Mega ships - The world largest car ferry

MV Ulysses is a RORO car ferry currently owned and operated by Irish Ferries. The ship was launched on 1 September 2000 at Aker Finnyards shipyard in Rauma, Finland and services the Dublin - Holyhead route. She was handed over to her owners ICG at the Rauma yard on 22 February 2001, leaving under the command of Captain Peter Ferguson on 28 February and arriving in Dublin Bay at 07:00 on Sunday 4 March. The naming ceremony was undertaken by swimmer Mairéad Berry. The vessel stands 12 decks high, towering over other vessels at a height of 167 feet (51 metres) from keel to mast. The vessel has five vehicle decks, including two 'swing decks', called 'Plates', which are lowered to accommodate a greater number of 'low vehicles' (i.e. vehicles up to 2 metres high) - these swing decks are primarily used in holiday seasons when there is a much greater number of passenger vehicles. When launched she was the world's largest car ferry in terms of vehicle capacity. (Color Line's sister ships Color Fantasy and Color Magic remain the largest ferries in terms of tonnage). Ulysses can carry 2,166 passengers and crew, 1,342 cars and 240 trucks. She has 228 passenger berths. The interior of Ulysses is based on the novel Ulysses by Irish writer James Joyce.