Stena Line Upgrades Its Two Largest Ferries

Swedish ferry company Stena Line said its two largest ferries, Stena Hollandica and Stena Britannica, have completed a €1 million refit that includes updated onboard facilities.

The North Sea vessels, which sail twice daily between Harwich, in the U.K., and Hoek van Holland, in The Netherlands, were in dry-dock in the EDR Shipyard in the Port of Antwerp to undergo their regular annual maintenance. While there, they also received some new additions to their onboard services.

Duty Free sales on routes to the U.K. have been booming since Brexit, with onboard spend per passengers increasing by 118% in 2021. Stena Line has therefore added a new additional Duty Free shop to each vessel, extending the retail floorspace on both ships by 40%. The vessels’ two Barista Bars have received a refresh, and each of the vessels’ top of the range Captain’s Suites have been refurbished. In addition, 15 of the vessel’s 500 cabins have been converted to allow passengers to travel together with their dogs.

At 240m in length and at 32m width, Stena Hollandica and Stena Britannica each have more than 5kms of vehicle lanes. This allows each ship to carry 300 trucks and 230 cars. With 1,200 passengers, looked after by 85 crew. At a gross tonnage of 63,000 gt they are the largest vessels currently operating in Stena Line’s fleet.