Stena Line Ferries News

A boom in car-cations traveling with Stena Line has seen an increase in the number of motorists and notably the most striking rise is found on the Irish Sea

Booming ‘Car-Cations’ at Stena Line As Passengers Opt for Ferries to Avoid Flight Disruptions

4th August 2022 Stena Line

Stena Line has seen their business bounce back in Ireland and Britain in 2022 as figures for the first half of the year show passenger numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels, while car numbers in particular are far higher than…

Stena Europe has been transferred to the Dublin to Holyhead route

Operator Stena Line Forced to Suspend Rosslare-Fishguard Route to Plug Gap Left by P&O in Larne

5th April 2022 Stena Line

Ferry company Stena Line has been forced to suspend sailings between Rosslare and Fishguard until 12 April, to plug gap left by P&O Ferries between Larne and Cairnryan. As ITV news reports, P&O’s two ships – the European Causeway and…

Additional capacity from Stena Line is to see an increase of sailings on their North Channel service between Belfast Harbour (as above) and Cairnryan on the N.I.- Scotland link, while P&O's route out of Larne remains suspended for almost a week.

Extra Sailings Added On Stena Line's Northern Ireland-Scotland Service While P&O Route Remains Suspended

22nd March 2022 Stena Line

Operator Stena Line which has a ferry route on the North Channel, has said it will put on extra services between Northern Ireland and Scotland from Tuesday, reports the Belfast Telegraph. The UK’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed the news in…

Stena Line’s Super-Ferries on UK-Netherlands Route Complete €1m Makeover

23rd February 2022 Stena Line

Swedish ferry company Stena Line which operates its largest ferries on the North Sea, the Stena Britannica and Stena Hollandica have completed a €1m refit to provide brand new onboard facilities. The Super Ferries each with a capacity for 1,200 passengers,…

Former Irish Sea route ferry, Stena Nordica today returned to the Dublin-Holyhead service so to provide cover of routine annual dry-dock overhauls on the Irish Sea. The ropax has been widely used by the operator across its route network to include Baltic Sea service and on charters elsewhere.

Former Irish Sea Ropax Returns from Scandinavia Service to Provide Cover During Dry-Dockings

14th February 2022 Stena Line

On Stena Line's Dublin Port-Holyhead service today, a ropax that served the Ireland-Wales route has returned following a repositioning voyage from Scandinavia so to provide cover on the Irish Sea during routine annual dry-dock overhauls, writes Jehan Ashmore. Stena Nordica…

New route: Gothenburg based Stena Line opened its first (freight) Sweden-Finland route between Nynäshamn and Hanko. The new Baltic Sea route accommodates an increasing demand from freight customers for a seamless link with operations starting this month by Urd with sister Stena Gothica (above) joining in May. Afloat adds the Urd, the one time Sealink British Ferries operated Seafreight Highway served Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead albeit briefly in 1988 before the Ireland-Wales route operated by the Finnish-built HSS Stena Explorer fastcraft ferry made its final crossing in 2014.

Swedish Owned Stena Line Sets Sail for the First Time to Finland

11th February 2022 Stena Line

Swedish owned Stena Line opened its first ever (Afloat adds, albeit freight-only) route to Finland with the first sailing of the Nynäshamn-Hanko route taking place on the 1st February. The ro-ro Urd (former Seafreight Highway on the Irish Sea) departed…

TOP SHIP: Stena Estrid, leadship of the E-Flexer class with crew seen on the uppermost vehicle deck. The ro-pax ferry which entered service in 2020 to serve Dublin-Holyhead, has since also served temporarily on almost all of the operators Irish Sea routes as well as Rosslare-Cherbourg.

Customers Crown Stena Estrid As 'Top Ship' Serving Dublin-Holyhead & Other Routes

8th February 2022 Stena Line

One of Stena Line’s newest ships Stena Estrid, which Afloat adds is their leadship E-Flexer class ferry serving on the Dublin-Holyhead route, has been crowned ‘Top Ship’ by the ferry company’s customers. Not only it is Top Ship on the Irish…

The Stena Europe (at the Co. Wexford ferryport) which covers the Rosslare to Fishguard route. Afloat adds the veteran vessel built in 1982 is the oldest ferry in Stena Line's (Irish Sea) fleet and within the operator's overall fleet of passenger/freight ships.

