MS Stena Europe

MS Stena Europe^[1] is a ferry owned by Stena Line and operated on their Fishguard—Rosslare service. She was built in 1981 by the Götaverken shipyard in Gothenburg, Sweden as MS Kronprinsessan Victoria for Sessan Line. During the same year Sessan Line^[2] passed under the ownership of Stena Line. In 1988 Kronprisessan Victoria was renamed MS Stena Saga, and in 1994 she was renamed MS Stena Europe. Between 1997 and 1998 she briefly served with Stena Line's subsidiary Lion Ferry as MS Lion Europe. Following this she reverted to the name Stena Europe. Between 1997 and 2001, she served on Stena Line's Karlskrona - Gdynia route. On 13 March 2002 she entered service between Fishguard and Rosslare after a GBP4.5 million refit. She replaced MS Koningin Beatrix, that was subsequently transferred to the Europe's former Baltic Sea route.

A popular ship, she shared Rosslare for a time with her sister ship, MS Normandy, that was then operating Irish Ferries' services to France. She also shares the Fishguard - Rosslare route with the MS Stena Lynx III during the summer months. But at the end of 2010 it is rumored that the Stena Europe could be moving to the Scandinavian routes again.

Incidents

• In January 2003 the Stena Europe was in the news when she lost power near Tuskar Rock, just off the Irish coast. 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.

• On the 6 June 2009, the ferry was called to assist in the rescue of a sailor that had fallen overboard from another vessel in the Irish Sea. The incident happened during the ships regular journey from Rosslare to Fishguard.