Irish Ferries Fleet movements

[TC]

Strange considering the landbridge / brexit problem.  Stena now have Rosslare - Cherbourg all to themselves.  I expect this is the end for Irish Ferries in Roscoff.  A very abrupt end, and another PR screw-up. 

I wonder with the arrival of Connemara, and BF's new builds (and ultimate fleet changes), will Brittany Ferries fill the void?

Makes me wonder will Irish Ferries eventually close Rosslare operations completely.  Isle of Inishmore isn't much younger than Oscar Wilde.  We could be seeing a scenario like P&O's demise in Portsmouth.

Stena could capitalize on this. If a suitable replacement is found for Stena Nordica on her Polish route, could she run along side Stena Horizon for the 2019 season.  P&O operated her as European Ambassador on the route for several years, proved a popular vessel, though compared to the then ancient 'Normandy', that is very understandable.

[LongTimeReader]

A sad day as IF turn their back on the route that made them, many a time in Rosslare when Oscar and her predecessors arrived and always plenty of traffic coming off, car with bike racks and roof boxes nearly rubbing the ground so laden down from the trip to France.

Now they will arrive into Dublin Port and that utopia of empty road the M50, six glorious empty lanes of Motorway which lead to all corners of Ireland, traveling on the M50 is such a pleasure and the ease with which you can get from Dublin Port to anywhere in Ireland in unrivaled, I wish them all the best in the future.

However time will move on and now we will see what are TD's are made from, the most useless Shane Ross and the Wexford Famous Five have but one job now, to get the finger out and give Rosslare Harbour the boost it needs

Remember it's the shortest direct route to France
The fastest crossing from Ireland to UK

Extend Dublin Wexford motorway beyond Oylegate, what clown decided a motorway terminates before a village instead of after !
Make Rosslare a tier 1 port
Buy the available land in the Harbour and build the required inspection areas/ Lorry Park
Given special rates to new routes opening up eg Rosslare Roscoff
There is no reason why Rosslare cannot be given some help, the Dublin port tunnel cost €790 million euro to give direct access to the M50 for Dublin Port customers.

Sorry IF but today's announcement should have been made months ago and to treat your customers and the Ports of Rosslare and Roscoff with contempt with an announcement that states you are "Unlikely " to operate the route is quite simply disgraceful.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2018/1218/1017939-irish-ferries/

Agree with the sentiment. I might also add that Rosslare needs a more functional train service, from travelling down to Rosslare to get the OW in Sept this year, safe to say the 20 or so going to Rosslare were all for the boat.

I also note the extremely sour reception from the Irish hauliage industry group. Stunning IF wouldn't discuss this with their major customers in the first instance.

[Steven]

Would it make sense for IF to keep Oscar Wilde and run her seasonally from Rosslare to France when there is a demand. From October to March she can move up to Dublin and add capacity to the Dublin Holyhead route so that Epsilon can be on the France route for freight permanently during that period.

Not if someone has offered them a nice big sum of cash for her!  It costs money to run seasonal services.  Epsilon will be away more than likely when the second new build arrives.  This is ICG putting things in place for the future I'd say and cashing in on an ageing asset while they can.  Not much demand for 1200lm cruise ferries these days.

Strange considering the landbridge / brexit problem.  Stena now have Rosslare - Cherbourg all to themselves.  I expect this is the end for Irish Ferries in Roscoff.  A very abrupt end, and another PR screw-up. 

I wonder with the arrival of Connemara, and BF's new builds (and ultimate fleet changes), will Brittany Ferries fill the void?

Makes me wonder will Irish Ferries eventually close Rosslare operations completely.  Isle of Inishmore isn't much younger than Oscar Wilde.  We could be seeing a scenario like P&O's demise in Portsmouth.

Stena could capitalize on this. If a suitable replacement is found for Stena Nordica on her Polish route, could she run along side Stena Horizon for the 2019 season.  P&O operated her as European Ambassador on the route for several years, proved a popular vessel, though compared to the then ancient 'Normandy', that is very understandable.

