Irish Ferries Rosslare Pembroke / Stena Rosslare Fishguard.

The Continental Op

A lot of the discussion on Irish UK ferries is about travelling from Dublin so I thought the Rosslare route was worth its own thread for several reasons.

Firstly Stena aren't operating a service currently (till mid Feb 2024) and the IF service is with a replacement ferry that has a limited capacity. Secondly prices have gone b00dy mad! I used to get over and back before Covid for under €200 with a discount code. Just booked the same trip at the the same times I always travel and 4-5 years on the price is €400 for one person in one car travelling mid week and not a discount code to be found anywhere.

It seems these routes are the bottom of the list for both companies priorities. Any boat changes get pushed around with Rosslare getting whats left over which as I said for Stena is nothing atm and a replacement ferry for IF. Never in my life before have I had to change travel plans because the ferry was booked up. Nothing to be had all week on IF (12 -17Feb) so I've had to book for next week instead.

The Continental Op

Bit of an update from a recent couple of trips.

The "Emergency/Economy" ferry put on by Irish Ferries was the Norbay. Its a freight ferry with a single passenger lounge and some cabins. It managed to get nearly 20 minutes on Liveline recently so I wasn't the only one not happy with it. No lift so no disabled travelers and they didn't allow any foot passengers. Really can't recommend anything about the trip. If IF had reduced the price as you would expect on substandard "Economy" service then I wouldn't have been as unhappy with it. Luckily it wasn't raining when I travelled because you have to traverse an open top walkway from the car deck to get to the passenger lounge.

In better news the Oscar Wild is back on this route and this is a decent boat almost as good as the long gone Isle of Innisfree and much much better than the Bluestar 1. However several staff I spoke to said it was back for three weeks and had no idea what ferry would be on after that?

The problem with the routes from Rosslare to the UK is unfortunately lack of traffic (Stena might be busier anyone know?). On a busy daytime trip after the previous IF ferry had been canceled for "Operational reasons" I travelled back mid week with less than 30 others cars on board. On many of the overnight trips there might only be 10 cars often less. The amount of lorry traffic could from my estimates be half of what it was pre brexit.

eeepaulo

Is the Nordica an ok boat?

I have to travel over start of May, have a 50% off voucher because they cancelled for operational reasons and put everyone on Irish Ferries in January. To be fair it didn't put me out at all as was a seamless transfer.

munchkin_utd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121876821#Comment_121876821

it was grand, and now its renovated and extended so should be better again. Its the ship that was announced as the "permanent" ship for this route so that should indicate that it is reasonably comfortable and with a decent capacity.

Its far better for passengers than the Norbay mentioned above, but the Norbay is a ship with very limited passenger carrying capacity and is designed primarily for shifting trucks, not tourists.

Vic_08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121836139#Comment_121836139

Oscar Wilde was only covering Norbay which is away for scheduled maintenance. OW was always intended to be the permanent second ship on the Dublin Holyhead (and weekend rotation to Cherbourg) route, replacing Epsilon so Norbay it is for now at Rosslare.

Irish Ferries current problem is that they are short a ship with the return of Epsilon to it's owners and there are currently few suitable options available for sale or lease. Norbay was not a good choice, it was all that was available. The most likely scenario is that they find something more suitable for the Dover route and send Isle of Inisheer to Rosslare but that is just speculation.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121893635#Comment_121893635

Then why was the Norbay stated to be an Emergency/Economy service?

iseegirls

Got some shock when trying to book Irish Ferries for a trip at the end of June, to see it booked up for a lot of the morning departures from Rosslare. Looking into it further,I noticed it was an economy ship. What a nuisance really, the boat last summer was great. Not sure why they've now allocated 2 bigger boats from Dublin to Holyhead - which arent booked up, yet a tiny and now packed boat from Rosslare (with no allowance for foot passengers)

Is there any hope that Norbay will vanish soon, and they'll get in a better ferry?

I've booked Stena Line in the meantime. But with kids means not allowed into Stena Line Plus. They enjoyed the Irish Ferries Club Lounge last year.

Vic_08

Irish Ferries have just announced the heavily rumoured lease-purchase of one of P&Os Dover - Calais ferries, Spirit of Britain.

It is expected to be transferred quickly and be in service for IF at Dover in June which will release one of the current three ships on that route to replace Norbay on Rosslare - Pembroke.

kindalen

Isle of Innisfree expected to be on the Rosslare Fishguard route.

https://www.irishferries.com/ie-en/ships/isle-of-innisfree-2/

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122144042#Comment_122144042

That would be good but my thoughts are that the Innisfree is too big for the traffic volume on the route so we'll get something smaller? Although its at about 2/3rds the capacity of the sorely missed Isle of Inishmore it might be their best bet.

Calahonda52

Reduced parking in Rosslare europort

FYI this is a 27 month project, just called them re parking overnight there on 8th, little chance due to construction workers and staff parking in the green zone

https://www.rosslareeuroport.ie/en-ie/parking/

The Continental Op

I think the 8th of August refers to 2023. I haven't been over in a while but they have had major works going on at Rosslare since before Christmas 2023.

Considering most of the public facing side of the place is closed for most of the time and isn't much more than a ghost town for the rest it does seem a waste of €350 million. If they were adding more berths I could see the point.

Anyone travelled recently and got an update on the Innisfree?

munchkin_utd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122443665#Comment_122443665

the bigger picture is that freight is getting a massive expansion, a brand new completely separate road, inspection areas for customs, trailer drop off areas etc.

Since passenger flights were deregulated the importance of foot passengers is miniscule.

Calahonda52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122443665#Comment_122443665

Just called them, you are correct, he suggested we park at the IOAC up the road, 50 euro for a camper van for one night 56 with EHU