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Messages - hhvferry

#16
The News Board / Re: Stena Edda
May 21, 2021, 08:45:55 PM
They are twin-level drive-through on the freight decks but the passenger car deck is astern of the accommodation, isn't drive-through and is accessed via ramp from the upper freight deck. Although things seem to move pretty quickly from what I've seen they aren't entirely free of waiting and occasional reversing around the upper deck if they want you in a particular corner.
The rest of the ships are quite beautiful though so worth any minor car deck issues.
#17
The News Board / Re: P&O Fleet Movements
April 28, 2021, 09:04:18 PM
Quote from: ferryfan on April 28, 2021, 03:45:28 PM
Confirmed by P&O Burgundy will resume services in a move designed to "take back market leadership on a principal UK_EU trade route" and in response to the start of Irish Ferries sailings.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent-business/county-news/ferry-returns-to-cross-channel-route-246309/
What a shambles it is that they ever managed to lose their market leadership. There has been some serious business negligence that it's got to this point.
#18
The News Board / Re: Irish Ferries Fleet movements
April 21, 2021, 08:10:16 AM
Quote from: pdnr777 on April 20, 2021, 07:31:52 PM
Does anyone know what service is like onboard the blue star 1 ferry on the Pembroke to rosslare route. Is there a club class lounge too???
She didn't have a premium lounge in her previous guise but the IF website indicates they are offering one. I guess the forward lounge is the most likely space for it.
#20
Quote from: CH1 on March 26, 2021, 09:09:19 AM
I guess that this new service will start effectively with Irish Ferries buying or chartering ex-Calais Seaways, which is due to cease service with DFDS in June 2021.
I can't see why DFDS would sell or charter her  to Irish Ferries to use against them.
#21
Quote from: Chef on March 25, 2021, 09:44:03 AM
Quote from: admin on March 25, 2021, 09:02:17 AM
Quote from: Chef on March 25, 2021, 07:03:43 AM
How come , it appears to be running the same way on both sides as it should !

A logo like that should always appear the same no matter what the direction of travel, so the flag should slope up from left to right.
So on Blue Star it is showing as a flag would look from both sides, and on the rest of the fleet it's showing as a logo should , correct !
Either the person painting has a great understanding of how these things should work or they just painted it wrong.

Either way it's always nice to see logos reversed on the funnel markings on one side so both sides reflect forward movement or both point forward. As well as BR/Sealink, P&O and Brittany Ferries used to do this and it was a nice quirky feature of their liveries.
#23
The News Board / Re: Irish Ferries Fleet movements
February 09, 2021, 07:09:47 PM
Here's a quick look around the Mega Express Four - she's a bright, colourful ship whose primary market is people heading on holiday to Corsica:

http://hhvferry.com/blog/?p=7221
#24
The News Board / Re: Irish Ferries Fleet movements
February 06, 2021, 02:19:34 PM
Quote from: IFPete on February 06, 2021, 12:11:59 PM
Mega Express 4 has more lane metres than Oscar Wilde had.

She was modified to increase her cabin capacity from 1950 LM to 1400 LM.

She is a sister of the Brittany Ferries Vessel Cap Finist?re.
No, the only real relationship she has with Cap Finistere is her original owners and their funnel design - this is the ex-Superfast II and the first two prototype Superfasts were rather different in lots of ways - less evolved hull shape, different shipyard, different interior designers, rather less opulent and less extensive passenger facilities.

Since then Corsica Ferries have bolted on the new accommodation blocks (Spirit of Tasmania added the nasty little conservatory type thing on the upper deck) and overall there's very little you would identify as common in the passenger spaces between her and ships like the Superfast V, VII, VIII and X which have sailed on Irish routes before.
Still, she is quite tidy on board but largely fitted out in Corsica Ferries' corporate style which has barely evolved over the past 40 years.

