A small crew took her from China via Suez to Algeciras, where onboard sales and services crew members joined for familiarisation training during the final leg of the voyage. The vessel will undergo final preparations before starting service on the Holyhead to Dublin route in mid-January. Berthing trials on arrival in the Irish Sea were successful in both ports.
At 215M in length, STENA ESTRID has the space to carry 120 cars and 1,000 passengers, and has a freight capacity of 3,100 lane meters (210 trucks), meaning a 50% increase in freight capacity compared to her predecessor STENA SUPERFAST X on her popular freight schedule. STENA ESTRID has a separate car deck, meaning that the main decks will primarily be dedicated to freight traffic.
Both main decks have a clear height of 5.2m and the ship’s ramps are wider and have higher weight limits, allowing greater scope for project cargo. For units requiring electrical connection there are ample plug-in points for both 440v and 230v supplies.The vessel has a dedicated and entirely separate 170-seat truckers’ lounge with six 55-inch TV screens.
Two more of the new ferries are also destined for the Irish Sea with STENA EDDA expected to commence operations from Liverpool to Belfast next spring, and a third vessel STENA EMBLA to be introduced on the same route in early 2021. The introduction of these two ships will increase freight capacity on the Liverpool to Belfast route by 20%.
