Owing to a fleet reshuffle resulting in the highly respected Isle of Inishmore being transferred from her 'home ports' of Pembroke Dock and Rosslare Europort to inaugurate a new Dover Calais crossing, shipping operator Irish Ferries was in need of a replacement vessel to fill the gap, at least for the short term.
This replacement came in the form of Blue Star 1, a modern robust looking ferry from Greece.
Let's go aboard and check her out.
Starting off in the Pembrokshire port of Pembroke Dock, the ferry terminal is easily accessible from the M4 /M5 motorways which cross east/west and north/south respectively. Taking the St Clears roundabout at the western end of the M4 as a benchmark (this is the main junction where you can travel on the A40 to Fishguard for the Stena Line operation to Rosslare or Pembroke Dock for the Irish Ferries service), the car journey is around 30 minutes.
The A477 road linking St Clears to Pembroke Dock is very good and largely dual carriageway.
Regrettably I did not have time to explore Pembroke its self but one day I would like to return to explore the wonderful coastline of Pembrokeshire.
Following the road signage I duly found myself at Pembroke Dock. Descending down the slip road I could clearly see Blue Star 1 alongside her berth parallel to the terminal building.
Blue Star 1 is not a dominant / imposing looking vessel but a sleek, attractive and modern looking ferry; though a little unusual to see a Greek vessel moored in a Welsh dock!
As I would be travelling as a foot passenger I need to park my car. Not an issue as I know where the car park is - just off the approach road to the ferry terminal.
Ah.....owing to Brexit the area is now used for commercial vehicles. With no signage I head to the terminal and temporarily park in one of the bays directly outside whilst I find someone to ask.
Speaking to the check-in attendant, who was particularly fresh faced, happy and cheerful despite the ungodly time of 0130hrs, confirmed where I'm presently parked is now the only parking facility for tourist vehicles - the plus being it is free parking and less than 30 seconds walk to the terminal however, spaces are limited and being unable to 'reserve' a space it is advisable to arrive early.
The ferry terminal is a single level facility with large windows providing excellent views of the ferry.
Seating and WC facilities are provided along with a coffee shop alas, the later is closed at the time of my journey. With a sailing time of 0245hrs and only four foot passengers I was not surprised, but I would have loved to have seen a hot beverage vending machine at least.
After a check of my travel documentation and the mandatory rummage of my holdall by port security, I was I was able to proceed to the shuttle bus to take me to the ferry. Decorated in full Irish Ferries livery the shuttle bus appears to be a permanent feature for those travelling on foot as there is no direct walkway to the ferry.
Boarding via her stern ramp the bus ascends a narrow internal ramp giving access to the ships' upper vehicle deck.
From here we disembark the bus and head over to the nearest stairwell or elevator which gives access to the ships' passenger facilities.
Let's go for an explore!
Now, I purposely did no prior research of Blue Star 1 prior to embarkation as I like to view (and also film) the ship in real time so I 'happen across' the facilities just as a 'regular traveller' would when they embark so, you can imagine my anxiety finding a copy of the ships' Welcome aboard leaflet and seeing what would be available during my voyage.
OK, so one can ascend from the vehicle deck to the main passenger deck via the stairs or an elevator. The stairs are relatively narrow therefore, if you have luggage or a child's buggy I would suggest using the later. Fortunately the passenger deck is only two decks above.
There is an escalator located near the stern of Blue Star 1 close to the aft stairs - a feature from her days operating in the Mediterranean however, this is not in use on the Pembroke Dock/Rosslare Europort route at the time of writing.
On this occasion the other foot passengers and I arrive at a hall located amid ships on
Deck 7 (Red Stairs). Signage (some of which is in Greek) shows all facilities are located on a single deck. This is great if you have walking difficulties as everything is on one level.
In my experience the first thing most passengers want to do is find a spot to call their own - a comfortable chair to spend the journey, or perhaps grab a coffee - I certainly did!
