The third and newest E-Flexer class of Brittany Ferries, Santoña which entered service this year, has made its maiden ‘Irish’ port of call, having completed a crossing from Cherbourg to Rosslare Europort, writes Jehan Ashmore.
According to Rosslare Europort, Santoña made its first call on Monday, as the liquidfied natural gas (LNG) powered cruiseferry replaced Salamanca, the second of the class which followed leadship Galicia which too had served the port previously. The Salamanca was withdrawn last month from the Ireland-France route due to operational requirements elsewhere across Brittany Ferries extensive route network, involving Ireland, UK, France and Spain.
With the Santoña now on the direct continental link, the successor also sails to Spain (not to Bilbao) but instead on a 'temporary' winter Rosslare-Santander route. Noting as Afloat reported last month, Salamanca when on a crossing from Cherbourg was diverted from the Irish port due to Storm Ciarán. This led to an unscheduled call to Ringaskiddy ferry terminal in Cork Harbour.
Arriving also to Ringaskiddy then was Armorique, a regular caller on the Brittany Ferries route from Roscoff, which last weekend marked the first ever winter operated service, since the French company established their seasonal connection to Ireland in 1978.
Also new to the Rosslare-Cherbourg route, is the redeployment of a second ferry, the ropax Cotentin, the name of the peninsula where the port of Cherbourg is situated at the northern tip jutting into the English Channel. Further to the east at Le Havre, where Brittany Ferries closed their continental link with Rosslare, served by Cotentin until a final sailing took place in the first weekend of this month, marking the end of two years of service driven by freight demand due to Brexit.
As Afloat previously highlighted, the introduction of a second ferry by Brittany Ferries follows the impressive record boost in trade when Stena Line’s introduced this summer the Stena Vision, providing a full cruise-ferry option along with the route’s near decade serving ropax, Stena Horizon.
