Seems to be running on time now. It's not Stena's responsibility to look after their competitors' freight and passengers. Any of their competitors' freight and passengers they do carry is an added bonus to their bottom line and their reputation at the expense of their competitor. It's a win win situation for them.

Seems to be running on time now. It's not Stena's responsibility to look after their competitors' freight and passengers. Any of their competitors' freight and passengers they do carry is an added bonus to their bottom line and their reputation at the expense of their competitor. It's a win win situation for them.

Win-win apart from the fact that they are a lot busier than usual and are having to turn people away!  That doesn’t help their reputation, and nor do ferries which are rammed full (thus impacting on the passenger experience).

As I said above somewhere, volumes tend to be lower at weekends so it’s hardly surprising things have got back on schedule.  There’s a reason Seatruck for example have less weekend and Monday sailings.  Don’t be surprised if they gradually slip again as the week goes on though.

I just don't follow your logic there. Surely being busy is good for the success of the business. I'm sure any IF passenger who's looked after by Stena would look very favourably on Stena for getting them to where they're going.

I just don't follow your logic there. Surely being busy is good for the success of the business. I'm sure any IF passenger who's looked after by Stena would look very favourably on Stena for getting them to where they're going.

A ferry operating at capacity isn’t necessarily a pleasant place to be, and that’s an experience people will remember regardless of the circumstances.  Short term Stena make a few quid, granted, but that’s it.  Nobody really wins out of situations like this, unless they were sailing with empty vessels anyway.  Trust me, they weren’t.  In any case many passengers only travel once or twice a year.  They are having to turn away freight customers that may travel multiple times a day, every day.  Those customers will be far from happy and are having to search out alternative travel arrangements. Not all freight is booked far in advance after all!  Holyhead is down 16km of freight space no matter what way you look at it.

There’s also the pressure being put on Stenas call centre and customer service teams as well of course.

The HAMMERODDE which is joining the Stena Line fleet soon  as the third ship on Gothenburg- Fredrickshaven is to be renamed as Stena Vinga and will sail alongside the Danica and Jutlandica.


http://www.ferry-site.dk/ferry.php?id=9323699&lang=en

The HAMMERODDE which is joining the Stena Line fleet soon  as the third ship on Gothenburg- Fredrickshaven is to be renamed as Stena Vinga and will sail alongside the Danica and Jutlandica.


http://www.ferry-site.dk/ferry.php?id=9323699&lang=en

Stena Minga more like it ha ha.  Ugly thing

Adventurer running over an hour late (again) leaving Dublin this morning.

Adventurer running over an hour late (again) leaving Dublin this morning.

Not surprised.  She is totally rammed I am told.  Seen some praise online from customers though for how efficiently they are handling the loads.  With no sign of Ulysses coming back until mid-next week let’s hope things continue to run well!

Stena signs order for two additional E-Flexer ships

Europe’s leading ferry company has an option on a further four vessels

Stena has decided to exercise its option to build a seventh and eighth E-Flexer vessel. The two vessels will be deployed within Stena Line’s route network with a planned delivery in 2022. Additionally, Stena RoRo has taken an option on the construction of a further four E-Flexer vessels also to be built at Avic Weihai Shipyard, China.

“We are very pleased to have ordered two additional E-Flexer vessels from Stena RoRo. We foresee increasing demand for freight capacity in Northern Europe and our new vessels fit very well in matching anticipated market developments as we prepare ourselves for further expansion. At this stage we haven’t decided where within our route network these two vessels will be deployed and are currently evaluating several options,” says Niclas Mårtensson, CEO Stena Line.
The new order and the four further options are important milestones for Stena RoRo.

“These vessels are the result of good cooperation between Stena RoRo and the AVIC Weihai Shipyard. With their strong design capabilities, Stena Line will be able to optimise its capacity to accommodate the vessels within most parts of its route network”, says Per Westling, MD Stena RoRo.
As with the previous E-Flexer vessels ordered by Stena, energy efficiency and sustainability will be key design features.

“We want to lead the development of sustainable shipping and set new industry standards when it comes to operational performance, emissions and cost competiveness,” says Niclas Mårtensson.
The two new ships on order will be larger than the three E-Flexer designs currently being built for Stena Line. The first three E-Flexer ships will be 215 meters long with 3 100 lane meters whilst the next two ships will measure 240 meters with a freight capacity of 3 600 lane meters.

