Stena Line acquires direct route from Ireland to France
European ferry giant Stena Line has acquired yet another ferry operation. This time it's the Irish-owned Celtic Link, which operates from Rosslare to the French port of Cherbourg.
Celtic Link currently provides a three-times-a-week service between Ireland and France with the Cantiere Navale Visentini-built Ro-Pax 'Celtic Horizon', which can accommodate 1,000 passengers, 200 cars and 120 freight units. It is the profile of this ship and its route that makes it ideal for Stena's new direction as a primarily freight orientated operator.
Commenting on the acquisition, Stena Line route manager Ian Davies said the Rosslare-Cherbourg route was a key strategic investment for Stena Line, and one which would provide opportunities for long-term trade and tourism between Ireland, France and beyond – especially with confidence in the Irish economy strengthening.
Stena Line anticipates it will take over the running of the service with effect from March 31.
Visentini Ro-Pax vessels have already been a feature of the European ferry industry over the past decade, but in the past year or so there has been unprecedented movement of these versatile ships.
Through an acquisition of the DFDS Belfast-Birkenhead operation, Stena Line inherited and then purchased two of these vessels, the 'Stena Lagan' and the 'Stena Mersey'. They underwent a significant refurbishment at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast to bring them into line with the standards of the Stena Line fleet. Each ship accommodates 980 passengers (with over 120 four-berth cabins) and provides excellent freight capacity of approximately 2,660 lane metres.
In January 2011, DFDS Seaways closed the Birkenhead-Dublin route and one of two Visentini ships there, the 'Dublin Seaways', was sold to Stena and renamed 'Stena Feronia'. That ship currently provides refit cover on the Stena Line route network. Other Visentini vessels now owned by Stena are the 'Norman Voyager', 'Norman Asturias', and the 'Stena Flavia'.
Still with me? On February 7, Brittany Ferries announced that they had chartered the 'Norman Voyager' and as from the end of March she would operate an economy service on the Le Havre, Portsmouth and Santander crossing. She was originally operated by LD Lines and sailed on her maiden voyage between Rosslare and Le Havre in November 2008, operating in competition with Celtic Link. LD didn't stay on the service for long, and in 2009 they chartered the ship to Celtic Link to replace the vessel 'Diplomat'. She went back to LD Lines in 2011, and subsequently started operating between Marseille and Tunis under the French flag.
Later in 2011, the 'Norman Voyager' moved to the Portsmouth-Le Havre run before being sold in 2012 to Stena Ro-Ro. Since February 2013, she has operated on charter by DFDS Seaways between Portsmouth and Le Havre. Soon to be renamed the 'Étretat', she will continue to serve Portsmouth to Le Havre on Monday to Friday, She will also run a weekly return crossing from Portsmouth to the Spanish port of Santander.
Back at Rosslare, the 'Celtic Horizon' will no doubt be renamed 'Stena Horizon' or similar. She was built in 2006 as the 'Cartour Beta' and entered service on charter to Sicilian ferry operator Caronte and Tourist between Salerno and Messina until replaced by a new ship in May 2011. Her sister ship, 'Cartour Epsilon', recently entered service between Dublin and Holyhead on charter to Irish Ferries. At weekends she offers a direct Dublin to Cherbourg round trip, crossing the wake of her one-time running partner.
Add into the mix LD Line's latest attempt at the Irish market; running from the French port of Saint Nazaire to Rosslare and linking into the company's subsidised route to Gijon. This service commenced in January 2014 using the 'Norman Atlantic', on charter from, yes, you've guessed it – Stena!
Finally, another LD Line Visentini Ro-Pax on charter from Stena is the 'Norman Asturias'. She runs between Poole and Santander and on February 3 she commenced a weekly service on the Poole to Gijon route.
Given the present economic situation the scale of Stena's investment in its Visentini fleet has been impressive and a real statement of confidence in its new routes.
'Silja Festival's' new role
What I have long considered to be the most handsome of those Baltic super-ferries of the 1980s and 1990s, the majestic 'Silja Festival', has arrived in Vancouver for a refit which will transform her into an accommodation ship.
When complete, the ship will sail to northern British Columbia where she will house 600 people working on the multi-billion dollar upgrades to the Rio Tinto Alcan aluminium smelter. The 171-metre ship, which will be renamed the Delta Spirit Lodge, has been leased by Bridgemans Services and the Haisla Nation. Rio Tinto's current work camp is already full and there's shortage of rental homes in Kitimat. The community is booming with growth in resource industries, and its population could explode if several proposed LNG projects are approved.
SNCM on the brink
French ferry line SNCM continues to make headlines, the latest surrounding a shareholder agreement (or lack of one, rather) regarding an order for two new ships with an option for the construction of two more.
The first unit is expected in 2016 and is part of a plan to restructure and re-launch the French company. The Italian builder Fincantieri is among the shipyards competing to win the contract for the four new ships, as are the German firm FSG and the STX France shipyard in Saint Nazaire. Shareholder Veolia prefers to see the end of the company, thereby paving the way for a phoenix to arise from the spoils.
Image Source: Mattsudds/Wikimedia ('Celtic Horizon')
