Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Ferries, Ro-Pax Operators and Routes glossary

The ferry and ro-pax vocabulary: the operators and their corporate lineage, the named ports and sea basins served (the Adriatic ferry routes), and the route, terminal, and ro-pax-vessel terms. Grounds each term in the ferry operator, the port, or the route it belongs to.

313 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 2).

A

A. Vassilopoulos Group: Greek shipping and logistics conglomerate historically linked to Hellenic Mediterranean Lines and Adriatic ro-pax services.
Aalborg: Northern Jutland Danish port served historically by Baltic ferry feeders and now primarily a cargo terminal.
Aarhus: Second largest Danish city and port served by Finnlines Helsinki to Aarhus freight ro-pax rotation.
Adriatic Sea: Arm of the Mediterranean between Italy and the Balkan Peninsula.
Aegean Sea: Embayment of the Mediterranean between Greece and Turkey.
Ajaccio: Capital of Corsica served by Corsica Ferries from Toulon and by La Meridionale and Corsica Linea from Marseille.
Aland Islands: Autonomous Finnish archipelago whose flag of convenience and tax status underpin Viking Line and Tallink Silja Baltic cruise-ferry operations through Mariehamn.
Alaska Marine Highway System: State-operated US ferry network running between Bellingham, Washington and Southeast and Southwest Alaska ports.
Algeciras: Spanish port at the Strait of Gibraltar hosting the busiest Mediterranean ferry corridor to Tangier Med and Ceuta.
Amorella: Viking Line ro-pax built 1988 long deployed on the Turku to Stockholm route via Mariehamn.
Anacortes: Washington State Ferries terminal serving the San Juan Islands and historically Sidney, British Columbia.
Ancona: Italian Adriatic port served by Superfast Ferries, ANEK Lines, and Minoan Lines on routes to Patras and Igoumenitsa.
ANEK Lines: Cretan ferry company founded 1967 operating Piraeus to Heraklion and Piraeus to Chania alongside Adriatic services to Italy.
Aqua Class: Common marketing term for premium cabin grades on Baltic and North Sea ferry brands.
Aratere: Interislander ro-pax serving the Cook Strait between Wellington and Picton in New Zealand.
Ariadne: Historical Aegean ferry name used by multiple Greek operators including Hellenic Mediterranean Lines.
Athens: Greek capital whose port of Piraeus is the busiest passenger port in Europe by throughput.
Athina: Hellenic Seaways conventional Aegean ferry.
Attica Group: Greek ferry holding owning Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, and Hellenic Seaways under the Marfin Investment portfolio.
Austal: Australian shipbuilder with yards at Henderson and Mobile producing aluminum ferries and Littoral Combat Ships.
Autostrada del Mare: Italian Motorways of the Sea concept subsidizing ro-pax freight on coastal routes to reduce road traffic.

B

B&I Line: British and Irish Steam Packet Company predecessor of Irish Ferries, nationalized in 1965 and privatized in 1991.
Bainbridge Island: Washington State Ferries terminal across Puget Sound from Seattle's Colman Dock.
Balearia: Spanish ferry company founded 1998 in Denia operating Balearic, Strait of Gibraltar, and Canary Islands services with LNG dual-fuel ro-pax.
Balearic Islands: Spanish archipelago including Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera served by Balearia, Trasmediterranea, and GNV.
Baltic Princess: Tallink ro-pax built 2008 deployed on Turku to Stockholm via Mariehamn.
Baltic Queen: Tallink ro-pax built 2009 deployed on Tallinn to Stockholm via Mariehamn.
Baltic Sea: Brackish marginal sea of the North Atlantic in northern Europe.
Bari: Italian Adriatic port serving Greek and Albanian ro-pax destinations including Patras, Igoumenitsa, and Durres.
Bastia: Northern Corsican port served by Corsica Ferries from Toulon, Nice, Savona, and Livorno, and by Moby Lines from Livorno and Piombino.
Bay Ferries: Canadian operator of the Saint John to Digby route across the Bay of Fundy and the seasonal CAT Yarmouth to Bar Harbor service.
BC Ferries: British Columbia Ferry Services operator of 38 vessels and 47 terminals along coastal British Columbia.
Belfast: Irish shipbuilding port; Harland and Wolff was founded there in 1861.
Bellingham: Washington port serving as the southern terminus of the Alaska Marine Highway System mainline.
Bergen: Norwegian port serving as a key call on Norwegian fjord itineraries and the Hurtigruten coastal route.
Bilbao: Basque port served by Brittany Ferries from Rosslare and Portsmouth.
Birkenhead: English shipbuilding town on the Mersey where Cammell Laird built iron vessels from the 1820s.
Blue Star Ferries: Attica Group brand operating Aegean services to the Cyclades, Dodecanese, and Crete from Piraeus.
Blue Star Naxos: Blue Star Ferries ro-pax built 2002 deployed on Cyclades routes.
Blue Star Paros: Blue Star Ferries ro-pax built 2002 deployed on Cyclades routes.
Blue Star Patmos: Blue Star Ferries ro-pax built 2012 deployed on Dodecanese routes.
Bornholm: Danish Baltic island served by Bornholmslinjen ferries from Ronne to Ystad and Koge.
Bornholmslinjen: Danish ferry brand operating Ronne to Ystad and Ronne to Koge under Molslinjen ownership.
Bremerton: Washington State Ferries terminal across Puget Sound from Seattle.
Brindisi: Italian Adriatic port serving Greek and Albanian ro-pax destinations.
Brittany Ferries: French ferry operator running the western Channel and Bay of Biscay routes.

