Irish Ferries

[tumnus2010]

With Star arriving on the Irish Sea soon, and discussions taking place on here about other routes she could serve...Is Epsilon still due to leave the fleet soon?

If that's the case is it possible that Star could take on her rotations in due course? And Isle of Inishmore could return to Pembroke? That would leave them short at Dover admittedly..

[hhvferry]

With Star arriving on the Irish Sea soon, and discussions taking place on here about other routes she could serve...Is Epsilon still due to leave the fleet soon?

If that's the case is it possible that Star could take on her rotations in due course? And Isle of Inishmore could return to Pembroke? That would leave them short at Dover admittedly..

Yes Epsilon is still due to leave the company in the Autumn. The Star at least for now buys them a bit of flexibility. Perhaps another Visentini would fit the bill - although that raises the question of why they didn't just buy the Epsilon. Or perhaps they were outbid.

[ropax]

Epsilon was always an "emergency-temporary-solution-ferry" only for Irish Ferries. 
They was never happy with this really very basic freighter with some cars accepted onboard also.
The strategy of Irish Ferries is normally to be the most comfortablest and fastest ferry-company to/from Ireland.
If you speak with leading people from Irish Ferries on big travel- and logistics-exhibitions they have said this always since many years. 

So now STAR will replace the BLUE STAR ferry - but if Epsilon goes to the owner Euroafrica-Unity-Line in this / next autumn/winter/spring Irish Ferries needs one ferry more latest from next spring (2024).
((If they want really change to a faster fleet - (one of the or) both Superfasts from Australia (or the Atlantic Vision) could be a good intermediate-solution next year)) 

[ropax]

Just this week was the report from Irish Ferries that Freight is coming more back and back again to Land-bridge and away from "Brexit-Bypass-Routes". Furthermore Pax-numbers was rising up and will rise up more and more in the future.

So what would you do if you would be the CEO of Irish Ferries ?
Oscar Wilde to Holyhead ?

Other Possibility A:
- Dublin-France (if possible anytime change from Cherbourg to Le Havre or Calais) with the both Australian Superfasts daily in both dir. .
(= more capacity than other competitors because these do not offer 365 days dep., Stena f.ex. only ca. 312 dep.)
Sounds old from 1998 but seems to be still in very good condition and 2015 totally renovated. Pax is only 1400 but could easy extended to ca. 1800 if wished with more liveboats and Pullman-seats (or some more cabins also) etc. .
Comfortable fast ferries with different new renovated lounges, bars, 2 cinemas and a big self service restaurant.
https://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/discover
https://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/dis ... e-designer
- Oscar Wilde stay at Pembroke 
- WB Yeats, Ulysses and Dublin Swift at Holyhead
- no changes at Dover
RESULT:
- Irish would have at the Holyhead and Rosslare-corridors the best and fastest ferries and also the biggest capacities
- Furthermore a good attractive offer on the Ireland-France route

Or Possibility B with Oscar Wilde at Holyhead:
- Both Australian Superfasts go to Calais-Dover
- The Inishmore goes back to her Pembroke-route
- The old Innisfree wild leave the fleet
- Oskar Wilde replaces Epsilon
- all other ferries no changes
RESULT:
- Best and biggest ferries at Holyhead, Rosslare and Ireland-France
- Better than today ferries on Calais-Dover

Or possibility C with extension-rebuilt of Oscar Wilde:
- Oscar Wilde will be ca. 40m longer as the planned FSG 777, then similar capacities as WB Yeats
- then operating together with WB Yeats Ireland-France
- other things as in B)

Just to remember - there is no info that Irish Ferries could be interested in the Australian Superfasts - this is just my idea.
So maybe these both ferries will go to Corsica, Grimaldi, Balearia or anywhere else in 2024.
Furthermore Irish Ferries would need to charter another ferry then for ca. a half year until the first Superfast would be in Ireland.
And what happens with Atlantic Vision ? Maybe to small for Irish Ferries with a capacity of less than 1000 Pax ?

Other thinkable point:
The Victoria I from Tallink is now urgent offered for charter or sale again because the accomodation-charter ends soon now.
Think: Rebuilt with a 35m extension (=228m) and rebuilt of 1 cabin-deck into car-deck, than much more space for trucks also.
Than this ferry could operate on the Irish-France route together with WB Yeats... .

