AURA SEAWAYS First new passenger ship for DFDS Seaways in 40 years makes her Baltic debut

he brand-new ferry arrived in Europe in January to become DFDS Seaways’s latest fleet member, and the first of two large ferries to serve the company’s Baltic fleet, after a long delivery voyage from China. With vehicle capacity of 4,500 lane metres and accommodation for 600 passengers, the two ships are the first purpose-designed ferries constructed for the Danish shipping and logistics giant in almost 40 years. Initially deployed between the company’s Baltic hub at Klaipeda in Lithuania and the southern Swedish port of Karlshamn, was constructed for a new but ultimately unsuccessful venture between New York and the Caribbean. Since then, DFDS as a company has changed almost beyond recognition, with transformation and expansion of their ferry route network. Over the last four decades, built passenger while numerous freight ro-ro ships have been designed and built, DFDS’ passenger ships have either been acquired second-hand or purchased ‘off the stocks’, having been originally ordered by, or designed for, other operators. The 2021 newbuild , operating on the Dover to Calais route, comes the closest to being a purpose ferry, but she was part of the prolific Stena’s E-Flexer series. The delivery of the , and her sister, the , is therefore particularly notable.