Oscar Wilde, Irish Ferries chartered-in cruiseferry, is to enter the Dublin-Cherbourg route joining W.B. Yeats, with the debut of the second ship to boost capacity in the year the French capital hosts the Olympic Games, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Paris Games commence in late July, however in the meantime, Irish Ferries have available to book an early summer getaway for travel to France starting from just €299* return for two including a car and cabin. The offer can be snapped up from this weekend and is valid for travel up to 26th May, for up to 7 nights away.

For further terms and conditions of this offer*, visit the operator’s website, which Afloat.ie consulted their sailing schedule which sees Oscar Wilde start service on 16th February with a departure from Dublin to Cherbourg and returning to the Irish capital two days later.

The cruise ferry built in Finland, likewise of Ulysses (fresh from overhaul), will also carry out first Dublin-Holyhead duties in addition to beginning service on the Ireland-France route with weekend sailings supporting W.B. Yeats which operates throughout the year on the Dublin-Cherbourg connection that began in 2014. It was however, P&O Ferries which had first established the direct Ireland-mainland continental route until operations ceased two decades ago.

Features of Oscar Wilde include an à la carte restaurant, a self-service restaurant, a bar, club class lounge, gaming zone and a family-children's play area and also facilities for pets. As for vehicles, there is over 2,380 lane meters for cars, coaches, and freight trucks and an associated drivers' lounge available on the direct route that bypasses the UK, albeit Irish Ferries also have an alternative Dover-Calais link which forms part of the UK land-bridge with their Irish Sea routes including Rosslare-Pembroke.

Last year Oscar Wilde made its maiden entry for Irish Ferries, on the southern Ireland-Wales route having been chartered to parent company, Irish Continental Group (ICG) from the Tallink Grupp. The Tallinn based operator's purpose built Star, originally served on the popular ‘Shuttle’ service connecting the Estonian capital and Helsinki, Finland. As the then to be renamed Oscar Wilde, Irish Ferries announced would 'initially' operate the Irish Sea route of Rosslare-Pembroke for the busy summer period having replaced Blue Star 1.

Currently, the 114 passenger ropax Norbay is time-chartered to Irish Ferries as P&O Ferries confirmed to Afloat, with the ferry on the Rosslare-Pembroke route taken over Oscar Wilde which at the end of last month went to Larne for a scheduled lay-over period and maintenance including a paint spruce up in preparation for its forthcoming French debut.

Also at the Co. Antrim ferryport, Afloat tracked Arrow, where the Isle of Man Steam Packet's relief freighter occupies a berth when not in service as second spare ship Ben-My-Chree is berthed in Douglas.

With Oscar Wilde set to sail next Friday on the Ireland-France route, Irish Ferries for the first time will be able to offer passengers with a more balanced level of enhanced service, given the facilities from two cruise-ferries, as the newcomer replaced the near decade long chartered ropax Epsilon on the route. The freight-orientated vessel had limited passenger facilities when also serving on the Dublin-Holyhead route. 

Taking 2,080 passengers with 131 cabins providing berths for 520 passengers, Oscar Wilde will now be better utilised on the longer Ireland-France overnight passage where the cruiseferry will also have at it disposal if required an impressive speed of 27.5 knots.

There was a previous Oscar Wilde, which also connected Cherbourg albeit with the Irish port for France then based out of Rosslare. After the delayed delivery of newbuild W.B. Yeats in 2019, the 'Oscar' was sold by the operator which also abandoned the Wexford port's routes with France in favour of using Dublin instead given the direct link with the capital as highlighted in the press was deemed by maritime sources to be more profitable.

This winter when W.B. Yeats was dry-docked in H&W Belfast for routine overhaul, Epsilon covered crossings until partnered with the aforementioned Norbay which left P&O using twin ropax Norbank to soldier alone on the Dublin-Liverpool route until its closure in December. It was during this time where adverse weather led to cancellations on the continental route.

Now that the 125 freight trailer unit Norbay is on the Rosslare-Pembroke route and given the vessel's limited passenger facilities, this is reflected on Irish Ferries booking engine which has the ship described as an ‘economy ferry’. The ferry since November, has three months left of a six month charter, though will Irish Ferries extend the option beyond May or seek a more suitable ferry on the southern corridor which deserves to be consistent for customers. 

In addition, due to accessibility restrictions, Norbay does not cater for ‘foot’ passengers, as was the case when running on P&O’s Dublin-Liverpool link, noting Norbank is to continue serving its owner next month by opening a new Tilbury (London)–Rotterdam freight-only route.