While one can fly from Belfast, Northern Ireland to Liverpool, England in a mere 50 minutes, if you believe that 'getting there is half the fun' then an eight-hour ferry ride is the preferable way to cross the Irish Sea. And if you're on a maritime history themed visit to these two famous port cities, the ferry is the ONLY way to go.
After an enjoyable three nights and two days in Belfast, on 28 October 2024, your VMoMH curator took the Translink 96 bus from downtown Belfast to the Stena Line Terminal 2 on West Bank Road. Check-in was easy and very fast and security was equally rapid. Foot passengers relax in the terminal lounge before being invited to board a shuttle bus for the short ride to the ferry. After disembarking from the bus inside the ferry, elevators and stairs take guests up to the passenger decks, while cars and trucks finish driving into the vehicle decks. The daytime run between Belfast and Birkenhead departs at 10:30am and arrives at 6:30pm.
The ferry ride through the Irish Sea is relaxing, refreshing, and picturesque, steaming up Belfast Lough into the North Channel and then heading southeast, past the Isle of Man, and up the River Mersey to dock in Birkenhead, across the river from Liverpool. While taxis are available at the terminal, Stena Line provides a free shuttle bus to take foot passengers to Hamilton Square, the nearest MerseyRail station, for the short train ride to central Liverpool.
The ferry for the daytime run to Birkenhead on 28 October was the MS Stena Edda, one of three standard size E-Flexer class ROPAX (roll-on/roll-off passenger) vessels designed by Deltamarin of Turku, Finland, built by AVIC Weihai Shipyard Company in Weihai, China, and operated by Stena Line. Through a staff competition, the Sweden-based Stena Line named the ship Stena Edda, 'Edda' being an old Norse term for a central medieval collection of poems and divine mythology. The Belfast-Birkenhead route is served by Stena Edda and Stena Embla, ensuring two daily sailings (10:30am - 6:30pm and 10:30pm - 6:30am). MS Stena Edda, the second E-Flexer delivered to Stena Line, was launched on 15 April 2019 and entered commercial service on 9 March 2020. She features one full passenger deck, two mixed use decks, two full-length garages for vehicles, and a smaller garage in the lower hull.
MS Stena Edda - specifications
Gross Tonnage: 41,671
Length: 214.5 metres (703 feet 9 inches)
Beam: 28 metres (91.9 feet)
Draught: 6.4 metres (21 feet)
Propulsion: 2 x Caterpillar Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK) M43 C diesel engines generating 33,800 horsepower, driving two controllable-pitch propellers
Speed: 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Complement: 73 crew
Capacity: 927 passengers, 120 cars, 210 freight trucks, 4-6 bicycles
Photos taken 28 October 2024
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| The Belfast passenger lounge at Stena Line's terminal for Belfast-Birkenhead services. The lounge features men's and women's toilets and a cafe selling hot and cold beverages and snacks. |
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| Foot passengers are taken from the lounge to the ferry via bus and disembark on Deck 3, one of the commercial vehicle decks, next to the Green Stairs and elevator for onward movement up to the passenger decks. |
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| Proceeding aft on Deck 8 to the private cabin booked for the eight-hour crossing. |
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| A deck plan for Deck 8, showing the location of public spaces and cabins. |
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| The port corridor on Deck 8, leading aft to cabins. MS Stena Edda and her sisterships have 175 cabins, both interior and exterior, each with four berths and en suite bathroom. The ship has six Deluxe cabins, as well as two wheelchair-accessible cabins. |
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| The door to Cabin 801, booked for today's journey. |
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| The paper ticket that contains an embedded digital strip used to unlock the cabin door. |
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| The first view of the cabin. |
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| An exterior cabin, Cabin 801 features one fixed lower berth and three fold-down berths on either side of a large window. |
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| The cabin with the left upper berth folded down and the ladder in place. Foldaway reading lights are above each berth and the night table contains electrical and USB outlets for personal electronic devices. |
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| The cabin in four berth configuration. |
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| The cabin also features a small desk with chair and a small satellite television with several commercial channels available, as well as channels featuring information on the ship and safety procedures. |
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| Like all cabins aboard Stena Edda, the bathroom in Cabin 801 features a sink, toilet, and shower stall. Towels are provided with the bed linens in the berths. |
