Liverpool has a new ferry. The Royal Daffodil, a £26m vessel and the first brand-new ship to join the Mersey Ferries fleet in six decades, was launched this week when a bottle was broken against its hull at the yard where it was built — Cammell Laird in Birkenhead on the Wirral, now trading as Balaena Birkenhead.
The ferry is dressed in the operator's classic red, white and black livery, but the interior is thoroughly modern: a contemporary lounge, bars, an onboard cafe, USB charging, baby-changing facilities and even dedicated cycle parking on the main deck. Sightseers get open-plan decks with adjustable panoramic windows, storytelling boards, and traditional timber beach-style seating up top for open-air views of the river. Two staircases and a lift connect the decks.
Mersey Ferries isn't just a tourist attraction — it still runs cross-river commuter sailings between Seacombe and Liverpool every weekday morning and evening, alongside its sightseeing cruises. The Royal Daffodil is expected to start carrying passengers in early autumn, though an exact date hasn't been confirmed yet. A public ballot already decided who gets a spot on a special inaugural cruise ahead of the official launch.
The investment is part of a much bigger transport overhaul across the Liverpool City Region: hundreds of new buses, a £50m train fleet, new railway stations, contactless ticketing and the region's first franchised bus services, which launched in St Helens. Mayor Steve Rotheram framed the ferry as more than hardware, noting the region now has the skills to build ships on the Mersey again — and nodding to Gerry Marsden, whose Merseybeat hit cemented the ferries in British culture. The Pier Head terminal was renamed in his honour in 2023.
For travellers, this is a good excuse to put a Mersey cruise on the Liverpool list. The classic 50-minute River Explorer Cruise loops between Pier Head, Seacombe and Woodside, serving up skyline views of the Three Graces and a bit of local history along the way — and from autumn, you could be doing it aboard a ferry fresh off the slipway.