C

Caen: French Norman port at Ouistreham served by Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth.
Cairnryan: Scottish Stranraer-area port hosting Stena Line and P&O Ferries services to Belfast and Larne.
Caledonian MacBrayne: Scottish state-owned ferry operator on the west coast and Hebrides routes.
CalMac: Common abbreviation for Caledonian MacBrayne Scottish ferry operator.
Canary Islands: Spanish Atlantic archipelago served by ro-pax from Cadiz via Trasmediterranea, Naviera Armas, and Balearia.
Cap Finistere: Brittany Ferries ro-pax built 2001 deployed on Portsmouth to Spain routes.
Catamaran: Twin-hull vessel with high transverse stability.
Centaur: P&O Ferries hybrid ro-pax of the Fusion class delivered for Dover to Calais service.
Chania: Cretan port at Souda served overnight from Piraeus by ANEK Lines.
Channel Islands: British Crown Dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey served by Condor Ferries from Poole, Portsmouth, and St Malo.
Channel Tunnel: Eurotunnel fixed rail link competing with Dover Strait ferries via Le Shuttle ro-ro train service.
Cherbourg: French port that hosted OpenHydro manufacturing and is involved in tidal and offshore renewable supply chains.
Chetzemoka: Washington State Ferries Kwa-di Tabil class ro-pax delivered 2010.
Chimacum: Washington State Ferries Olympic class ro-pax delivered 2017.
Civitavecchia: Cruise port serving Rome.
Clansman: CalMac ro-pax built 1998 serving Outer and Inner Hebrides routes.
Coastal Celebration: BC Ferries Coastal class ro-pax built 2008.
Coastal Inspiration: BC Ferries Coastal class ro-pax built 2008.
Coastal Renaissance: BC Ferries Coastal class ro-pax built 2008.
Color Fantasy: Color Line cruise-ferry built 2004 of 75,100 GT operating Oslo to Kiel with capacity for 2,750 passengers and 750 cars.
Color Hybrid: Color Line plug-in hybrid ferry built 2019 operating Sandefjord to Stromstad.
Color Line: Norwegian ferry operator between Norway and Germany or Denmark.
Color Magic: Color Line cruise-ferry built 2007 sister to Color Fantasy operating Oslo to Kiel.
Columbia: Alaska Marine Highway System flagship ro-pax built 1974 serving the Inside Passage mainline.
Condor Ferries: Channel Islands operator running fast craft and conventional ferries between the UK, Channel Islands, and St Malo.
Cook Strait: New Zealand waterway between Wellington and Picton served by Interislander and Bluebridge.
Cork: Irish southern port served seasonally by Brittany Ferries to Roscoff and Santander.
Corsica Ferries: French operator headquartered in Bastia running services between Toulon, Nice, Savona, Livorno, and Corsican and Sardinian ports.
Corsica Linea: French operator serving Marseille to Corsica and Marseille to Algeria.
Crete: Greek southern island served by ANEK Lines, Minoan Lines, and Blue Star Ferries from Piraeus to Heraklion and Chania.
Crown Seaways: DFDS cruise-ferry built 1994 deployed on Copenhagen to Oslo.
Cruise Barcelona: Grimaldi Lines ro-pax built 2008 deployed on Civitavecchia to Barcelona.
Cruise Bonaria: Grimaldi Lines ro-pax deployed on Civitavecchia to Cagliari.
Cruise Olbia: Grimaldi Lines ro-pax deployed on Tyrrhenian routes.
Cruise Roma: Grimaldi Lines ro-pax built 2008 deployed on Civitavecchia to Barcelona.
Cruise Smeralda: Grimaldi Lines ro-pax deployed on Tyrrhenian Sardinia services.
CTMA: Cooperative de Transport Maritime et Aerien operating year-round services from Souris, Prince Edward Island to the Magdalen Islands.
CTN: Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation operating Tunis to Marseille and Tunis to Genoa ro-pax services.
Cyclades: Central Aegean Greek archipelago served by Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, and Seajets from Piraeus and Rafina.

