Stena Line Suspends Gdynia-Karlskrona Ferry Route After Stena Spirit Incident

Stena Line suspended all sailings on the Gdynia-Karlskrona route in both directions until Monday, March 30, 2026, after the Stena Spirit ferry became stranded in the port of Karlskrona following a mooring accident on Wednesday, March 25. During berthing maneuvers, the vessel's stern mooring line snapped and strong wind gusts caused the ship to shift position, requiring tugboat assistance to bring it under control. All 489 (passengers) — evacuated safely after mooring line snapped disembarked without injuries. The Stena Spirit subsequently blocked the quay, preventing the two other vessels operating on the route from docking normally and triggering cascading delays across the entire line. The ferry remained at the quay awaiting final clearance from the Swedish Maritime Administration to leave port, with Stena Line confirming it had already obtained most required approvals by Friday. Once that clearance is granted, the vessel is set to proceed to the Remontowa Shipyard in Gdańsk for repairs.

Stranded passengers offered coaches, hotels, and rival ferries Stena Line organized a series of alternative travel arrangements for passengers stranded in Karlskrona, covering all costs at the carrier's expense. On Thursday evening, more than 200 passengers used the first alternative route, traveling by coach to the port of Trelleborg, then crossing by another ferry line to Świnoujście, and continuing by coach to Gdynia. A second group of approximately 500 people departed on Friday, with coaches leaving at 11:00 and 17:00, bound for Trelleborg and Ystad. Passengers were also provided with hotel accommodation, berths aboard the stationary Stena Spirit, and full meals during the wait. The carrier additionally offered travelers the option of organizing their own journey independently, with costs reimbursed by Stena Line. By Friday evening, Stena Line confirmed that all passengers from canceled and delayed sailings who had been waiting to return from Karlskrona to Gdynia were on their way home. „We also offered passengers alternative solutions, including bus travel from Karlskrona to the port in Trelleborg, the possibility of using other ferry lines, or travel from Świnoujście to Gdynia. All these options are carried out at our expense.” — Agnieszka Zembrzycka via TVN24

Route suspension aimed at giving passengers predictable information The decision to cancel all sailings until Monday morning was framed by the carrier as a measure to reduce uncertainty for passengers and freight customers rather than a purely operational necessity. The two other vessels on the route, Stena Estelle and Stena Ebba, were both redirected to Trelleborg as the blocked quay in Karlskrona made normal port calls impossible. Stena Ebba waited at sea for several hours in an attempt to enter Karlskrona and collect waiting passengers before that plan was abandoned. Stena Estelle, redirected to Trelleborg on Thursday, entered Gdynia on Friday morning. Agnieszka Nowakowska, a representative of Stena Line Polska, cited the carrier's statement to the Polish news agency PAP on Friday evening. „This decision stems from concern for passengers, partners and freight customers — its aim is to provide clear and predictable information and avoid further uncertainty related to possible operational changes.” — Agnieszka Nowakowska via PAP Some passengers reported a lack of timely communication during the early stages of the disruption, with one traveler telling TVN24 he had been waiting in Karlskrona since Wednesday with no clear information about departure prospects.

Stena Spirit has sailed the Baltic route since 2011 The Stena Spirit entered service in 1988 under the name Stena Scandinavica, according to publicly available vessel records. Following a major refit in Gothenburg and a name change, it entered the Karlskrona-Gdynia service in 2011. Stena Line has operated the Gdynia-Karlskrona ferry connection for more than 30 years, according to the company. The route is served by three vessels, including the Stena Spirit and two modern 240-meter E-Flexer-class ferries, Stena Estelle and Stena Ebba, which joined the fleet in recent years. The port of Karlskrona, located in the Blekinge region of southern Sweden, is a Baltic naval port whose historic naval facilities are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Gdynia-Karlskrona crossing is one of the primary direct ferry links between Poland and Scandinavia, carrying both passengers and freight. The suspension of the route until March 30 affected travelers in both directions, with disruptions extending across several days of the Easter travel period. Stena Line's fleet management on the route — rerouting vessels to Trelleborg and Ystad — demonstrated the operational complexity of managing a three-ship schedule when a single quay becomes unavailable. The carrier did not specify a timeline for the Stena Spirit's return to service following its planned repairs at the Remontowa Shipyard in Gdańsk.

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