Manxman Officially Named

The Steam Packet’s new flagship vessel has officially received her name at a ceremony in South Korea.

Manxman, the third vessel in the Company’s history to bear the name, was christened at a ceremony at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard where she was constructed in Ulsan, South Korea.

As a special touch, the vessel’s name has been painted in gold to mark her first year of service with the Company, a tradition that has roots in the fleet’s history.

Adhering to local South Korean custom, Geraldine Ugland, wife of the Chairman of the Board of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Lars Ugland, had the privilege of ceremonially ‘axing’ the vessel to signify its completion and the naming of Manxman.

The 133m long vessel is the largest in the history of the Steam Packet, with space for approximately 10% more freight and vehicles than Ben-my-Chree, as well as nearly 1000 passengers and crew, in comparison to Ben-My-Chree’s capacity of 650.

The main passenger deck of Manxman offers extensive facilities to passengers including large bar, café and restaurant areas, a modern retail space, family lounge and a dedicated children’s play area, all with picture windows for sea views, creating a sense of space and light in the public areas.

Above the main passenger deck, Manxman has a range of lounges including a forward facing reserved seating lounge, an enlarged Premium Lounge and Executive Club Lounge, all with additional seating in comparison to Ben-my-Chree. There’s also an exclusive relaxation lounge with fully-reclining seating and ambient lighting to suit the time of day or night.

Manxman has 42 cabins for passengers, versus 20 on Ben-my-Chree, with a variety of levels of furnishing and fittings. Six of the cabins have been designed to provide enhanced accessibility, and four of the cabins have pet facilities.

In addition, pets are catered for with two dedicated lounges, an exercise area, and custom-designed kennels with built-in CCTV to enable owners to keep an eye on their four-legged friends.

Managing Director, Brian Thomson said: ‘This is a moment of which the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company can be justifiably proud, our project team have done great work to help get the vessel to this point. As Manxman receives its official name, we look forward to taking full ownership and to Manxman joining the fleet. Manxman’s departure from South Korea later this month is just the end of the beginning of the project. There’s still – literally and figuratively – a long way to go before Manxman enters service. We’ll be keeping everyone up-to-date on progress as Manxman and its crew make the journey from Ulsan to Douglas.’