Month: December 2015
Stena Line Irish Sea refit schedule for 2016
Majority of Stena Line Irish Sea fleet to visit Harland and Wolff in early 2016. As previously speculated, Stena Flavia will be the designated refit cover vessel for Stena Line’s Irish Sea refits in 2016.  Stena Flavia will leave the Baltic on 09/1/16 for Rosslare to take up service to Cherbourg from 14/1/16 until 8/3/16 in place of Stena Horizon.  Gothenburg to Frederikshavn vessel Stena Gothica is believed to be planned to cover for Stena Flavia in her absence.  The former Celtic Link vessel Stena Horizon will visit Harland and Wolff from 14/1/16 to 28/1/16, after which she will cover the Dublin to Holyhead route until approximately 7/3/16. On Stena Horizon‘s arrival at Dublin, Stena Superfast X will have an in water survey from 28/1/16 until 30/1/16.  She will then leave for Belfast to cover the refits of Stena Superfast VIII and VII, returning to Holyhead on 16/2/16 and onto Stena ... Read more
Weekly roundup 19/12/15
A quick roundup of some this weeks ferry industry news stories, both local and further afield. Local ferry news. Bye bye Express. The former P&O Larne – Troon vessel Express finally left Belfast on Wednesday following her layover following her final service to Troon in October, and subsequent sale by owners Buquebus to Swedish interests following P&O’s decision not to renew her charter. She is currently laid over in Helsingborg and is expected to enter service for GotlandsbÃ¥ten between Gotland and the Swedish Mainland in March 2016. Notably an article promoting a £50 discount for fans travelling to France for Euro 2016 via P&O’s Larne and Dover services makes no mention of a Troon service for next year (but does specifically mention Cairnryan), giving further rise to speculation the service may not return next season. UK ferry news DFDS to operate Newhaven route for a further 2 years. SMPAT, the French local government owned organisation, ... Read more
Sailing update: Storm Desmond delays and cancellations, 5/12/15
Sailing updates due to adverse weather on services from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Below is a snapshot of how things stand at present (13:40 Saturday 5th December 2015). As always if you plan to travel, please contact your chosen operator directly for the latest sailing information. NI – UK sailing updates Belfast – Cairnryan (Loch Ryan Port) Stena Superfast VII continues to sail as normal, however Stena Superfast VIII is off-service today for planned essential maintenance. Belfast – Liverpool (Birkenhead) This mornings 10:30 sailing were cancelled as previously notified, however at present tonights 22:30 sailings from both Belfast and Liverpool look to be going ahead. Belfast – Heysham (freight) Stena Hibernia crossed to Liverpool last night, and is still there.  Stena Precision looks not to have sailed last night, and is alongside in Belfast.  Stena Performer also looks to be operating Belfast – Liverpool. No cancellations or delays notified as of ... Read more
Sailing update: Storm Desmond sailing delays and cancellations.
Ferries cancelled or delayed due to adverse weather on services from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Early Saturday morning update (3am): in addition to the delays and cancellations below, Stena Superfast X’s 02:30 departure from Dublin and 08:55 from Holyhead, and Stena Europe’s 09:00 from Rosslare have been cancelled due to weather conditions. Irish Ferries 01:15 from Dublin to Holyhead has been delayed, having left Dublin just a few minutes ago, whilst all sailings from Rosslare to Pembroke on Saturday are either cancelled or in doubt.  Ulysses scheduled departure from Holyhead at 02:40 has been missed, and she is still on the berth at the Welsh port.  P&O’s Norbay looks to be running behind schedule between Liverpool and Dublin. Below is a snapshot of how things stand at present (19:20 Friday 4th December 2015). As always if you plan to travel, please contact your chosen operator directly for the latest sailing ... Read more
Former Swansea to Cork ferry ‘Julia’ re-sold
Moby Lines buys C-beds large offshore wind-hotel ship to continue operating in the Mediterranean Offshore accommodation ship company C-bed has sold ‘Wind Perfection‘ (ex Julia, Christian IV, Bayard, Olau Britannia (I)) to Italian operator Moby Lines as part of their new strategic focus towards smaller and more advanced and flexible hotel vessels. The empty space in the fleet filled early in the new year. It is understood that Moby Lines will reinstate the former Julia as a vehicle and passenger ferry. It has been reported Wind Perfection will be handed over to her new owners as early as the 15th of December, with Moby Zaza speculated to be her new name. Moby Lines operate 13 routes to the Islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Elba from the Italian and French mainland. Their fleet has a large number of veteran ferries built in the 70’s and 80’s, as well as newer tonnage such as ... Read more
Stena Line refit update 2016.
Refit cover to provided by Baltic Sea vessel. NIFS understand Stena Flavia (ex Watling Street) has been nominated as the refit cover vessel for the Irish Sea January to March 2016. It is believed she will cover for Stena Horizon (ex Celtic Horizon) at Rosslare before covering for Stena Superfast X (formerly Dieppe Seaways, SeaFrance Moliere, Jean Nicoli, etc) and Stena Adventurer at Holyhead. Stena Superfast X will provide refit relief for her north channel sisters, Stena Superfast VII and VIII, giving Belfast to Cairnryan (Loch Ryan Port) passengers the opportunity to sample a very different Superfast vessel to those regularly on the run. Stena Flavia is of course a part-sister to Stena Lagan, Stena Mersey, Stena Horizon, and Irish Ferries Epsilon. It is understood that Stena Flavia will be covered on her Travemunde to Ventspils route by Gothenburg – Fredrikshavn regular Stena Gothica (ex Ask, Seafreight Freeway, etc), with that service continuing to operate with ... Read more