The good thing about Blue Star 1 is that lounges seem to be congregated near to the stairwells meaning you can head straight to a comfy chair and immediately relax. This also has the effect of preventing large crowds of passengers aimlessly walking around looking for a seat causing congestion.
Fortunately for me and the other foot passengers, the closest lounge is only a matter of meters away from the top of the stairwell - Café Lafayette Lounge.
Located on the starboard side of Deck 7 it features very good quality deep pile carpeting, floor to ceiling windows and individual tub chairs which you sink right into and immediately relax - perfect if you have had a long journey prior to your arrival at the port.
Primarily decorated in refreshing tones of green and earthy browns, this lounge fits in surprisingly well with the natural colours of the Pembrokeshire coastline - rather apt as you relax watching Wales slip away into the distance as you head off on your adventures.
Below: Boylans Brasserie is behind the glass divide - we will come back here later
Being open plan to the fore / aft corridor Café la Fayette does lack privacy and total quietness however, it does give the option of either people watching as at some point everyone passes through here, or simply gaze out across the Irish Sea through the huge windows - either way, I was happy!
For those passengers who arrive from the vehicle deck via the forward stairs (Blue Stairs), the unimaginably named 'The Bar' awaits. At the time of writing the actual bar was closed therefore, one must go to Boylans Brasserie to obtain a beverage.
However, its lounge seating is available and for those who find themselves in here, you are in for a treat; high quality furnishings decorated in rich tones of dark red and warming browns, the overall décor and ambience is of comfort, style, space and relaxation.
Truly excellent views of the passing vistas through the large windows create a light/bright environment, plus there is the added bonus of barely any engine noise.
Large comfortable sofas and oversized tub chairs were in abundance though there was still plenty of room to move around.
Its shire size, which I was genuinely surprised at, means a space to call your own is pretty much guaranteed (passengers who were due to travel aboard the cancelled sailing of Stena Europe were also aboard Blue Star 1 and there was still loads of space).
My voyage was actually in the aftermath of Storm Eunice - the week in which three consecutive storms battered the UK (Eunice, Storm Franklin & Storm Dudley).
Of course, I (Instagram: thebearded_blogger) grabbed 'the best seat in the house' to watch the action as we crossed the Irish Sea - the views from the forward windows are simply excellent!
Here is some video footage of the tail end of Storm Eunice taken during my crossing; the ship handles the weather very well!
Videos of my travels aboard other vessels during Storm Eunice, Storm Dudley and Storm Franklin can be found on my YouTube Channel 'A2B via Sea on TV'. Here is the link:
Finally, those passengers who embark via Blue Star 1 aft stairs (Green Stairs), on the port side is a very peaceful reclining seat lounge. All seats face the direction of travel and benefit from having luggage storage facilities within and muted TV monitors for entertainment.
With virtually no natural light present due to the (almost) full height divide from the adjacent corridor, this is a great place to truly relax and even catch up on sleep - a good alternative from hiring your own private cabin.
Below: Deck 8 hall - passenger cabins are located up here
Like other Irish Ferries vessels, Blue Star 1 has its own Club Class Lounge - a supplement of approximately £16 per person permits access to this facility which wraps around the stern of Deck 7 and benefits from having windows on three sides, complimentary hot and soft beverages and light snacks.
The seating is congregated into small groups allowing couples and families to find their own little snug, relax with a drink and enjoy the passage across the Irish Sea.
Additional seating areas can be found throughout Deck 7 along the halls and corridors:
Reception Lounge (starboard side of Deck 7)
Arcade Lounge (port side of Deck 7)
Deck 7 Hall
As you can see, Blue Star 1 has lots of seating areas, though remains an uncluttered and easy to navigate vessel.
Travelling from A2B via (the) Sea #a2bviasea is all about relaxation and enjoying the beautiful scenery, but what about the entertainment side of things; the crossing is after all around three hours long.....
Let's take a look.
Firstly, shopping.
Blue Star 1 has two shops, though they refreshingly differ from shops found on other Irish Sea ships as these two are more like boutiques.
