The increasing ferry traffic between Ireland and France has attracted Swedish giant Stena into the market
For the increasing numbers of people going on holiday to France by ferry this summer, the latest news is that there is a new player in the market.
Stena has taken over Celtic Link Ferries and today marked the MV Stena Horizon’s (formerly the MV Celtic Horizon) maiden voyage as a Stena Line vessel from Rosslare to Cherbourg. The year-round service will continue to provide three weekly sailings from Rosslare and Cherbourg, accommodating up to 1,000 passengers and 200 cars in each sailing.
Stena Line’s Head of Travel (Irish Sea) Orla Noonan commented that “Extending our route network to include the Rosslare-Cherbourg service is a very significant milestone for Stena Line. France and its surrounding European neighbours are hugely popular destinations for Irish holiday makers and we’re delighted to now be able to offer a direct service with the fastest and most frequent sailings.
Ian Davies, Stena Line’s Route Manager Irish Sea South shares a drink with Hayley Ryan as Stena announce their new service
Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “Congratulations to Stena Line on its acquisition. As an island, the importance of convenient, direct access cannot be overstated. We already work closely with Stena Line and we look forward to co-operating with them to maximise the promotion of their new service from France. 2013 was a record year for French visitors to Ireland and Tourism Ireland will be rolling out an extensive programme of promotional activity throughout 2014 to keep the momentum going and build on that growth.”
From Rosslare, the Horizon departs at 21.30 on Tuesday and Thursday with a Saturday sailing at 16.00. From Cherbourg, the schedule is 21.00 on Wednesday and Friday with a Sunday sailing at 16.00 with a journey time of approx 17 hrs.
For full booking details visit www.stenaline.ie, call 01 204 7777 or visit your local travel agent.