D.Grybauskaite became the godmother of Luna ferry

On August 31, Wednesday, the name was given in Klaipėda to the new ship of the ferry operator "DFDS Seaways" - the largest passenger-cargo ferry in the Lithuanian seaport. President Dalia Grybauskaitė became the godmother of the ship sailing between Klaipėda and Karlshamn, and it was named Luna Seaways.

In keeping with long-standing maritime traditions, the ship was "christened" with wine in a solemn ceremony at Klaipėda's central terminal, and D. Grybauskaite was entrusted with the role of honorary godmother.

"We can be happy that in this windy city we are blessing a new ship of a Danish company, which will sail with two Lithuanian crews. This shows both our professionalism and trust in Lithuania and our people", said the godmother of Luna Seaways.

The President was happy that the new DFDS ship is one of the largest and most modern ferries in the Baltic Sea, which will certainly strengthen economic, cultural and tourism ties. In her words, Lithuania's cooperation with the Scandinavian countries, which is getting stronger with each ship, shows an example of how neighbors can create a new and better future for their countries.

"I christen you Luna Seaways and I wish success to everyone who will sail on you," said D. Grybauskaitė at the solemn ceremony and smashed a bottle of sparkling wine on the ferry.

For two ships sailing to Klaipėda - more than 200 million. euros

According to the president and general director of DFDS, which operates in more than 20 countries, Torben Carlsen, who came to Klaipėda, it is hard to imagine a better choice for the godmother of a modern ferry - 20 thousand. tons of iron and steel ferry is called "Iron Lady" under the patronage of D. Grybauskaitė.

"As the first female President of Lithuania and the first to be re-elected to this position, you have influenced political life for many years and are highly respected throughout the international political arena. You are a true European who laid the foundations for the first trade agreements between Lithuania and Europe. In difficult economic times, you took care of Lithuania's economic health. Believe that hard work is always more important than talent alone, and in addition to an impressive career, you also managed to acquire a black belt in karate and learn four foreign languages," said T. Carlsen to the new godmother, mentioning D. Grybauskaitė's impressive achievements.

The head of DFDS was happy that the President agreed to patronize an extraordinary ship - the 230-meter long "Luna Seaways" is the largest passenger-cargo ferry entering the port of Lithuania. Its impressive dimensions are equivalent to the length of two football fields, and the ship can transport 60 percent of it. more cargo than the ferries that served the Klaipėda-Karlshamn route until now.

DFDS has invested more than €200 million in Luna Seaways and its sister ship Aura Seaways on the same route.

"The question is probably - why spend such an amount of money on a pair of ferries?" So that we can continue to create useful and necessary infrastructure for Lithuania and all Europeans, helping to reliably and efficiently connect states, regions and people throughout Europe", said T. Carlsen, head of DFDS, at the naming ceremony for the ship.

The largest and most modern ship

The sea ferry "Luna Seaways" reached Lithuania at the end of April this year and after a week of preparatory work, it started sailing on the route between Klaipėda and the Swedish port of Karlshamn.

The ferry journey from the shipyard to Klaipėda took 47 days. In order to save fuel and protect the environment, the company made the decision to cover most of the 13,000 nautical miles using only one of the ferry's four main engines.

Luna Seaways is the newest and largest ro-pax vessel in the fleet of Europe's leading ferry and logistics company DFDS. A few months later, its older twin brother, Aura Seaways, reached Lithuania and started to "serve" the Swedish route three months earlier - at the end of January this year.

The "employment" of the new ships - one of the largest ferries in the Baltic Sea in general - on the Swedish route allowed the company to offer its customers greater capacity, more comfortable and higher-quality trips, more services and more modern spaces - this ensured an even better travel experience for DFDS customers. The new ferries better respond to the company's sustainability ambitions - 45 percent by 2030. reduce CO2 emissions.

Luna Seaways and Aura Seaways are the first ferries built by DFDS since 1982 to have a passenger ship certificate with a CO2 emission of 20% per semi-trailer. lower than the company's older ships.

Luna Seaways travelers can visit three restaurants, three bars, a shop, the little ones can enjoy a children's playroom, and many spacious public areas on board. The ferry has a separate dining and recreation area for the drivers of the tractors. Luna Seaways does not have cabin seating - all passengers travel in double or quadruple cabins.

The ship is serviced by two crews from Lithuania. Each of them has 53 members.

"Our commitments remain strong - both to the route network and to the fleet sailing under the Lithuanian flag," DFDS head T. Carlsen emphasized on Wednesday in Klaipėda. "Today, we operate ten ferries sailing under the Lithuanian flag, and we employ almost 1,000 employees."