[ropax]

Just some points more to the generally fleet of Irish Ferries - continued also from the discuss in the Oscar Wilde thread... .

To the Catamaran:
- They have had a Cat from 1999 - 2018 built in 1999 for 800 Pax and 200 cars.
- Than they have replaced and upgraded the route with a in 2018 totally renovated bigger Cat built in 2001 for 900 Pax and 251 cars.
Both Cats has the same engines, so it was a smart step to operate now a Cat with 51 more cars possible (+ 25% capacity) for the same fuel-costs. So why should they now or in the next years threw away this Cat as speculated here from some users ???

Irish Ferries is often speaking in their officially infos that they want offer FAST transport for their customers, so this Cat is a part of the strategy - and not something for threw away. So i am 100% sure that Irish Ferries will also in future use minimum 1 Cat - and maybe will replace it around 2030 with another even again bigger Cat. 

To the Holyhead-route: 
- Ulysses is very very big with more than 4000 lm and i have checked "1000s" pictures everywhere in Internet - and not found 1 where this ferry is full - always free space to see on the both freight-decks after-section, also in summer. So there is actually always some more free space for trucks and trailers, and there is no reason that a 2nd ferry must have XXXL freight-capacity also.
- So it would work very well to replace from 2024 the 2860 lm from Epsilon with the 2380 lm from Oscar Wilde, including offering to all customer-groups much more space and comfort onboard than the poor small very basic Epsilon it can offer. If the Epsilon theoretic now would be 100% full with trucks and trailers the last 500 lm trailers can wait in future to the next dep. with Ulysses. 

To the Pembroke-route:
- Here the question will be which other used ferry Irish Ferries will buy CIRCA in next winter or spring. I have named some theoretic candidates, the both Australian Superfasts (was Superf. 3 + 4) are for sale, Atlantic Vision (was Superf. 9) is for sale, Superfast XI is for sale also. Furthermore maybe Visborg will be available again also in winter.

To the Ireland-France route:
- Irish Ferries want to be the leading company to/from Ireland. So they can not normally accept if Stena is operating with a much bigger ferry with Spa etc. onboard. So MAYBE they will hold against Stena (and Brittany ferries) better with the Victoria or Galaxy from Tallink ?
Both ships are available again, Tallink has no route for these cruise-ferries, both companies know already each other well after the Star-deal. So if Tallink can not find any other solution as accomodation-ship maybe they will offer to Irish Ferries good conditions for charter (or buy) one of these ferries... (?). The Victoria f.ex. has 727 cabins, not so much more than the 650 from Stenas Vision (W.B Yeats has 455 cabins). If more lane-meters for trucks wished inside-cabins on deck 5 could be rebuilt into a car-deck. I think also that the probability is higher for another used ferry named here under "Pembroke route" - but also Victoria or Galaxy i would not exclude... .
And - generally - i would offer a combi-route for to use better the big Duty-Free-Areas onboard:
France-Pembroke-Ireland

Maybe further new routes ?
If i would be the CEO of Irish Ferries i would start so fast as possible any route with any used ferry to Spain, f.ex. 
Dublin-Pembroke-Gijon, full Duty free, 1 ship for 3 routes in one trip, UK-Spain, UK-Ireland (new route) and Ireland-Spain.
So 3 possibilities with every trip to sell tickets. Normally they can not wait now many years when Brittany is building up a very big monopoly-business Ireland-Spain. (Also theoretic possible: Dublin-Holyhead-Gijon)

"Irish Ferries is the market leading ferry-operator in Ireland..."
This was the officially slogan from Irish Ferries (hall 20 / 206) on the worldwide biggest tourism industry exhibition in Berlin in march.
So for to be the leader they normally need
- in Pembroke a bigger better ferry than Stena Nordica
- in Holyhead bigger, better (and faster) ferries (more dep.) than what Stena offers
- to France bigger better (faster) ferries and more departures per year than what Stena or Brittany offers
- to Spain start a new route with a bigger better ferry than the E-Flexer from Brittany  