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| After dropping off luggage in the cabin, it's time to explore the ship's public spaces. These are the Red Stairs on Deck 8, providing access between Decks 7 and 10. To the left are the corridors with the passenger cabins, while to the right is the entrance to the Sky Bar on Deck 8. Deck 8 is the only deck devoted entirely to public spaces. |
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| At the aft end of the Sky Bar are two free movie lounges, on each of the port and starboard sides. |
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| Inside Movie Lounge 2, which played the 1998 film 'Rush Hour', starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, during this voyage. |
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| Comfortable seats grouped around the large 65" screen televisions lend the movie lounges the feel of a living room, albeit a living room occupied by strangers, some of whom are merely using the quiet and low lighting to sleep. |
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| Sky Bar, located amidships, is one of the public areas on Stena Edda, featuring cafe style seating. |
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| Looking forward at the Sky Bar, with seating for 170 people. A large skylight floods this space with natural light during the day. A large screen television mounted on the forward end of the atrium, below the skylight, plays live sport programming. |
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| The bar of Sky Bar at the forward end of the seating area. Beer, wine, and spirits, as well as soft drinks and snacks are available for purchase here throughout the voyage. |
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| The port side seating area of the Sky Bar. |
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| The starboard seating area of the Sky Bar. |
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| Looking aft in the Sky Bar, with the large skylight-topped atrium. |
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| Forward of the Sky Bar on Deck 8 is a small gaming area, containing electronic slot machines and a change machine. |
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| Across from the gaming area is an arcade. |
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| On the ship's starboard side, forward of the gaming area and arcade, is one of the entrances to the Trucker' Lounge, a restaurant and lounge exclusively for long-haul truckers running cargo between Britain and Northern Ireland. Truckers enter their special code on the keypad to access the lounge. |
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| A look at the 170-seat Truckers' Lounge on Deck 8, where commercial drivers can relax and enjoy discounted meals during their voyages. Given the stiff competition between ferry companies for the lucrative cargo trade, amenities like the Truckers' Lounge are designed to woo truckers. |
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| Another view of the Truckers' Lounge, looking aft. The self-service buffet is on the right. |
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| The forward entrance to the Trucker's Lounge, accessible via a staircase on the starboard side of the ship. |
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| Continuing forward on Deck 8 is the Living Room, a lounge area located on the port side. |
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| The Living Room features Scandinavian-style furniture and light wood fittings, with pleasant views of the sea through large windows. |
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| The Living Room is open to all passengers. One traveller intent on sleeping through the voyage has bedded down on the banquette by the window. |
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| With its blue carpeting, upholstered chairs, potted plants and displays of knick-knacks, the Living Room is a relaxing and quiet location away from the bar. |
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| Across from the Living Room is the Hygge Lounge, a premium lounge to which travellers can purchase access for a nominal additional fee on top of their standard passenger fare. Access can be purchased online when booking passage or can be purchased using a credit card at the terminal here. |
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| Seen through the door, the Hygge Lounge contains 35 comfortable 'reclined' (i.e. non-adjustable) seats that can be individually reserved for the duration of the voyage. 'Hygge' is a Danish and Norwegian word that describes a contented mood evoked by comfort and conviviality. This lounge, with low lighting and muted decor, is intended as a quiet space for those seeking sleep or relaxation; as such, no children under 8 are permitted in the Hygge Lounge. |
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| The Stena Plus Lounge is located at the forward end of Deck 8, overlooking the bow. Access to this private, 148-seat lounge is included in the Premium fare and can also be booked for an additional fee from Economy and Flexifares. Stena Plus passengers have access to complimentary snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, and wine, a dedicated waiter service, and free newspapers and magazines. To guarantee the comfort of Stena Plus passengers, children under 8 years of age are not permitted in the Stena Plus lounge. |
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| Looking aft from outside the Stena Plus Lounge, down the main thoroughfare on Deck 8. |
