Salamanca ferry

Former name: AVIC Weihai W0269

Salamanca ferry current position

Salamanca ferry current location is at North East Atlantic Ocean (coordinates 52.25400 N / -6.33681 W) cruising en route to Santander. The AIS position was reported 4 minutes ago.

Current Position

Specifications of Salamanca ferry

Year of build2022  /  Age: 2
Flag state France
BuilderAVIC CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard (Weihai, China)
ClassSTENA E-FLEXER cruiseferry (Ro-Pax ship)
Ferry route / homeportsRosslare-Cherbourg-Bilbao
Building costEUR 195 million (USD 240 million)
Engines (power)Wartsila-LNG (30.4 MW / 40767 hp)
Speed23 kn / 43 km/h / 26 mph
Length (LOA)215 m / 705 ft
Beam (width)32 m / 105 ft
Gross Tonnage41716 gt
Passengers1015
Crew75
Cars550
Freight vehicles130
Beds1015
Decks10
Cabins358
Decks with cabins3
Sister-shipsGalicia, Santona
Former namesAVIC Weihai W0269
OwnerStena AB (via Stena RoRo AB)
OperatorBRITTANY FERRIES

Salamanca ferry Review

Review of Salamanca ferry

MS Salamanca ferry is a Ro-Ro passenger vessel owned by STENA LINE and operated under charter by the French company BRITTANY FERRIES. The ship has a max capacity of 1015 passengers, 550 cars and 64 trucks/lorries (or 130 trailers) The vessel was launched in 2021 and inaugurated in 2022. In November 2022 it started the UK England-Spain ferry route Portsmouth-Bilbao via Cherbourg France (crossing time ~20 hours).

Since 2023, the cruise ship operates on the Ireland-Spain route Rosslare-Bilbao via Cherbourg (crossing time ~30 hours).

Cabins

As cruiseferry, Salamanca has a total of 321 passenger cabins (plus 37 truck-driver cabins/358 total), all of which are air-conditioned, with en-suite bathrooms, LCDTV (free on-demand movies), hairdryer, writing/dining table. The ferry company provides bed linens, towels, and toiletries. The cruise ship additionally has reclining seats. Some staterooms are wheelchair-accessible (adapted for disabled passengers).

The passenger staterooms as categories are 2-Berth Commodore Suite, 2-Berth Commodore Club, 4-Berth Outside "Club Plus", 4-Berth Outside "Club", 4-Berth Inside, 2-Berth Inside, as well as Wheelchair-Accessible (Premium Plus outside and inside) and Pet-Friendly (double and quads, both are with linoleum flooring). All 4-bed staterooms are with either twin beds (lower fixed single beds) or bunk beds (lower and upper Murphy beds/folding from the wall).

Unlike passenger staterooms, freight driver cabins (aft on deck 8) lack en suite bathrooms and have shared bathing and toilet facilities.

MS Salamanca's largest staterooms are the Commodore Suites. These luxury accommodations are fitted with a Queen-size double bed (160x200 cm, premium-brand mattress, top-quality cotton linens), comfortable seating (2x armchairs and a round coffee table), writing/dining table (with a tea and coffee-making facility), complimentary mini-bar (small refrigerator stocked with bottled water, soft drinks, light snacks).

Commodore Suite and Commodore Club cabin passengers also get free access to C-Club Premium Lounge (forward on deck 8).

Also available are reserved lounge seats and baby cots (for infants under 2 years of age/provided upon request).

All passengers must vacate their staterooms 30 min prior to homeport arrival.

Salamanca ferry ship (BRITTANY FERRIES)

Of all 10 decks, 3 are with passenger cabins.