The first 'boutique' is an Aladdin's Cave of goodies; a long narrow shop packed to the brim with travel accessories, gifts and souvenirs located close to the ship's reception on the starboard side of Deck 7 near to the aft stairs.
The staff within were found to be very polite, friendly and courteous - saying "hello" every time I passed and asked if I was looking for anything in particular - great customer service.
The second shop is a duty and tax free outlet which is open plan to the adjacent corridor next to the entrance to the Club Class Lounge, meaning it is virtually impossible to not go in.
Like the gift shop, the personnel within were also very friendly and struck up a conversation making passengers feel wanted and appreciated.
A good selection of alcoholic beverages were available for purchase whilst the tobacco products were behind the counter.
Food
Meals are served from Boylans Brasserie, an informal affair located amid ship.
No formal dining room is available aboard at the time of my visit although the meals served here were of good quality and of mammoth proportions, I mean they were HUGE!
Sampling the full English breakfast the items were piled high so I certainly got my monies worth.
The dining area was comfortable, with hard flooring dominating allowing for the area to be kept spotlessly clean.
Large windows on the port side allow for sea views however, you are permitted to take your meal into the Café LaFayette Lounge next door (starboard side) - this area also has a small 'breakout area to dine.
The previously mentioned Café Lafayette appears to have a counter which could at some point serve light snacks however, at the time of my voyage this was firmly closed and therefore, just its seating was accessible to passengers.
Cinema
A great (free) feature of Blue Star 1 is its cinema / conference room - a single movie being shown during each crossing which proved to be very popular, not least because the seating was very comfortable.
The cinema is located next too the Café Lafayette.
Playroom
Blue Star 1 was lacking a playroom with equipment expected by today's traveller; toys, colourful padded play equipment, etc. however, there are gaming machines aboard and an enclosed 'area' consisting of hard flooring and a small terraced stage for children to clamber on.
To take in the sea air Blue Star 1 has several exterior deck areas, though you need to hunt them down....
Primarily located on Deck 7, the main exterior areas can be found port and starboard through some very heavy doors; they were that heavy I assumed the exterior decks must be higher up the ship, perhaps accessible from the cabin deck, and the Deck 7 exterior deck areas were just Muster Station points for the lifeboats.
I obviously need to go to the gym more!
At the forward end of this outside deck is an extremely steep exterior staircase ascending two decks. If you do venture up here ensure you hold onto the handrails. At the top is a small platform where exceptional elevated views can be obtained along the side of the ship.
Going back to the starboard side exterior deck, at the aft end there is a staircase. If you ascend this and pass through a set of doors you come to an enclosed 'shelter deck' occupying the full width of the vessel.
This would have been used during Blue Star 1's time operating in the Mediterranean alas, on this voyage whilst on charter to Irish Ferries, this area is not for passenger use though there is nothing stopping passengers from going in here - signage, etc.
Here are some pictures for your perusal.
Further staircases give access to more exterior deck spaces near the funnel.
Upon arrival in Rosslare Europort Ireland, foot passengers are called down to the bus for disembarkation via the vehicle deck.
The transfer to the ferry terminal is swift.
The terminal building houses information bureaus of the various ferry operators which use the port and on the ground floor you can find a hire car company booth and a café serving beverages and snacks - video footage can be found in the film at the end of this blog.
In closing Blue Star 1 is a real gem.
Her interior is extremely comfortable with deep pile carpeting and fully upholstered seating which seems to envelop you. Wide aisles of hard flooring allows ease of access between the facilities which are more than adequate for the journey of this duration.
Being a 'stern loader' vehicles embark and disembark using a stern ramp meaning vehicles must circumnavigate the various decks and use an internal ramp so this does slow down operations for both commercial vehicles, tourist traffic and foot passengers, as they too use a bus to get on/off.
Other than that, a crossing aboard this vessel is a must - a Greek ship in the Irish Sea -
try something a little bit different!
Here is a real time walk about tour of the ship and footage of inside the ferry terminals. Enjoy!
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