Irish Ferries replace Blue Star 1 with Oscar Wilde operating today with 29 knots !

ropax

Member
There was already a new picture of OSCAR WILDE in the "Future of Tallink thread" - but it think this is ok with an own thread here:

Irish Ferries has operated the route Rosslare-Pembroke for 2 years with the chartered greek ferry BLUE STAR 1.
Some weeks ago they have done a new charter-deal with buy-option for the Tallink-ferry STAR.
This 2007-built big comfortable ferry has got the new name OSCAR WILDE (as the 1987 built Color Line ferry Kronprins Harald) and was fast repainted in new Irish Ferries design in the last weeks and now yesterday / today is / was the change of these ferries on the route Rosslare-Pembroke.

So BLUE STAR 1 is now on the way to Greece again with arrival awaited 4. june - and OSCAR WILDE is going with very impressing fast speed of up to 29,3 knots on the first rounds on Irish Sea ! (seen on Marinetraffic AIS)

Maybe so fast because owners / managers, press, media etc. are onboard (?), i think 29 knots can be a really impressing feeling on this ferry - or also for to test theoretic possible faster travel-times in future (?). As seen today - only ca. 3 fast hours is possible instead of normally ca. 4 hours - 4:30 hours. But i think that from tomorrow the ferry will operate more slowly again in 4 hours... .

I often names mistakes (in my eyes) from ferry-companies - but here now in this case it`s time to say: Congratulations to Irish Ferries !

They have got a really very good comfortable ferry for their routes with OSCAR WILDE, maybe the best or one of the best and fastest ferries in operation to/from Ireland ! Nice look from outside now also, similar as new and also better and bigger than the direct competing Stena Nordica ferry ! If there will arrive the first reviews and reports from travelers onboard normally it can be positive only. This ferry has a number of nice comfortable lounges, bars and restaurants - let`s hope that they are in use now for public also.
Only negative point: All ticket-prices in Irish Sea (also from Stena and P&O) are generally much too high, maybe the highest ticket-prices per sea-mile worldwide !
I can book a flight to Singapore with Scoot or a 1-week-last-minute-cruise with Costa, MSC etc. for similar prices as a one-way-ferry-ticket in Irish Sea with car.

Newspaper-article with pictures also from inside:

Mini-video of OSCAR WILDE now on the Irish Ferries website:

And link with new interior-pictures:
 
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New nice 10 min video from one of the first trips of OSCAR WILDE with high speed... .

I imagine it`s looks really faster than 18, 19, 20 knots... . Only stern-ramp in use !

Now she is back in timetable and operating with around only 19 knots again.
Open onboard this season is only the self-service-restaurant, a cafe, a pub and the 1st class lounge.
The problem is, that until yesterday no normal customer could know that this ferry is coming now on the Rosslare-route.
In Jan./Febr./March no bookings was possible for this route on the Irish Ferries website - and then only dep. with an "unknown ferry" was to book in april/may for june/july/aug. - could theoretic means also to travel on the last oldest freighter.
So the most people has booked therefore the competing Stena Europe / Stena Nordica - now often (nearly) already full-booked in summer.
And so the bigger, newer and more comfortable Oscar Wilde from Irish Ferries will be half empty often this year... .
 
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