STENA HORIZON (ex CELTIC HORIZON / CARTOUR BETA)
Stena Horizon to arrive in the morning.
Stena Horizon to cover Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey on Birkenhead route. Stena Horizon left Rosslare bound for Belfast this evening, with arrival expected at around 9am tomorrow morning. She is expected to take up service on Wednesday evening, replacing Stena Lagan which will make the short journey across the river to Belfast Dry Dock for refit.  In the meantime, Stena Horizon looks set to be berthed at the Ship Repair Quay from Tuesday morning to Wednesday evening. NB: The above is taken from Marine Traffic and the Belfast Harbour website, and is of course subject to change! Stena Europe arrived in Rosslare earlier today, and is scheduled to return to service with the 09:00 sailing to Fishguard on Tuesday.  This will release Stena Nordica to operate the overnight sailing to Cherbourg in lieu of Stena Horizon which will be in Belfast covering Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey. Title image:  Stena Horizon arrives at Belfast for her 2016 dry-docking. ... Read more
In strange waters #2: Stena Line Irish Sea dry docking’s/refits 2017.
This page will be continually updated throughout the refit period which is expected to run until May 2017. Last years “in strange waters” can be found here. Please note that due to the nature of their content, both pages are very heavy in photographic material and may take a while to load on slower connections. Â The second part of this year’s feature can be found here. This year Stena Line will complete all Irish Sea dry docking’s at Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyard, that’s a total of 9 ships from the fleet of 11. At the end of 2016 Stena announced that the entire fleet would be receiving the latest livery and strap-line “Connecting Europe for a Sustainable Future” during their scheduled dry docking’s, in a style similar to that applied to Stena Britannica recently. This replaces the previous “Making Good Time” strap-line. (Title image: Stena Europe in Rosslare displaying the ... Read more
Stena kicks-off Irish Sea refit programme
Stena Hibernia first of 9 Stena Line vessels to visit Harland and Wolff. Stena Line kicked off their 2017 Irish Sea refit programme today (Wednesday), with Stena Hibernia making the short journey across the River Lagan to Harland and Wolff’s ‘Belfast Dry Dock’. Stena Europe will be next to go for refit on Jan 4th, covered by Stena Nordica which is returning to the Irish Sea as the refit cover vessel this year. This follows spells on the English Channel and Mediterranean with DFDS and GNV respectively, following her displacement on the Dublin to Holyhead route by Stena Superfast X. Stena Nordica is of course a part-sister ship to P&O’s European Causeway and European Highlander, having been built for P&O as European Ambassador. £7m contract It is expected that the Stena Line Irish Sea refit programme for 2017 will run until early next May. As reported previously, Harland and Wolff ... Read more
PR: Stena Horizon refitted at Harland and Wolff.
The Stena Horizon is currently taking a break from her Rosslare-Cherbourg duties to undergo a refit programme at Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyard which will last the vessel for 36 months. The vessel will be in dry dock for a total of fourteen days and during that time a number of key maintenance and upgrade works will be carried out including two propulsion shafts being removed and machine liners fitted with new seals; both bow thrusters overhauled and both rudders removed and fitted with new seals as well as both stabilisers being overhauled. While the Stena Horizon is in dry dock the opportunity will also be taken to repaint the entire hull including a full antifouling system to ensure future fuel efficiency; stern door line bore all hinges and install new pins; lifeboat hooks replaced to new standard; a 10 yearly overhaul of CO2 system as well as a 10 ... Read more
Stena Horizon return to service delayed.
