FerriesLion FerryPast and PresentSessan LinjenStena Line

MV Stena Europe (ex Kronprinsessan Victoria) – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7901760

MV Stena Europe

ex Lion Europe, Stena Europe, Stena Saga, Kronprinsessan Victoria

© Carsten Dettmer

© Carsten Dettmer

Steel twin screw motor vessel, built in 1981 by Götaverken Arendal Ab Göteborg (Yard No 908) as a Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) passenger and vehicle ferry for Rederi Ab Göteborg – Frederikshavns Linjen (Sessan Line), Gothenburg, Sweden

Technical Data

  • Length: 149.05 m (overall) 131.02 m (between perpendiculars)
  • Breadth: 26.55 m
  • Depth: 16.11 m
  • Draught: 6.10m – 6.127m (max)
  • Tonnage: 14378 – 17062 – 17423 – 24828 gross/7859 – 10053 net/3315 – 3189 deadweight
  • Engines: Four 12-cylinder Nohab-Wartsila Vasa 12V32A diesels
  • Power: 15360 kW/20600 HP
  • Speed: 20.5 knots
  • Capacity: 1000 passengers (1981), 1,400 (after rebuild )/700 cars, 500 (after rebuild)/520 (after rebuild)/70 commercial trailers, 60 + 16 cars (after rebuild)
  • Call Sign: SITG, VSTA3, 5BGE6
  • MMSI Number: 209649000
  • IMO Number: 7901760
  • Official Number: 12420
  • Port of Registry: Gothenburg/Sweden , Nassau/Bahamas , Gdansk/Poland , Nassau/Bahamas , Fishguard/ United Kingdom , Limassol/Cyprus
  • Sister-Ship: Prinsessan Birgitta (909)

Current AIS Location


Please note that this specific vessels AIS position data may be over an hour old and that the vessels position will only be displayed when it is within range of the VesselFinder AIS system. The AIS transponder/ship position data featured on this page is intended for information purposes only and it is in no way related to the 'Safety of Navigation at Sea'. All the AIS ship position data featured within this article is provided by VesselFinder and we are therefore not responsible for its content or its accuracy.


History

February 1st 1980: Keel laid

October 15th 1980: Launched.

Varvshistoriska Foereningen Gothenburg

Föreningen Gothenburg

March 1st 1981: Trials.

© Hans Deijs

© Hans Deijs

April 10th 1981: Delivered to Rederi Ab Göteborg-Frederikshavn Linjen, Gothenburg.

Varvshistoriska Foereningen Gothenburg  Varvshistoriska Foereningen Gothenburg  

Föreningen Gothenburg

April 13th 1981: Commenced services between Gothenburg-Frederikshavn.

© Tony Garner  © Tony Garner

© Tony Garner

1981: Stena AB buys the majority stake in the Sessan line.

March 1982: Taken out of service for conversion at Götaverkens Cityvarvet, Gothenburg to day/night ferry.

© Frank Heine

© Frank Heine

April 7th 1982: Commenced service between Gothenburg – Kiel. Summer season services Gothenburg – Frederikshavn.

© Bob Scott

© Bob Scott (Gothenburg, 06/05/1983)

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Kiel, 12/06/1984)

© Frank Heine

© Frank Heine (Stena logo added to her bow, 1986)

April 1988: Renamed STENA SAGA.

April 1988: Refit and rebuilt with with additional cabins on her upper deck.

May 17th 1988: Services between Oslo – Frederikshavn and Oslo – Frederikshavn – Gothenburg.

© Frank Heine  © Frank Heine

Oslo, 04/08/1988 (left) and Oslo, 11/07/1991 (right) © Frank Heine

© Pieter Inpyn  © Pieter Inpyn

© Pieter Inpyn (Frederikshavn, 01/06/91)

February 28th 1994: Arrived at Niehuis & van den Berg where the top cabin deck was removed.

March 4th 1994: Renamed STENA EUROPE for services between Hook of Holland – Harwich.

© Frank Heine  © Frank Heine

© Frank Heine (Harwich, 18/03/1994)

© Pieter Inpyn  © Pieter Inpyn

© Pieter Inpyn

© Pieter Inpyn (Hook of Holland, 01/05/1994)

June 1st 1997: Final service between Hook of Holland – Harwich.

June 2nd 1997: Left Harwich and sailed direct to Wilton-Fijenoord, Rotterdam for conversion.

June 10th 1997: Redelivered from yard and renamed LION EUROPE.

© Frank Heine  © Frank Heine

© Frank Heine (Gdynia, 08/11/1997)

June 19th 1997: Commenced services between Karlskrona – Gdynia.

January 1st 1998: Renamed STENA EUROPE.

