Formation

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 Frederikshavn, 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.

Freight

The first freight-focused route^[1] started between Gothenburg, Sweden, and Kiel, Germany. The ship was the MS Stena Transporter.

North Sea

During the 1980s, Stena acquired three other ferry companies.

• 1981, Sessan Line, Stena's biggest competitor on Sweden–Denmark routes, was acquired and incorporated into Stena Line.^[2] This included Sessan's two large newbuilds, Kronprinsessan Victoria and Prinsessan Birgitta, which became the largest ships operated by Stena by that date.
• 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.^[3]
• 1989, Stena acquired yet another ferry company, Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (SMZ) (which at the time traded under the name Crown Line). SMZ's Hook of Holland–Harwich route then became a part of Stena Line.^[4]

North America

• 1988, Jul - Stena Line purchased the British Columbia Steamship Co., operators of a Victoria–Seattle route.^[5]
• 1990, Nov - The Victoria–Seattle run was permanently cancelled, and the local company ceased trading.^[6]

Irish Sea

In 1990 Stena Line doubled in size with the acquisition of Sealink British Ferries from Sea Containers. 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.

Stena Superfast X arriving at Dublin (2017)

Stena Jutlandica in Gothenburg

In 1996, Stena Line introduced its 20,000 tonne HSS (High-speed Sea Service) vessels, which operated: Belfast-Stranraer; Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire and Hook of Holland-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.

English channel

In 1998, Stena's operations from Dover and Newhaven formed a joint venture with P&O European Ferries as P&O Stena Line, owned 40% - 60% respectively. 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.

Further expansion

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.^[7] The new ferries will be amongst the largest in the world,^[8] to be operated on Stena's North Sea route from Hook of 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.^[9]