D

Denia: Spanish Mediterranean port and Balearia's home base serving Ibiza and Palma.
DFDS: Danish ferry and ro-ro operator across the North Sea, Channel, and Baltic.
DFDS Logistics: Freight and logistics arm of DFDS providing door-to-door trailer and intermodal services.
DFDS Seaways: Passenger brand of DFDS covering Copenhagen to Oslo, Newcastle to IJmuiden, and Channel routes.
Dieppe: French Norman port hosting DFDS Seaways via Transmanche Ferries to Newhaven.
Dodecanese: Southeastern Aegean Greek island group served by Blue Star Ferries from Piraeus.
Dover: English Channel port hosting P&O Ferries, DFDS, and Irish Ferries cross-Channel services to Calais and Dunkirk.
Dublin: Irish capital port served by Stena Line, Irish Ferries, and P&O Ferries to Holyhead and Liverpool.
Dublin Swift: Irish Ferries high-speed craft operating Dublin to Holyhead in summer season.
Dunkirk: French port hosting DFDS Seaways services to Dover.

E

E-Flexer: Stena RoRo standardized ro-pax design built at China Merchants Jinling Weihai, deployed by Stena Line, Brittany Ferries, DFDS, and Attica Group.
ECA: Emission Control Area for SOx, NOx, or PM under MARPOL Annex VI.
Edmonds: Washington State Ferries terminal serving Kingston across Puget Sound.
Eleanor Roosevelt: Balearia LNG dual-fuel high-speed catamaran ro-pax delivered 2020 operating Balearic routes.
Eurotunnel Le Shuttle: Drive-on rail shuttle service through the Channel Tunnel competing with Dover Strait ferries.

F

Faroe Islands: North Atlantic archipelago and self-governing nation within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Felicity Ace: Car carrier that caught fire and sank south of the Azores in March 2022 with approximately 4,000 vehicles aboard.
Finncanopus: Finnlines Superstar class ro-pax delivered 2024 for Helsinki to Travemunde.
Finneco I: Finnlines hybrid ro-ro built 2022 of the Eco class.
Finneco II: Finnlines hybrid ro-ro built 2022 of the Eco class.
Finneco III: Finnlines hybrid ro-ro built 2023 of the Eco class.
Finnlines: Finnish ferry operator owned by Italy's Grimaldi Group operating Baltic ro-pax and ro-ro routes from Helsinki, Naantali, Vuosaari, and Kapellskar.
Finnstar: Finnlines Star class ro-pax built 2006 deployed on Helsinki to Travemunde.
Finnswan: Finnlines Star class ro-pax deployed on Naantali to Kapellskar.
Frederikshavn: Danish port hosting Modern American Recycling Services Europe and other dismantling facilities.
FRS: Forde Reederei Seetouristik German operator with Iberia and Caribbean subsidiaries running Strait of Gibraltar and other niche routes.
FRS Iberia: Spanish FRS subsidiary operating Algeciras to Tangier Med, Algeciras to Ceuta, and Tarifa to Tangier Ville.

G

Gabriella: Viking Line ro-pax built 1992 deployed on Helsinki to Stockholm via Mariehamn.
Galaxy: Tallink ro-pax built 2006 deployed on Baltic routes.
Galicia: Brittany Ferries E-Flexer class ro-pax delivered 2020 deployed on Portsmouth to Bilbao and Santander.
Gdansk: Polish Baltic port served by Stena Line from Nynashamn and Karlskrona.
Gdynia: Polish Baltic port served by Stena Line from Karlskrona and Nynashamn.
Genoa: Overlapping headsail used on Bermudian-rigged yachts.
GNV: Grandi Navi Veloci Italian ferry company within MSC Group operating Genoa, Civitavecchia, and Palermo to Mediterranean destinations.
Goteborg: Swedish west coast port and Stena Line headquarters with services to Kiel and Frederikshavn.
Grimaldi Group: Naples-based shipping conglomerate owning Grimaldi Lines, Minoan Lines, Finnlines, Atlantic Container Line, and Malta Motorways of the Sea.
Grimaldi Lines: Mediterranean passenger and freight brand of the Grimaldi Group serving Italy, Spain, Greece, Tunisia, and Morocco.
Guernsey: Channel Island served by Condor Ferries from Poole, Portsmouth, Jersey, and St Malo.