Shipboard dining and entertainment options

As facilities, the Salamanca cruise ship offers:

  • A La Carte Restaurant (120-seat, offers locally-sourced meals prepared by French chefs)
  • (Deck 7) Azul Restaurant (self-service Main Dining Room/buffet restaurant, hot and cold meals) - ticket price-inclusive are 1x 3-course dinner and 1x Continental breakfast. Restaurant Azul is open for Breakfast (Continental, waiter-served), Lunch (buffet) and Dinner (3-course meals).
  • Taberna de Tapas / Cafe Bar (light meal, sandwiches, tapas, cakes, pastries, hot/cold drinks, HDTVs) the Cafe Restaurant serves tapas (from patatas/papas bravas to traditional regional Spanish favorites) and various hot dishes from the menu. Taberna de Tapas offers waiter-served Continental or Spanish breakfast and (during summer only) the inclusive 3-course dinner from Azul Restaurant.
  • Plaza Mayor is a large bar lounge serving food (snacks and light bites) and beverages (including Spanish wines and beers) throughout the day, as well as Afternoon Tea (coffee and pastries/cakes). The venue features plenty of natural light (coming from its SkyLight / glass-roof cover) and a large HDTV streaming live sporting events and music.
  • (Deck 8) Commodore C-Club Premium Lounge is a limited-capacity bar lounge with large, round-shaped windows (providing 270-degree views), HDTVs, comfortable seating (sofas, armchairs, round tables), two exclusive Restrooms (for men and women). The lounge access is complimentary for Commodore-class passengers and at-fee for lower-class cabins. The fee is payable onboard (at the Reception Desk) or prior to departure (online, upon booking). C-Club Lounge's access includes beverages (hot and cold) and light food (snacks, hot and cold dishes) which are provided complimentary throughout the day.
  • 2 cinemas - tickets can be purchased from Information Desk
  • (Deck 7) Kids Playroom is an indoor playground (an enclosed part of Azul Restaurant) with a complimentary children's entertainment program (digital and interactive games, arts-crafts, physical activities) by dedicated youth supervisors. Another two Kids' Play Areas (indoor playgrounds are located midship on decks 8 and 10.
  • Games Planet (teen lounge - video games, air hockey, foosball)
  • Chance Planet (casino/gambling lounge with slot machines)
  • Reading Lounge
  • 2 Reserved Seating Lounges (with reclining / Pullman seats)
  • Le Bar (fine French wines, cocktails, cold/hot drinks, HDTVs)
  • Les Boutiques (two duty-free shops) sell gifts, souvenirs, spirits, wines (large wine cellar), tobaccos, perfumes, cosmetics, leather goods, toys, books, confectionery, refreshments, clothing, cameras, sunglasses, jewelry). Special shopping promotions are held on each voyage.
  • free Wi-Fi, ATM/cash machine (next to Information Desk / Reception), disabled toilets, Baby Changing Rooms, complimentary Baggage Room

Two elevators (passenger lifts positioned forward and aft) access all cabin decks as well as the car decks.

Sun Deck (Deck 10) is a large outdoor area that doubles as Helideck (helipad) - a helicopter landing platform used in cases of emergency. On sundeck can be found canopy-shaded seating areas (round tables with garden armchairs), sunbathing areas (with deckchairs and sun loungers), an outdoor Gym (sports equipment), an outdoor playground for kids.

In the Salamanca cruise ship's Lobby Hall (close to the Reception) are located several information kiosks (Internet-connected PC terminals) with touch screens available complimentary to all passengers. MS Salamanca is BRITTANY FERRIES' second liner (after Galicia) that offers shipwide VOD service (video-on-demand / movies, radio, TV programming). The service is provided via passengers' mobile devices (using the complimentary Wi-Fi) or via the smart HDTVs in the staterooms.

The cruiseferry features a collection of ~1000 artworks, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photographs. Many artworks were made by Spanish artists.

 

All onboard emergency instructions are displayed in staterooms, on the TV screens and at the ship's assembly stations (aka muster stations). Life jackets are issued at the assembly stations. In case of emergency, the use of elevators/passenger lifts is forbidden.

BRITTANY FERRIES cruise deals

The company offers regularly scheduled ferry services between England and France (travel time on cruise ferries 3-4 hours) and between France and Spain (travel time 20-36 hours). The high-speed UK-France service allows the ships to successfully target the UK's "mini cruise" and holiday travel markets.

As on cruise vessels, all BRITTANY FERRIES ships offer passenger cabins with modern amenities, individually controlled air-conditioning and en-suite facilities. Cruise accommodations range from 2-bed "Inside Cabin" to "Commodore Suite" (with in-cabin dining / Afternoon Tea and Breakfast service). Some suites are with private balconies.