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| Having walked back to the amidships Sky Bar, it is time to descend to Deck 7. |
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| The deck plan sign for Deck 7, consisting of an enclosed car deck aft and public spaces forward. |
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| The car deck aft on Deck 7 is accessed from the public areas by automatic sliding doors. |
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| Located on the port side of Deck 7 at the base of the staircase from Sky Bar and just forward of the doors to the car deck is Guest Services and the Barista coffee house. |
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| The Barista coffee house, next to the Guest Services desk. This café sells a variety of hot and cold beverages, sandwiches, pastries, and snacks. |
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| Adjacent to the Barista coffee house and Guest Services is a comfortable lounge with 132 seats furnished with Scandinavian-style furniture in shades of grey and black. |
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| Looking forward, up the main thoroughfare on Deck 7. |
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| The 135 square metre onboard shop features a wide array of items, including spirits, wines, tobacco products, perfumes and cosmetics, toys, confectionery, clothing, accessories, travel essentials, electronic gadgets, sunglasses, watches, jewellery, and souvenirs. |
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| The Blue Stairs, providing access between Decks 3 and 8. When disembarking, foot passengers are instructed to take the dual set of stairs in the Blue Stairs down to Deck 3 to board the shuttle bus to the terminal. |
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| Forward of the shop, on the port side of Deck 7, are men's, women's, and handicapped toilets. |
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| The sinks in the men's toilets on Deck 7. |
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| Urinals. |
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| Toilet stalls in the men's toilets. |
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| The interior of one of the toilet stalls. (Note: the toilets were empty when these photos were taken.) |
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| Opposite the toilets on Deck 7 are the Green Stairs, the only staircase which provides access to all decks, from 1 to 10. In addition to the stairs, an elevator here serves the same decks. |
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| The elevator in the Green Stairs, as seen from the landing on Deck 5. The grey door on the left leads to the vehicle deck, which is locked and inaccessible during the voyage. |
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| The corridor continues forward on Deck 7 toward the Taste Restaurant. |
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| Entering Taste Restaurant, which is the furthest forward space on Deck 7 and spans the entire width of the ship. There is seating for 325 diners. |
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| With a cafeteria style layout diners come up to the counter to order meals and are given an electronic pager when their order is ready for pickup. Ready-made sandwiches, canned beverages, and snacks are available for immediate purchase, while hot food is prepared to order in the galley. On day crossings, breakfast service will be available until mid-morning, with lunch service commencing thereafter. |
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| Taste Restaurant offers a mix of traditional restaurant seating and lounge-style low chairs and tables. Lunchtime menu items include hamburgers, fish & chips, Swedish meatballs, spinach ricotta ravioli, beef sirloin stroganoff, chicken breast with gremolata, and bean chili bowl. |
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| The central part of the restaurant, with light wood floors and bright lighting. |
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| The sides of Taste Restaurant feature large circular windows looking out over the sea. In contrast to the wooden floor and brighter lighting of the central part of the restaurant, the side sections offer dark blue carpet and upholstered swivel chairs for a more relaxed feel. |
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| A wide angle view of Taste Restaurant. Low seats and lounge-style tables are spread across the forward part of the restaurant, overlooking the ship's bow. |
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| Looking out over the bow of Stena Edda from a window in Taste Restaurant. |
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| Heading aft on Deck 7 from Taste Restaurant, past Happy World, a children's play area. |
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| Continuing aft along the main thoroughfare on Deck 7. |
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| Deck 7 features exterior spaces on the port and starboard sides for those needing to smoke or those wishing to take in some fresh sea air. |
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| Stena Edda's rescue boat and lifeboats are located here on the exterior sections of Deck 7. |