The landbridge/brexit problem as you call it is a hypothetical scenario which may or may not happen.  Something that doesn't get discussed much is possible border controls at Irish ports in the event of a hard Brexit also affecting continental routes.  Or are they going to pop up customs controls on all 300+ border crossings between North and South overnight?  If trucks leaving Ireland can clear EU customs in Ireland and be given a smooth passage through the UK as has already been suggested (as has their passage through ports in France and Belgium when travelling via the UK) then the direct services will continue to be less attractive. 

ICG by the sounds of things have been offered a guaranteed sum for an ageing asset which they no longer require - from a business point of view why should they gamble and miss the opportunity to move her on?  Inishmore is a decade younger than Oscar!!!!  If Irish Ferries thought it was worth Stena's while to capitalise on their decision then they probably wouldn't have made the decision in the first place.  More than likely they expect the vast majority of business will follow them to Dublin.  They have the figures for both routes after all and must be encouraged by Epsilons carryings.  They invested €150m in a new ship for the run!!!!


It makes sense to try out Yeats at all Irish Ferries ports she is likely to fit at in case they need to redeploy her temporarily in future.  Refit cover for Inishmore could be an option for instance.  I assume she will carry on Epsilon's trade car duties as well given she is effectively replacing the Visentini to France.  It makes sense to do it now since it would be madness to rush her into service in the Christmas rush rather than when she is needed and losing sailings as a result of having to go for trials.  It also means that should any adjustments need to be made to the vessel prior to entering service they can account for her fit at all the ports rather than having to bodge together a solution some time in the future.

[ferryman972411]

Anyone knows whats happening to captain/officers on OW when sold? will they be re deployed onto other ships (probably in less senior position if so if joining)?

Also over xmas do the crew stay onboard? can't imagine IF flying them home just for a few days

[ferryfan]

Anyone knows whats happening to captain/officers on OW when sold? will they be re deployed onto other ships (probably in less senior position if so if joining)?

Also over xmas do the crew stay onboard? can't imagine IF flying them home just for a few days

At a guess they could be redeployed. The crews are not Irish Ferries employees but I would imagine they will stay on-board.

[IFPete]

Oscar Wildes Crew will most likely transfer to WB Yeats.

[ferryman972411]

does it not already have a crew onboard?

[IFPete]

Skeleton operations crew to bring her to Dublin.  No guinness flowing on that voyage. Her Crew could contain Crew from other members of fleet. The bars and restaurants will have members of Dublin Swift crew while she is on Dublin - Holyhead route. 

[jgf]

From the New Year the morning sailing from Holyhead is changed to depart at 08.15. and timed to take 3.5hrs to make the crossing,

Swift sailing times starting March 14th.
Depart Dublin at 07.30  and 13.50
Depart Holyhead at 10.40 and 16.45
each sailing timed for 2 hours and 15 minutes.

personally, I think its a bit early for the Swift leaving Dublin at 07.30.

[Cladyman]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46704522

Tried to start a new discussion on Brexit ferries but couldn't manage it

Is this destination of Oscar

[Steven]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46704522

Tried to start a new discussion on Brexit ferries but couldn't manage it

Is this destination of Oscar

Doubt it unless there is a real desperation for tonnage.  Her freight capacity is too low and passenger capacity too high.  Brittany Ferries could easily increase intensity and DFDS have their own resources.  Seaborne are the interesting one but Oscar is totally the opposite of the type of ship they have been looking for

[giftgrub]

Epsilon in Rosslare Harbour this morning for a scheduled sailing to France ! Ironic given the last few weeks news.

Did not have my phone with me to take any images but the external condition looks poor, lots of rusty areas and damage from the Holyhead moorings, does nobody in Irish Ferries have a roller and paint to keep on top of these areas.

Sadly this could be the last crossing from Rosslare to France by Irish Ferries.

[ferryfan]

Epsilon is due to sail to Brest later today. Maybe a freight only run as it does not appear on the timetable?

[jgf]

Epsilon is due to sail to Brest later today. Maybe a freight only run as it does not appear on the timetable?

is there a dry dock in Brest?

[ferryfan]

Epsilon is due to sail to Brest later today. Maybe a freight only run as it does not appear on the timetable?

is there a dry dock in Brest?

There is, it could be for dry docking she does not appear on  any schedule until the 19th.