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The first new Mersey ferry to be built in 60 years was launched in Liverpool this week.
A bottle was broken against the hull of the £26m Royal Daffodil on Tuesday, 22 September, as part of its launch ceremony.
The ship is the latest to join the Mersey Ferries fleet, which has not begun operating a new ship in six decades.
Mersey Ferries runs cross-river journeys each weekday morning and evening for commuters between Seacombe and Liverpool. It also operates sightseeing cruises along the waterway.
Royal Daffodil was built at Wirral’s Cammell Laird shipyard, now named Balaena Birkenhead. Its exterior paintwork is finished in Mersey Ferries’ historic red, white and black colours.
Inside, passengers will find a contemporary lounge, modern bars and open-plan decks with adjustable panoramic windows and storytelling boards.
Facilities include USB charging points, baby-changing facilities, an onboard cafe and dedicated cycle parking on the main deck.
The upper deck features traditional timber beach seating for open-air sightseeing. Passengers can move between decks using two staircases and a lift.
The new vessel is expected to begin carrying passengers in early autumn, although a confirmed start date has yet to be announced.
Winners of a ballot have been selected to board Royal Daffodil on a special inaugural public cruise on Saturday ahead of the official launch.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority says the investment in Royal Daffodil forms part of a wider transformation of the region’s transport network, which includes hundreds of brand-new buses, a new £50m train fleet, new railway stations, contactless ticketing and the launch of the region’s first franchised bus services in St Helens.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Anyone from this part of the world understands the significance Mersey Ferries conjure in the minds of people – they are part of the very fabric of our skyline, our history and our identity. And thanks in no small part to Gerry Marsden, they’re a part of the soundtrack of this place too – and I wish he could have been here today.
Liverpool’s Pier Head ferry terminal was renamed after the Merseybeat singer Gerry Marsden in 2023.
“With the Royal Daffodil, we haven’t just spent £26 million on a new ferry,” Mr Rotheram continued. “We have invested in the people and the capability to build one right here on the banks of the Mersey.
“We have built something here that millions of people will see, use and enjoy for decades to come. And we have shown that when we invest in our people and our places, we can create things that make the whole region proud.”
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