P&O Stena Line
 
 
This page is devoted to postcards of the P&O Stena Line. An alphabetical list of ships covered on this page is shown below. The Table beneath gives links to complete postcard history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table are official postcards of the fleet in alphabetical order, followed by a number of multi-view Fleet Postcards.
 
P&O Stena Line was formed in 1998 from the Dover and Newhaven fleets of P&O European Ferries and Stena Line. P&O have a 60% interest in the combined company, and Stena have 40%. The joint fleets were repainted fairly quickly, whilst initially retaining their original names. Postcards were issued of the fleet in this condition with new colours and original names (the Stena prefix was omitted on the cards of the Stena ships, although I presume the actual names were not changed at this stage). In 1999, all remaining ships received new names with a POSL prefix, and the cards were reprinted with the new names. I have not yet found an official card of POSL Aquitaine - the card of POSL Provence being generally available on board. The Newhaven-Dieppe route was only operated in 1998; the service passed to Hoverspeed in 1999 (Hoverspeed owns Sea Containers who also owned Newhaven Port).
 
In April 2002, P&O announced its intention to buy out the 40% stake in P&O Stena Line owned by Stena. P&O also indicated that the Doer-Zeebrugge service would cease. The buy-out occurred in August 2002, and the subsequent history of Dover services under the P&O banner is dealt with on this link.
 
 
Ships on This Page:-
Elite
Empereur
European Pathway
Fantasia
POSL Aquitaine
POSL Burgundy
POSL Calais
POSL Canterbury
POSL Dover
POSL Kent
POSL Picardy
POSL Provence
P&O Stena Elite
Pride of Bruges
Pride of Burgundy
Pride of Calais
Pride of Dover
Pride of Kent
Stena Cambria
Stena Empereur
Stena Fantasia
Stena Royal
 
Associated Pages:-
P&O Ferries - P&O Ferries header page
P&O Dover - P&O Ferries' Dover services after 2002
Stena Line - Stena Line header page
Ferry Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
 
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Table of Ship Histories

Name

Other names

 Built
 POSL Aquitaine - to be added  Stena Royal, Prins Filip

 1991
 POSL Canterbury  Scandinavia, Tzarevetz, Fantasia, Stena Fantasia, etc

 1980
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
P&O Stena Line Fleet List
 
 
European Highway
European Pathway
European Seaway
 
 
Three ro-ro ferries built for Dover-Zeebrugge service. A fourth ship was completed as passenger ferry Pride of Burgundy. P&O Stena Line announced the closure of the Dover-Zeebrugge service in early 2002. The route closed in December 2002, by which time ownership had reverted to P&O Ferries.
 
 
P&O Stena Line official postcard of European Pathway.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POSL Aquitaine (ex-Stena Royal)
 
28838 gross tons - 2000 passengers
 
Built as Prins Filip for the RTM Dover-Oostende service in 1991, although did not enter service until 1992. Withdrawn 1997 when RTM ceased operations. Bought by a Stena Group company in 1998, and chartered to P&O Stena Line as Stena Royal for freight operations between Dover and Zeebrugge. Charter extended and renamed POSL Aquitaine. In 1999 began to carry passengers again on the Dover-Calais route. Transferred to P&O in August 2002 and renamed Pride of Aquitaine. Received new P&O livery for 2003 season. Chartered by P&O from Stena Line until 2005, when due to replaced by newbuilding.
 
 
 
Tropic Postcards T123 of Stena Royal at Zeebrugge on 30/11/98.
Photo: Mike Louagie
 
 
 
P&O Stena Line official postcard of POSL Aquitaine.
 
 
 
Tropic Postcards T214 of POSL Aquitaine.
Photo: Mike Louagie
 
 
 
Tropic Postcards T343 of POSL Aquitaine, (plus POSL Kent)
Photo: Mike Louagie
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POSL Burgundy
(ex-Pride of Burgundy)
 
28138 gross tons - 1420 passengers
 
Designed for P&O European Ferries as fourth Dover-Zeebrugge freight ferry European Causeway, but modified before delivery as Dover-Calais passenger vessel Pride of Burgundy in 1993. Transferred to P&O Stena Line in 1998. Renamed POSL Burgundy in 1999. Transferred back to P&O in August 2002, and reverted to original name Pride of Burgundy. Received new P&O livery for 2003 season.
 
 
P&O Stena Line official postcard of POSL Burgundy.
The same card was probably also issued as Pride of Burgundy.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POSL Calais
(ex-Pride of Calais)
 
26433 gross tons - 2290 passengers
 
Built for European Ferries as Dover-Calais passenger vessel Pride of Calais in 1987. Transferred to P&O Stena Line in 1998. Renamed POSL Calais in 1999. Transferred back to P&O in August 2002, renamed Pride of Calais. Received new P&O livery for 2003 season.
 
 
P&O Stena Line official postcard of POSL Calais.
The same card was probably also issued as Pride of Calais.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POSL Canterbury
(ex-Stena Fantasia)
 
25122 gross tons - 1800 passengers
 
Built in 1980 as commercial ferry Scandinavia. After various changes of owner and name, sold to Sealink in 1988 and renamed Fiesta. Rebuilt in 1990 as Dover-Calais passenger vessel Fantasia. Renamed Stena Fantasia later in 1990. Transferred to P&O Stena Line in 1998 and known as Fantasia. Renamed POSL Canterbury in 1999. Transferred to P&O Ferries in August 2002, and renamed PO Canterbury. Replaced by "new" Pride of Canterbury (ex-European Highway) in June 2003. Laid up in May 2003, followed by sale to GA Ferries in October 2003. She re-entered service as the Alkmini A in June 2004, between Igoumenitsa and Brindisi.
 