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| Looking forward on the starboard side of Deck 7's outer deck. The paw print symbols indicate that pet owners may exercise their dogs here. |
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| Taking the Red Stairs from Deck 8 to Deck 9. |
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| The staircase landing on Deck 9. Access to the 88 passenger cabins on this deck is to the right. The large oval window on the left looks out onto the atrium in Sky Bar on Deck 8. |
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| The deck plan for Deck 9. Deck 9's cabin block and an exterior section of deck running across its aft end (overlooking the car deck) is the only publicly-accessible part of this deck. Forward of the Red Stairs, Deck 9 is taken up by crew accommodations, offices, the crew mess, the ship's hospital, and the navigating bridge, all of which are off limits to passengers. |
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| The Red Stairs leading up from Deck 9 to Deck 10. |
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| The door leading out onto Deck 10 (Sun Deck). |
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| The port side of the Sun Deck, looking forward from the deckhouse at the top of the Red Stairs. About half of this exterior deck is accessible to passengers, from just aft of the helipad to the rear of the deck. |
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| Looking aft on the port side of the Sun Deck. |
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| Forward of the passenger-accessible section of the Sun Deck is the ship's helipad. Should there be a medical emergency onboard which exceeds the capability of the ship's medical staff, a helicopter can land here to evacuate the sick or injured. |
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| While there are a few benches and four circular picnic tables scattered randomly around the central portion of the Sun Deck and bolted down, there are no other passenger amenities on the Sun Deck, and no covered seating. |
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| While the weather was cooperative on this voyage, the Sun Deck was practically deserted throughout the crossing, with most passengers preferring to remain in the lounges and restaurant. |
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| Stena Edda's large, wedge-shaped funnel with the Stena Line 'S' logo. |
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| Stairs at the aft end of the Sun Deck permit access to Deck 9, below. The three Deluxe cabins on Deck 9 have doors that exit directly onto this strip of open-air deck overlooking the car deck below on Deck 7. Deck 8 features a similar strip of open deck at the aft end, onto which the three Deluxe cabins on that deck open. |
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| The Purple Stairs, the furthest aft set of stairs, is located within the cabin blocks on Decks 8 and 9 and provides access between Decks 3 and 9. |
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| The lateral corridor within the aft end of Deck 8 links the cabins on the port and starboard sides of the ship, with the Purple Stairs and an elevator providing access between Decks 3 and 9. |
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| Looking aft along the port side corridor in the cabins section of Deck 8. Deck 8 holds 87 cabins, with 88 additional cabins located above on Deck 9. |
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| The open-air veranda deck at the end of Deck 8. |
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| All passengers must vacate their cabins 30 minutes prior to arrival, as cleaning staff commence tidying the cabins and changing bed linens in preparation for the next batch of passengers for the return journey to Belfast departing at 10:30pm. |
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| With so few passengers on this crossing, and most evidently forgoing the additional expense of a cabin, the corridors in the accommodations block of Decks 8 and 9 were eerily quiet. |
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| This corridor on Deck 8 houses cabins for passengers travelling with pets, with a door at the end of the corridor leading out on the open-air section of the deck. |
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| A door to an escape hatch on Deck 8. |
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| A sign directing passengers toward the nearest muster station in an emergency. |
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| Looking out over Stena Edda's bow from Deck 7's Taste Restaurant prior to departure from Belfast. |
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| The Belfast Container Terminal, as seen from Stena Edda prior to departure from the Stena Line Terminal in Belfast. |
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| The view from Stena Edda's stern as she departs Belfast, having turned 180 degrees after backing away from her dock. |
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| Passing the German-flagged 17,488 gross ton container ship Vera Rambow, berthed at the Belfast Container Terminal. The 168-metre (551.2 foot) Vera Rambow, built in 2008, can carry 1,421 20-foot cargo containers. |