H

Halifax: Nova Scotian port served historically by Bay Ferries CAT to Portland and Yarmouth.
Havila Capella: Havila Voyages Hurtigruten coastal route ro-pax delivered 2022 with LNG and battery propulsion.
Havila Castor: Havila Voyages coastal route ro-pax delivered 2022.
Havila Polaris: Havila Voyages coastal route ro-pax delivered 2023.
Havila Pollux: Havila Voyages coastal route ro-pax delivered 2023.
Havila Voyages: Norwegian operator competing with Hurtigruten on the Bergen to Kirkenes coastal route since 2021.
Hellenic Mediterranean Lines: Historical Greek Adriatic operator now defunct.
Hellenic Seaways: Attica Group brand operating Aegean conventional and fast craft services from Piraeus and Rafina.
Helsinki: Finnish cruise port on the Baltic Sea.
Heraklion: Cretan main port served from Piraeus by ANEK Lines and Minoan Lines.
High Speed Craft: Vessels regulated under the HSC Code, with restrictions on dangerous goods carriage.
Hirtshals: Danish North Jutland port served by Color Line, Fjord Line, and Smyril Line.
Hoek van Holland: Dutch port near Rotterdam hosting Stena Line services to Harwich.
Holyhead: Welsh Anglesey port hosting Stena Line and Irish Ferries services to Dublin.
Honfleur: Brittany Ferries LNG dual-fuel ro-pax originally contracted as Honfleur for Portsmouth to Caen.
Hovertravel: Solent hovercraft operator running Ryde to Southsea services to the Isle of Wight.
HSC: Harmonized System Convention.
Hull: Watertight envelope of the ship, fabricated as blocks and assembled in the building dock.
Hurtigruten: Norwegian coastal and expedition cruise operator.
Hypatia de Alejandria: Balearia LNG dual-fuel ro-pax deployed on Balearic routes.

I

Igoumenitsa: Greek Epirus port hosting Adriatic ro-pax services to Italian ports.
IJmuiden: Dutch port at the entrance to the North Sea Canal, base for several Dutch towage operators including Iskes.
Incat: Australian shipbuilder of wave-piercing aluminum catamaran fast ferries.
Inside Passage: Sheltered British Columbia and Southeast Alaska waterway followed by BC Ferries and Alaska Marine Highway System.
Interislander: KiwiRail Cook Strait ferry brand operating between Wellington and Picton.
Inverness: Scottish Highland city associated with NorthLink Ferries head office for Orkney and Shetland services.
Irish Ferries: ICG-owned operator on the Irish Sea and France routes.
Irish Sea: Body of water between Britain and Ireland hosting Stena Line, Irish Ferries, and P&O Ferries.
Isabelle: Tallink ro-pax deployed on Riga to Stockholm.
Isle of Innisfree: Irish Ferries ro-pax in service on Dover to Calais.
Isle of Lewis: CalMac ro-pax built 1995 deployed on Hebridean services.
Isle of Wight: Site of the 1851 race that originated the America's Cup, off the south coast of England.
Italica: Tirrenia historical ferry name reused across the group's fleet.

J

Jersey: Channel Island served by Condor Ferries from Poole, Portsmouth, and St Malo.
Jumbo Mark II: Washington State Ferries class comprising Wenatchee, Tacoma, and Puyallup carrying 2,500 passengers and 202 vehicles each.

K

Kapellskar: Swedish Stockholm-area port hosting DFDS, Finnlines, and Tallink services to Estonia and Finland.
Karlshamn: Swedish Baltic port hosting DFDS Seaways services to Klaipeda.
Karlskrona: Swedish royal naval base founded in 1680 on the Baltic and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kennicott: Alaska Marine Highway System ro-pax built 1998 with helicopter pad and cross-gulf capability.
Kiel: German Baltic cruise port.
King Seaways: DFDS cruise-ferry built 1987 deployed on Newcastle to IJmuiden.
Kingston: Washington State Ferries terminal across Puget Sound from Edmonds.
Kirkenes: Norwegian Finnmark port and northern turnaround of the Hurtigruten and Havila coastal routes.
Klaipeda: Lithuanian port hosting EU-listed ship recycling facilities including Vakaru Baltijos Laivu Statykla.
Kong Harald: Hurtigruten ro-pax built 1993 deployed on the Bergen to Kirkenes coastal route.

