Athena Seaways - Kiel to Klaipeda

Leading ferry operator

DFDS has won two awards - the leading ferry operator in Europe and the world

DFDS, one of the largest ferry operators in Europe, has won two prestigious awards. For the eleventh year in a row, the company has won the prestigious award for the world's leading ferry operator. The company also won another award - for the leading ferry operator in Europe. DFDS has won this award for 10 years in a row.

"We are glad that in 2021, for the tenth and eleventh time in a row, we have been named Europe's Best Ferry Operator and the World's Best Ferry Operator at the World Travel Awards 2021. Our achievement is particularly appreciated in the light of the major challenges we have faced over the last two years, as well as the travel industry as a whole. These awards reflect the determination, hard work and adaptability of our teams on board and ashore, ”says Peder Gellert, DFDS A / S Executive Vice President and Head of Ferries.

"It simply came to our notice then. We have trained and adapted to work in a changed environment, we pay special attention to safety, and we make every effort to provide our customers with the maximum comfort and the best possible service in compliance with all health requirements. Most DFDS ferries in the Baltic Sea are ro-pax - designed to carry cargo and passengers. During the period when passenger flows were significantly reduced, our company continued to operate and transport cargo, which helped us to survive this difficult period. Now we can see that people are planning both personal and business trips, despite the "fun hills" of the pandemic, "says Vaidas Klumbys, DFDS Communications Manager for the Baltics.

The World Travel Awards are given to companies for exceptional and high-level achievements in the tourism and travel sectors.

This year, 9 companies operating in European and Asian waters and in international shipping channels competed for the title of the world's leading ferry operator.

"As the tourism sector begins to recover, this award testifies to the exceptional quality of our services and the work of our people. We are committed to ensuring safe and enjoyable travel and continue to make every effort to provide a great travel experience on our ferries with exceptional amenities and customer service. Thank you to all the ship and shore staff who contributed to this achievement. We will continue to exceed passenger expectations and move forward to grow for us and our customers, ”says Gellert.

DFDS operates more than 20 ferry routes across Europe (9 of which carry passengers). The company carries over 5 million passengers a year. There are currently 8 DFDS ferries operating in the Baltic Sea, serving four routes: from Klaipeda to Kiel (Germany), Karlshamn (Sweden), Copenhagen / Fredericia (Denmark) and from Paldiski (Estonia) to Kapelskar (Sweden).

DFDS Winner World Travel Awards 24

Proudly named the World’s Leading Ferry Operator

We did it! After being crowned ‘Europe’s Leading Ferry Operator 2024’ at the World Travel Awards earlier this year, we are delighted to announce we have retained our title as the World’s Leading Ferry Operator.

We were also once again recognised as having the best website in our industry – scooping both the European and World awards in 2024.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who voted, and to our passengers, colleagues and partners who contribute to our continued success – we couldn’t do it without you all.