Stena Nordica | Stena Line (Pre-2023 rebuild – Archived)

By: Steven Tarbox
Date:
Last updated:
Stena Nordica swings of the berth at Belfast VT4N as she starts another crossing to Cairnryan. She was covering for STENA SUPERFAST VIII which was in Belfast Dry Dock for routine maintenance. March 9th 2019. Copyright © Steven Tarbox.
Stena Nordica swings of the berth at Belfast VT4N as she starts another crossing to Cairnryan. She was covering for STENA SUPERFAST VIII which was in Belfast Dry Dock for routine maintenance. March 9th 2019. Copyright © Steven Tarbox.

The information below is outdated and is based on STENA NORDICA prior to her 2023 rebuild ahead of her permanent move to the Fishguard – Rosslare route. This page is retained here for information purposes. For more details on the rebuilt ship, see her new page here.

Stena Nordica Fast Facts

Current Name: Stena NordicaPrevious Names: MALO SEAWAYS, EUROPEAN AMBASSADOR
Shipyard: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shimonoseki [JP] , #1068IMO Number: 9215505
Current Operator: Stena LineCurrent Route: Karlskrona [SE] - Gdynia [PL]
Length Overall: 169.8,Beam: 25.82m
Passenger Capacity: 447 (but limited to between 380 and 410 in service)Vehicle Capacity: 375 cars OR 1949 lane metres of freight, or a combination of both
Tonnage: 24,206 Sister-ships: EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY (part-sister), EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER (part-sister).

Overview of Stena Nordica

The Stena Line Ro-Pax Ferry STENA NORDICA is a part-sister to P&O Ferries’ Japanese built Larne to Cairnryan ships EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY and EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER.  She was built as the EUROPEAN AMBASSADOR for P&O’s Dublin-Liverpool and (now closed) Dublin-Mostyn routes, and is an enlarged version of EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY with passenger cabins, whereas the Larne vessel has none.

EUROPEAN AMBASSADOR became a Stena ship in a transaction related to, but not part of, the Stena acquisition of P&O Irish Sea’s Fleetwood-Larne operation in 2004.  The ship was deemed surplus to requirements at P&O following the closure of the Dublin – Mostyn route.

P&O had previously been prevented from selling both the Liverpool and Mostyn to Dublin routes to Stena by the UK competition authorities. EUROPEAN AMBASSADOR had also previously been used on P&O’s Rosslare to Cherbourg route. This route had closed in December 2004 but was restarted by Celtic Link ferries early the following year. EUROPEAN AMBASSADOR would later return to that route as STENA NORDICA in a relief capacity after Stena Line took over Celtic Link in early 2014.

P&O Irish Sea's EUROPEAN AMBASSADOR pictured in Liverpool on arrival from her builders in Japan. Copyright © Trevor Kidd.
P&O Irish Sea’s EUROPEAN AMBASSADOR pictured in Liverpool on arrival from her builders in Japan. Copyright © Trevor Kidd.

Stena Line originally deployed STENA NORDICA to the Baltic (Karlskrona – Gdynia route), and she received an extensive Stena refit which included modifications to improve loading and unloading before being transferred to the Swedish flag.  She returned to Dublin in 2008 to run opposite STENA ADVENTURER to Holyhead in place of the STENA SEATRADER, following a successful stint earlier in the year as refit relief vessel on the route.  

The following March she received a further €2.2M refit to bring her into line with the rest of Stena Line’s Irish Sea fleet including new passenger lounges and bar, a new Stena Plus lounge, a Food City restaurant, a new freight drivers area and refurbished seating and flooring.

STENA NORDICA at Dublin. Copyright © Trevor Kidd.
STENA NORDICA at Dublin. Copyright © Trevor Kidd.

Over the years STENA NORDICA has proved herself a very versatile ship, having operated to Liverpool, Mostyn, Cherbourg and Holyhead from Dublin, between Belfast and Cairnryan and Rosslare to Fishguard as a relief vessel for Stena, and also between Karlskrona and Gdynia as mentioned above.  In addition she also served the Dover -Calais route for DFDS as MALO SEAWAYS and operated in the Mediterranean for GNV.

Stena Nordica in 2014. Copyright © David Rimmer.
Stena Nordica in 2014. Copyright © David Rimmer.

