Seatruck Ferries has decided to stop shipping any HGV drivers or any other passengers on its Irish Sea vessels. Irish Sea services will run as normal but will be restricted to the shipment of drop trailers and unaccompanied trade vehicles.
Passengers entering Tasmania will be required to quarantine for 14 days. This applies to all departures on/after midnight Friday 20 March, says TT Line.
Stena Line continues to operate ferry routes Nynäshamn-Ventspils and Travemünde-Liepaja. In order to prevent the further spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak in the country, the Latvian authorities have announced increased border controls and a temporary suspension of international passenger transportation from March 17 to April 14. Stena Line will continue to operate a freight service on the ferry routes Nynäshamn-Ventspils and Travemünde-Liepaja.
Danish and Polish authorities announced a temporary closure of their borders. Stena Line therefore has suspended all passengers traffic to these countries until further notice. (Gothenburg-Frederikshavn, Halmstad- Grenaa, Karlskrona-Gdynia)
Shipments of freight will continue at present
Oslo – Frederikshavn fully suspended until further notice.
“Due to the design of our ferries, as well as the length and nature of the crossings, Stena Line have always operated a shared cabin policy for freight drivers. As we have always done, where a driver wishes to have their own cabin we will endeavour to meet their request when there are cabins available. In the current circumstances, where a driver now requests a single occupancy cabin and there is one available, we will waiver the additional charge to the driver. If none is available and the driver still does not wish to share then they will be offered a recliner seat in our premium Hygge recliner lounge or other recliner lounge, free of any additional charge.
Drivers will still have access to the Truckers dining facilities and amenities as they currently enjoy.”
Tallink Grupp stopped selling cruise tickets (return tickets) on the Tallinn-Stockholm route from 13 March until 1 May 2020. Since 13 March 2020 customers can only buy one-way tickets on this route. Cargo transportation will also continue on this route.
Tallink Grupp suspended operations of its Tallinn-Helsinki route vessel SILJA EUROPA from 17 March 2020 due to the measures adopted by the Estonian government regarding border control.
Tallink Grupp has temporarily suspended the operation of its Helsinki-Stockholm route vessels SILJA SERENADE and SILJA SYMPHONY.
Tallink Grupp made changes to the Tallinn-Helsinki route vessels schedule: STAR departures are cancelled until further notice. MEGA STAR and SEA WIND operate as on schedule.
On 17 March, Tallink Grupp in partnership with the Estonian Foreign Office has sent ROMANTIKA to Sassnitz, Germany to bring home Estonians and Latvians currently stuck in Europe due to closed borders. Germans were able to embark in Riga to get back home.
As precautionary measure, drivers and passengers will not be allowed on board vessels operated by Transfennica for the time being.
Following indications from the Government of Spain and the competent authorities, Trasmediterranea advises not to travel, except for unavoidable reasons, from 16 March for a period of 15 days.
Since March 13, all passenger departures to and from the ports of Nador, Al Hoceima and Tangier are cancelled until further notice.
Loaded vehicle traffic (including drivers) will continue to operate normally.
Viking Line has suspended traffic with MARIELLA and GABRIELLA between Helsinki and Stockholm from March 18 to April 13. (MARELLIA made her last trip from Stockholm to Helsinki on 17 March, GABRIELLA did her last trip from Stockholm to Helsinki on 18 March.
Viking Line follows the instructions of the Finnish authorities. Finnish borders are closed.
Traffic on the Turku – Åland – Stockholm route is maintained to supply the islands.
Viking Line also has a trip on Helsinki – Tallinn six days a week.
Virtu Ferries, operators of the high-speed ferry SAINT JOHN PAUL II, have been authorized by the Maltese and Italian Authorities, to operate the vessel on the Malta-Pozzallo-Malta route as per schedule. This service can only be availed of by registered commercial vehicles and their drivers.
DFDS’ Outlook for 2020 Has Been Suspended
DFDS’ outlook for 2020 has been suspended following further restrictions on intra-European travel and general lock-down measures across Europe.
Passenger ferry services generated around 16% of DFDS’ total revenue of DKK 17bn in 2019.
The majority, 84%, of DFDS’ total revenue is thus generated by freight activities, including freight ferry services and logistics solutions.
As anticipated in the outlook for 2020, freight volumes linked to UK were for the first two months of 2020 lower than last year as volumes in Q1 2019 were boosted by UK stockpiling.
Freight ferry volumes between Europe and Turkey were above 2019 for the first two months of 2020, likewise in line with expectations.
The result for the first two months of 2020 was overall in line with expectations.
Until now freight activity has been in line with expectations but has started to decrease as manufacturing plants suspend operations and demand in general is impacted by the lock-downs. Contingency planning to mitigate effects of changes in demand and operations for both ferry and logistics activities is ongoing across DFDS’ network.
The further restrictions on intra-European travel and general lock-down measures have significantly reduced financial visibility and the outlook for 2020 is therefore suspended.