And please - let`s accept and agree about one point that we are not turning again, again and again in a circle:
Irish Ferries and Stena - they have 2 complete other different company-strategies. Irish has EXTRA bought now a big cruise-ferry (this word is not from me - but used in all infos from Irish Ferries now), there are a lot of used freighters available for charter or buy also - but they do not want them. Irish want offer comfortable fast transport for ALL customers - and Stena is mainly freight-oriented and the Stenas main-point is fuel-saving slowly operation with high freight-capacities, and there will be also the most money invested, f.ex. in big new freight-hubs as now in Holyhead or in new freight-ships as the both Stena Max freighters. But Irish Ferries will be happy that the only one freight-oriented ferry Epsilon (i know, there is still 1 in Dover) will leave the fleet circa around 1.nov. .
Maybe we can say it so:
Stena will be happy in future with a freight-pax mix of ca. 80:20 or 90:10.
And Irish will be happy with a freight-pax mix of ca. 60:40 or 50:50.
Both strategies can work very well and with profit - but are complete different. 

[vikingvoyager]

here are a lot of used freighters available for charter or buy also - but they do not want them

I don't think anyone has said that they would only wish to transport freight, I think many are saying that their preferred option for Pembroke would be something very similar to Stena Nordica, maybe with a few cabins.  Which ships were you thinking of that are for sale that fit this bill?

It's worth noting that at Dover, IF opted for a very freight biased third ship.  

[ropax]

I am awaiting that IF continue with a big comfortable ferry on the Pembroke route also in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 etc. .
And not with any freight-orientated ship with small Pax / Car capacity. I have heard always all the years only negative speaking from all persons from IF about Epsilon, that she is too small in Pax-capacity, that she is not comfortable enough etc. . So for me it was not a big surprise that they now have taken the comfortable big STAR from Tallink. And they need 1 ferry more, so minimum-standard and size will be the Visborg where many Pullman-seats could be rebuilt in a bar and duty-free-shopping-center, but if i would bet money on i would do it on any Superfast-ship - there will be 4 used Superfasts available in / from this next winter - so they can press down the prices and take the cheapest. And as said - also Tallinks Victoria or Galaxy are thinkable. If Tallink can not find new accomodation-charters they must go down with the prices and maybe they will happy if IF charter (or buy) one of these ships. 
Interesting point: The Superfasts has normally some more cabins than the Oscar Wilde, so then better with a Superfast (and W.B. Yeats) to France than with Oscar Wilde.

There is also again a Visentini from 2009 available actually - but IF will not take this ship. As said - they have another strategy than Stena and will also in future offer more and bigger capacities for ALL customer-groups.

At Dover they has needed so fast as possible a cheap 3rd ferry and with 2 other ferries with big Pax-capacity it is not a big problem if 1 ferry of 3 totally is more for freight - than for Pax. Let`s wait some years - then they will need also a newer younger ferry as replacement for the Innisfree - and i would bet money on it that it will be again a comfortable Pax-ferry then. If they are smart they offer to TT-Australia already now a "package-price" for both ferries - than they can scrap the 1991 built Innisfree already in 2025.

[Seashore]

I think you’ve overestimated the demand for a bar and duty free on Irish Sea routes, @hhvferry has told you this multiple times @ropax but seems you don’t listen to someone who knows what he’s talking about.

In answer to @vikingvoyager as you saying that a Superfast bought from TT-Line is what you’d put on Rosslare-Pembroke dock? A gas-guzzling overnight ferry with lots of cabins. You know Silja Europa is for sale 😆. Much more likely to see Isle of Inisheer at Pembroke - between her and Barfleur, I’d posit that is exactly what the route needs.

[hhvferry]

These Tasmanian Superfasts are 25 years old and I can't see how they could be suitable as long term solutions , without quite a bit of work, for any of Irish Ferries' routes - unless they deployed them on some sort of new concept Dublin to Cherbourg route. But the Yeats is in place for that operation.

Given their age I can't imagine IF wanting to make the sort of investment Stena did in the Cairnryan pair a decade or more ago to make them suitable shorter sea vessels. And the Seafrance Moliere showed that this type were tricky to use on eg Dover Calais.

Let's play at being IF's fleet director. If they were looking at buying a ship specifically for Pembroke-Rosslare I'd suggest it would need comfortable passenger spaces for around 1,000 with scope for a large area to be closed off out of season. 200 cabin berths max, very efficient operating costs and a regular service speed of 19 or 20 knots. IThe BS1's lane meterage of around 1,800 is I think more than ample, twin level loading desirable. Target age under 20 years old and preferably from a reputable owner and shipyard with proven engine types and configuration.