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| The iconic yellow gantry cranes, nicknamed Samson and Goliath, at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast. The cranes, built in Germany, were erected by Harland & Wolff in 1969 (Goliath) and 1974 (Samson) and stand 96 metres (315 feet) and 106 metres (348 feet) tall, respectively. Each crane has a span of 140 metres (459 feet) and can lift up to 840 tonnes to a height of 70 metres (230 feet). The dry dock under the cranes is the 11th largest in the world. |
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| Belfast recedes into the distance as Stena Edda makes her way down Belfast Lough toward the Irish Sea. |
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| The MS Stena Superfast VII, a roll-on/roll-off passenger (ROPAX) ferry that sails between Belfast and Cairnryan, Scotland. The ship was built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel, Germany for Superfast Ferries' Baltic Sea services. Ordered in 1998, the ship was launched on 18 November 2000 and entered commercial service on 17 May 2001. Chartered to Stena Line in 2011, the ship was purchased outright by Stena in 2017. |
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| The 30,285 gross ton Stena Superfast VII is 203.3 metres (667 feet) in length, with a beam of 25 metres (82 feet), and a draught of 6.6 metres (21 feet 8 inches). Carrying 1,200 passengers, 65-80 crew, and 661 cars or 110 truck trailers, Stena Superfast VII takes 2 hours and 22 minutes to sail the 150 kilometres between Belfast and Cairnryan, making three return trips per day. |
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| Heading up Belfast Lough, Stena Edda is passed by the incoming Stena Forwarder, a Danish-flagged roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel operating on the Belfast-Liverpool route. |
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| Built in 2016 by the Cantiere Navale Visentini shipyard near Venice, Italy, the 21,966 gross ton Stena Forwarder is 179.4 metres (588.6 feet) in length, with a beam of 26.2 metres (86 feet). |
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| Sailing into the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland before turning southeast toward Liverpool. |
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| The Calf of Man, a small island located off the southwestern tip of the Isle of Man. The 618-acre Calf of Man has three lighthouses, two built in 1818 and the third in 1968. |
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| Looking north at the Calf of Man (left) and the Isle of Man (right) from the Sun Deck of Stena Edda as the ferry proceeds southeast toward Liverpool. |
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| Stena Edda's identical sistership, Stena Embla, passes to starboard as she heads toward Belfast, having departed Liverpool (Birkenhead) at 10:30 that morning. At this point, both ferries were about four hours into their journeys. In Norse mythology, Embla was the first woman, her name deriving from the Old Norse word for 'elm'. |
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| Stena Edda's wake stretches away as the ship steams through a calm, though overcast, Irish Sea. |
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| As dusk settles, the lights on Stena Edda's Sun Deck come on. |
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| Calm sailing on the Irish Sea as the sun sets, as seen from the starboard side of Stena Edda's Sun Deck. |
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| Dusk on the Irish Sea. |
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| Stena Edda passes the Douglas Complex, a linked system of three platforms extracting oil and gas from the Douglas oil field discovered in 1990. The platforms are located 24 kilometres off the North Wales Coast. The Douglas Complex consists of the wellhead/drilling platform; a processing platform to separate oil, gas, and water; and an accommodation platform with living quarters for the crew. |
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| The well-lighted Sun Deck during a pleasant stroll in the cool night air as Stena Edda approaches the mouth of the River Mersey. |
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| The ship's funnel is illuminated as the sun sets on the Irish Sea. |
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| A tugboat from passes Stena Edda as it heads out to sea, with the last glow of the sunset visible on the western horizon. |
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| A dark autumn sky as Stena Edda approaches its final destination of Liverpool around 5:30pm, or one hour before scheduled arrival. |
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| Liverpool, as seen from the Sun Deck of MS Stena Edda as the ferry approaches its final destination, the 12 Quays Terminal in Birkenhead. The Mersey ferry linking Birkenhead and Liverpool glides across the water on the left. |
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| Passengers watch as MS Stena Edda backs into her berth at Birkenhead in preparation for offloading vehicles via the blue ramp which will soon lower into place. Foot passengers are asked to congregate in the lounge next to Guest Services on Deck 7 until a crew member directs them to proceed to the Green Stairs/elevator and descend to Deck 3 to board the shuttle bus that will take them to the Birkenhead terminal building. |
