Irish Ferries’ new ferry, OSCAR WILDE, has entered service on the Rosslare- Pembroke Dock service. The ship replaced BLUE STAR 1 last night with a delayed 20:45 sailing from Rosslare.
OSCAR WILDE has already put her impressive speed to use, even exceeding her 27.5 knot designed service speed in an attempt to make up time after the ship left Rosslare over three hours late last night following the changeover.
Despite utilising her speed, OSCAR WILDE has had very delayed sailings on her first day as she settles into the run. She is currently operating as a stern only single level loader, but is capable of twin level drive through loading at compatible berths
BLUE STAR 1 meanwhile has left for Piraeus in Greece and back to her owners Blue Star Ferries. Crew had already started to repaint BLUE STAR 1’s funnel in Blue Star’s yellow scheme before the ship left Ireland for Greece.
Commenting on the latest addition to the Irish Ferries fleet, Managing Director, Andrew Sheen, said;
“We are delighted that OSCAR WILDE is officially in service, offering customers an enhanced Irish Sea journey on board a ship featuring the very best in terms of comfort, speed, and amenities. We are confident that the OSCAR WILDE will become a firm favourite with our passengers and freight customers, and we look forward to welcoming them on board.”
Source: Irish Ferries press release
According to Irish Ferries the passenger facilities offered onboard OSCAR WILDE include a Club Class premium lounge, a self-service restaurant, a café, a bar, and a freight drivers lounge. Passengers can also enjoy the outside decks and an extensive duty-free shopping space. Families are catered for with a children’s play area, and pet facilities are also offered. A selection of different cabin options are also available for passengers to book.
However, some facilities previously available when the vessel was in service for Tallink as STAR have been closed off. This includes the à la carte restaurant and the large forward ‘Delight buffet’ which overlooks the bow on deck 8. NIFS understands that there are no plans to make these areas available in the near future.