A broker running those criteria through the world's ferry fleet database might find surprisingly few available ships fitting the bill.

She's a little on the old side but the Barfleur would otherwise be a very nice fit (not quite sure on the lane metres front but might be ok) - when BF do eventually sell her I imagine they will not be short of suitors in southern Europe.

[marsav68]

@ropax  Duty free allowance coming into Ireland are poor and monitored. It isn't worth spending money on a ticket just to pick up a few bottles of drink. Since Brexit Irish Revenue and customs have really cracked down on alcohol and tobacco coming in... even from other EU states. Stringent drink driving laws also rule out a large number from having a drink in the bars. The money is made in the cafes and self service restaurants.Alcohol and tobaccoIn addition to your duty-free allowance for general goods, you have allowances for alcohol and tobacco products.
Tobacco allowances for individuals travelling from outside the European Union (EU)Tobacco products

• 200 cigarettes
  
• 100 cigarillos
  
• 50 cigars
  
• or
  
• 250g smoking tobacco.
  

You can split your allowance above on a fractional basis, for example, 100 cigarettes and 50 cigarillos.
The import of oral smokeless tobacco is generally prohibited. You will find further information in information on prohibitions and restrictions.
Alcohol allowances for individuals travelling from outside the EUAlcohol products

• 1 litre of spirits (whiskey, gin, vodka, and so on)
  
• or
  
• 2 litres of other alcoholic drinks with no more than 22% alcohol (for example, port, sherry, sparkling wine and some liqueurs).
  

You can split your alcohol allowance on a fractional basis, for example, 0.5 litres of spirits and 1 litre of port.
Wine and beer

• 4 litres of wine (still)
  
• 16 litres of beer.
  

Customs Duty, Excise Duty and Value-Added Tax (VAT), where applicable, are charged on goods in excess of the duty-free allowances.

[ropax]

Puhhhh - HHVferry, seashore and others here - you have so big knowledge about ferries, but please take off the Stena -strategy- sunglasses !

- 1) IF has since "1000" years used ferries with CIRCA 2000 Pax or more on the Pembroke-route.
Why they should go down now to 1000 Pax ???
- 2) And just the officially report / interview etc. from IF some days or 1, 2 weeks ago they said
"we are awaiting more traffic again on the Landbridge-routes" - what means in fact also the Pembroke-route.
- 3) Stena Line has / will now massive downsize the route with a small ferry where the people from car number 90 or 95 onboard will get the last table for sitting 4 hours anywhere on the ship. So also this is one reason more for to offer a very big ferry for customers who can not find anymore space on Stena Nordica.

And please - efficient operating costs, economic fuel-saving operation - and slowly speed - all these things are Stena wording, Stena strategy ! Just look today - Epsilon was faster short-time than 23 knots today afternoon and mostly over 20 knots - but the Stena Adventurer and Estrid was more slowly, mostly 19 knots, 19,5 etc. . So it is full ok to operate slowly, fuel-saving, economic etc. - this is Stena, TT, Polferries, Unity, Finnlines - around Sweden often only 13, 14, 15 knots ! But IF has another strategy to offer fast and comfortable transport ((and f.ex. Color Line, Viking Line, Tallink, Eckerö, Gotland, TT Australia and Fjordline also - all with more than 20 knots)) - just read all the last IF publications, media-infos etc. - IF is speaking from a FAST CRUISE FERRY f.ex. . But this has nothing to do with Stena Line who are investing in new freighters and landmarks for to built big freight-logistics-centers.  
And it is also full ok if you like this Stena-strategy - but some other ferry-companies and also some other people (as me f.ex.) like it more with faster and so much comfortable and big as possible ferries.

So let`s look to supermarkets - there is super-hard competition since decades in many countries. Then some supermarket-chains has decided one day to threw out all the fresh areas with serving-staff (cheese, meat, fish etc.) for to save a lot of costs - and other chains have especially extended very much these areas instead - so massive up-sizing instead of downsizing. There you can buy today 1000 sorts fresh cheese up to from New Zealand hand-cutted so as you wish it, fresh angus-cow-meat from Argentina and Brasil, exotic fishes not only from Europe etc. - not only 1 staff serving - maybe 2, 3, 4 really "fresh-food-experts" are there serving the customers personally today in each separate "fresh-corner". So these are 2 complete different strategies - but both are working very well.