A complete history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
P&O Stena Line official postcard of Fantasia.
The same card has since been issued as POSL Canterbury.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POSL Dover
(ex-Pride of Dover)
 
26433 gross tons - 2290 passengers
 
Built for European Ferries as Dover-Calais passenger vessel Pride of Dover in 1987. Transferred to P&O Stena Line in 1998. Renamed POSL Dover in 1999. Transferred to P&O in August 2002, and received new P&O livery for the 2003 season. Name reverted to Pride of Dover.
 
 
P&O Stena Line official postcard of Pride of Dover.
I presume the same card has since been issued as POSL Dover.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POSL Kent
(ex-Pride of Kent)
 
20446 gross tons - 1825 passengers
 
Built for European Ferries as Dover-Calais passenger vessel Spirit of Free Enterprise in 1980, and initially the sister of POSL Picardy shown below. Renamed Pride of Kent in 1987, and lengthened in 1992 to match the capacity of Pride of Calais/Dover. Transferred to P&O Stena Line in 1998. Renamed POSL Kent in 1999. Transferred to P&O Ferries in 2002, and renamed PO Kent. Replaced by "new" Pride of Kent (ex-European Pathway) and put up for sale in May 2003.
 
 
P&O Stena Line official postcard of POSL Kent.
The same card was also issued as Pride of Kent.
 
 
 
p.oostcards postcard of POSL Kent.
 
 
 
Editions Couleur Locale postcard of POSL Kent (and POSL Dover) at Calais.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POSL Picardy
(ex-Pride of Bruges)
 
13061 gross tons - 1300 passengers
 
Built for European Ferries as Dover-Calais passenger vessel Pride of Free Enterprise in 1980. Renamed Pride of Bruges in 1988. Unlike her sister Pride of Kent, she was not lengthened. Transferred to P&O Stena Line in 1998. It was originally intended that Pride of Bruges would operate the Newhaven-Dieppe service, but she was initially retained at Dover following the Channel Tunnel fire. Renamed POSL Picardy in 1999. Laid up in 2000 and later sold to Transeuropa Ferries, becoming the Oleander.
 
 
P&O Stena Line official postcard of POSL Picardy.
The same card was probably also issued as Pride of Bruges.
 
 
 
p.oostcards postcard of POSL Picardy.
 
 
 
POSL Picardy as Oleander just after delivery to new owners.
Photo: ©Mike Willis
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POSL Provence
(ex-Stena Empereur)
 
28559 gross tons - 2036 passengers
 
Built in 1983 in Dunkerque as Stena Line's Stena Jutlandica for Frederikshavn-Gothenburg service. Transferred to Dover-Calais in 1996 as Stena Empereur. Transferred to P&O Stena Line in 1998 and known as Empereur. Renamed POSL Provence later in 1998. Transferred to P&O Ferries in August 2002 and renamed Pride of Provence. Due to replaced by a newbuilding in 2005/6.
 
 
P&O Stena Line official postcard of Empereur.
The same card has also been issued as POSL Provence.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stena Cambria
 
12705 gross tons - 1350 passengers
 
Built in 1980 as Sealink ferry St Anselm for Dover-Calais service. She later served between Folkestone and Boulogne. Renamed Stena Cambria in 1991 and transferred to the Irish Sea. She moved to the Newhaven-Dieppe route in 1997, and operated this route for P&O Stena Line in 1998. She was withdrawn in 1999 and sold to Umfisa as Isla de Botafoc for Barcelona-Ibiza services.
 
 
Ramsey Postcards postcard of Stena Cambria in P&O Stena Line colours.
I have not seen an official card in P&O Stena colours, nor found any commercial cards in Dieppe.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elite (ex-Stena Lynx III)
 
4113 gross tons - 620 passengers
 
Built in 1996 and chartered to Stena Line as Stena Lynx III for Dover-Calais service. From 1997 until 1998 she operated on the Newhaven-Dieppe route, and operated this route for P&O Stena Line as Elite in 1998. She was soon renamed P&O Stena Elite, but retained the name Elite on her bows. She was returned to Stena Line in late 1998 and again renamed Stena Lynx III, transferring to the Fishguard-Rosslare route. Operation of the Newhaven-Dieppe route passed to Hoverspeed from 1999.
 
 
This image of Elite is taken from one of the P&O Stena Line official fleet postcards shown below.
The same card may also been issued as a single image card, but I do not have a copy.
 
 
 
Editions Dubray postcard of Elite at Dieppe in 1998.
 
 
 
Editions Dubray postcard of Elite at Dieppe in 1998.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fleet Postcards
 
Fleet postcard of Elite, Pride of Dover, Empereur and Pride of Kent.
 
 
 
Fleet postcard of Fantasia, Pride of Burgundy, Pride of Calais and Pride of Bruges.
The same card has since been reissued as POSL Canterbury, Burgundy, Calais and Picardy.
 
 
 
Fleet postcard of European Pathway, POSL Dover, POSL Provence and POSL Kent.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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