“We are building on our successful RoPax concept mixing freight and passenger traffic. Through standardisation we can secure a reliable operation and by investing in tonnage that is flexible we can provide an even better product that will ultimately support our customers and help them to grow”, said Niclas Mårtensson.
A total of eight vessels have now been ordered by Stena from Avic Weihai Shipyard in China. The first one is planned to operate on Holyhead-Dublin and the next two delivered to Stena Line are planned to operate on the Liverpool-Belfast service. Three other vessels will be chartered out to external ferry operators by Stena RoRo.

Facts about E-Flexer 7 and 8

Length over all (LOA): 239,7 m

Width: 27,8 m

Draught, max: 6,4 m

Pax capacity: 1200

No of cabins: 263

Capacity: 3 600 lm

Great news on E-Flexer 7 & 8, would think there will be more of these ordered.

7&8 could replace Spirit/ Vision / Baltica and (Nordica which is returning soon) on Poland route.

Given the success of the still untested vessels so far, could we see double figures.

Great news on E-Flexer 7 & 8, would think there will be more of these ordered.

7&8 could replace Spirit/ Vision / Baltica and (Nordica which is returning soon) on Poland route.

Given the success of the still untested vessels so far, could we see double figures.

Quite possible, Stena have an option on a further 4, (E-Flexer 9-12) and are currently deciding weather to exercise that option, I had a feeling 7&8 would be ordered, but even I am surprised that the class may now run to 12, that said 7&8 will be different, 1-6 are 215M long and have 3100 lanemeters, 7&8 however will be 240M long and have 3600 lanemeters.

And for a rumoured 100 or 120 million US dollars each, quite a bargain if the vessels work as planned.

As a comparison P&O paid a reported 180 million euro (210 US dollar) for Spirit of Britain, a different type of ferry but a massive price difference.

Would expect more charters and more orders as Stena RoRo can capitalise on older vessels needing to be replaced and a steady supply of new ferries coming through.

P&O themselves might be prime candidates to take two having seen DFDS take one for Dover.

Possibly biggest ferry series ordered since the Stena freight series built by Hyundai in the seventies.

http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/stena_runner_1977.htm

With the current uncertainty regarding the "brexit" fiasco I would not be surprised to see one of the bigger E Flexers being provisionally earmarked for Rosslare-Cherbourg  route.

With the current uncertainty regarding the "brexit" fiasco I would not be surprised to see one of the bigger E Flexers being provisionally earmarked for Rosslare-Cherbourg  route.

I would - both ports would need work for a start.  We are talking about a 240m long twin-level loading vessel after all - in the case that IF Brexit ends up in a large increase of Ireland to France freight, a second ship would probably be a better option (perhaps even operating to Dublin) as it would increase frequency as well.  If anywhere on the Irish Sea is to get the longer version E-Flexer I would have thought it would be Dublin to Holyhead, a route were an increase in frequency isn't an option and Stena's competitor is increasing capacity, but again that would need infrastructure work.  Pretty sure a 240m long vessel could operate Karlskrona to Gdynia without any major work though, and the route is crying out for more capacity.  The four options (if exercised) could be any length anyway.  For all we know they could even be planing a short version!

With the current uncertainty regarding the "brexit" fiasco I would not be surprised to see one of the bigger E Flexers being provisionally earmarked for Rosslare-Cherbourg  route.

I would - both ports would need work for a start.  We are talking about a 240m long twin-level loading vessel after all - in the case that IF Brexit ends up in a large increase of Ireland to France freight, a second ship would probably be a better option (perhaps even operating to Dublin) as it would increase frequency as well.  If anywhere on the Irish Sea is to get the longer version E-Flexer I would have thought it would be Dublin to Holyhead, a route were an increase in frequency isn't an option and Stena's competitor is increasing capacity, but again that would need infrastructure work.  Pretty sure a 240m long vessel could operate Karlskrona to Gdynia without any major work though, and the route is crying out for more capacity.  The four options (if exercised) could be any length anyway.  For all we know they could even be planing a short version!

The short version would be for Fishguard then!  Joke.

Matt