Acquisitions and closures

• 2008, May - The company moved its Belfast Terminal from Albert Quay to the new VT4. This has reduced the length of the crossing to Stranraer by ten minutes.
• 2009, July - Stena Line announced that it had repurchased its former ship, Stena Parisien, from SeaFrance. The ship was renamed Stena Navigator after a comprehensive refit. She was then introduced on the Stranraer to Belfast route, alongside HSS Stena Voyager and Stena Caledonia.
• 2010, December - 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 (Mersey Seaways & Lagan Seaways).^[10] The Fleetwood to Larne route ended on 24 December 2010.
• 2011, November 21 - Stena Line introduced the Stena Superfast VII and Stena Superfast VIII to replace the Stena Navigator and Stena Caledonia on the Belfast-Cairnryan route. It was announced that the Stena Voyager would be removed from service on 20 November 2011. It was later sold to Stena Recycling and sent for scrapping in May 2013. The two new vessels were initially chartered from Tallink before Stena bought them in 2017.
• 2014, February 26 - it was announced that Stena Line would acquire the Celtic Link ferry service from Rosslare to Cherbourg, France. It was also agreed to take over the charter of their vessel Celtic Horizon, which was renamed Stena Horizon.^[11]
• 2019, February - A joint venture with Hyundai Glovis has been announced and approved by the European Commission, for the implementation of a new cooperative short sea intra-European waters service in between the two carriers, for the sea transport of transhipment cargo originating from South Korea.^[12]
• 2020, March 14 - due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the company suspended operations between Oslo and Frederikshavn temporarily until further notice due to travel restrictions in Denmark and Norway, the routes sole ship the MS Stena Saga was sent to Gothenburg where she arrived on 16 March 2020 where the company later confirmed it would be making 950 redundancies in Sweden as a result of Coronavirus. The company then later announced on 19 March 2020 that it was going to permanently suspend and close operations on the Oslo-Frederikshavn service due to the lack of profitability, where Stena announced that due to Coronavirus it was unlikely able to see it turn a profit during the whole year when the service is totally dependent on the summer season. The future of Stena Saga remains uncertain and remained laid up in Gothenburg (since end of 2021 she has been anchored near Manila, Philippines).
• 2020 - 2021 - After being replaced by two new e-flexers, MV Stena Embla and MV Stena Edda, on the Belfast to Birkenhead route MV Stena Mersey and MV Stena Lagan proceeded to Tuzla, Turkey for a major refit. This included lengthening by 36m, adding full drive through capabilities on two decks, full interior renovation and adding fuel scrubbers to reduce emissions. They entered service on the Nynäshamn to Ventspils route as MV Stena Baltica and MV Stena Scandica respectively.^[13][14]
• 2021, February - May - Due to a shift in travel demand, MV Stena Estrid swapped with MV Stena Horizon giving additional capacity to the Rosslare to Cherbourg route. This is after MV Stena Estrid operated a temporary route between Dublin and Cherbourg in January 2021.
• 2021, April - Stena introduced MV Stena Livia, which has been owned by Stena RoRo since 2012, on the Nynäshamn to Ventspils route alongside sister ship MV Stena Flavia. Later in the year they were transferred to the Travemünde to Liepāja route after being replaced by the newly refurbished MV Stena Baltica and MV Stena Scandica.^[15]
• 2021, June - July - Due to a shift in travel demand, MV Stena Estrid operated a temporary route between Holyhead and Belfast.^[16]
• 2022, February 1 - Stena introduced the Nynäshamn - Hanko route initially with MV Urd as a cargo vessel then additionally with MV Stena Gothica from May 2022.^[17]
• 2023, June 30 - Stena transferred MV Stena Vision to their Rosslare to Cherbourg route, greatly increasing the passenger capacity and doubling the passenger sailings on the route. She replaced the chartered freight vessel MV Seatruck Panorama.^[18] She was replaced by the new MV Stena Ebba on her previous route Karlskrona to Gdynia.
• 2023, October 9 - Stena announced they will be closing the Nynäshamn to Hanko on 20 October 2023, with the vessels being transferred within their fleet or going up on the charter market.^[19]
• 2023, October - Stena bought MV Frijsenborg, renaming her MV Stena Forwarder during a refit in Ostend.^[20] She entered service on the Birkenhead to Belfast route on 2 November 2023, replacing MV Stena Foreteller.^[21]
• 2023, December 15 - Stena confirmed their intention to open a Dublin to Birkenhead route, replacing the P&O's service which they ceased operating on 21 December 2023 with MV Norbank. The new service will start in mid February 2024 with a yet unknown vessel, however it is suggested that initially MV Stena Horizon will operate the route.^[22][23]

Irish Sea

• Belfast – Cairnryan: Stena Superfast VII, Stena Superfast VIII
• Belfast – Heysham: Stena Hibernia, Stena Scotia
• Belfast – Birkenhead: Stena Edda, Stena Embla, Stena Forwarder
• Dublin Port – Birkenhead (from mid Feb 2024): Stena Horizon ? ^[22]
• Holyhead – Dublin Port: Stena Adventurer, Stena Estrid (not during 8 Jan - 16 Mar 2024), Stena Nordica (7 Jan - 16 Mar 2024)^[24]
• Cherbourg – Rosslare: Stena Horizon (not during 8 Jan - 31 Mar 2024), Stena Vision^[25]
• Fishguard – Rosslare: Stena Nordica (not during 7 Jan - 3 Apr 2024),^[26] Stena Europe (8 Jan - 4 Apr 2024)^[27]

North Sea

• Hook of Holland – Harwich: Stena Britannica, Stena Hollandica, Stena Horizon (relief during 8 Jan - 10 Feb 2024)^[28]
• Hook of Holland – North Killingholme Haven: Stena Transit, Stena Transporter
• Rotterdam – Harwich: Stena Forerunnner, Stena Foreteller (from 2 Jan 2024)
• Rotterdam – Immingham: Jutlandia Sea, Fionia Sea

