#FrenchFerry- Cork-Rosscoff is the shortest route to France and Brittany Ferries will open the 2013 season in a month's time with sailings served by the luxury cruiseferry Pont-Aven.

Connections to Cork have improved with M7 and M8 motorways, with driving times from Dublin just 2.5 hours and from Belfast taking 4.5 hours.

Brittany Ferries have a range of cottages, apartments and chalet camping in Brittany, Western Loire or beyond.Until the end of the month, savings of 15% can be made on holiday accommodation and 15% on sailings. But hurry, the offer to save twice must book by 28 February.

Sailings begin on 23 March from Ringaskiddy ferryport and operate on Saturdays with an afternoon departure.

For further details on this offer visit: www.brittanyferries.ie/holidays/2013-holiday-offer

#HSSisBack–The HSS Stena Explorer fastcraft is back on the Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead route and Stena Line have a 'super spring sale' giving customers the opportunity to save up to 20% off its lowest fares.

The offer is available for travel up until 30 June from Dublin-Holyhead, Rosslare-Fishguard and on the Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead seasonal-only service.

Diane Poole Head of Stena PR and Communications said: "With Easter just around the corner and school holidays, we're offering customers the chance to enjoy a short break without breaking the bank".

The sale which starts with a lowest fare of €89* single (see web for T&A) for car and driver is now available every day of the week allowing people to save up to 20% on travel when they book by 28 February.

The HSS will operate one departure from Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead daily during this season, for information on the Spring sale and more visit: www.stenaline.ie/sale

#FerryBackUp – Freight ferry Stena Scotia (1996/13,017grt) docked in Dublin Port yesterday for 'berthing trials' and is to provide extra capacity for freight customers next week, writes Jehan Ashmore.

She is a replacement to the damaged chartered ferry Finnarrow, which as previously reported has since reached Scotland, with a tug berthing in Greenock.

The Dutch flagged Stena Scotia (capacity: 114 trailer units) will start freight-sailings next Monday (25 February) to Holyhead, where the 12-driver-accompanied vessel had called en-route yesterday also for berthing trials, having made an overnight passage from Belfast.

It was at the Anglesey port last weekend, where an incident involved the Finnarrow's stabilisers that led to cancelled sailings.

Stena Scotia will run in tandem with ro-pax Stena Adventurer (which takes passengers) on the Dublin route. There will also be additional passenger back-up with fastcraft HSS Stena Explorer sailings on the Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead route.

All passengers are advised to call Stena Line ferrycheck number 08705 755 755, for the most up-to-date information on sailings for 'foot' and those that are 'vehicle-only' by clicking this LINK.

The other regular Dublin route serving ro-pax Stena Nordica is as previously reported on refit cover on the North Channel and is expected to return to service on 19 March.

Stena Scotia (and sister 'Hibernia') had been lying idle in Belfast since September, having been replaced by larger chartered tonnage in the form of newbuild sisters, Stena Performance and Stena Precision.

The pair (from a quartet of newbuilds built last year) operate Stena's Belfast-Heysham freight service, following a short career starting off on the Irish Sea for operators Seatruck.

She has seen a succession of name changes in recent years, as Scotia Seaways under the navy blue colours of DFDS Seaways during a brief entry into the Irish Sea market in 2010.
Before that, she sported the pale blue livery scheme under Maersk / Norfolkline North Sea service as the Maersk Exporter completed in 1996.

#FinnishFerry –Following an inspection of Finnarrow due to a 'stabiliser incident' in Holyhead at the weekend, the chartered Finnish ferry requires further attention. The 25,996 tonnes vessel, having departed Anglesey today with a tug bound for Scotland, writes Jehan Ashmore.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Stena Line yesterday reactivated the fastcraft HSS Stena Explorer, with an earlier than planned opening of the Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead, a seasonal-only operated service which otherwise would not resume until late March.

In the meantime Stena Explorer is providing back-up operations for passengers, in the absence of Finnarrow sailings on the Dublin Port-Holyhead route. A second route ferry, Stena Adventurer, is as usual maintaining sailings on the Dublin Port-Holyhead route.

Passengers due to travel with Stena Line should note the 'latest' information on sailing times. In addition passengers should take particular note of certain sailings for 'foot' passengers and  'vehicle-only' sailings. For information visit: www.stenaline.ie/ferry/latest-sailing-information/

The 'Adventurer's fleetmate Stena Nordica firstly headed for the St. Georges Channel route, having been replaced on the Dublin route by the chartered Finnarrow in late January.

Stena Nordica is currently running Belfast-Cairnryan sailings, while the 'Superfast' sisters each take turns for annual maintenance at Harland & Wolff, Belfast.

#FrenchRoute-Irish Ferries set sail for France today on board cruiseferry Oscar Wilde, which launches the 2013 season with a night-time departure on the Rosslare-Cherbourg route.

