Stena Line Ferries News

The Stena Nordica returned to Fishguard after months of delay, resuming the route to Rosslare, bringing renewed hope for less disruption and smoother journeys across the south Irish Sea link.

Stena Nordica Returns Home to Fishguard to Restore Rosslare Route

27th May 2026 Stena Line

Finally, a Stena Line-owned ferry has resumed operations at Fishguard Harbour on Saturday evening after a months-long absence linking Rosslare. The route’s routine ro-pax Stena Nordica set sail for the Irish port at 1.30am on Sunday morning, marking its official…

The hybrid-powered Stena Futura custom-built for the Belfast-Heysham, has been recognised as one of the most advanced RoRo vessels at the 2026 Shippax Awards. The first of twin ‘NewMax’ Stena 2800-class ro-ro freight ferries has boosted capacity by 40 percent on the north Irish Sea route.

Stena Futura Ro-Ro Recognised With Prestigious Shippax Award

21st May 2026 Stena Line

Stena Line’s hybrid Irish Sea freight ferry, the Stena Futura, has been recognised with a prestigious industry accolade at the 2026 Shippax Awards. Awarded by leading maritime publication Shippax, Stena Futura, which entered the Belfast-Heysham route last year, has been…

Fishguard, South Wales, will be left without a ferry serving Rosslare for most of this week, as the route’s normal ferry, Stena Nordica, was scheduled to resume service on Tuesday (12 May) but has its return delayed.

Stena Nordica’s Return to Fishguard-Rosslare Route Delayed

12th May 2026 Stena Line

Stena Line's routine Fishguard-to-Rosslare route ferry, Stena Nordica, was due to take over the crossing this week after a four-month absence, during which time the ro-pax has been covering other Irish Sea routes for the operator. The 24,206-ton ferry is…

Stena Adventurer, the largest of the company’s Irish Sea fleet. Afloat also highlights that it is currently in dry dock for routine maintenance and upgrading of passenger facilities. The work is taking place at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, on the Wirral, Merseyside.

€16m Investment By Stena Line to Upgrade Irish Sea Fleet

1st May 2026 Stena Line

The largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, Stena Line, is to invest €16 million in the ongoing refit and upgrades of its fleet, the company has announced. Its Irish Sea fleet comprises 11 ferries operating on routes linking to…

Passengers sailing from Fishguard, in Pembrokeshire, could breathe a sigh next month as a small ferry on the route to Rosslare has no cabins nor Wi-Fi and is to be replaced by a bigger, better-equipped vessel when the routine ferry resumes on 13 May.

Routine Ro-Pax to Return on Fishguard-Rosslare Route Next Month

28th April 2026 Stena Line

Stena Line’s charter of MV Ben-my-Chree, from the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, currently serving Fishguad-Rosslare, reports the Western Telegraph, is to end next month. The Manx-flagged ferry replaced the St. George's Channel routes' usual ro-pax ferry, Stena Nordica…

Representatives from Ireland and Sweden met for roundtable discussions held in Dublin, which focused on strengthening resilience and critical infrastructure at national and European levels. Seated in the centre is the Swedish ambassador to Ireland, Lina van der Weyden.

Business Leaders from Ireland & Sweden Discuss Strengthening Resilience

25th April 2026 Stena Line

Two EU member states, Ireland and Sweden, met to gather as government departments, stakeholders, and industry leaders discussed the need to strengthen resilience across transport, energy, digital, and physical infrastructure. The roundtable of Enhancing Resilience through Innovation, Technology, and Collaboration…

Stena slash 'foot' passenger fares across Irish Sea routes.

Stena Line Slash Irish Sea 'Foot' Passenger Fares

11th April 2026 Stena Line

According to ITTN, Irish Sea operator Stena Line has slashed its prices for foot passenger tickets by more than 50% on all of its four routes between Ireland and Scotland, England, and Wales. North Channel A single-foot passenger crossing will…

The chartered Manx ferry Ben-My-Chree at Rosslare in the winter during its first stint on the southern Irish Sea route linking Fishguard.

All Stena Line Fishguard to Rosslare Sailings Cancelled

7th April 2026 Stena Line

Stena Line sailings using the chartered ropax Ben-My-Chree between South Wales and Ireland have been cancelled today. The Rosslare-Fishguard ferry, which takes up to 4 hours, has been cancelled due to adverse weather. Sailings on the Ben-My-Chree, which Stena Line…

Stena Scandinavica, one two cruise ferries of the Gothenburg-Kiel route recently returned to service following a major refurbishment and dry-docking in advance of the high season. The 2003 built ferry originally served UK-Netherlands was lengthened prior to Nordic service and is larger version of the Irish Sea’s Stena Adventurer on the Dublin-Holyhead run.

Major Refurbishment Upgrade of Stena Line Sweden-Germany Ferries

16th February 2026 Stena Line

Extensive refurbishment of Stena Line ferries has taken place during routine winter overhauls ahead of the high season in Scandinavia, writes Jehan Ashmore. The Swedish shipping company has invested millions in the project to upgrade public areas of two Gothenburg-Kiel…

At a ceremony held in Umeå, Finland, a miniature model of Aurora Botnia was presented to Dan Sten Olsson, owner of Stena Line, by Managing Director Peter Ståhlberg and Senior Captain Johannes Sjöholm. The event marked the official completion of Stena Line's acquisition of Wasaline, which operates between Umeå and Vaasa, Sweden, on the Gulf of Bothnia, the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea.

