The new Lisco Maxima, the biggest ferry to sail under the flag of Lithuania, was given an official welcome May 12 to mark her first call in Kiel’s Ostuferhafen. The ship will from now on be employed in the regular liner shipping service between Kiel and Klaipeda. She replaced the older, somewhat smaller, Lisco Optima on the same route. Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the Port of Kiel (Seehafen Kiel GmbH & Co KG), welcomed the vessel on behalf of the port and handed over the traditional first-call commemoration plaque to her captain.
With six departures a week, Kiel-Klaipeda is currently the most important ferry service between Germany and the Baltic states.
The Lisco Maxima was built in Italy and is of 25,760 gross tons. She is 656 ft long, 87.3 ft wide and has a service speed of 23.5 knots. The sailing time to Klaipeda is 21 hours. Along with a freight capacity of 2,500 lane metres for trucks and trailers, the newbuilding also boasts a very high passenger capacity, particularly when compared with her predecessor. Instead of the 325 passengers previously carried, up to 600 can now be accommodated.
To cope with the rising passenger demand on the route, the port has converted handling facilities in the terminal building in the Ostuferhafen in time for the inauguration of the Lisco Maxima service. Among other things, the terminal waiting area has been considerably expanded again.