Lagan Viking/Mersey Viking
| Built | 2005 CN Visciniti |
| Size | Size 26,500gt 186M x 26M x 6M |
| Capacity | Capacity Passengers:970 Berths: 480 Cars: 170 |
| Engines Speed |
MAN B&W 24kts |
| Route | Belfast-Birkenhead |
The Lagan Viking (2) and Mersey Viking (2) were build by CN Visciniti for Levantina Trasporti, Itialy, for charter to Norse Merchant ferries to replace the slightly smaller previous “Vikings” on the Belfast-Birkenhead route, freeing the older “Vikings for Dublin services.
Liverpool Viking/Dublin Viking
| Built | Built 1997 Visentini, Porto Viro, Italy |
| Size | Size 21,856gt 186M x 25.6M x 6.5M |
| Capacity | Capacity Passengers:330 Berths: 316 Cars: 100 |
| Engines Speed |
2 x Wärtsillä (15,600kW) 24kts |
| Route | Dublin-Birkenhead |
Chartered from their Italian builders and owners for the Norse Irish Ferries service between Liverpool and Belfast, a route set up in the 1990s by Scandinavian ferry and Northern Ireland road haulage interests, the two ships were purchased in 2001 when the company was acquired by UK group Cenargo and integrated into its own Merchant Ferries operation as Norse Merchant Ferries. The Mersey base moved to the new Twelve Quays Terminal, Birkenhead, bringing considerable sailing time reductions in 2002 and this enabled day as well as overnight sailings to be offered. The strength of the Belfast route was a major factor in Cenargo’s emergence from receiveship with a revamped Norse Merchant Ferries Group last year. Following the arrival of the new”Vikings”, the Liverpool Viking replaced the Lindorasa on Dublin-Birkenhead in September ’05, and was joined by the Dublin Viking shortly after, which replaced the Brave Merchant.