STENA NORDICA provided refit cover on the Belfast – Cairnryan (Loch Ryan Port) route in 2013, thus competing with her part-sister ships operating for P&O.  Like Stena’s other Irish Sea ships, Stena Nordica has also been a visitor to Harland and Wolff for refits.  It had been widely expected that STENA NORDICA would return to Belfast to provide cover for STENA SUPERFAST VII and STENA SUPERFAST VIII in March 2015 whilst they were dry docked.  

DFDS and Dover – Calais

During January 2015 DFDS announced that they had agreed to charter Stena Nordica from Stena RoRo for a period of 18 months to operate their Dover-Calais service as MALO SEAWAYS, filling the role previously undertaken by DIEPPE SEAWAYS (now STENA SUPERFAST X) before she left DFDS for conversion to replace Stena Nordica at Dublin.

STENA NORDICA had a stint with DFDS operating between Dover and Calais as MALO SEAWAY. DFDS.
Stena RoRo owned STENA NORDICA had a stint on charter with DFDS operating between Dover and Calais as MALO SEAWAYS. DFDS.

Following DFDS’s acquisition of the former RODIN and BERLIOZ on charter from Groupe Eurotunnel, MALO SEAWAYS became surplus to requirements, and her charter was terminated early following rumoured technical problems.  It was not clear where STENA NORDICA would next operate at this stage, however a charter to the Mediterranean had been touted in the Italian shipping press.

GNV and a return to the Baltic

After the conclusion of her DFDS charter, MALO SEAWAYS was again renamed STENA NORDICA and was chartered to Mediterranean operator GNV for summer 2016.  When that charter finished, STENA NORDICA returned to Stena Line to operate the Travemünde – Liepaja Baltic sea service between Germany and Latvia opposite veteran ferry URD. However, STENA NORDICA made a brief return to British and Irish waters in early 2017 as the designated refit relief ship until April 2017.  

Irish Sea Refit Cover 2017

Stena Nordica provided cover for six Ro-Pax vessels in total, including releasing STENA HORIZON from the Rosslare – Cherbourg route so she could herself release near-sisters STENA LAGAN and STENA MERSEY for their dry docking’s, and the ship which replaced her on the Dublin – Holyhead route STENA SUPERFAST X.  After again relieving STENA SUPERFAST VIII and STENA SUPERFAST VII she then returned back to her new ‘home’ route in the Baltic.

Stena Nordica in Dublin on 27/12/16. She is the Stena Line Irish Sea refit relief vessel this year. Copyright © Gordon Hislip.
A hastily rebranded STENA NORDICA in Dublin on 27/12/16 following the conclusion of her GNV charter in the Mediterranean. She was the Stena Line Irish Sea refit relief vessel for 2017. Copyright © Gordon Hislip.

Back to The Baltic

On October 5th 2018 STENA NORDICA was reflagged from the UK (London) to the Bahamas (Nassau) in preparation for a return to the Karlskrona – Gdynia route as an additional ship. It is common for vessels with Polish crews to be flagged in the Bahamas or similar rather than Poland. This is a practice which even takes place on Polish state owned vessels.

STENA NORDICA had her flag and home port changed alongside at Karlskrona in early October 2018. © IMS Technical Services.
STENA NORDICA had her flag and home port changed alongside at Karlskrona in early October 2018. © IMS Technical Services.

During December 2018 NI Ferry Site revealed that STENA NORDICA would again be returning to the Irish Sea as the designated refit relief vessel, arriving initially to release STENA HORIZON to cover STENA LAGAN and STENA MERSEY on the Belfast – Liverpool (Birkenhead) route in the same way as she did in 2017. With STENA SUPERFAST X, STENA SUPERFAST VII, STENA SUPERFAST VIII, and STENA EUROPE all expected to dry-dock in early 2019 it is likely that STENA NORDICA will cover all of these vessels as well given how she proved herself in 2017.

STENA NORDICA arrived in Belfast on the morning of 10.02.19 ahead of taking up service in place of STENA SUPERFAST VII the following morning with the 11:30 sailing ex Belfast.

STENA NORDICA at Rosslare during September 2019 while covering for STENA EUROPE on the Rosslare to Fishguard route. Copyright © Gordon Hislip.
STENA NORDICA at Rosslare during September 2019 while covering for STENA EUROPE on the Rosslare to Fishguard route. Copyright © Gordon Hislip.

2022 Irish Sea Return

During 2022, STENA NORDICA will return to the Irish Sea to act as a relief vessel. STENA NORDICA has been strongly rumoured to have been earmarked as a permanent replacement for STENA EUROPE on the Fishguard to Rosslare route following the 2022 summer season.

