Messages

When I was onboard the Stena Europe last year, I was told by an onboard officer that despite new ferries ordered that they need to keep the Europe for a couple of more years, because it has been told in the Swedish media that the new Halmstad-Grenå route might have a second ship added, so the scenario could be that they use the Superfast X on that route, or that Europe is replaced on the Fishguard route and will head over to Halmstad instead sailing alongside Stena Nautica. Another speculation suggests that Stena Nautica and Europe might even swap routes with each other next year already... But even if Europe is my favorite vessel, does Stena need more old timers there when they have a lot of them sailing in Scandinavia yet??

Talking about Stena Saga, Danica, Nautica, Vision/Spirit that are well beyond their 30's now. And you can notice that Stena Vision is becoming more unreliable now then ever before...

Saw photos at Instagram where I could see that they also have mounted a new sign with the Stena Europe name on it on deck 10, exactly the same style as the Stena Vision/Spirit and the Britannica/Hollandica.

Explains why the old nameplate on deck 10 was gone later on.

Seems it's way more than just TLC, saw pictures that the second flapse of the stern ramps will be going, similar like the Normandy had, and that they seem to prepare for the MES as well.

To be honest, i think the Dutch ferries will stay on the Hook-Harwich route for a very long time.

But there has been a rumour from a friend of mine, who works for Stena Line. The rumour is that when Stena Line will move down to Halmstad from Varberg they might need a ferry with a bigger passenger and freight capacity and a bit more cabins when sailing from Halmstad to Grenå in Denmark in 2019, and the source say that Stena Europe might replace the Nautica on the Grenå route and the Nautica would be transferred to Fishguard instead....

Decision done! Stena Line will move out of Varberg in 2019

https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/halland/klart-stena-flyttar-fran-varberg

With that i am pretty sure we can see some ship movements/fleet change in a while...

Some talk of Superfast VII and VIII for Gothenburg-Frederikshavn as replacements for Stena Dancia and Jutlandica.

Shippax is speculating about this.  I doubt this will happen.

My thoughts are more like this, doubt it myself but:
If Fishguard is getting a double linkspan and Stena Europe is getting a life extension as well as the Danica, that could mean Fishguard might be getting one of the Superfasts and that Stena would transfer the Europe to replace Jutlandica on the Göteborg-Frederikshavn, which the Jutlandica would sail along with the Stena Nautica if they will move the Grenå route further south to Halmstad due to the need of dropping the port of Varberg, because Stena Line did announce on social media that they might be putting a second ferry on that route if they will move away from Varberg

Exciting times ahead though

Most likely the work will be carried out at Rementowa in Gdansk. Stena have worked with them a lot before.

I doubt any contract is signed but the previous poster suggested somewhere warm like Gibraltar, which isn't Gdansk which also isn't warm (except in summer).

Stena Line docks vessels in Gdansk as well no matter which time of the year. I wonder what will be done to the interior though like the MET, cabins etc.., and that this might be the end of the classic liferafts as a previous post told that they are introducing the MES, wouldn't be surprised though as the Stena Saga, Danica, Vision and Spirit also got their rafts removed and replaced by MES. Exciting times ahead though...

I think that was a little bit expected that they want to keep Europe going for a further more years, i am referring to the big works that have been done on the other 80's ferries that Stena Line is using:
Stena Saga: Complete new SPA
Stena Danica in 2016: New propellers, done twice though???, in 2018: new outlet clothing store to take place at the stern of deck 8, new restaurants, bars etc....

Might have missed something though ::)

Decided to take o daytrip to Denmark with the Stena Danica today.

Very well looked after and maintained and a big pleasure to sail on, but however age is catching up with her and that says she will need to be dry docked shortly, you can clearly see that rust is starting to show on parts of railings and around some windows like the Europe, looks way better with the MES installed though and almost all life rafts removed as well.