And the same it is with ferry-companies, Fjordline, Colorline, Irish Ferries (and some others) operate with big comfortable ferries mostly also faster than the more freight-orientated ferry-companies Stena, TT-Line (Germany), Unity Line etc. with much more lanemeters for trucks and trailers than Pax-capacity. 

All pictures are from an EDEKA supermarket in Rostock:


FISH


MEAT / Butcher




CHEESE and SUSHI and there is also a special counter for fresh sausages, bacon, ham etc. "Wurst" only.

[vikingvoyager]

And please - efficient operating costs, economic fuel-saving operation - and slowly speed - all these things are Stena wording, Stena strategy ! Just look today - Epsilon was faster short-time than 23 knots today afternoon and mostly over 20 knots - but the Stena Adventurer and Estrid was more slowly, mostly 19 knots, 19,5 etc.

And yet, on the Irish Sea,  Irish Ferries have very similar (slightly slower crossing times).

IF: Holyhead to Dublin 3h15 or 3h45 Stena: 3h15
IF: Pembroke to Rosslare 4hr, Stena: Fishguard to Rosslare 3h30 or 4hr
IF: Dublin to Cherbourg 20hr, Stena: Rosslare to Cherbourg 17hr

Are you saying that Stena don't run to timetable?

[vikingvoyager]

2) And just the officially report / interview etc. from IF some days or 1, 2 weeks ago they said
"we are awaiting more traffic again on the Landbridge-routes" - what means in fact also the Pembroke-route.

I think the landbridge is mostly about freight. It dropped off post Brexit. If it returns to previous levels then you might see more freight demand at Pembroke but I don't think there was ever any suggestion that the Isle of Inishmore could not cope with passenger or freight levels pre-Brexit. 

[hhvferry]

Puhhhh - HHVferry, seashore and others here - you have so big knowledge about ferries, but please take off the Stena -strategy- sunglasses !

- 1) IF has since "1000" years used ferries with CIRCA 2000 Pax or more on the Pembroke-route.
Why they should go down now to 1000 Pax ???

And how much of those ships was actually open for use? If you have a 2,000 capacity ship and you close off 750 seats what are you actually running?

[jack]

I work in Pembroke, not for IF, I hear the BS1 call in her pax number when he sails and so far this year the most pax reported has been 476 and 66 crew. I can also see her upper car/freight deck and there is never much traffic on it. I don’t know what the arrival figures are as there not reported.

[hhvferry]

I work in Pembroke, not for IF, I hear the BS1 call in her pax number when he sails and so far this year the most pax reported has been 476 and 66 crew. I can also see her upper car/freight deck and there is never much traffic on it. I don’t know what the arrival figures are as there not reported.

The Isle of Inisheer may yet turn out to be the optimal ship for this route...

[ropax]

The Inisheer has IF upsized from 300 to 589 Pax. Maybe there will be really not more than ca. 600 Pax onboard in Pembroke (?) - but with these max. figures, that`s only theoretic always. Travelling with 600 people on Inisheer will be uncomfortable similar as on Nordica with 600 people.

So IF want to offer more space and comfort onboard generally. And maybe they need the Inisheer really in Dover for trailer and dangerous goods also. So i would bet money on that the Inisheer long-term not will come to the Pembroke route.
The bonus to have clear the better bigger ship on the route would also be away. Maybe the fresh renovated Nordica is better (?).
But if it would be the same ticket-price for Nordica and Oscar Wilde - then i would always book Oscar Wilde.
And many people would think similar.

[ropax]

And yet, on the Irish Sea,  Irish Ferries have very similar (slightly slower crossing times).

IF: Holyhead to Dublin 3h15 or 3h45 Stena: 3h15
IF: Pembroke to Rosslare 4hr, Stena: Fishguard to Rosslare 3h30 or 4hr
IF: Dublin to Cherbourg 20hr, Stena: Rosslare to Cherbourg 17hr

Are you saying that Stena don't run to timetable?

