Optima Seaways

Optima Seaways in Rosslare
History
Name	1999–2001: Alyssa 2001–2006: Svealand 2006–2012: Lisco Optima 2012–present: Optima Seaways
Owner	1999–2004: Levantina Trasporti Srl 2004–2006: Rederi AB Hornet 2006: Lisco Baltic Service 2006–present: DFDS
Operator	1999–2000: CoTuNav 2000–2001: Trasmediterránea 2001–2006: Scandlines 2006–2012: DFDS Lisco 2012–present: DFDS
Port of registry	1999–2004: Bari, Italy 2004–2006: Nassau, Bahamas 2006: Genova, Italy 2006–present: Klaipėda, Lithuania
Route	Paldiski – Kapellskär (current) Former: Klaipėda – Kiel / Karlshamn Former: Rosslare – Dunkirk
Ordered	1997
Builder	Cantiere Navale Visentini Porto Viro, Italy
Yard number	185
Laid down	1997
Launched	19 December 1998
Completed	June 1999
Acquired	2006 (by DFDS)
Maiden voyage	August 1999
In service	1999
Identification	IMO number: 9188427 Call sign: LYSD MMSI number: 277339000
Status	in service
General characteristics
Class & type	Visentini Class Ro-Pax (P129)
Tonnage	25,263 GT 7,073 DWT
Length	186.00 m (610 ft 3 in)
Beam	25.60 m (84 ft 0 in)
Height	9.15 m (30 ft 0 in)
Draught	6.50 m (21 ft 4 in)
Decks	7
Ramps	Stern vehicle loading ramp
Installed power	2 × MAN-B&W 9L48/60 main diesel engines (total 18,900 kW)
Propulsion	2 × controllable pitch propellers
Speed	23.0 knots (42.6 km/h; 26.5 mph) (service)
Capacity	327 passengers 221 cars and 174 trailers (2,262 lane metres)
Crew	24 (cabins)

Optima Seaways is a 186-metre Ro-Pax ferry operated by the Danish shipping company DFDS. Built by the Cantiere Navale Visentini in Porto Viro, Italy, and launched in December 1998, she was one of the early units in the successful series of passenger vessels produced by the Visentini shipyards. Throughout a dynamic career spanning nearly three decades, the vessel has operated under several names, including Alyssa, Svealand, and Lisco Optima, and has served a wide variety of routes across the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, and the English Channel. Since 2012, she has operated as Optima Seaways, maintaining vital connections for DFDS across Northern Europe, primarily serving Baltic routes between Lithuania, Sweden, and Estonia.

Service

The ferry, one of the first in a long series of passenger vessels built by the Visentini shipyards of Porto Viro, was launched on 19 December 1998 with the name Alyssa and delivered on 30 June 1999 on bareboat charter to Royal Maritime Limited, with the assistance of its subsidiary Levantina Trasporti Srl, from which it was sub-chartered in August to CoTuNav, entering service for the latter in the same month on the routes between Genoa, La Goletta and Marseille. After approximately a year of service, the ferry ended its service for the Tunisian company and on 3 March 2000 was chartered to the Spanish company Trasmediterránea, for which it immediately entered service on the routes between Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, where it operated until May 2001, when it was transferred to the routes between the Balearic port and Valencia. However, just one month later, in June, the ferry was chartered to the Swedish company Stena Line and on 3 July she was transferred to the Cityvarvet shipyard in Gothenburg, where she was renamed Svealand and underwent a refit in preparation for her entry into service on the routes between Gothenburg and Travemünde under the banner of their subsidiary Scandlines, which took place on 10 July. However, the day after her entry into service, the ferry ran aground off Zealand, suffering damage to her propellers and hull, which were later repaired at the Flender Werft in Lübeck, where she remained until 26 July, when she returned to service, this time on the routes between Trelleborg and Travemünde under the banner of Scandlines Hansa. On 17 April 2003, after approximately two years of service, the ferry was transferred to the routes between Kiel and Klaipėda.