As built they had decent freight capacity and the ship had facility for twin level loading, which have never been used as none of her operators have ever sailed anywhere with the required ramps so own her internal ramps have always been used to get to the upper vehicle deck. The early refit with Corsica Ferries built cabins, reclining seat lounges and a new reception area into the aft upper vehicle deck which now means, at the stern, single level loading is the only option. I've not seen her bow visor operational for years and years but, as far as I can tell, it could plausibly work and there's nothing to suggest the upper vehicle deck door forward couldn't be made to work either - unless her owners have made modifications which mean this isn't possible. Best guess is she operates as a stern-only loader.

My point on compatibility with ramps is that this ship for almost all her career has operated to ports without linkspans, she just presents her on-board ramp to the quayside and parks up. As a comparison the Superfast X had her bow and stern access equipment rebuilt when she was on the Dover-Calais run which made her easily compatible for the Holyhead route. For a brief charter obviously they won't do that but they may need to tinker with things to make her fit properly, similar to what, if anything, the Epsilon has had done to her.
#25
The News Board / Re: Irish Ferries Fleet movements
February 05, 2021, 09:05:04 PM
Quote from: ferryfan on February 05, 2021, 04:24:03 PM
NIFERRY reporting that IF are to charter Mega Express 4 from Corsica ferries expected arrival by end of next week
https://www.niferry.co.uk/irish-ferries-to-charter-corsican-ferry/
The most interesting charter for a few years!
She's a big, big passenger ship now but still has decent freight meterage.

Interesting to see if they need to make any modifications to make her fit the berths.

I assume IF have done their homework and she won't encounter any regulatory or inspection difficulties when she arrives.
#26
The News Board / Re: Brexit
January 12, 2021, 04:11:57 PM
Quote from: ferryfan on January 12, 2021, 04:06:32 PM
Meanwhile customs officers busy confiscating sandwiches and other foodstuffs from drivers arriving from the UK into Europe which action seems to be really p*ssing off the right wing pro brexit media who promoted it.
It's amazing to see Leavers bemoaning other nations asserting their sovereignty and asserting their laws. They were told this would happen and it pretty much had to happen under the Hard Brexit their government chose.
#27
Discussion Board / Re: Investment at Rosslare Europort
December 31, 2020, 06:45:57 PM
Quote from: giftgrub on December 31, 2020, 05:18:55 PM
Image of Rosslare posted online by The Coffee Dock Rosslare Harbour
Brilliant photo.
Has the port ever had this many ships present before?
#28
The News Board / Re: Stena Line fleet movements
December 10, 2020, 09:39:23 PM
Anyone know if this affects the previously-announced change to the Stena Horizon's schedule?
The press release for the Foreteller suggests six round trips a week would be offered but for the two ships to operate in tandem they would both need to be on a rolling timetable (i.e. seven round trips) unless the Horizon change has been reversed?
#29
The Merrion Lounge / Re: Sinking of the Estonia
October 05, 2020, 06:06:48 PM
Quote from: A83 on October 05, 2020, 09:39:06 AM
The  Estonia went down on a stormy night in the Baltic 26 years ago. It was said at the time that the storm ripped the bow doors off,  a pretty alarming thought. However new research suggests that there is another explanation. See the article below

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/04/maybe-now-well-get-some-answers-film-maker-challenges-official-story-of-estonia-ferry-disaster
The reality is it didn't provide anything new and the conspiracy theories continue to be riddled with illogicalities. The disaster was unimaginable but the cause most probably wasn't.
#30
The News Board / Re: P&O
October 02, 2020, 06:18:24 AM
Quote from: ferryfan on October 01, 2020, 11:01:57 AM
P&O are to close their HUll to Zeebrugge route according to local media (Hull Live).The two vessels on the route Prides of York and Bruges both built in 1987 are to be scrapped. It is also being rumoured that two other of their channel fleet are also to be disposed of.
No reason to think they will definitely be scrapped although it's a tough time for operators looking to buy new tonnage and they aren't in great condition.

With the demise of the Pride of York there won't be a significant UK-built passenger ship sailing from this country for what must be the first time in about 300 years  :-\