Former Lagan Viking returns to Irish waters
The latest addition to the DFDS ferry fleet made her debut in Rosslare yesterday. PELAGOS (ex LIVERPOOL SEAWAYS, LIVERPOOL VIKING, LAGAN VIKING) arrived in the Wexford port just after 11am, following a lengthy 26 hour journey from Dunkerque.
At around 15:50, PELAGOS left Rosslare to go out to anchor. The ship she replaces on the Dunkirk – Rosslare schedule, DROTTEN, left Dunkerque at around 17:20 local time for her home port Visby. DROTTEN was a short-term charter, and so is returning to her owner who require her for their easter sailing schedule. PELAGOS can accommodate up to 86 drivers in individual cabins, a reduction from the 115 of DROTTEN. However, the replacement ship has greater freight capacity.
PELAGOS is a part-sister to KERRY which also serves the Rosslare – Dunkerque route. The latter ship has an extended passenger accommodation module, and is a later incarnation of the Visentini Ro-Pax series. As Norse Irish Ferries’ LAGAN VIKING, PELAGOS was one of the lead vessels in the now prolific Visentini series.
Her early career was spent on the Belfast – Liverpool and Liverpool – Dublin routes for Norse Irish Ferries and its successors Norse Merchant Ferries, Norfolk Line, and DFDS. When DFDS took the decision to close the Liverpool – Dublin route, they moved the vessel (by then called LIVERPOOL SEAWAYS) to their Baltic network.
Having been deemed surplus to requirements at DFDS, LIVERPOOL SEAWAYS was sold to La Méridionale during 2019. As part of the sale agreement, DFDS chartered back the ship. When Marseille-based La Méridionale took over the ship last September, they renamed her PELAGOS.
The introduction of PELAGOS comes ahead of the addition of the Ro-Ro freight vessel ARK DANIA to the route at the start of next month. This will add an additional two round-trips per week to DFDS’s Ireland to France ferry route. ARK DANIA will join KERRY, VISBY, and PELAGOS on the route. Together, the four ships will offer eight round trips per week.