I have compared the real driven speed shown in Marine-traffic last 24-hours diagramm - not the timetables on the paper. Maybe IF is loosing more time turning in ports - but the normal speed on open sea was today a little bit faster than with the Stena ships. Furthermore the Catamaran is much more faster also.
And just now actually in these minutes f.ex. the WB Yeats is operating with relative fast 22,5 / 22,6 knots - normally not to see so fast at Stena Line to / from Ireland. This week Stena is not operating the Cherbourg-route 12.may - 19.may. and first dep. then is already full.
So maybe we can speed-check again over some days in a week in summer all the Irish routes.

[ropax]

The Australian Superfasts:
Sure - they are 25 years old, but i guess that they will be cheap for sale, maybe 25 Mio. per ferry only, 

And in actually reports from oct. 2022 these both hips looks still very modern and fresh, as said, totally renovated interior 2014/2015. 
All areas, cabins, lounges, restaurants, pullman-seats, chairs, sofas, stairs, elevators, escalator, cinemas, disco, bars are still looking very ok. ((Best is the live traditional scottish music onboard and the good and not overpriced food)). Could be direct used in Europe also.

Also the auto-mooring-system is well to see at the end of the trip in the video. Australia is generally today a very high standard country - so used Australian ferries can be used still in Europe for a couple of years. There are 6 decks for cars and trucks also but the car-decks are higher than 1,90m as to see in other videos... . These ferries seems to be very generously spacious also, a lot of different seating-areas and lounges, fake-library etc. on a number of decks, top-sun-deck is maybe later rebuilt to a closed "normal" deck (?).





So for me these both ships are a "bargain deal", a "secret-tipp" (much still modern ferry for less money) for a number of ferry-companies with some older ferries from the 80ies in the fleet, Irish F., TT-Germany, Viking Line, Eckerö, Corsica, DFDS-Newcastle, Balearia etc. . . 222 cabins, 750 beds (Oscar Wilde has only 134 cabins), 121 Pullman-seats with USB.

Visborg has much lower standard, is much smaller in all points and would need much higher rebuilt costs and Dest.Got. wants only to charter out her. And DG is not cheap, maybe the price for Visborg per year will be higher than for the better and bigger Superfasts.
But she is again available in sept. - Balearia has only a short-term-charter.
Atlantic Vision - nobody knows the actually condition - if not renovated the Australians will be much better.
Superfast 11 still offered for 65 Mio. and with 3000 Pax is much too expensive (Bithia is officially down to 37 but it will go down more, nobody is interested).

[CH1]

Galaxy and Victoria are far, far from the ideal vessels for Ireland-France routes, @ropax

At the end of the day, these services are freight-orientated, although I must admit that during the summer, passengers are numerous are there is huge demand for facilities such as provided by WBY and Vision. 

But the rest of the year, freight is all. That is why Stena is upsizing (I mean it) with Vision both in lanemeters and pax capacity, replacing the smaller Seatruck Panorama. 

If IF puts the Oscar Wilde along the WBY to replace Epsilon, they are downsizing, that is pure child-level maths : Epsilon is 2,860 lm, Oscar Wilde is 2,000 lm. 
And again, coming to your speculations, operating vessels at your suggested service speeds, is not feasible on the long term, both economically and technically.

Maybe you won't consider what I say here, but please be sure that - as many of us here -  I've seen what it takes or could take, onboard a vessel, as a seafarer (you can't get somebody closer to the ship operation than this) to operate a vessel in your manner : it is simply impossible. 
A vessel is not something you modify, extend, push to the limits, without any backlash. It is a fragile piece of machinery if handled wrong and an extraordinary thing if cared well. 

Epsilon at 23 knots is not a good choice for the lifespan of the engines, moreover with two shafts and two engines. And remember that they are steaming that fast to provide a correct crossing time for pax from/to Dublin. That's all. 
If IF were to operate their ship more economically, it would be more like 18/19 knots service speed. 
The gap in consumption between these two speed ranges is huge, and as you are talking about fast turn-arounds, high consumption means frequent bunkering, and bunkering takes a lot of time to be carried out safely. 
That is only basic marine engineering and nautical science, part of my four years studies for the Officer of the Watch Certificate. 

Economical speed doesn't mean slow speeds, far from it : it is a speed where the ship is profitable. If for Stena (the same engine configuration can be found onboard Epsilon and Horizon), their profitable speed is more around 18/19 knots, this is not slow. 

