Last year, the German ferry shipping group FRS, based in Flensburg, took over the Caribbean ferry operator L’Express des Îles.
Following the strategic reorientation, it has become clear that the company is a good fit: The catamaran, which is used in the liner service in the Antilles, cannot be operated economically there.
In connection with the takeover, FRS withdrew the fast ferry “Algeciras Jet” from the Spain-Morocco Line following the sale of FRS Iberia to the DFDS Group. This catamaran was then sent to Guadeloupe to join the three fast ferries already operating there.
Since July 2024, the catamaran, which can travel at speeds of up to 35 knots, has been operating as the “Ruby Express” in the West Indies liner service between Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique and St. Lucia. However, it has now emerged that the 60-metre-long and 16.5-metre-wide “Ruby Express” cannot be operated economically there, so the management is considering returning the catamaran to Europe and possibly replacing it with a smaller ferry.
FRS replaces “Ruby Express” with a smaller ship
Tim Kunstmann, Managing Director of the FRS Group, confirms this idea. “The ‘Ruby Express’ was primarily sent to the Caribbean to secure the upgrade of the existing fleet so that we can offer our customers the usual service at all times. We also want to find out whether there are economically viable deployment options for the ‘Ruby Express’ in the Caribbean after the fleet upgrade. However, this was not the case for various reasons. It was therefore decided to withdraw the ‘Ruby Express’ after the fleet upgrade and replace it with a smaller, more efficient ship that fits in better with our fleet strategy.”
However, according to Kunstmann, there is currently no concrete timetable or decision regarding the further use of the “Ruby Express” at another location. (CE)
