Superferry sails on Sunday
'Stena Hollandica', the first of the two new Superferries, was built at the Nordic Yards shipyard in Wismar, Germany.
The first of the world’s two largest Superferries will sail the North Sea between Harwich and the Hook of Holland when Stena Line puts it into service on Sunday.
Stena Line’s largest ever investment of over £375m has been spent on building the two new vessels, with the Stena Hollandica sailing from Holland on Sunday and the Stena Britannica following in autumn 2010.
The largest ferries of their type in the world in terms of combined passenger and freight capacity, each will be capable of transporting 230 cars, 300 freight vehicles and have 1,376 beds on board. The 538 cabins will be equipped with Dux beds, wider than on standard ferries, measuring a minimum width of 900mm and up to 1600mm in ‘captain’s suite’ rooms. All cabins will have a modern en suite bathroom with Hansgrohe fittings, and larger windows have been installed in both bathroom and main cabin areas to provide a feeling of space and light.
Customers will be able to enjoy onboard services including buffet and a la carte restaurants, cinema, bar, lounge, media room and internet corner. Customers can also stay connected throughout the journey with free wi-fi for all, mobile reception throughout the crossing and satellite television in lounges and cabins. There will be children and teenager zones, 12 kennels for dogs and a sundeck to allow passengers to relax outdoors during their journey.
Designed to have a low environmental impact, each Superferry is built in line with Stena Line’s Energy Savings Programme. Eco-friendly features on the new Superferries include catalytic converters, an improved hull design, highly efficient engines and better combustion rates, all helping to reduce environmental impact. The ferries have facilities to recycle glass, cardboard and food waste onboard, while solar film on all windows will exclude up to 82% of the sun’s radiant heat, reducing the energy used by the onboard cooling system.
Departing twice daily, the crossing takes approximately 6.5 hours with a choice of day or night sailings in each direction. Departures from Harwich leave at 09:00 and around 23:45 each day, and at 14.30 and around 22:00 from the Hook of Holland.
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