Stena deploys first new superferry
Thursday, 14 May, 2010
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Giant new Stena Line superferries will add 30% more capacity on the Harwich-Hook of Holland route this year.
The first of the two 1,200-passenger vessels enters service on Sunday (May 16) followed by a sister ship in mid-October.
The company has invested more than £375 million in the two ferries – Stena Hollandica and Stena Britannica – which can each carry 230 cars and 300 freight vehicles.
Twice daily departures will run on the route with night and daytime crossings.
Stena’s commercial manager travel for the UK and Ireland Lars Olsson said prices would not rise with the introduction of the new tonnage, with one-way rates starting at £49 for a car and driver and £12 for each additional passenger.
Each new ferry will have 538 cabins – bigger than many hotels – and feature en suite bathrooms.
Free wi-fi will be available throughout the duration of the 6.5 hour crossing together with mobile phone access.
Olsson said sales through the trade still make up a “significant proportion” of Stena’s business but he urged more agents to consider packaging ferry travel with other land-based holiday arrangements.
Pointing out that the ferry industry represents 40 million UK passenger journeys a year, he said: “The trade has embraced cruising with open arms but it won’t be a silver bullet forever.
Packaging ferry travel with other forms of surface transport has to be one of the growth areas of the future because air prices at such low levels cannot be sustained.”
Olsson, chairman of the Passenger Shipping Association, forecast that technological advances will give electric cars more range in the future, helping make ferry travel a more environmentally sound option.
The new ferries include catalytic converters and improved hull design to help reduce their environmental impact.
There are facilities to recycle glass, cardboard and food waste on board while solar film on all windows will exclude up to 82% of the sun’s radient heat, reducing the energy used by the onboard cooling system.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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