Onboard food is predominantly French cuisine and prepared by French chefs. All ships have a la carte priced restaurants, self-service cafeteria, selection of bars, live entertainment (singers, magicians, pantomimes for kids), at least one cinema, casino, arcade room, Bureau de Change, baby changing rooms, disabled toilets, Sun Deck areas, free of charge Wi-Fi.

Cruise ferries on France-Spain routes have swimming pools (open during summer months only), as well as kids' play areas with supervised activities (during holidays only). Spa treatment rooms on Spain-France cruise ferries offer facials (from ProCare), massages (by certified masseuses), modern massage chairs, pedicures and manicure services (OPI nail varnishes), treatments using skincare products by the French brand "Filorga Professional".

Ships' boutique shops sell at discount prices tobacco and alcohol (budget and premium wines and spirits), as well as luxury brand perfumes and cosmetics, designer jewelry, watches, sunglasses, souvenirs, toys.

Fun fact is that BRITTANY FERRIES serve annually around 22 tons of langoustines (Norway lobster), 15 tons of smoked salmon, 260 tons of meat, 240,000 English breakfasts, 333,000 liters of beer. By onboard sold perfumes, the company is ranked France's 3rd largest perfume retailer.

  • Ferry fares are based on departure dates, routes and time (season).
  • GBP 35 deposit is required to secure bookings during the peak summer season.
  • Summer prices are usually higher. Same goes for the weekends and overnight crossings.
  • Departures in the mornings, afternoons and overnights are offered throughout the whole year.
  • Overnight France-Spain crossings are 7 in a week.
  • Mix and match route deals are also available.

Salamanca ferry ship (BRITTANY FERRIES)

Follows the list of all BRITTANY FERRIES routes with crossing times and frequencies.

Pets on the ship

BRITTANY FERRIES is a DEFRA (UK and EU)-approved pet carrier by the ET140 (Pet Travel Scheme). Pets on the cruise ship can travel either in a Pet-friendly passenger cabin or in a kennel (for dogs). Pets are not allowed to stay in vehicles.

The shipping company requires dogs to be muzzled and leashed when off the vehicles or the stateroom - which also includes the ship's pet-exercise area (on Deck 7). It is recommended that prior to boarding the ferry, dogs to be exercised and toileted.

At check-in onboard, dog's chip is scanned and its passport checked. A sticker is placed on the car's windscreen to ensure that the pet-carrying vehicle is appropriately parked. Don't remove the sticker during the voyage. Pets are allowed only in the designated staterooms (pet-friendly) and at the ship's designated pet exercise zone (Deck 7) and not in any other public areas. An exception is made only for registered assistance dogs.

Vehicles carrying pets are greeted in the parking (car deck) by dedicated crew. Pets stay temporarily in the vehicles whilst their owners exit the garage for check-in. Shortly prior departure, pet owners are called to the Reception Desk, then escorted (together with the pet) between the car deck and the cabin. One hour before port arrival, an announcement is made (via the ship's PA system) asking pet owners to return to their cabins. Soon, a crew escorts them to their vehicles, where the animals remain until arrival. Pet owners are not allowed to remain in the vehicles. After arrival, a PA system announcement invites pet owners to return to their vehicles.

For safety reasons, in bad weather, pets must remain in the cabins and the access to their exercise areas is forbidden.

The cruiseferry Salamanca provides small and large dog kennels. The kennel must be pre-booked. Small kennels are recommended for dog breeds like Toy Poodle, King Charles Spaniel, Terrier, Jack Russell. Large kennels are recommended for dog breeds like German Shepherd, Labrador, Dalmatian, Boxer, Pointer, Setter.

Car decks

Follows a list of car decks-related safety procedures:

  • Disabled passengers or those requiring specific assistance should visit the ship's Information Desk, open 24 hours).
  • Apply the handbrake and place the vehicle in park or 1st gear position. Switch off the ignition, alarm, electrical equipment, headlights. Gas cylinders, if any, must be switched off. Lock the vehicle.
  • From your vehicle take only valuables and essential hand baggage.
  • Make a note of your vehicle's location and garage deck number/stairway before leaving the car deck.
  • Access to the ship's vehicle (cargo) decks during the voyage is prohibited.
  • Smoking on vehicle decks, as well as in cabins and passenger lounges is forbidden.
  • Wait for the onboard announcement before returning to your vehicle.