Stena Line Officially Complete Acquisition of Wasaline

11th February 2026 Stena Line

At a ceremony held in Umeå, Finland, Stena Line celebrated the official completion of its acquisition of Wasaline, which operates across the Gulf of Bothnia to Vaasa, Sweden. "The close and strong cooperation between Sweden and Finland is of central…

Route Closure: Stena is to withdraw its Halmstad (Sweden)–Grenå (Denmark) route in April, due to the non-profitability of the short sea route across the Kattegat taking 4 hours and 35 minutes, more than an hour longer Afloat adds of Dublin-Holyhead, where B&I Line’s Isle of Innisfree (now Stena Nautica) was chartered for its Irish Sea role, initially serving Rosslare-Pembroke in 1995 before transferring northward the next year. Further coverage of this also former Danish State Railway (DSR) ferry and its Irish links are to follow.

Stena Line to Close Scandinavian Route with Links to Former Irish Sea Ferry

3rd February 2026 Stena Line

Stena Line, with its origins in Sweden, has decided to close the ferry route across the Kattegat between Halmstad and Grenå in Denmark, which will continue to operate using the Stena Nautica route until April 30th. The Gothenburg-based ferry company…

Stena Ro Ro’s next generation of C-Flexer class which will involve an initial order for two and an option of a further four to be built at the CMI Weihai Shipyard, which has been synonymous with the successful passenger E-Flexers. Afloat adds the leadship Stena Estrid was launched on the Irish Sea in January 2020, with the vessel able to contend with Storm Brendan during its maiden sailing. Six years later, 12 of the class have entered service, with three more to be built, one to be delivered this year and the remaining new builds during 2027.

Stena Ro Ro Orders Next-Generation Future Freight Proofed C-Flexer Newbuilds

30th January 2026 Stena Line

Since Stena’s first innovative E-Flexer ferry entered service on the Irish Sea in 2020, as Afloat reported, the successful design has led to rival operators chartering more than half, but another new generation in the form of the C-Flexer freight class has…

Stena Scotia is to become Stena’s second ‘owned’ ship on the Dublin-Birkenhead (Liverpool) route when it makes its debut from the capital tomorrow, joining twin Stena Hibernia. This secures the company’s presence on the central Ireland-UK route, having relied on a chartered freighter, Bore Song, since returned to the Baltic Sea. Above: Stena Scotia, on a ‘once-off’ stint covering the Dublin-Holyhead route in 2013, and an Arklow Shipping ‘S’ class short-sea trader at anchorage in Dublin Bay.

Stena Line to Add Freight-Ferry Twin to Match Capacity Level on Dublin-Birkenhead Route

26th January 2026 Stena Line

For the first time, freight hauliers using Stena Line's Dublin-Birkenhead (Liverpool) route will involve two company-owned ships, as Stena Scotia is to start sailing tomorrow, writes Jehan Ashmore. In the meantime, the unaccompanied 114-trailer-unit freight ferry, which is to facilitate…

To mark the maiden arrival of Stena Connecta at Belfast Harbour, a traditional tug-based water salute took place for the new hybrid freight ferry, which made a delivery voyage from China, which Afloat adds came from the last port of call at Mindelo, Cape Verde (Sao Vicente), among the archipelagic state in the Atlantic off West Africa. The new ro-ro freighter is to enter service from Belfast to Heysham this Friday, 23 January. Uniquely, unlike its twin, the latest newbuild has two 28 m x 4 m Norsepower Rotor Sails™, designed to enhance energy efficiency and deliver up to 9% fuel savings—demonstrating the company’s commitment to wind propulsion.

Stena Connecta Arrives to Belfast Harbour Set to Join Hybrid Freight Twin on Heysham Route

20th January 2026 Stena Line

Stena Connecta, the latest purpose-built freight vessel of two commissioned by Stena Line for the Irish Sea, arrived in Belfast Harbour and is due to go into commercial service on the Belfast-Heysham route this Friday, 23rd January. The ro-ro newbuild,…

Stena Line announces record freight volumes on its Belfast routes during 2025—when volumes grew by 1% to almost 600,000 freight units shipped from Belfast to Cairnryan, Liverpool (Birkenhead), and Heysham, on which the new Stena Futura (above) freight ferry operates and its twin ‘NewMax 2800’ class newbuild, Stena Connecta, is to enter service this month.

Record Freight Volumes on Stena Line Belfast-Routes to Scotland and England

16th January 2026 Stena Line

Freight volumes of Stena Line on its three Belfast services in 2025 were another record year, as growth of 1.0% increased volumes to almost 600,000 freight units shipped from Belfast Harbour to Cairnryan, Liverpool (Birkenhead), and Heysham. Record freight volumes…

Stena Nordica carried out Holyhead-Dublin overnight (7/8 Jan) round-trip sailings following its planned covering for the dry-docking of Stena Estrid, which was involved in a berthing incident at the Welsh port leading to hull damage on the same day of the replacement vessel's deployment on the Ireland-Wales route. The incident affected other ferries, among them Irish Ferries W.B. Yeats, which was delayed by some 7 hours before it could berth at the port on Anglesey yesterday evening. Above the terminal’s (T5) berth, closed since December for repairs, and on the right, the (T3) berth, where the latest incident took place, has since reopened.

Port of Holyhead ‘Reopens’ after Ferry Berthing Incident

8th January 2026 Stena Line

The Port of Holyhead, North Wales, reopened yesterday (7Jan) evening after a "berthing incident" involving a Stena Line ferry, which closed the facility earlier that day. The incident at the port’s 2-berth ferry terminal was confirmed by Stena Line, which…