However, Stena Line has not commented on this and only confirmed that she will return to the Baltic in Spring after her refit relief duties are finished. It is expected that should the replacement plan be confirmed that STENA NORDICA would go for partial rebuilding before her introduction on the Southern Corridor service. This would be in part to address her small passenger capacity compared to many Irish Sea ferries.

During March 2022, STENA NORDICA was redeployed to the Belfast – Cairnryan route at short notice as a third ship. This was in response to increased demand on the route as a result of P&O Ferries sacking nearly 800 crew members and suspending its services. Once P&O Ferries crossings normalised again, STENA NORDICA returned to The Baltic.

STENA NORDICA leaves Belfast on the morning of 19 April 22 while acting as third ship on the Belfast - Cairnryan route. Image: © Steven Tarbox.
STENA NORDICA leaves Belfast on the morning of 19 April 22 while acting as third ship on the Belfast – Cairnryan route. Image: © Steven Tarbox.

2023 – On the move again

With the arrival of STENA ESTELLE and STENA EBBA, STENA NORDICA was displaced from the Karskrona – Gdynia route. During December 2022, STENA NORDICA‘s flag was changed from The Bahamas to Cyprus.

STENA NORDICA arrived in Gdansk for dry-docking just after noon on New Years Day 2023. After an additional block of passenger accommodation is added and the ship thoroughly refurbished, STENA NORDICA will replace STENA EUROPE on the Fishguard – Rosslare route during July 2023. STENA NORDICA is also expected to provide overhaul cover on Stena’s Irish Sea network and the Killingholme – Hoek van Holland route ahead of her permanent move to the Fishguard service.

Stena Nordica Technical Data

Side profile of Stena Nordica prior to 2023 (from photo).  Steven Tarbox
Side profile of Stena Nordica prior to 2023 (from photo). Steven Tarbox

The following is a summary of the key technical data of STENA NORDICA prior to 2023.  

Technical Data STENA NORDICA
IMO Number9215505
Concept DesignKnud E Hansen A/S
Technical consultant Three Quays Marine Services, London, England
(now BCTQ)
Building yard Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shimonoseki, Japan
Hull number1068
Keel Laid17 Apr 2000
Completed 12 Dec 2000

In service

08.01.01 (P&O Irish Sea)
11.06.04 (Stena Line)
Call sign C6RG8 / 2BXO2 / C6EB2 (current)
Classification Lloyds Register of Shipping
+ LMC, UMS
+100A1 Roll On-Roll Off Passenger Ferry
Current Owner Stena Line
Length overall (Between Perpendiculars)

169.8m (161.6m)

Beam 25.82m
Draft

6.02m (max)

Gross Tonnage 24,206

Machinery

Main Engines : 2 x Wartsila 12V38 (wings) & 2 x Wartsila 18V38 (centre). Engine power is geared in pairs to twin 4-bladed controllable pitch propellers
Auxiliary Engines: 2 x Daihatsu 6DK-28 (1,900kW each @750 rpm)
    Bow Thrusters: 2 x Kawasaki (1.260kW each)
Power(Max/Pme  @ 75%) 39680kW/29700kW
Operational speed 25.7 Knots (using all 4 main engines)

Capacity

447 passengers (max – this has been limited to between 380 and 410 passengers in service depending on the route and operator.
1949 lane metres of freight – 122 trailers, 375 cars, or a combination of both.

Crew

45
Current Flag The Bahamas (Nassau)
Cyprus (Limassol)

Previous Operators

GNV
DFDS Seaways France
Stena Line
P&O Irish Sea
Part sister-ships EUROPEAN CAUSEWAY
EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER
The above information is subject to change and given without guarantee but is believed to be correct for 2022.
YouTube video
Stena Nordica seen arriving at Stena's Loch Ryan Port during her period as relief ship on the Belfast - Cairnryan route during February and March 2019. Copyright © Scott Mackey.
STENA NORDICA seen arriving at Stena’s Loch Ryan Port during her period as relief ship on the Belfast – Cairnryan route during February and March 2019. Copyright © Scott Mackey.

Although these photographs were taken during 2017, the layout and interior decor of STENA NORDICA remains largely unchanged in 2019.

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Further Reading

Stena Nordica on “The Ferry Site” – http://www.ferry-site.dk/ferry.php?id=9215505&lang=en

Original Article: 26.03.14
23.12.18 (moved to Gutenberg blocks, added gallery, updated information including flag and call-sign change, tidied up text)
Last major Update:10.02.19 (moved to multi-page format and updated info)


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