Operator Quashes Rumours of Plans to Downsize Rosslare-Fishguard Route

7th February 2022 Stena Line

The ferry operator Stena Line has moved to quash rumours of any downgrading of their service on the Rosslare-Fishguard route. Rumours had been rife on industry websites that the long-serving Stena Europe was to be replaced permanently with the smaller…

Ian Davies, boss of Stena Line’s UK ports, said Holyhead (above) and Fishguard have both been affected. Both ports Afloat adds are operated by Stena Line Ports Ltd.

Stena's Ferry Ports in Wales Report 30% Fall in traffic Due to Brexit, Says Operator's Boss

24th January 2022 Stena Line

Stena's ferry ports in Wales have seen a 30% fall in traffic as a result of Brexit a shipping operator has said. Ian Davies, boss of Stena Line’s UK ports, said the decline seen in Holyhead and Fishguard was because…

Stena Line launches recruitment drive on its Irish Sea ferry routes

Stena Line Launch Recruitment Campaign Across Irish Sea Routes

20th January 2022 Stena Line

Stena Line has launched its first national recruitment campaign in a bid to fill up to 60 vacancies onboard its ships across its Irish Sea routes. This is the first time Stena Line has launched a major recruitment campaign of…

Stena Line & Associated British Ports Sign £100M Deal for New Ferry Terminal at the Port of Immingham

19th January 2022 Stena Line

Stena Line and Associated British Ports (ABP) have entered into an agreement to jointly develop a new freight terminal at the Port of Immingham in the Humber region. The £100M agreement will see the Swedish ferry company operate the new…

The past couple of years have been seismic for the port of Holyhead, which Stena Line owns and operates. Above, Afloat adds the freight check-in booths including those for rival operator, Irish Ferries at the north Wales port on Anglesey.

How Has Wales' Biggest Port Town of Holyhead Coped With Brexit One Year On

2nd January 2022 Stena Line

Holyhead as Welsh towns go has had to reckon with more upheaval than most. The largest town on the Isle of Anglesey is home to just over 10,000 people but is also one of the UK's largest commercial and ferry…

Brexit Booster: In response to change in demand, the larger Stena Foreteller is to be deployed to the popular Belfast-Birkenhead (Liverpool) route adding a much needed additional 13% freight capacity.

Boost in Freight Capacity As Stena Line Add Larger Ship on Belfast-Birkenhead (Liverpool) Route

20th December 2021 Stena Line

Ferry company Stena Line has once again realigned its NI freight services to better reflect market demand created by Brexit related trade distortions. To accommodate this change in demand, the operator has redeployed its larger Stena Foreteller ship to the…

Storm Barra: The historic breakwater at the north Wales port has been badly hit by Storm Arwen and Storm Barra. Afloat adds the Holyhead Port Authority is operated by Stena Line Ports.

Holyhead Breakwater: Stena Close after Battering from Storms Leaves Too Unsafe for Public Access

13th December 2021 Stena Line

The Port of Holyhead's breakwater has been closed by Stena after recent storms have left it too unsafe for public access. The historic breakwater - that protects Holyhead port - has been badly hit by Storm Arwen and Storm Barra.…

Stena Line in early 2022 is to launch into the Finnish market with a new Baltic Sea linking Swedan using Urd, a former Irish Sea freight ferry that served the Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead route. The Italian built freighter was the largest ever to serve the Ireland-Wales route when supporting the passenger car ferry St. Columba which too is in the news as the stalwart having served almost 20 years latterly with Stena until 1996, has finally gone to the shipbreakers in Pakistan last month.

Swedish Operator Stena Line to Enter Finnish Market With Former Irish Sea Freight Ferry

9th December 2021 Stena Line

Another Finnish port in the news (see story) involves Hanko from where Stena Line is to enter the Nordic state's market with a new Baltic Sea route to Nynäshamn in Sweden, the operator's homecountry, writes Jehan Ashmore. The new Sweden-Finland route…

Brexit Impact: The ferry firm said that trade between Wales and Ireland is around 30% down on previous years. Above Stena Europe berthed at Fishguard in south Wales which links Rosslare.

Operator Stena Line Remains 'Committed' to Welsh Ports Despite Brexit Slump in Freight Trade

3rd December 2021 Stena Line

Ferry firm Stena Line says its remains "committed" to Holyhead and Fishguard ports despite a slump in trade after Brexit. As BusinessLive reports, the UK's exit from the EU has seen trade diverted away from both the ports - with…