And you never know, this speed can be imposed by other technical issues : bad vibrations in the shafts or fragile lubrification system, weak gearbox, it can be anything.
Take a look at the Spirits from P&O : huge vibrations have imposed to the company to get them sailing around 19 kts, as they were closer to 23 knots two years ago. Vibrations and broken shafts are the exact reason for it. 

[ropax]

Galaxy and Victoria are far, far from the ideal vessels for Ireland-France routes, @ropax

At the end of the day, these services are freight-orientated, although I must admit that during the summer, passengers are numerous are there is huge demand for facilities such as provided by WBY and Vision. 

But the rest of the year, freight is all. That is why Stena is upsizing (I mean it) with Vision both in lanemeters and pax capacity, replacing the smaller Seatruck Panorama. 

If IF puts the Oscar Wilde along the WBY to replace Epsilon, they are downsizing, that is pure child-level maths : Epsilon is 2,860 lm, Oscar Wilde is 2,000 lm. 
And again, coming to your speculations, operating vessels at your suggested service speeds, is not feasible on the long term, both economically and technically.

Maybe you won't consider what I say here, but please be sure that - as many of us here -  I've seen what it takes or could take, onboard a vessel, as a seafarer (you can't get somebody closer to the ship operation than this) to operate a vessel in your manner : it is simply impossible. 
A vessel is not something you modify, extend, push to the limits, without any backlash. It is a fragile piece of machinery if handled wrong and an extraordinary thing if cared well. 

Epsilon at 23 knots is not a good choice for the lifespan of the engines, moreover with two shafts and two engines. And remember that they are steaming that fast to provide a correct crossing time for pax from/to Dublin. That's all. 
If IF were to operate their ship more economically, it would be more like 18/19 knots service speed. 
The gap in consumption between these two speed ranges is huge, and as you are talking about fast turn-arounds, high consumption means frequent bunkering, and bunkering takes a lot of time to be carried out safely. 
That is only basic marine engineering and nautical science, part of my four years studies for the Officer of the Watch Certificate. 

Economical speed doesn't mean slow speeds, far from it : it is a speed where the ship is profitable. If for Stena (the same engine configuration can be found onboard Epsilon and Horizon), their profitable speed is more around 18/19 knots, this is not slow. 

And you never know, this speed can be imposed by other technical issues : bad vibrations in the shafts or fragile lubrification system, weak gearbox, it can be anything.
Take a look at the Spirits from P&O : huge vibrations have imposed to the company to get them sailing around 19 kts, as they were closer to 23 knots two years ago. Vibrations and broken shafts are the exact reason for it. 

Every used ferry is always a compromise, if IF wants perfect ferries they must order new-buildings. But if we look to the thinkable ferries from IF in future to France - the Oscar Wilde has only 134 cabins (and 2380 lm media-info from IF - not 2000), more cabins than Epsilon - but much less than Stena Vision. And maybe Stena Spirit will follow in the next years ? Nobody knows... . So if IF want to hold again Stena so well as possible, or to overtrump Stena - then i can see only ferries as Galaxy or Victoria or maybe the Raphsody from GNV, also for charter / sale. Also the Australian Superfasts are very nice - but has only 222 cabins. But i have said that probably they will buy a Superfast, Visborg or similar - and not Galaxy or Victoria.
But it depends of the future strategy of IF. Best solution for all companies on France-Ireland would be to charter an extra big "cabin-cruise-ferry" only in summer every year. This is a similar traffic-corridor as many routes to Africa, empty over the year - but very full in summer.

[Shipping-Forecast]

Untangled. See Irish Continental Group for whole group and The Irish Ferry Market for a general discussion on the Irish Ferry (general) market.

@ropax please split up your answers and use quotes for context instead of addressing people one by one in a huge monologue, leaving the poor reader to work out what you are replying to. Thank you.

[ropax]

They need in winter 1 more "new used" ferry for to replace Epsilon because then Epsilon will go to Unity Line.
So - until they have not found and bought / chartered this "new" ferry - they hold the timetables "open".
F.ex. - if the "new" ferry arrives not before febr. - than they can decide to delete the Epsilon OR the Oscar Wilde round-trips from nov. to febr. .
Also today is unclear if the "new" ferry will be bigger or smaller than Oscar Wilde. Because a bigger ferry (f.ex. a Superfast) will probably replace Epsilon - but a smaller ferry (f.ex. Visborg) would replace Oscar Wilde on the Pembroke route so that Oscar Wilde can replace Epsilon then.

