The Stena Line ship picked up the accolade for ‘best ferry conversion’ in the annual awards run by ShipPax.

ShipPax, which is based in Sweden and publishes the influential monthly Cruise & Ferry Info magazine and several other titles, presented the award this week at its annual shipping conference.

The Stena Navigator, purchased from SeaFrance last summer, was given a major makeover back in the autumn before entering service in November. The £2m refurbishment was carried out by Northern Ireland company MJM and designed by Swedish company Figura.

ShipPax said the project was “more than a simple revamping of an older ferry”.  It applauded the vessel’s “surprisingly fresh interior themes”, including its artwork, and praised the designers for creating a warm and welcoming environment for customers.

Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Route Director for Stranraer-Belfast, said: “We are extremely pleased with this award because it supports our view that the Navigator is a great addition to our route.

“A lot of time, money and effort was spent on turning the ship into the first class vessel which we have today. We think she looks fantastic and it’s great that ShipPax feels the same way.
“The company’s Scandinavian heritage was built into the design, most notably in our luxurious Stena Plus lounge, and this has really added to the overall look and feel of the ship.”

The Navigator boasts substantial passenger areas including Barista coffee house and bar and The Met restaurant which both seat up to 270, a Sports Bar which seats up to 160 and Stena Plus which seats up to 150.

The vessel, which caters for both passenger and freight traffic and has a capacity of up to 1,200 passengers and up to 280 cars or 50 lorries, also has two cinemas showing free movies, a Curious George play area for kids featuring an interactive zone, soft play area and mini cinema, Teen Town with the latest video games for teenagers, internet surf stations, free wi-fi and an onboard shop which offers a wide range of gifts, jewellery and fragrances.

There are dedicated facilities for freight drivers as well, including a drivers’ restaurant and a separate truckers’ lounge with state of the art internet facilities, a large touch screen and a relaxation area offering the ultimate in driver comfort.