In order to avoid air pollution, don't start the engine until instructed.

ferry company BRITTANY FERRIES logo - CruiseMapper

The operator/ship charterer Brittany Ferries (fleet, 1972-founded, headquartered in Roscoff France) is a French ferry company operating on the shipping routes France-UK and France-Spain.

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Salamanca ferry Wiki

MS Salamanca is BRITTANY FERRIES' second LNG-powered vessel (liquefied natural gas) and one of the company's largest newbuilds - together with the sisterships and fleetmates Galicia and Santona. From the same series (Stena E-Flexer) are also the STENA LINE ships Estrid, Edda, Embla, and the modified (cabins-free) Cote d'Opale (DFDS).

The cruise ship Salamanca (Jinling Weihai Shipyard/hull number W0269) is the 8th E-Flexer and features innovative design and top-notch marine technologies. Its four Wartsila LNG engines run on fuel without any sulfur emissions, which results in less COx and soot particulates in comparison to diesel-powered vessels. The propulsion system is diesel-electric, consisting of modern Azipod units (azimuth thrusters). This type of propulsion is generally used extensively on large-sized cruise ships as it generates less noise and vibrations and also optimizes fuel consumption at lower speeds. The powerplant's combined output is 30 MW.

In the Spanish ports, the company's E-Flexer ships are LNG-bunkered by Repsol SA (Madrid Spain-based energy company). Nearly 3 months were spent for creating a digital model of the vessel's hull and CFD testing (Computational Fluid Dynamics). The tests allowed the shipbuilder AVC to visualize wave impact on the liner and optimize the hull's shape for best energy conservation. Animations were also created to show how the vessel will perform in heavy seas.

On December 11, 2017, BRITTANY FERRIES signed the 3-shipbuilding financing, part of the company's EUR 750 million "Green Shipping Guarantee" fleet expansion program for three "Stena E-Flexer Class" ships (Galicia 2021, Salamanca 2022, Santona 2023). The program was put in place in 2016, supported by "European Investment Bank" and "Societe Generale". Both banks signed a EUR 150 million guarantee agreement to support the vessels' construction in China. Societe Generale was the main arranger of EUR 142,6 million ship financing (per unit), which also includes a EUR 49,5 million tranche fully guaranteed by the European Investment Bank.

Salamanca ship's construction started with the steel-cutting ceremony on September 10, 2019, attended by Christophe Mathieu (Brittany Ferries' CEO). The vessel was originally planned for launch (float out from drydock at China's AVIC CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard) on January 6, 2021, but rescheduled for May 24. The official delivery to STENA RORO was on November 30, 2021 (originally scheduled for March 2022).

In December 2021, Wartsila signed with Brittany Ferries a 10-year service agreement to provide technical support (through December 2031) for MS Salamanca.

Unlike the sisterships, Salamanca has two Wartsila 12V46DF (dual-fuel engines) instead of the other boats' two Caterpillar M43C (MaK engines). The more powerful Wartsila engines (13,74 MW each) allow for higher service speed (23 Kn / 22 Kn on the other E-Flexers) as required by Brittany Ferries to maintain the Portsmouth-Bilbao route's schedule. Salamanca additionally has three Wartsila 20DF auxiliary engines (also dual-fuel) with GVUs (gas valve units) that control the LNG feed pressure according to the engine load.

The vessel (IMO number 9867592) is currently France-flagged (MMSI 228408900/initial registry port-flag state was Limassol Cyprus/MMSI 210276000) and French-crewed/staffed. It is named after Salamanca City - the capital of the autonomous province "Castile y Leon" in northwestern Spain. The UK-Spain route Portsmouth-Santander, MS Salamanca operates together with the fleet mates Pont Aven and Galicia. The ship names "Galicia" and "Salamanca" were chosen via competition (held in May 2018) with ~300 company personnel participating in the name contest.

All BRITTANY FERRIES E-Flexers are 10-year chartered from STENA RORO, with the option to purchase the vessel after the charter period expires.

Being the seventh "Stena E-Flexer" and the first "Stena E-Flexer MK II" (modified/lengthened "Stena E-Flexer" vessel), Salamanca was specifically tailored to the needs of BRITTANY FERRIES' (long-term charterer). Modifications include Deck 7's car deck space (converted to passenger cabins) and a deckhouse (decks 7-8) extension that allowed an increased number of cruise staterooms (343, instead of the basic design's 175). MS Salamanca also has two scrubbers (EGCS-Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems / 1 per engine), two more lifeboats, LOA length 240 m (25 m longer), cargo capacity 3600 lanemeters (500 more). The 3-deck cargo space includes a dedicated Car Deck with max capacity 200 (80 more) cars.