I can only say if that is true, HURRAY!! Believe me, i really like the Stena Europe most of all, and prefer the 80's ferries that Stena uses

Wouldn't surprise me if they want to keep it and modernise it with new new systems to keep it alive for many more years. For example like the MES though like they did with Stena Danica, Saga, Vision/Spirit. Think that they must have seen benefits from their colleagues to replace the life rafts.

New look Stena Europe, almost completed refit

https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottmackey/31479560554/in/photolist-PXJYC3-R4ybK4-R1McdS-RaABHL-QZ4bzY-PTjqp7-RaFvYZ-RaFvSX-QZ88MV-QWutAE-QWutqj-QWutkj-PTjpy9-PTjpt9-R7hcds-R7hc51-R7hbX7-QWusvy-QWuskU-R7hbob-PKX2Lq-R2y5Rx-QYpcSc-R5FQaQ-QSquaN-PLNrMT-QprCss-QLBVce-QX5pRF-QLwBhM-QHSPvd-QX1pE6-QHSMSd-QnSr1S-PFfyqB-PFfydn-PFfxXT-PFfxQD-QkqYxo-QDsZ6X-QAY4ug-QyEyNV-PL3np2-QMFRZD-PByRyU-QjK43f-QEM2rN-QfKLDf-PxviQU-QJZRye

I did ask one of the crew members on the Stena Europe when i took a trip this summer, and he said that probably the Stena Europe along with one of the oldest ferries in Scandinavia which he thinks will be the Stena Danica will be replaced in 2019. But the question is, will they be day or night time ferries??? No specs on how many cabins and beds?

Stena Spirit is off until 6th, was supposed to travel with the Vision yesterday evening but was asked if I wanted to sail with it during the morning instead from Karlskrona to Gdynia, covering Friday's spirit sale from Gdynia during the evening the same day.

Stena Vision is however a rust bucket on the outside now, will need a proper refit soon, think that it will be the 30th anniversary for her, still having the "Making good time" logo there yet.

Sailed on Europe this year in June, always a pleasure doing that. :)

Already she has got rust around the windows, but when i sailed on her last year in Nov, i noticed much less rusting around the windows, my thoughts are then that the H&W maybe have done a better quality job comparing to the Falmouth A&P. But noticed some more maintenance and painting going on when it comes to the rails and so on on the decks, makes me happy to see that. Think this is a real quality build, not too much engine noise comparing to some other newer vessels. I wish i would see it on the Gothenburg-Frederikshavn again replacing the Jutlandica.

Going Off Topic now: have a friend that works onboard the Stena Danica, tells me that he and the freinds(crew) love the vessel but it is starting to feel a bit pain in the a** when it comes to the needed maintenance, some days on the low seasons when not sailing in the morning, it's mostly to maintain it almost all day. It has been drydocked pretty recent in Frederikshavn to replace the propellers(AGAIN) and some more painting, but when i drove past it i noticed that the front of the vessel also has some smaller rust in the bow... Sailed on it in May when i also heard some crew member mutter about things needing fixing very often. But i like it most of all ferries in Gothenburg, when going to Denmark on a day trip for example, i rather go on an old bucket than sailing on the boring Jutlandica that some people call it the "half sister" to the Isle of Inishmore...

My thoughts on this all: sail with the Stena Europe, don't forget while on a visit in Sweden maybe for example to take a trip on the Danica, Spirit and Vision while they are still on route!! Remember that in 2018 ALL Stena's 80's ships will be 30 years and older, which means years, months and days are being counted :(

Fastcrafts are history within Stena fleet shortly, look att the Stena Carisma HSS 900 that ran between Gothenburg and Frederikshavn. It has been laid up in the Gothenburg port for 3 years now... And it might as well be withdrawn completely soon.

If i am gonna be more realistic. Maybe Jutlandica and Europe could switch routes with each other maybe... After all, the Scanrail was replaced by Ask/Stena Gothica built in 1982...  And freight volumes wouldn't be so much lower with Stena Europe instead when the most of the freight is being transported with the Gothica like nowdays...

My thoughts are that this will be the end for Stena Europe, Danica etc. In other words, the 80's vessels are being swapped now