Maersk's Southern Star Express Service

[Stephen Chester]

Maersk have named two of the three vessels to ply their new "Southern Star Express" service between New Zealand ports and Sydney and Melbourne. They are the "Maersk Fuji" IMO 9308584 and "Maersk Fukuoka" IMO 9308601. Both were built in 2005 and are of 9981 Gross Tonnes. They are 957 teu and 960 teu respectively.

[Stephen Chester]

The third vessel for this service is "Vega Gotland" 9678 GRT and 1100teu. She is transferring from the "MSC/Maersk Butterfly Service that was linking the South Island of NZ with Australia. This new Maersk service replaces that and covers most ports on the NZ coast. It will be interesting to see how MSC will reorganise after the departure of Maersk.

[Stephen Chester]

This service is to start with Maersk Fuji at Auckland on 15th May, followed by Vega Gotland on 3rd June and then Maersk Fukuoka on 10th June. From then it will be a weekly service.