Stena Line’s STENA SUPERFAST X arrived in Cherbourg for the first time yesterday morning, having crossed overnight from Rosslare. The 2002-built ferry released STENA HORIZON from the Rosslare – Cherbourg route on Thursday so she could go for dry-docking at A&P Falmouth. The Cherbourg arrival was her first in France since STENA SUPERFAST X joined Stena Line’s Holyhead-Dublin route – the ship previously sailed between Dover and Calais for previous operators SeaFrance and DFDS. She will arrive back at Rosslare later this morning, completing her first round-trip on the route.
With the arrival and successful introduction of STENA ESTRID, STENA SUPERFAST X has become surplus to requirements at Holyhead and so has been used for dry dock relief duties. She has already covered for as-built sisters STENA SUPERFAST VIII and STENA SUPERFAST VII on the Belfast – Cairnryan route, and is expected to release STENA ESTRID to cover for STENA ADVENTURER once STENA HORIZON returns. ‘Adventurer’ is also expected to dry dock at Falmouth, where it is also understood some refurbishment of her passenger spaces will take place.
STENA SUPERFAST X currently finishes on the Rosslare – Cherbourg timetable with the 15:00 sailing ex Cherbourg on Sunday February 2nd. This could change, however, and she also appears on the Dublin – Holyhead timetable from January 31st as that routes timetable has not yet been updated. It is not yet clear where STENA SUPERFAST X will go next following the return of STENA ADVENTURER. As previously reported, she has been added to the Stena RoRo fleetlist, suggesting that she is available for sale or charter.
