On Irish Ferries route linking Pembroke and Rosslare, a controversial and passenger-unfriendly ferry that operated this winter has sailed out of the south Wales port for the last time, reports The Pembrokeshire Herald.
P&O Ferries ‘economy’ ropax Norbay which had run their Dublin-Liverpool route, which closed in December, was chartered to Irish Ferries parent company, Irish Continental Group (ICG), initially on the Dublin-Holyhead/Cherbourg (France) routes and since the end of January on the Pembroke-Rosslare route. The 17,464-ton freight-oriented (125 trailer units) ferry quickly became unpopular with passengers due to its limited and basic facilities and the lack of lifts. In addition the Bermuda-flagged ferry did not take ‘foot’ passengers nor cater for cyclists.
On the evening of June Bank Holiday Monday, Afloat.ie observed the Norbay make its first return to the Dublin-Holyhead route, again on charter to ICG, where the central Irish Sea corridor route is also operated by cruise-ferry Ulysses and fast-craft Dublin Swift.
Irish Ferries confirmed last month that the Norbay would be replaced on the Pembroke-Rosslare route by the cruise ferry, Isle of Innisfree, which currently operates for Irish Ferries on the Dover-Calais link along with the Isle of Inishmore and Isle of Innisheer.
Commenting on the change of ferry, Andrew Sheen, managing director at Irish Ferries said, “The addition of the Isle of Innisfree on the Rosslare-Pembroke route is a sign of our ongoing commitment to these routes, and ensuring we offer our freight and passenger customers quality service for these important connections between Britain and Ireland. We look forward to welcoming passengers on board to experience our award-winning hospitality and service.”
The 1992 built Isle of Innisfree, originally launched as Prins Filip for Belgium state operator RMT, has a capacity for 1,140 passengers, 83 freight vehicles, or 600 cars. However, the 28,833-tonne cruise ferry is not scheduled to sail from Pembroke until the end of this month, as the Cypriot flag ferry, as alluded to, is serving the Strait of Dover route linking the UK and France.
In the meantime, Irish Ferries on the Pembroke-Rosslare route is using the chartered cruiseferry, Oscar Wilde, which has made a temporary return, as this ship was Norbay’s predecessor on the Wales-Ireland route. Afloat highlights that since Oscar Wilde re-entered service, the cruise ferry this week was renamed James Joyce. This will free up the same name for Irish Ferries recently acquired Spirit of Britain (formerly with P&O). The ferry is currently at A&P Falmouth, Cornwall, where this week the ship was also renamed Oscar Wilde and is to join the Irish Ferries fleet on the Dover-Calais link.
The 2,080 passenger James Joyce boasts the largest capacity of any vessel on the Irish Sea and where it took over Pembroke-Rosslare sailings from Norbay this month. The cruise ferry is scheduled to remain operating on the route until Thursday, 27 June.
As for the introduction of the Isle of Innisfree, the former Strait of Dover ferry will commence its service on the route connecting Pembrokeshire and Wexford, with a sailing on Friday, 28 June.
The changes taking place at Irish Ferries with the replacement of Norbay and the recent management changes at Stena Line, which operates Fishguard-Rosslare, have been hailed as ‘enormously positive’ developments for ferry services between south Wales and Ireland.
