Celine Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

On April 23, 2018, Dublin Port witnessed a historic event as the MV Celine, touted as the largest short sea Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel in the world, was named in a grand ceremony. The event featured the presence of An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar TD, who served as the distinguished guest of honor, along with Geraldine O’Reilly, the ship's godmother, and local port chaplains. This age-old tradition of ship christening was celebrated by breaking a champagne bottle against the vessel's hull, symbolizing hope and prosperity for its journey ahead. Enhancing the day's festivities, a new piece of Irish music was commissioned by Dublin Port and showcased talented performers John Sheahan of The Dubliners and Colm Mac Con Iomaire from The Frames. Their musical tribute accompanied the naming ceremony, attended by representatives from the ship's owner, the Luxembourg-based shipping company CLdN, as well as key figures from the broader European maritime community.

In a significant milestone for maritime transport, CLdN's Celine, the globe's largest short sea roll-on/roll-off freight ship, made its inaugural visit to the Thames this week, as confirmed by a release from the Port of London Authority. The Celine is the first of eight new vessels being integrated into CLdN's expanding fleet, having recently arrived in Europe from Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. This state-of-the-art ship will be deployed on a weekly sailing schedule that includes stops at Purfleet on the Thames, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, and Dublin. CLdN has hailed this fleet addition as a 'game-changing' investment, featuring an impressive cargo capacity of 8,000 lane metres. The innovative design of the Celine allows for a versatile deck configuration, accommodating a diverse range of cargo types, including trailers, containers, heavy equipment, cars, vans, and trucks. To support the introduction of these larger vessels, CLdN's C.Ro Ports division is concurrently enhancing its terminal capabilities, with plans for expansion at their Purfleet base along the Thames.

On October 26, 2017, the port of Rotterdam welcomed the MV Celine, officially marking its inaugural call. The impressive vessel, recognized as the largest Short Sea Ro/Ro ship globally, arrived from Ulsan, South Korea, where it was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries. The MV Celine docked at C.RO Ports’ facility located in Brittanniëhaven (port number 5230). This new addition to the fleet is set to operate on a weekly schedule along a carefully planned route that connects Rotterdam to Bruges-Zeebrugge, Dublin, and London before returning to its starting point in Rotterdam. The MV Celine is operated by CLdN (Compagnie Luxembourgeoise d’Navigation), a long-standing name in ro/ro services in North-West Europe, previously known as Cobelfret. This development is poised to enhance the efficiency and capability of short sea shipping in the region.