The ship's interior was designed by FIGURA Arkitekter AB (Goteborg Sweden-based design company specializing in buildings, interiors and graphic concepts).

The cruiseferry's repositioning voyage from China to Spain (Weihai to Bilbao) had total length 19116 km (11878 mi) was via Suez Canal (transition on January 1-2, 2022). The route included as bunkering stops (for loading fuel, freshwater, provisions) Singapore and Colombo Sri Lanka. The first LNG-bunkering (following the delivery) was during the anchorage off Singapore.

The christening ceremony was held on March 25, 2022, at Portsmouth. The Maiden Voyage started on March 27th (from Portsmouth to Bilbao via Cherbourg).

In August 2022, BRITTANY FERRIES contracted Wartsila Voyage for the delivery and installation of SPECS (Smart Panoramic Edge Camera System). Wartsila's first SPECS was installed on MS Salamanca. The system is based on ultrawide cameras providing 360-degree views streamed in real-time directly to the Wheelhouse. SPECS also indicates live distances to nearby objects thus reducing the risk of collisions during in-harbor navigation. Processed data is exported and used in training (to show other ships' bridge crew how to maneuver in specific sea conditions and ports), at simulation facilities as well as for a close investigation into accidents.

Stena E-FLEXER ship technology

E-FLEXER-class ferries were designed by Deltamarin (a subsidiary of AVIC International) specializing in ship design and offshore engineering and construction.

The first six E-FLEXERs have LOA length 215 m (704 ft), width 28 m (91 ft), max draft 6,4 m (21 ft), cargo deck capacity 3100 lanemeters (plus additional space for 120 cars).

The 7th and 8th FLEXERs are larger - 45000 GT-tons, LOA 240 m (790 ft), freight capacity 3600 lanemeters, 263 cabins, passenger capacity 1200. Interior layouts are according to the chartering company's requirements. For their interior were contracted the companies Figura Arkitekter AB (Sweden) and Rheinhold & Mahla GmbH (Germany).

Next are listed all China-built STENA E-FLEXER ships constructed by CMI Jinling (Weihai).

E-FLEXER numberSHIPOPERATORROUTEDELIVERYmisc.
1Stena EstridStena LineHolyhead-Dublin2019 Nov-
2Stena EddaStena LineBelfast-Liverpool2020 Jan-
4Stena EmblaStena LineBelfast-Liverpool2020 Nov-
 GaliciaBrittany Ferries

Portsmouth-Cherbourg-Santander

Rosslare-Cherbourg-Bilbao

2020 Aug-
5Cote d'OpaleDFDS FerriesDover-Calais2021 May-
6SalamancaBrittany Ferries-2021 NovLNG-powered
7Stena EstelleStena LineKarlskrona-Gdynia2022 Mayextended version
8Stena EbbaStena LineKarlskrona-Gdynia2022 Septextended version
9SantonaBrittany Ferries

Portsmouth-Cherbourg-Santander/Bilbao

Rosslare-Cherbourg-Bilbao

2022 DecLNG-powered
10AlasuinuMarine Atlantic (Canada)Newfoundland-Nova Scotia (Channel-Port aux Basques - North Sydney)2024LNG+battery
11Saint-MaloBrittany Ferries

Portsmouth-Caen/Ouistreham

Portsmouth-St Malo

2024 JulLNG+battery
12Guillaume de NormandieBrittany Ferries

Portsmouth-Caen/Ouistreham

Portsmouth-St Malo

2025 MayLNG+battery

The first five E-FLEXERs are powered by two MaK marine diesel engines (model M43C) with total power output 25,2 MW (33,800 hp). The propulsion system is by Caterpillar. Ships. The engines are "LNG-ready" (designed to be compatible with LNG fuel after some modifications) Four E-FLEXERs (ships 6th, 10th, 11th, 12th) are LNG-fueled by the original design.

Stena E-FLEXERs are among the world's most energy-efficient passenger ships ever constructed.