Former Irish Sea ro-pax Stena Feronia (ex Dublin Seaways, Dublin Viking, Mersey Viking) has been renamed STRAIT FERONIA and adopted the New Zealand flag. She is currently in dry dock at Landskrona being prepared for a new life in the Southern Hemisphere operating for New Zealand company Strait Shipping under their Blue Bridge brand.
STRAIT FERONIA was of course built for the Belfast – Liverpool service as one of the two lead vessels of the Visentini ro-pax series, and was sold by owners Stena Line last in January to Strait Shipping. She is expected to enter service in July this year on the Cook Strait service, replacing current ship Santa Regina. In a twist of fate, the former Stena Feronia will be competing directly with former Irish Sea fleet mate Stena Alegra, which operated the Dublin to Liverpool service as Dawn Merchant for Merchant Ferries and Norse Merchant Ferries. She has been acquired by Kiwi Rail to operate their competing Interislander service. Stena Feronia‘s last spell on the Irish Sea was covering the refits of Stena Mersey and Stena Lagan at the end of last year.
Strait shipping have a profile of STRAIT FERONIA here .
Picture Credit: Stena Feronia. Copyright © Scott Mackey
