New name for the Honfleur ? Speculation: Florence Nightingale
(Balearia like historic important ladies as f.ex. Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Eleonor Roosevelt already given to other Balearia-ferries)
 
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Yes - but on which route ?
There is the 43 years old Regina Baltica in the Balearia-fleet - maybe she could be replaced also (?).
But the route to Canarias has already the LNG-infrastructure... .
 
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