The Jutlandica is a very versitile ship

There is a lot of development potential and it would be a lot cheaper to buy than a new build being looked at,

The Irish sea is a challenge for most ships and her sister ship although heavier is a good sea ship,

This is why i am saying it would be worth paying for quality.

The other Stena ships build in Korea struggle in the irish sea in rough weather.

We are moving away from fleet movements here and deep into speculation territory here tbh.  Maybe best to continue this discussion here?:

http://irish-ferries-enthusiasts.com/forum/index.php?topic=551.90

Rumour heard through face book is the ulysses, may have had alittle of trouble berthing but contact with the berth is not ruled out. No further details or indeed on very loose foundation. I believe she is heading for drydock early next week. Isle of Inishmore to the rescue by all accounts!
Any details regarding Ulysses and I would be delighted to hear them.

There's a blurry pic on facebook of what looks to be a hole in her above the waterline.

Looking at AIS this morning I notice the Isle of Inishmore has taken over the Mighty U's schedule, and Ulysses herself was pottering across at about 10kts in the general direction of Holyhead. I assume she was on her way to Liverpool. However, she still appears to be turning circles in the Irish sea. Explanation anybody?

The Jonathan Swift is in Liverpool for her annual service and will be out of service until the end of the month. No great loss considering the number of recent weather related cancellations.

---MY REPORT---

This is my review of my day trip to Holyhead (by foot) yesterday, Jan 12th 15
We arrived in Dublin Port around 6:55. The Inishmore was docked at terminal 1 (docked about 07:30, weather delay). The only other ship in the area at the time was the Swift. There was no sign of the Stena Adventurer. We proceded into the terminal, checked in. I noticed that Irish Ferries staff don't represent themselves that well, two women at check in were just lying half asleep across the desk hair in there eyes, they looked like they slept in their uniform and / or got no sleep at all, very poor representation I must say. Anyway we went upstairs and waited to board. We boarded about 07:50. Once onboard we got seating, breakfast, etc; €10.99 for a small breakfast in Boyalans Brassarie!!! After breakfast (about 08:20), I went out on outer deck 9, Stena Adventurer had just docked and was discharging. We left Dublin about 08:35 and arrived into Holyhead about 11:55. It was the most roughest crossing that I was ever on!!! Loads of passengers complaining about the roughnes but shure the poor crew couldnt do anything about it!!! Upon arrival in Holyhead, I asked at reception for a bridge visit and they said because the captain was docking the ship, we must wait until the return journey. So gangway was not in use in Holyhead so we discharged through a shuttle bus and reboarded with same bus. Once onboard, we left and our captain for the day was Gerry Burns. Aprox. 1hr after departure, I asked again for a bridge visit but they said its to rough at sea to visit the bridge so for health and safety reasons I couldnt visit! The return crossing was rougher than outbound, (felt like being on a rollercoaster!!!) We arrived back in Dublin Port at about 17:45.

Rough crossing but nice though, wouldnt mind it again!

Gerry must be delighted to be driving the ship to Holyhead for the few weeks!

Oscar how was your stomach?? 

The IOI has always handled the bad weather very well, but that might not mean the same thing for the passengers 

I didn't get sick actually but was about to on numerous of times!!!
The Inishmore did hande the weather now very well I must say but still if youre not use to rough weather at sea you probably think its very rough. At the bar, I heard some guy talking to someone else say that "If you were on the Ulysses, you wouldn't feel anything like this".

Having been on Ulysses during a particularly rough crossing, I'd query the "you wouldn't feel anything like this" comment - we were in the Club lounge, surrounded by sickbag-wielding passengers and with several blocked toilets. Not much fun.

I know Big U is proud of its "we always sail" record, but just sometimes it doesn't seem a good thing..!

I didn't get sick actually but was about to on numerous of times!!!
The Inishmore did hande the weather now very well I must say but still if youre not use to rough weather at sea you probably think its very rough. At the bar, I heard some guy talking to someone else say that "If you were on the Ulysses, you wouldn't feel anything like this".

A case of the flagship being able to do no wrong I suspect!

The Jonathan Swift is in Liverpool for her annual service and will be out of service until the end of the month. No great loss considering the number of recent weather related cancellations.

Maybe the best thing would be for the Jonathan Swift to be a seasonal service only??

Isle of Inishmore is off to Birkenhead

This is what I don't understand... Irish Ferries reason for not allowing foot passengers travel on Epsilon is because there is no gangway for footpassengers and they dont allow them board through car decks due to moving vehicles. But shur they could board them with a shuttle bus like they do for Stena Adventurer in both Dublin and Holyhead and also for the Inishmore in Rosslare?

I would say Irish Ferries reason for not allowing foot passengers on Epsilon has more to do with its very limited passenger space being given over to car passengers , with space for only 500 passengers it means the ship is full if it gets 100 cars with 5 passengers in each.

I would say Irish Ferries reason for not allowing foot passengers on Epsilon has more to do with its very limited passenger space being given over to car passengers , with space for only 500 passengers it means the ship is full if it gets 100 cars with 5 passengers in each.

The fixed ramp to deck 5 passenger area is very steep. Most coaches even with ferry lift fitted to them will ground out on this ramp.