#ExtraCapacity - Oscar Wilde (1987/31,914gt) is set to boost capacity on the Dublin-Holyhead route to faciltate passenger demand over the busy Christmas period when extra sailings begin this weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie the French routes cruiseferry with capacity for 1,458 passengers, 730 cars and 90 trucks, is to cover the Ireland-Wales route over the festive period with sailings also extending into the early New Year.

The additional capacity by Irish Ferries comes in direct competition with Stena Line, who for the first time have a larger second ship in service thanks to the ‘Superfast X’ introduced earlier this year in March.

Oscar Wilde is nearing the end of seasonal French duties for 2015 as the final Rosslare-Cherbourg is tonight. The return leg from France will see Oscar Wilde at the Wexford port on 18 December. A second seasonal route also operated by the cruiseferry and again from Roscoff to Roscoff ceased in mid-September. 

The 1987 built former Scandinavian ferry, Kronprins Harald of Color Line, was introduced on the Ireland-France services two decades later, having replaced Normandy. On her return to Rosslare this Friday, Oscar Wilde heads northbound to reposition in Dublin Port by making the short sea passage off the Leinster coast with an arrival in the capital on Saturday morning.

Later that same day on 19 December, Oscar Wilde will begin her roster on the Dublin route with a 14.05 sailing bound for Holyhead. She will join the company’s route fleetmates in the form of the flagship Ulysses, fast-craft Jonathan Swift, the only high-speed craft to operate a year-round service between Ireland and the UK mainland in 2015. 

In addition, Irish Ferries on the Dublin-Holyhead route have capacity in the form of the chartered Visentini built ro-pax, Epsilon. This routine third vessel is also utilized by Irish Ferries to still maintain a year-round option on French operations despite withdrawal of ‘Oscar’s' continental services. As at weekends, Epsilon provides a round-trip Dublin-Cherbourg service in between weekday duties on the Welsh route. 

The deployment of Oscar Wilde on the core Irish Sea route is the second successive year that Irish Ferries have had four ferries on the Dublin-Holyhead route during Christmas. In the case of 2014, it was the Isle of Inishmore (1997/34,031gt) with more capacity than the Oscar Wilde that assisted capacity during the festive season having transferred from her Rosslare-Pembroke role. 

Sailings on the southern corridor route were covered by the Oscar following the end of French services that season.