L

Lane meter: Standard ro-pax and ro-ro freight capacity unit equal to one meter of two-meter-wide deck lane.
Langnas: Aland port used by Viking Line for Turku to Stockholm calls.
Larne: Northern Irish port hosting P&O Ferries services to Cairnryan.
Larvik: Norwegian Vestfold port hosting Color Line SuperSpeed services to Hirtshals.
Le Havre: French port that has been the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre since 1993.
Le Shuttle: Eurotunnel drive-on rail shuttle through the Channel Tunnel.
Liberte: P&O Ferries hybrid ro-pax of the Fusion class delivered for Dover to Calais.
Liinasaarenkari: Finnish Helsinki ferry terminal area associated with Eckero Line.
Livorno: Italian Tuscan port hosting Moby Lines, Corsica Ferries, and Grimaldi Lines services to Corsica and Sardinia.
LNG: Liquefied natural gas; ~-162 C, near atmospheric pressure.
Lofoten: Hurtigruten ro-pax built 1964 long deployed on the Norwegian Coastal Express and listed as a Norwegian Heritage Vessel.

M

Magdalen Islands: Quebec archipelago in the Gulf of St Lawrence served by CTMA from Prince Edward Island.
Marie Curie: Balearia LNG dual-fuel ro-pax deployed on Mediterranean routes.
Mariehamn: Aland capital used as a Baltic tax-call port by Viking Line and Tallink Silja sailings between Sweden and Finland or Estonia.
Mariella: Viking Line ro-pax built 1985 long deployed on Helsinki to Stockholm via Mariehamn.
Marine Atlantic: Canadian Crown corporation operating ferries between North Sydney, Nova Scotia and Port aux Basques and Argentia, Newfoundland.
Marseille: French Mediterranean cruise port and base for Costa and MSC operations.
Matanuska: Alaska Marine Highway System ro-pax built 1963.
Mediterranean Sea: Marginal sea between Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Mega Express: Corsica Ferries fast monohull and catamaran class deployed on Toulon and Nice to Corsica.
Megastar: Tallink LNG dual-fuel ro-pax built 2017 operating Tallinn to Helsinki in just over two hours.
Minoan Lines: Cretan ferry company owned by Grimaldi Group operating Piraeus to Heraklion and Adriatic services.
Moby Lines: Italian ferry company operating Tyrrhenian routes from Genoa, Livorno, Piombino, and Naples to Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily.
Molslinjen: Danish ferry operator running Jutland to Zealand fast craft and the Bornholmslinjen brand.
Motorways of the Sea: European Union policy framework supporting short-sea ro-ro and ro-pax routes.
Mukilteo: Washington State Ferries terminal serving Clinton on Whidbey Island.
MyStar: Tallink LNG dual-fuel ro-pax built 2022 sister to Megastar on Tallinn to Helsinki.

N

Naantali: Finnish Turku-area port hosting Finnlines services to Kapellskar and Langnas.
Naples: Italian cruise port serving the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast.
Naviera Armas: Spanish Canary Islands ferry company headquartered in Las Palmas operating intra-archipelago and Cadiz services.
Newcastle: English Tyne port hosting DFDS Seaways services to IJmuiden.
Newhaven: English Sussex port hosting DFDS Seaways services to Dieppe via Transmanche Ferries.
Nordlys: Hurtigruten ro-pax built 1994 deployed on the Bergen to Kirkenes coastal route.
Nordnorge: Hurtigruten ro-pax built 1997 deployed on the Bergen to Kirkenes coastal route.
Norrona: Smyril Line ro-pax built 2003 deployed on Hirtshals to Torshavn to Seydisfjordur.
NorthLink Ferries: Operator of Scottish mainland to Orkney and Shetland services from Aberdeen and Scrabster.

O

Olbia: Sardinian northeastern port hosting Moby Lines, Tirrenia, Grimaldi Lines, and Corsica Ferries services.
Olympic class: Washington State Ferries class comprising Tokitae, Samish, Chimacum, and Suquamish.
Orkney: Scottish archipelago served by NorthLink Ferries and Pentland Ferries.
Oscar Wilde: Irish Ferries ro-pax name historically deployed on Rosslare to Cherbourg.
Oslo: Norwegian capital port hosting DFDS, Color Line, and Stena Line services to Copenhagen, Kiel, and Frederikshavn.

