Irish Ferries orders new ship
Irish Ferries has ordered a second new ‘super cruise’ ferry, which will start sailing between the UK and Ireland in 2020.
The cruise ferry will be built in Germany at a cost of €165.2 million. The same shipyard is already building Irish Ferries’ new ship W.B. Yeats which is due for delivery this summer.
When built, the new ship will be the largest cruise ferry in the world in terms of vehicle capacity, offering space for up to 1,500 cars, or up to 330 freight trucks.
The cruise ferry will be designed specifically to sail between Holyhead and Dublin, in tandem with Irish Ferries’ current flagship Ulysses, which will replace the chartered ferry Epsilon.
Passenger facilities will include a choice of bars, restaurants (both a la carte and self-service options), Club Class lounge, state-of-the-art entertainment options and cinemas, more than 150 cabins, and retail outlets.
The additional capacity of the new ship on the Holyhead/Dublin route will, by 2020, allow W.B. Yeats to sail between Ireland and France year round.
Eamonn Rothwell, CEOr for Irish Ferries’ parent Irish Continental Group said: "This investment underpins the confidence we have in the markets in which we operate. Alongside the recent investment in W.B. Yeats, it brings our total investment to €315 million for these two vessels.
"The construction of a cruise ferry of this size offers both additional capacity and an enhanced experience for both our tourism and freight customers."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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