There are a number of theoretic thinkable "candidates" for to replace Epsilon, as f.ex. Visborg, Honfleur, Atlantic Vision, the Australian Superfasts, Superfast 11, maybe also Bithia, Janas, Tallinks Galaxy or sisters etc. - but today is unclear which other ferry-company will extend the charter or will give the chartered ferry back - and some of these ferries will also be too late available (f.ex. the Australians) - so if they would buy 1 Australian they would have for ca. a half year or longer 1 ferry too less in the fleet. Also possible that they will find another "new" ferry for Dover and the Inishmore returns to Pembroke then.

It is going to be exciting - they have told in the past that they want be faster and with bigger ships - so why not with 2 big Superfasts + Dublin Swift operate always faster than Stena in Holyhead and the XXL Ulysses replace one old smaller ferry in Dover ? Result: Best fastest offer in Holyhead, best ferry in South Channel with Oscar Wilde, best offer Ireland-France with Superfast + WB Yeats and also 1 very big comfortable ferry in Dover including the option for more pressing down the prices and freight-rates there - just to remember, Ulysses has double freight-/car-capacity than the other Dover-ferries from Irish Ferries - and is maybe also too big for Holyhead especially now after Brexit ? And if they are serious about more speed - why not offer "Ireland-UK always in max. 3:00 / 3:05 / 3:10 / 3:15 hours" - would be no problem with Superfasts and Oscar Wilde - sure - costs more fuel - but who want travel 30-45 min longer with Stena then ? Also for truck-companies every minute costs money - t/r it would save up to 90 min driver-costs etc. .

[hhvferry]

Drotten / Visborg has very expensive charter-rates and there was no info until now that others will be free soon (Honfleur etc.).

I like the idea of one of Drotten or Visborg heading to Irish Ferries to plug their impending fleet gap. At least with them you're starting with something usable ie twin freight decks (although their stated lane meterage still isn't huge).

I'd want to know more about their operating economics - I'm sure being Swedish they are designed to minimise crew costs but wonder how their fuel economy is at speeds much lower than originally intended.

They'd need work eg the upper freight deck has no bow access so would be stern only unless that was remedied (but then both current Oscar and Blue Star 1 have operated like this) and the saloon deck would need reworking to at least some degree. But I reckon it could be made to work so that one of them would be suitable at Pembroke. Making such a ship fit Dover-Calais would be more expensive.

How much the Gotland company want for their vessel - and under what terms - and what state they are in (they were very early Chinese reference ro-paxes so build quality may or may not be an issue) are other questions but conceptually I think one of these could be ok for Irish Ferries at a time that there are very few suitable ships.

[ropax]

I was just last week in Gotland again for some days "testing" Drotten (and Gotland ex Thjelvar) ((Report will follow)) and this ferry is really very basic and also "used" inside now. The only really impressing thing is the high Speed, f.ex. just today 29,4 knots and only really positive inside is the small bar-area at the front of Drotten, looking modern and fresh. So as 3rd extra-ferry on a short 3-hour-route for some weeks in summer still ok - but i am sure that Irish Ferries is looking for a ferry with higher standard and more comfort onboard than a "swimming university-canteen" and "1000" Pullman-seats. 

If i f.ex. compare the Drotten with an Australian Superfast it is a difference as between night and day.
Drotten would be a lower class than Oscar Wilde, WB Yeats and Ulysses. So maybe as shortterm "emergency-solution" until the Superfasts from Canada and Australia are available it is thinkable for Irish Ferries.

But Tallink has no route for Atlantic Vision and the new E-Flexer for Canada is soon ready - so why should not Tallink sell the Atlantic Vision to Irish Ferries and give them for a couple of month now the Victoria I as temporary solution ? 

And for Irish Ferries as said before: Is there really soooo much freight ? Cabins to/from France was / are often full-booked this year, and all forecasts says "more tourists in 2024, much more tourists in 2025, much much more tourists in 2026 to Ireland" - but freight can be still booked normally. So if Irish Ferries want answer or overtrump Stena Vision - with Victoria it would be possible.