Irish Ferries Announce Newbuild for UK/Ireland/France

[cvabishop]

Probably just as well, it would only make him unhappy...

[Solo]

Just finished another bottle that I got from some place near Roscoff, so all is well.

[neilcvx]

48 minutes ago, Solo said:

I don't know what's happening Chris can't get the pictures on PC, Phone, Blackberry or ipad.

Me neither 

[hhvferry]

The interior design of the WBY was by Steen Friis, who also did things like the Maersk Ds, Stena's rather nice Killingholme ships, and knocked the Hammerodde and Dueodde into shape to make them vaguely appealing compared to the rather horrible Ben my Chree from which they were derived. The design approach for all those vessels is for them to be modern, quite elegant but distinctly understated which is an approach carried onto the WBY. Closer to home, Steen Friis also did the Dana Sirena in her original DFDS guise, and their masterpiece was supposed to be the Norman Leader where the company was responsible for softening her brutal exterior lines, looking after the entire interior, the graphic design including signage plus developing LD Lines' corporate identity.

I quite like the Yeats - although she could do with a bit more colour, the approach is rather more sophisticated than the absolute monocrhome applied to things like the DFDS North Shields ships in their most recent guises. Certainly dispensing with things like the awful, vast Irish pub on the Ulysses is a step forward. But the compromises between her short sea and long-distance modes present themselves in things like the absence of a proper show bar, a place for entertainment or a proper kids play area. She's quite nice for three or four hours but a long crossing to France...? Perhaps less so.

Edited March 18 by hhvferry

[jonno]

7 hours ago, Fine Whine said:

My fear has always been that she would be an IKEA ship,

My feelings too especially for only €140m... and to think I'm having a week in Denmark including flights & hire car for less than one way in a WBY suite. My cancelled July 2018 crossing now may be a dodged bullet.

For me Oscar Wilde was the saving grace of all Irish sea crossings, even the large reception area felt cosy, the rest are all very utilitarian. I won't be surprised if Ulysses' replacement is no better and now she's had her more flamboyant refit, I bet she's in the shop window ready to depart on the QT in 18 months...

When you consider that you're only aboard MSM for 90 minutes longer than Isle of Inishmore, two very similar vessels built on the same blocks, there's no contest in terms of onboard quality. 

You're right, the extra funding in Honfleur isn't just due to the bespoke LNG set up, there's far more going into the quality of the consumer services & public spaces, She's costing near on €200m for a reason. I'm not really expecting much in the cabin dept though, they all seem to buying into the pseudo IKEA modular stuff now as it's a far simpler to maintain and clean.

Oh, no joy on the pics on my end either.

 

 

Edited March 18 by jonno

[Cabin-boy]

I had the photos on my phone last night but this morning they've gone back to text. Weird! Ed. 

[Ryan_H]

Where is Oscar Wilde at the moment, laid up? Has she been sold?

[Cabin-boy]

She's in dry dock in Belfast right now. Ed. 

[jonno]

1 hour ago, Ryan_H said:

Where is Oscar Wilde at the moment, laid up? Has she been sold?

She was listed on Horizon for a grand total of 5 days at the end of February, there are other scraps of info too which would suggest that she's being moved on to warmer waters.

[Ryan_H]

On ‎18‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 20:54, hhvferry said:

The interior design of the WBY was by Steen Friis, who also did things like the Maersk Ds, Stena's rather nice Killingholme ships, and knocked the Hammerodde and Dueodde into shape to make them vaguely appealing compared to the rather horrible Ben my Chree from which they were derived. The design approach for all those vessels is for them to be modern, quite elegant but distinctly understated which is an approach carried onto the WBY. Closer to home, Steen Friis also did the Dana Sirena in her original DFDS guise, and their masterpiece was supposed to be the Norman Leader where the company was responsible for softening her brutal exterior lines, looking after the entire interior, the graphic design including signage plus developing LD Lines' corporate identity.

I quite like the Yeats - although she could do with a bit more colour, the approach is rather more sophisticated than the absolute monocrhome applied to things like the DFDS North Shields ships in their most recent guises. Certainly dispensing with things like the awful, vast Irish pub on the Ulysses is a step forward. But the compromises between her short sea and long-distance modes present themselves in things like the absence of a proper show bar, a place for entertainment or a proper kids play area. She's quite nice for three or four hours but a long crossing to France...? Perhaps less so.

I've only sailed on the Ulysses the once and was distinctly under-whelmed, but I have to say I thought the large 'Irish pub' overlooking the bow was probably her best feature...!

[neilcvx]

Oscar Wilde confirmed as sold.

https://otp.investis.com/clients/uk/icg2/rns/regulatory-story.aspx?cid=500&newsid=1247074

 

[rogerpatenall]

Had my first sighting today of the WBY. Quite impressive.