P

P&O Ferries: UK ferry operator on the Dover-Calais and North Sea routes.
Palermo: Fincantieri shipyard in Sicily, repair and conversion oriented.
Palma: Mallorcan port hosting Balearia, Trasmediterranea, and GNV services to Barcelona, Valencia, and Denia.
Patras: Greek Peloponnesian port hosting Adriatic ro-pax services to Italian ports.
Pearl Seaways: DFDS cruise-ferry built 1989 sister to Crown Seaways on Copenhagen to Oslo.
Pentland Ferries: Private Scottish operator running Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope with the catamaran Alfred.
Piombino: Italian Tuscan port hosting Moby Lines and Toremar services to Elba, Corsica, and Sardinia.
Pioneer: P&O Ferries hybrid ro-pax of the Fusion class built at Guangzhou Shipyard delivered for Dover to Calais.
Piraeus: Greek port serving Athens, major eastern Mediterranean cruise hub.
Polarlys: Hurtigruten ro-pax built 1996 deployed on the Bergen to Kirkenes coastal route.
Pont-Aven: Brittany Ferries flagship cruise-ferry built 2004 deployed on Plymouth to Roscoff and Portsmouth to Spain.
Poole: Dorset town and home of Sunseeker International.
Portsmouth: English Hampshire port hosting Brittany Ferries, DFDS, and Condor Ferries to France, Spain, and the Channel Islands.
Pride of Britain: Historical P&O Ferries Dover Strait ro-pax name.
Pride of Burgundy: P&O Ferries Dover Strait ro-pax built 1992.
Pride of Canterbury: P&O Ferries Dover Strait ro-pax built 1991.
Pride of Hull: P&O Ferries North Sea cruise-ferry built 2001 deployed on Hull to Rotterdam.
Pride of Kent: P&O Ferries Dover Strait ro-pax built 1992.
Pride of Rotterdam: P&O Ferries North Sea cruise-ferry built 2001 sister to Pride of Hull.
Princess Seaways: DFDS cruise-ferry built 1986 sister to King Seaways on Newcastle to IJmuiden.
Pure Car Carrier: Vehicle-only specialized ro-ro vessel distinct from passenger-carrying ro-pax.
Puyallup: Washington State Ferries Jumbo Mark II class ro-pax built 1999.

R

Rafina: Greek Attic port east of Athens hosting Cyclades fast craft services.
Red Funnel: Solent ferry operator running Southampton to East Cowes vehicle and Southampton to West Cowes Red Jet passenger services.
Reggio Calabria: Italian Strait of Messina port hosting Bluferries and Caronte and Tourist services.
Richard With: Hurtigruten ro-pax built 1993 named after the Coastal Express founder.
Ro-pax: roll-on/roll-off passenger ferry.
Roscoff: French port supporting O&M activities for wind farms off the coast of Brittany.
Rosslare: Irish Wexford port hosting Stena Line, Irish Ferries, and Brittany Ferries to Pembroke, Cherbourg, Fishguard, and Bilbao.
Rostock: German Baltic port hosting Stena Line, TT-Line, Scandlines, and Finnlines services.
Rotterdam: Major Dutch port historically central to European trade.
Ryde: Isle of Wight port hosting Hovertravel and Wightlink fast catamaran services.

S

Salamanca: Brittany Ferries LNG dual-fuel E-Flexer class ro-pax delivered 2022 deployed on Portsmouth to Bilbao.
Samish: Washington State Ferries Olympic class ro-pax delivered 2015.
San Juan Islands: Washington State archipelago served by Washington State Ferries from Anacortes.
Sandefjord: Norwegian Vestfold port hosting Color Line Hybrid service to Stromstad.
Santander: Spanish Cantabrian port hosting Brittany Ferries services to Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Cork.
Santona: Brittany Ferries LNG dual-fuel ro-pax of the Galicia and Salamanca E-Flexer family.
Sardinia: Italian island whose northeast coast (Costa Smeralda) is a Mediterranean superyacht hub.
Scandlines: Danish-German short-sea ferry operator running Puttgarden to Rodby and Rostock to Gedser hybrid ferries.
Scrubber: Exhaust gas cleaning system used as an equivalent under MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 4.