Irish Ferries are currently offering a fare from €99 car & driver & reserved seat. The price includes all taxes if booked at least 10 days in advance of travel date.

Oscar Wilde made her debut on the continental service in 2007, she has extensive passenger facilities and a wide choice of cabin accommodation, having served in Scandinavian waters with Color Line.

She recently returned to Rosslare, fresh from annual maintenance carried out at the Cammell Laird dry-dock facility in Birkenhead. In May the Rosslare-Roscoff route resumes a peak-season operated service.

#FerryCompetition – English Channel passengers and freight customers could face increased prices following Eurotunnel's acquisition of ferry operator, SeaFrance (Dover-Calais) the Competition Commission (CC) has provisionally found.

According to a summary of the CC's provisional findings published today, by adding ferry services to its existing Channel Tunnel business, Eurotunnel would significantly increase its already high share of the cross-Channel market and prices would rise.

The CC also found that Eurotunnel decided to acquire the SeaFrance ferries in order to prevent ferry operator DFDS/LD from buying them. Eurotunnel was concerned that if DFDS/LD obtained the assets cheaply, it could drive down prices for customers. For more on this story, from the UK's Competition Commission, click HERE.

#FerryDisruption - According to ITV Wales, there was an incident on board the Finnarrow, a ferry on charter to Stena Line, while berthing in Holyhead at the weekend.

Stena Line has confirmed the incident at the Welsh port on Saturday, occured as the ferry was berthing after a sailing from Dublin Port, which involved the ships stabilisers. All 77 passengers and 43 crew were evacuated and the vessel was safely berthed.

The vessel is currently docked in Holyhead undergoing inspections and will remain out of service for the immediate future. Since then sailings by the Finnarrow have been cancelled.

Passengers due to travel on Stena Line's Holyhead-Dublin Port route also operated by the Stena Adventurer, will be accommodated on alternative sailings.

Afloat.ie adds that the HSS fastcraft Stena Explorer is to make an earlier than expected return to the Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead route tomorrow (19 February) so to cover the chartered Finnarrow's sailings, until further notice.

The HSS fastcraft will operate a daily single round-trip service, departing Holyhead at 10.30hrs and from Dun Laoghaire departing at 15.05hrs.

#SightseeingCruise- Special river explorer cruises operated by Mersey Ferries are to run this weekend to mark the visit of HMS Illustrious (R06) to Liverpool.

Onboard the river cruises this weekend 16-17 February, between 11am and 4pm (including 4pm cruise), Blue Badge Guides will be giving passengers live commentaries about HMS Illustrious and the aviation history of the Royal Navy.

For further details visit: www.merseyferries.co.uk/content/Cruises/Cruisedates.aspx

#GatheringVoyage- Passengers booked on a Celtic Link Ferries sailing from France one month from today (15 March) in advance of St. Patrick's Day, will be taking advantage of a special €1 euro 'Gathering' fare, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The special offer was an initiative by CLF in this year-long Gathering of events and next month's National Day of festivities.

Celtic Horizon operates three round-trip sailings weekly and among the 27,522 tonnes ro-pax facilities are the Cherbourg Café, Tuskar Lounge and Rosslare Bar. In addition there are a choice of cabin accommodation for the overnight 17-hour crossing between Normandy and Wexford.

Rory McCall, passenger sales manager said "Celtic Link Ferries will ensure that passengers get great value crossings to and from France all year long in 2013. It is only fitting that we give our passengers the best value deal ever between France and Ireland on 15 March".

This month CLF celebrate their eighth year in service, having taken over the route in 2005, following the closure of the service the previous year run by P&O Ferries.

#StraitofDover– Dover's largest ferry operator P&O Ferries have written to the UK Office of Fair Trading, expressing concern over Eurotunnel's inclusion in a final round process to manage French shortsea ports Calais and Boulogne.

The Channel Tunnel operator's move could lead to 'substantial lessening of competition' in shortsea services between the UK and France.

Chief executive of P&O Ferries, Helen Deeble, said a successful bid by the Channel Tunnel operator could lead to a "substantial lessening of competition" in shortsea services between the UK and France.

Calais and Boulogne, owned by the Nord Pas de Calais Chamber of Commerce, comprise two of the three French shortsea ports serving ro-ro traffic out of the UK.

Ms Deeble, who is also the current president of the UK Chamber of Shipping, said a successful Eurotunnel bid would amount to a "relevant merger" within the Enterprise Act 2002, providing grounds for the OFT to investigate.

P&O Ferries, owned by Dubai World, further argues that the ports of Calais and Boulogne "would cease to be distinct from Eurotunnel" and that £70m ($109.8m) of UK derived turnover would be acquired by Eurotunnel.

As a result, said P&O Ferries: "More than 25% of France-based French sea port services for ex-UK ferry traffic is or will be provided by a single entity, Eurotunnel."   

For much more on this story Lloyd's List has a report.