January 20th 2002: Final service between Karlskrona – Gdynia.

January 20th 2002: Arrived Cityvarvet, Gothenburg for conversion.

March 6th 2002: Left Gothenburg for UK.

March 9th 2002: Trials in Fishguard.

March 10th 2002: Trials in Rosslare.

March 13th 2002: Commenced services between Fishguard – Rosslare.

January 16th 2003: Left Fishguard for refit in Holland.

January 18th 2003: Arrived Keppel Shipyard, Rotterdam, Holland refit.

January 19th 2003: Re-entered service between Fishguard – Rosslare.

January 30th 2003: Between Fishguard – Rosslare suffered mechanical problems where cooling water failure resulting in all four main engines stopping, leading to total loss of propulsion. Five helicopters were scrambled to winch 155 passengers to safety, but the rescue was aborted as engineers brought the ship back under her own power.

© Frank Heine

© Frank Heine (Fishguard, 17/06/2003)

June 1st 2005 – June 11th 2005: Services between Dublin – Holyhead.

June 12th 2005: Continued services between Fishguard – Rosslare.

January 4th 2010 – January 18th 2010: Refit at Harland & Wolff, Belfast.

© Steven Brown

© Stephen Brown

© Frank Heine

© Frank Heine (Fishguard, 12/06/2010)

January 16th 2013 – January 31st 2013: Refit at Harland & Wolff, Belfast.

© Ray Goodfellow  © Ray Goodfellow

© Ray Goodfellow (Rosslare, Ireland 15/10/2014)

© Barrie Clark

© Barrie Clark (Falmouth, February 2016)

© Carsten Dettmer  © Carsten Dettmer

© Carsten Dettmer (Fishguard, 11/10/2016)

© Carsten Dettmer

© Carsten Dettmer (Rosslare, 01/04/2017)

March 12th 2019: Left Fishguard for “life extending” refit in Turkey.

Stena Line Update : Stena Europe Refit on Rosslare – Fishguard

“Please be advised, the Stena Europe operating on the Rosslare – Fishguard route is scheduled to attend dry dock for her annual refit departing on Sunday 10th March 2019. The refit is expected to last until Wednesday 26th June 2019. During this time she will receive extensive work, including further deck head modifications to enable us to carry full height trailers across her whole main deck; at present this is only possible on the Port side.

We are pleased to advise that the Stena Nordica will operate as the replacement vessel, offering greater capacity and the capability to carry hazardous cargoes which require “Open Deck” stowage (normally unavailable). The first departure will be 18:10 hrs from Rosslare on Sunday 10th March.”

Source: Stena Line via Freightlink

March 17th 2019: Arrived at Gibraltar

March 22nd 2019: Arrived at Gemak Shipyard, Tuzla for “major refit”.

© Gemak Group ( YouTube)

July 27th 2019: Sailed to Tuzla Anchorage before returning to port.

September 5th 2019: Left Tuzla for sea trials and then sailed to Istanbul Anchorage.

September 6th 2019: Arrived Istanbul Anchorage for “Bunkers”.

September 7th 2019: Left Istanbul Anchorage (destination showing as Gibraltar).

September 12th 2019: Arrived at Gibraltar Anchorage for “bunkers”.

September 12th 2019: Departed Gibraltar Anchorage (destination showing as Liverpool eta 15/09/2019 12:00 LT (UTC +1)).

September 15th 2019: Arrived in Liverpool.

© Ian Collard

© Ian Collard (Arriving Liverpool, 15/09/2019)

© Robert Foy  © Robert Foy

© Robert Foy (Liverpool, 15/09/2009)

September 21st 2019: Sailed from Liverpool to Rosslare.

September 30th 2019: Resumed service Rosslare – Fishguard.

October 1st 2019: Off service owing to technical problems.

October 2nd 2019: Back in service.

June 16th 2020 – July 3rd 2020: Harland & Wolff, Belfast for repairs

July 4th 2020: Services Rosslare – Fishguard.

February 15th 2021 – February 28th 2021: Services Holyhead – Dublin.

March 2nd 2021: Services Rosslare – Fishguard.

May 16th 2021: Off service with technical problems. Services suspended.

May 18th 2021: Harland & Wolff, Belfast for repairs.

June 24th 2021: Resumed service Rosslare – Fishguard.

February 28th 2022: To A&P Falmouth for refit.

© Geoff Hoather  © Geoff Hoather

© Geoff Hoather (Falmouth, 03/03/2022)

March 13th 2022: Resumed service.

February 11th 2023: Approaching Fishguard, suffered an engine room fire. The fire was extinguished by the crew and there were no reported injuries. After the ferry had docked the fire service boarded the vessel as a precaution. Further sailings were cancelled and she remained in port.