In August 2004, Hornet was sold to the Bahamian company Rederi AB, from which it was chartered to Scandlines, for whom it operated for the next two years, until January 2006, when it was sub-chartered to TT-Line for four months and used on the Travemünde – Trelleborg route. However, on 27 April, at the end of the sub-charter to the German company, the ferry did not return to the Scandlines fleet, but was instead transferred to Western Ship & Repair in Klaipėda, where it was delivered to DFDS Lisco, a subsidiary of the DFDS Group, from which it had been purchased on 20 March. Following this, the ferry, renamed Lisco Optima during its technical stop in the Lithuanian shipyard, returned to service on 8 May on the Klaipėda – Kiel route. For the next three years the ferry continued to serve the route, until 25 May 2009, when it was replaced by the Lisco Maxima and transferred to the services between the Lithuanian port and Karlshamn, occasionally returning to operate on the old route, often for a few days, occasionally for a few months. Finally, on 4 April 2012, with the final merger of the Lisco branch into the parent company DFDS, the ferry was renamed Optima Seaways.

On 23 December 2019, after eighteen years of service between Lithuania, Sweden and Germany, the ferry was temporarily taken out of service until 6 January, when it returned to service on the Paldiski to Kappelskär routes. However, after less than a year of service, on 6 December the Danish company announced the inauguration of the new, mainly freight, route between Rosslare, Ireland and Dunkirk, France, using the 'Seaways and fleetmates Visborg and Kerry, the latter on charter. Following this, on 26 December the ferry then sailed from Klaipėda, where she was on a technical stopover, to Dunkirk, finally inaugurating the new English Channel route on 2 January. However, just twenty-four days later, on 27 January, the ferry was again taken out of service and the following day returned to Lithuania, where on 31 January she resumed operating between Klaipėda and Karlshamn, being replaced on the inaugurated route by Drotten, chartered from Rederi AB Gotland. The following year, between 11 May and 12 June 2022, the ferry again temporarily operated between Dunkirk and Rosslare, then returning on 27 June to the Baltic, again between Paldiski and Kappelskär, where she operated throughout the summer season, until 22 October, when she finally returned to service between Lithuania and Sweden , being replaced on the previous route by Patria Seaways.

On 15 December 2022, after a few months of service between Lithuania and Sweden, the ferry was again temporarily laid up in Lithuania and on 28 December she returned to service between Rosslare and Dunkirk as a replacement for Regina Seaways, where she operated regularly until 26 September 2025, when she was replaced by Victoria Seaways. Following this, two days later the ferry was then transferred back to Northern Europe, where she returned to service on the Klaipėda to Karlshamn route, replacing Victoria Seaways, operating there until 14 February 2026, when she sailed from Lithuania to Finland, where she resumed service on the Paldiski to Kappelskär route as a replacement for Sirena Seaways.

Technical specifications and equipment

The ferry is powered by two MAN/B&W 9L48 /60 diesel engines, each with an output of 9450 kW. The engines drive two controllable pitch propellers via gearboxes. The ship was retrofitted with a scrubber for exhaust gas aftertreatment in spring 2014. The ship is equipped with three bow thrusters.

The ship has three Ro-Ro decks. These are accessible via a ramp at the stern that leads directly to the Ro-Ro deck on the main deck. From the main deck, the Ro-Ro deck below is accessible via a ramp. This ramp can be closed, thus providing additional space on the main deck. On the port side, there is an internal ramp accessible from the stern ramp, leading to the Ro-Ro deck above the main deck. The Ro-Ro decks on the main deck and the deck below are fully enclosed. The Ro-Ro deck above is largely covered by the deck structures. The aft portion of the deck is open to the sky.

Above the Ro-Ro decks are two decks with passenger facilities. The lower deck houses the public areas, including a self-service restaurant , bars, and a small shop. At the rear of this deck is a lounge with reclining seats, and behind it are some of the passenger cabins. The upper deck contains additional passenger cabins, and at the rear is an open deck.  There are 72 reclining seats and 252 beds in cabins available on board, accommodating 324 passengers.

The bridge is located at the front of the deck above . It is enclosed across its entire width. To improve visibility during docking and undocking maneuvers and for navigating narrow channels, it extends slightly beyond the ship's beam. Behind it are areas with facilities for the ship's crew. The ship is equipped with two fin stabilizers.