The Danish ferry company Scandlines has announced that its ferry M/F Kronprins Frederik has set sail for the last time this weekend. Their iconic ferry, which has previously sailed for the state ferry line DSB on the Great Belt, left the port of Puttgarden to embark on its last voyage. The ship arrived with a full crew at the final destination in the Port of Esbjerg on July 27, 2026.
M/F Kronprins Frederik was built in the early 1980s, when the ferry was deployed by DSB on the Great Belt between Korsør and Nyborg – where it sailed until 1997. Subsequently, and until today, the ferry sailed for Scandlines – first as a passenger and freight ferry on the Gedser-Rostock route and most recently as a freight ferry on the Rødby-Puttgarden route.
Over the years, the iconic ship has transported millions of passengers, vehicles, and trains.
The ferry’s last journey went down the ‘memory lane’ via the Great Belt under the bridge, before the ship headed around Skagen and on to the final destination in Port of Esbjerg, where she will be delivered to the Danish recycling company Smedegaarden A/S, which specializes in ship recycling and is included on the European list of approved companies for ship dismantling.
Michael Guldmann Petersen, COO of Scandlines, said that “The ferry is an elderly lady who has been on the lake for 45 years. After many years of faithful service, we sent her out on her very last journey on Saturday evening.”