Internet Source

Internet Source

February 14th 2023: Left Fishguard and sailed to Birkenhead.

February 15th 2023: Entered Wet Basin, Cammell Lairds.

© Robert Foy

© Robert Foy (Birkenhead)

February 22nd 2023: It was announced that the Stena Europe would be replaced on the Fishguard to Rosslare route.

Stena Line to replace STENA EUROPE with STENA NORDICA on Fishguard – Rosslare route

“The STENA NORDICA, which has been operating in the Baltic Sea, is a familiar ship on the Irish Sea having provided temporary relief cover on several Irish Sea routes over the last few years. It is scheduled to replace the older STENA EUROPE vessel in July.”

Source: Stena Line

March 3rd 2023: Returned to service following repairs.

“We are happy to confirm that the Stena Europe will resume service on our Fishguard – Rosslare route this Sunday (05/03/2023) starting with the 13:00 departure from Fishguard. Returning with the 18:15 departure from Rosslare.”

March 4th 2023: Left Birkenhead.

© Robert Foy  © Robert Foy

© Robert Foy

© Robert Foy (Birkenhead, 04/03/2023)

March 4th 2023: Arrived Fishguard.

March 5th 2023: Resumed service Fishguard – Rosslare.

© George Holland  © George Holland

© George Holland

© George Holland (Fishguard, 02/06/2023)

July 13th 2023: Final service Fishguard – Rosslare.

Announcement from Stena Line: At Rosslare “She then departs for Falmouth for dry-dock before picking up a charter on the Gibraltar Straits between Spain and Morocco”

July 1st 2023: Re-flagged to Cyprus.

July 14th 2023: Left Rosslare for Falmouth.

July 17th 2023: Arrived Falmouth.


© Roger Salter  © Roger Salter

© Roger Salter  © Roger Salter

© Roger Salter  © Roger Salter

© Roger Salter (Falmouth, 17/07/2023)

August 6th 2023: Left Queens South, Falmouth showing destination as Algeciras (eta 08/08/2023).

© Karl-Olof Svensson

© Karl-Olof Svensson (Eastbound in the Gibraltar Strait,  08/08/2023)

August 8th 2023: Arrived Algeciras.

© Karl-Olof Svensson  © Karl-Olof Svensson

© Karl-Olof Svensson  © Karl-Olof Svensson

© Karl-Olof Svensson (Algeciras, 10/08/2023)

August 18th 2023: Arrived Tanger Med.

© Karl-Olof Svensson

© Karl-Olof Svensson (Tanger Med , 19/08/2023)

August 19th 2023: Took up service Tanger Med – Algeciras.

September 15th 2023: Taken out of service at Algeciras, having completed her seasonal deployment.

October 24th 2023: Departed Algeciras for the Gibraltar East Anchorage.

November 28th 2023: Left Gibraltar showing destination as Falmouth, UK.

December 3rd 2023: Arrived Falmouth for dry-docking.

© Roger Salter

© Roger Salter (Falmouth, 06/12/2023)

© Roger Salter

© Roger Salter (Falmouth, 22/12/2023)

December 22nd 2023: Left Falmouth for Holyhead.

December 23rd 2023: Arrived Holyhead.

January 1st 2023: Left Holyhead for Fishguard.

January 1st 2024: Arrived Fishguard.

January 4th 2024: Arrived Rosslare.

January 8th 2024: Arrived Fishguard.

January 16th 2024: Arrived Birkenhead for dry docking.

January 25th 2024: Moved from Cammell Laird Wet Basin to Royal Seaforth Dock, Liverpool.

February 6th 2024: Shifted from Royal Seaforth Drydock to Canada dock no2 at Liverpool.

© Luke Wilson

© Luke Wilson (06/02/2024)

© Luke Wilson © Luke Wilson © Luke Wilson © Luke Wilson

© Luke Wilson (07/02/2024)

February 17th 2024: Left Liverpool showing destination as Fishguard.

© Ian Collard

© Ian Collard (Liverpool, 17/02/2024)

February 17th 2024: Arrived Fishguard.

February 19th 2024: Sailed to Rosslare for trials and preparation to re-enter service Rosslare – Fishguard. 

February 2oth 2024: Inaugural sailing Rosslare – Fishguard.


All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Stephen Brown, Barrie Clark, Ian Collard, Hans Deijs, Carsten Dettmer, Robert Foy, Tony Garner, Frank Heine, Geoff Hoather, George Holland, Pieter Inpyn, Roger Salter,  Bob Scott, Simonwp, Karl-Olof Svensson, Luke Wilson and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)

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