Ireland-France travel affected as ferry service cancelled
The decision has been described as the end of a ‘wonderful option for people travelling to and from France’
Stena Line has announced the withdrawal of its Stena Vision ferry from the end of October (stock image of the Stena Hollandica, not the Stena Vision)VanderWolf Images/Shutterstock
Ferry travel from Cherbourg in northern France to Rosslare in southeast Ireland is set to be affected by the operator’s decision to withdraw a 1,300-passenger capacity ship at the end of October.
Ferry operator Stena Line has announced that the Stena Vision ship, described as ‘state of the art’ when the route launched in 2023, will no longer run from Cherbourg (Manche, Normandy) to the Rosslare Europort (County Wexford, Ireland).
The company will withdraw the Stena Vision ferry from service on the 18-hour route from October 27, after a "strategic route review". It said the decision had been made "in line with the company’s business model of deploying vessels where they will deliver the most efficient use of company resources".
It added that there would not be any job losses, and said it was currently "advising affected customers of its decision and of alternative arrangements".
The Stena Vision has 485 passenger cabins, bars, restaurants, and a spa, and has a maximum capacity of 1,300 passengers.
The Stena Line Cherbourg to Rosslare route.Google Maps
The Irish Independent newspaper described the closure of the route as a “blow to the port” of Rosslare and the county of Wexford, and said the service had been a “wonderful option for holidaymakers travelling to and from France”.
Yet, Stena Line has said it will continue to operate a three-day-a-week service (six crossings per week) on the Rosslare-Cherbourg route for freight and passenger travel, on its ship the Stena Horizon.
It has also said it will “deploy additional support vessels to the route during periods of peak demand from freight and travel customers” where necessary.