Stena Horizon‘s refit period at Belfast’s Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries appears to have been extended by at least 2 days.  Originally the 186m long vessel (which is a near sister of Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey) had been expected to leave Belfast on Wednesday morning. However, according to the current scheduled departure showing on Belfast Harbour’s website she is now due to leave on Friday morning instead. Stena Horizon of course is due to release Stena Superfast X from the Dublin to Holyhead route so she can come north to in turn release Stena Superfast VIII and Stena Superfast VII from the Belfast to Cairnryan service for their own refits at H&W.  As a result of the delay in completing Stena Horizon‘s refit, NIFS expect that the refit of Stena Superfast VIII may also be slightly delayed. Title image:  Stena Horizon in dry-dock at Belfast, January 2016. Copyright © Scott ... Read more
Stena Line Irish Sea refit schedule for 2016
Majority of Stena Line Irish Sea fleet to visit Harland and Wolff in early 2016. As previously speculated, Stena Flavia will be the designated refit cover vessel for Stena Line’s Irish Sea refits in 2016.  Stena Flavia will leave the Baltic on 09/1/16 for Rosslare to take up service to Cherbourg from 14/1/16 until 8/3/16 in place of Stena Horizon.  Gothenburg to Frederikshavn vessel Stena Gothica is believed to be planned to cover for Stena Flavia in her absence.  The former Celtic Link vessel Stena Horizon will visit Harland and Wolff from 14/1/16 to 28/1/16, after which she will cover the Dublin to Holyhead route until approximately 7/3/16. On Stena Horizon‘s arrival at Dublin, Stena Superfast X will have an in water survey from 28/1/16 until 30/1/16.  She will then leave for Belfast to cover the refits of Stena Superfast VIII and VII, returning to Holyhead on 16/2/16 and onto Stena ... Read more
Stena Line refit update 2016.
Refit cover to provided by Baltic Sea vessel. NIFS understand Stena Flavia (ex Watling Street) has been nominated as the refit cover vessel for the Irish Sea January to March 2016. It is believed she will cover for Stena Horizon (ex Celtic Horizon) at Rosslare before covering for Stena Superfast X (formerly Dieppe Seaways, SeaFrance Moliere, Jean Nicoli, etc) and Stena Adventurer at Holyhead. Stena Superfast X will provide refit relief for her north channel sisters, Stena Superfast VII and VIII, giving Belfast to Cairnryan (Loch Ryan Port) passengers the opportunity to sample a very different Superfast vessel to those regularly on the run. Stena Flavia is of course a part-sister to Stena Lagan, Stena Mersey, Stena Horizon, and Irish Ferries Epsilon. It is understood that Stena Flavia will be covered on her Travemunde to Ventspils route by Gothenburg – Fredrikshavn regular Stena Gothica (ex Ask, Seafreight Freeway, etc), with that service continuing to operate with ... Read more
Goodbye Celtic Link Ferries
With effect of 31st March, the Irish Ferry company Celtic Link ferries ceased to exist as a separate entity and became part of Stena Line. Â Celtic Link previously ran the year round Rosslare – Cherbourg service, which they took over from P&O in 2005 after that company abandoned the route the previous year. Â The current vessel, the chartered Visentini built ropax Celtic Horizon, is to be renamed Stena Horizon, and the process of repainting her funnel in the Stena house colours began on Monday in Rosslare. Â Stena Horizon is a sister ship of Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey, however she has not yet been refurbished to the high standard of the Birkenhead vessels. Â Stena subsidiary NMM (Northern Marine Management) are to take over the management of Stena Horizon in line with practice for the rest of the fleet operating to Ireland. Celtic Link ferries established the route as an important ... Read more
Stena buy direct Ireland to France route
(Official Stena Press Release)“Leading European ferry company Stena Line has acquired the Irish-owned Celtic Link ferry service which operates from Rosslare-Cherbourg. Celtic Link currently provides a three times weekly service between Ireland and France with the Mv Celtic Horizon, which can accommodate 1 000 passengers, 200 cars and 120 freight units. Ian Davies, Stena Line’s Route Manager (Irish Sea South) said: “The acquisition of the Rosslare-Cherbourg route is a key strategic investment for Stena Line and one which will help stimulate and strengthen new and existing opportunities for trade and tourism between Ireland, France and beyond. With confidence in the Irish economy strengthening, we see positive long term growth in tourist and freight traffic from the Continent as a real opportunity to help strengthen this economic growth further. The Celtic Horizon will continue to operate a year- round service and we look forward to introducing the Stena Line experience to ... Read more