Scandinavia

• Gothenburg – Frederikshavn: Stena Jutlandica, Stena Danica
• Gothenburg – Kiel: Stena Germanica, Stena Scandinavica
• Halmstad – Grenå: Stena Nautica
• Trelleborg – Rostock: Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Skåne

Baltic Sea

• Karlskrona – Gdynia: Stena Estelle, Stena Ebba, Stena Spirit
• Nynäshamn – Ventspils: Stena Scandica, Stena Baltica
• Travemünde – Liepāja: Stena Livia, Stena Flavia

Laid up or chartered out

• Relief: Stena Vinga
• Relief: Stena Gothica
• Dry docking in Falmouth: Stena Europe
• Marseille - Rades (Charter to CMA CGM^[29]): Stena Forecaster
• Klaipėda - Trelleborg - Rostock (Charter to TT-Line): Urd

Current ships

Name	Built	Gross Tonnage	Passengers	Notes	Images
Stena Adventurer	2003	43,532	1,500
Stena Baltica (formerly Stena Mersey)	2005	26,500 (as built)	980	Lengthened in 2020.
Stena Britannica	2010	63,039	1,200
Stena Danica	1983	15,899	2,300
Stena Ebba	2022	45,000	1200	The Fifth E-Flexer Class ship for Stena Line.
Stena Edda	2019	41,671	927	The second E-Flexer Class ship for Stena Line.
Stena Embla	2020	41,671	927	The third E-Flexer Class ship for Stena Line.
Stena Estelle	2022	45,000	1200	The Fourth E-Flexer Class ship for Stena Line.
Stena Estrid	2019	40,500	927	The first E-Flexer Class ship for Stena Line.
Stena Europe	1981	24,828	1,400
Stena Flavia	2008	26,904	830
Stena Forecaster	2003	24,688	12
Stena Forerunner	2003	24,688	12
Stena Foreteller	2003	24,688	12
Stena Forwarder	2016	21,966	12
Stena Germanica	2001	51,837[30]	1,300
Stena Gothica	1981	13,294	186	Rebuilt 1991/1993/2001
Stena Hibernia	1996	13,017	12
Stena Hollandica	2010	63,039	1,200
Stena Horizon	2006	27,552	972
Stena Jutlandica	1996	29,691	1,500
Stena Livia	2008	26,904	880
Stena Nautica	1986	11,763	663
Stena Nordica	2000	24,206	405	Rebuilt in 2023
Stena Scandica (formerly Stena Lagan)	2005	26,500 (as built)	980	Lengthened in 2021.
Stena Scandinavica	2003	55,050	900
Stena Scotia	1996	13,600	12
Stena Spirit	1988	39,193	1,700
Stena Superfast VII	2001	30,285	1,200	Stena took ownership from Tallink in December 2017.
Stena Superfast VIII	2001	30,285	1,200	Stena took ownership from Tallink in December 2017.
Stena Transit	2011	33,690	300
Stena Transporter	2011	33,690	300
Stena Vision	1981	39,178	1,700
Stena Vinga	2005	14551	400
Mecklenburg-Vorpommen	1996	37,987	600
Skåne	1998	28,960	600
Urd	1981	11,030	186
Currently Chartered Vessels
Fionia Sea	2009	25,609	12
Jutlandia Sea	2010	25,609	12
Formerly Chartered Vessels
POL Maris	2009	29,904	12
POL Stella (formerly Hatche)	2009	29,004	12
Seatruck Panorama	2009	14,759	12	Chartered from Seatruck Ferries.
Somerset (formerly Spaarneborg)	1999	21,005	12

Future fleet

On 10 May 2023, Stena has announced that they had ordered 2 NewMax freight hybrid freight vessels for the Belfast - Heysham route. They are due to begin service in Autumn 2025, giving a 80% boost in capacity to the current ships at 147 meters long with 2,800 lane meters. The NewMax vessels will be methanol powered and has built in electrification including for shore power and battery propulsion. ^[31]

Notes

Bibliography