In a statement, Stena Line said that the ferries were in dry-dock in the EDR Shipyard in the historic Port of Antwerp “to undergo their regular annual maintenance to keep them up to the company’s high standards”. The ferry operator added that the ships also received “some exciting new additions to the onboard services on offer for passengers”.
Among the areas to get a facelift are the two Barista Bars on the ferries, which have received “a new stylish Scandinavian look and feel”.
The duty-free area has also been expanded due to the increase in purchases made since Brexit:
“Duty Free sales on routes to the U.K. have been booming since Brexit, with onboard spend per passengers increasing by an enormous 118% in 2021. To cater for this huge demand Stena Line has added a new additional Duty Free shop to each vessel, extending the retail floorspace on both ships by a whopping 40%. Allowing the company to greatly increase not only the capacity of goods on sale, but also extend the range of products on sale by almost a third. Meaning more Duty Free bargains on sale for its North Sea customers, who can save up to 50% off UK high street prices,” says the ferry operator.
At 240m in length and at 32m width, each vessel has over 5kms of vehicle lanes. This allows each ship to carry 300 trucks and 230 cars. At a gross tonnage of 63,000 gt they are the largest vessels currently operating in Stena Line’s fleet.