Stena Line



Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators and the largest privately owned shipping company in the world. With services serving Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere. Stena Line also owns the Swedish vessels of the otherwise German- and Danish-owned Scandlines.

History
Stena Line was founded in 1962 by Sten A. Olsson in Gothenburg, Sweden, which still serves as the company's headquarters, when he acquired Skagenlinjen between Gothenburg and Fredrikshavn, Denmark.

In 1972, Stena Line was one of the first ferry operators in Europe to introduce a computer-based reservation system for the travel business area. In 1978, the freight business area also started operating a computer-based reservation system.

The first freight-only route started between Gothenburg, Sweden and Kiel, Germany. The ship was the MS Stena Transporter.

During the 1980s, Stena acquired three other ferry companies. In 1981, Sessan Line, Stena's biggest competitor on Sweden–Denmark routes, was acquired and incorporated into Stena Line. This included Sessan's two large newbuilds, Kronprinsessan Victoria and MS Prinsessan Birgitta, which became the largest ships operated by Stena by that date. In 1983, Stena acquired Varberg-Grenå Linjen, and two years later also the right to that company's former name, Lion Ferry. Lion Ferry continued as a separate marketing company until 1997, when it was incorporated into Stena Line. In 1989, Stena acquired yet another ferry company, Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (SMZ) (which at the time traded under the name Crown Line). SMZ's Hoek van Holland–Harwich route then became a part of Stena Line.

Stena Line doubled in size in 1990 with the acquisition of Sealink British Ferries from Sea Containers Ltd. This first became Sealink Stena Line, then Stena Sealink Line and finally Stena Line (UK), which now operates all of Stena's ferry services between Great Britain and Ireland. In 1996, Stena Line introduced its 20,000 tonne HSS (High-speed Sea Service) vessels, which operated from Belfast to Stranraer, Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire and Hoek van Holland to Harwich. In addition to the three 1,500-passenger HSS vessels, Stena Line ordered two smaller 900-passenger HSS vessels to operate on the Gothenburg–Frederikshavn route. Due to the bankruptcy of the shipyard, only the first of these vessels was ever completed.

In 1998, Stena's operations from Dover and Newhaven were merged with P&O European Ferries to form P&O Stena Line, 40% of which was owned by Stena and 60% by P&O. In 2002, P&O acquired all of Stena's shares in the company, thus becoming the sole owner of P&O Stena Line, which soon changed its name to P&O Ferries.

In 2000, Stena Line purchased yet another Scandinavian ferry operator: Scandlines AB.

In November 2006, Stena ordered a pair of "super ferries" with a gross tonnage of 62,000 from Aker Yards, Germany for delivery in 2010, with an option for two more ships of the same design. The new ferries will be amongst the largest in the world, to be operated on Stena's North Sea route from Hoek van Holland to Harwich. The existing ships from the North Sea were to be moved to the Kiel–Gothenborg route, whereas the ships from Kiel would transfer to the Gdynia to Karlskrona route. The new ferries were launched in 2010, with Stena Hollandica entering service on 16 May 2010, and Stena Britannica planned to enter service in the autumn of 2010.

The company also moved its Belfast Terminal from Albert Quay to the new VT4 during May 2008. This has reduced the length of the crossing to Stranraer by ten minutes.

In July 2009, Stena Line announced that it had repurchased its former ship, Stena Parisien, from SeaFrance. The ship is now known as Stena Navigator. She had a  comprehensive refit. Following on from this, the ship was introduced on the Stranraer to Belfast route, alongside HSS Stena Voyager and Stena Caledonia.

Irish Sea expansion
In December 2010, Stena Line announced it had acquired the Northern Irish operations of DFDS Seaways. The sale includes the Belfast to Heysham & Birkenhead routes, two vessels from the Heysham route (Scotia Seaways & Hibernia Seaways) and two chartered vessels from the Birkenhead route (MS Mersey Seaways & MS Lagan Seaways). The Fleetwood to Larne route ended on 24 December 2010.

On 26 February 2014 it was announced that Stena Line would acquire the Celtic Link ferry service from Rosslare to Cherbourg, France.

Change on the Irish Sea
In 2012 Stena Line introduced the Stena Superfast VII and Stena Superfast VIII to replace the Stena Navigator and Stena Caledonia. It was announced that the Stena Voyager would be removed from service in 2013. She has since been sold to Stena Recycling and sent for scrapping.

Irish Sea

 * Fishguard – Rosslare: MS Stena Europe
 * Holyhead – Dublin Port: Stena Adventurer, Stena Superfast X
 * Belfast – Cairnryan: Stena Superfast VII, Stena Superfast VIII
 * Belfast – Heysham: Stena Hibernia, Stena Precision
 * Belfast – Birkenhead: Stena Lagan, Stena Mersey, Stena Performer
 * Cherbourg – Rosslare: Stena Horizon

North Sea

 * Hook of Holland – Harwich: Stena Britannica, Stena Hollandica
 * Hook of Holland – North Killingholme Haven: Stena Transit, Stena Transporter
 * Rotterdam – Harwich: Capucine, Severine
 * Rotterdam – North Killingholme Haven: "Stena Scotia"

Scandinavia

 * Gothenburg – Fredrikshavn: MS Stena Jutlandica, MS Stena Danica, Stena Gothica
 * Varberg – Grenå: MS Stena Nautica
 * Gothenburg – Kiel: Stena Germanica, Stena Scandinavica
 * Oslo – Fredrikshavn: MS Stena Saga
 * Karlskrona – Gdynia: Stena Spirit, Stena Vision, Stena Baltica
 * Nynäshamn – Ventspils: Scottish Viking, Stena Flavia
 * Nynäshamn – Liepāja: Stena Flavia
 * Trelleborg – Rostock: Mecklenburg Vorpommern, MS Skåne
 * Trelleborg – Sassnitz: Sassnitz
 * Travemünde – Liepāja: Urd
 * Travemünde – Ventspils: Stena Flavia