M/V Baie de Seine

Completed on 27th November 2002, Dana Sirena (former Golfo Dei Defini) was introduced on the Harwich (GBR) – Esbjerg (DK) route operated by DFDS’s subsidiary DFDS Tor Line. In 2013, the company decided to rebrand them under the main brand DFDS Seaways. Therefore, the ship was largely refurbished. The accommodation decks were renewed whist her hull was repainted in Blue with DFDS Seaways’ logo on her sides. She was also renamed Sirena Seaways.

However, on 22nd June 2013, freshly repainted, whilst she was berthing in Harwich, Sirena Seaways collided with the quay. Her hull was pierced and water flooded in her bulbous bow. Passengers had to wait 2 hours before the ferry was eventually able to berth on another berth since the link span was also severely damaged during the accident. She was then sent on 25th to Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven (DEU) to enable the completion of repairs.

In 2015, DFDS Seaways decided to close Sirena Seaways’ route, linking Harwich and Esbjerg. This route was created 140 years ago yet was not still profitable. Sirena Seaways was transferred to the route linking Paldiski (EST) and Kapellskär (SWE) until she was laid-up. During Winter 2015, she was equipped with scrubbers in Remontowa shipyard in Gdansk in order to enable her to comply with the latest European regulations regarding ships’ exhausts.

On 30th January 2015, Brittany Ferries announced that the company has chartered in Sirena Seaways for five years with a purchase option. She was to be allocated on the route linking Le Havre and Portsmouth, and once a week she was to be allocated on the route linking Bilbao to Santander. Her introduction would have enabled the company to increase its passenger and freight capacities on those routes, and also enabled Brittany Ferries to propose seven services a week between England and Spain.

The charter was to begin in May 2015. Before entering service, former-Sirena Seaways was renamed Baie de Seine. Between 11th February and 01st May, she went back to Remontowa shipyard to be repainted to Brittany Ferries’ livery. Then, she set sail to Le Havre were she was re-registered, and then went to Portsmouth and Bilbao to perform berthing trials. She was eventually introduced on 11th May.

For the 2016 summer season, Brittany Ferries decided to allocate her on the Portsmouth – Bilbao and Portsmouth – Santander services, with only one crossing a week to Le Havre in order to enable the renewal of her cew.