Licensed and Bonded
Member of IYBA
Cruise Ships and Passenger Ferries for Sale and Charter Worldwide
QPS Marine Ships is a licensed and bonded brokerage specialising in passenger vessels: cruise ships, expedition ships, RoPax and RoRo ferries, high-speed craft and accommodation vessels for sale or charter worldwide. Every listing below is identified by stock number, with specifications, an estimated price and the vessel's last known location. If you do not see what you need, send us your requirements — many ships are available off-market.
How to Finance the Purchase or Charter of a Ship
Ship finance for cruise ships, ferries and passenger vessels: where buyers and charterers can find funding
Buyers and charterers often ask whether QPS Marine Ships or the shipowner will provide finance. QPS does not lend money, and owners only sometimes agree to seller finance, so most buyers arrange funding themselves. The ship-finance market is large: bank lending to shipping is over US$300 billion, and lenders compete for good borrowers. Below is where to look and how each option works.
Ship-finance banks
Banks lend against a mortgage on the ship, usually for 5 to 7 years and for part of the ship's value. They prefer experienced owners and younger, efficient ships. Major international lenders include BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, Credit Agricole CIB, ING, ABN AMRO, Citigroup and J.P. Morgan in Europe and the US; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), MUFG and Mizuho in Japan; DNB, Nordea and SEB in Scandinavia; and Greek banks such as Eurobank, Piraeus Bank, National Bank of Greece and Alpha Bank.
Leasing and sale-and-leaseback
A leasing company buys the ship and charters it to you, often financing more of the price than a bank. You own the ship at the end of the lease. Leading ship lessors include Bocom Financial Leasing, ICBC Leasing, CMB Financial Leasing and CDB Leasing in China, and Japanese leasing houses.
Export credit agencies
Government-backed export credit agencies support newbuildings and major refits at shipyards in their own country, mainly for larger operators. Examples include Finnvera (Finland), SACE (Italy), Bpifrance (France), Euler Hermes (Germany), EIFO (Denmark), the Export-Import Bank of China and the Export-Import Bank of Korea.
US buyers: MARAD Title XI
The US Maritime Administration's Federal Ship Financing Program guarantees long-term loans of up to 87.5% of project cost for up to 25 years, for vessels built or reconditioned in US shipyards.
Bonds and private credit
Established operators can issue bonds, mainly in the Nordic market, arranged by banks such as DNB Carnegie, Pareto and Arctic Securities. Private credit funds, including specialist ship-finance funds and asset managers, increasingly lend to smaller owners and older ships, at higher cost but with faster, more flexible terms.
Seller finance and charter-to-own
Some owners will accept part payment over time, or a bareboat charter with an option or obligation to buy. These are most common for older cruise ships and ferries that banks are reluctant to finance.
Financing a charter
Charterers usually need working capital rather than ship finance. Time and bareboat charters may require a deposit or guarantee, which a bank or insurer can provide.
What lenders will ask for
A business plan and route, the operator's track record, equity of usually 30 to 50 percent, the ship's valuation, class and survey reports, and insurance.
How QPS helps
We provide the ship's specifications, class records and valuation information that lenders need, and we can introduce buyers to finance brokers. We are not a lender, and this page is general information, not financial advice.