Customer notice 

I write to update you about what is happening in the business since Stena Line UK Ltd completed its acquisition of DFDS Seaways Irish Sea Ferries Ltd. (since renamed Stena Line Irish Sea Ferries Ltd.) and related operating ferry services on the Liverpool/Belfast and Heysham/Belfast routes (the "Acquired Business"), on the 1st December 2010. Although the acquisition of SL ISF by Stena Line has been completed and DFDS no longer owns SL ISF, we are awaiting formal approval from the UK and Irish competition authorities to integrate SL ISF into the wider Stena Line business.

Stena Line has given commitments to the Office of Fair Trading ("OFT") that the SL ISF business will not be integrated into the rest of the Stena Line route network for as long as the competition review process is ongoing in the UK. This means that SL ISF will continue to operate and compete as an independent Ferry company until approval has been granted by the competition authorities, and Stena Line should be viewed as a competitor of SL ISF until that time.

The OFT has permitted Stena Line to take certain limited steps towards integration of the two businesses, in order to ensure the continued good management and smooth operation of SL ISF.  SL ISF will transition to using the Stena Line brand, this means all vessels, signage, vehicles, uniforms, printing and stationery bearing a reference to DFDS will gradually be changed to show the Stena Line insignia. We hope that this does not cause too much confusion whilst this transition is taking place and would stress that SL ISF nevertheless remains independent of Stena Line until approval has been granted by the competition authorities.

In addition, as part of the agreement reached between DFDS and Stena Line, DFDS and SL ISF continue to share a number of services for a transitional period until both parties have been able to introduce their own replacement arrangements. As an example DFDS will continue to provide Finance and Online booking services to SL ISF until further notice.

In the meantime it is business as usual for our customers using the Liverpool-Belfast and Heysham - Belfast Routes and therefore please continue to use telephone numbers 0871 200 0621 (UK) or 1 800 806 118 for enquiries or reservations.

We would like to thank all our customers for their continued support.

Yours sincerely,





Diane Poole OBE
Head of Passenger Services

Stena Line Irish Sea Ferries Ltd.