MV Galicia

The cruise-ferry option on the route

The Galicia entered service for Brittany Ferries on 2 December 2020, sailing her first commercial crossing from Portsmouth to Santander. She was the first of the Stena E-Flexer cruise ferries to fly Brittany Ferries colours — and at 214.5 metres she became the longest ship ever to have joined the fleet.

Today she rotates on the Cherbourg–Rosslare service alongside her sisters Salamanca and Santoña, with the Cotentin covering the year-round backbone. On Galicia weeks, the overnight crossing feels less like transit and more like a 17-hour mini-cruise.

Brittany Ferries became the sole operator of the line in October 2025 after Stena Line's withdrawal — and the cruise-ferry comfort tier on this route is now exclusively in Brittany Ferries' hands. The Galicia is the flagship of that tier.

A purpose-modified E-Flexer

The Galicia is hull number 4 of the Stena E-Flexer class — a family of RoPax / cruise ferries built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai, China, for Stena RoRo, who then charter them to operators across Europe. The base E-Flexer design carries 175 cabins. Brittany Ferries paid for a deliberate modification: converting deck 7's car deck into cabin space and extending the deckhouse on decks 7 and 8.

The result: 343 passenger cabins — nearly double the standard E-Flexer count. That is what makes the Galicia work for long Irish and Spanish overnight runs. There is room for everyone to sleep properly.

Azul — proper tapas at sea

The Galicia introduced something genuinely new to the fleet: Azul, a Spanish-inspired tapas restaurant with a sit-down service, ocean views and an actual wine list. Brittany Ferries calls it tapas; in practice it is a small-plate restaurant that takes itself seriously — patatas bravas, jamón, manchego, the works. It is the kind of meal you remember after the crossing, which is unusual for a ferry.

Beyond Azul, the Galicia carries the standard cruise-ferry mix: a self-service restaurant for quicker meals, a bar that stays open well into the night, and a cinema for the long Atlantic legs. See the on-board dining guide for menu details and how to reserve a table.

Cabins — book ahead for the good ones

Every cabin on the Galicia is air-conditioned and en-suite, with a flat-screen TV (free on-demand movies), hairdryer, and a small writing/dining table. The cabin grades run from inside 2-berth cabins for budget travellers up to Commodore suites with private terraces. Wheelchair-accessible cabins are available — unlike on the year-round Cotentin, where they are not.

If you can book early enough, an outside cabin with a window changes the overnight experience completely — waking up to the Irish coast on approach to Rosslare is one of the underrated moments of this crossing.

On-board facilities at a glance

• Azul tapas restaurant — sit-down Spanish small plates
• Self-service restaurant with hot meals
• Bar and lounge — open evening and night
• Cinema for the longer Atlantic legs
• Boutique duty-free shop (spirits, perfume, gifts)
• Wi-Fi available across the ship
• Children's play area and family-friendly cabins
• Pet kennels — book in advance, see the pet travel page
• Wheelchair-accessible cabins and facilities

Cleaner engines, quieter crossings

The E-Flexer class was built to be ready for the next decade of emissions rules. The Galicia uses a diesel-electric propulsion system with two main scrubbers and is configured for LNG-compatible operation. In practice that means lower sulfur emissions, less vibration through the cabins, and a noticeably quieter night at sea than on older RoPax tonnage. Combined with two extra lifeboats fitted for her increased passenger count, the engineering is honest, considered, and matches the comfort upgrade you feel in the cabin.

Freight capacity — still a working ship

For all the cruise-ferry feel, the Galicia is still a RoPax. She offers 3,100 lane metres of vehicle deck — room for around 130 trailers or a mix of cars and freight. Hauliers using the route can book unaccompanied trailers and trade cars; see the freight booking page.

Insider tip — when to book the Galicia

From April to October, the Galicia and her sisters dominate the rotation. If you want the cinema, the Azul restaurant and a Commodore-class cabin with a window, those months are your best shot. For winter crossings (November to March), the cruise ferries dry-dock in turn and the Cotentin carries most of the load — so check the live schedule before assuming you will sail on the Galicia. Booking 6–8 weeks ahead is normally enough to secure a specific vessel and a cabin grade you actually want.