WATCH: Safety first for Stena Line as NI ferries sail out of lockdown

Ferry passengers are voting with their sea legs as lock-down eases in Northern Ireland.

Stena Line has revealed a hike in non-essential travel bookings - available again for the first time in months.

But as we gradually emerge from the covid pandemic, the company is taking every precaution for travellers by implementing a series of health and safety measures.

And Downtown Radio & Cool FM was able to see the new look at first hand when Reporter Sarah McKinley was given a guided tour of the Stena Edda. See video (above)

Social distancing, fog machines, fresh sea air inside the ships and the recommended wearing of face coverings are among the changes to reassure customers about the future of ferry travel as countries reopen their borders in the coming weeks.

There's more rigorous cleaning onboard - a repurposed paint sprayer is allowing crew to use atomised antibacterial products to cleans both hard and soft surfaces.

While Stena Line’s ferries continued to operate during during the pandemic keeping supplies of food, medicines and equipment moving across Europe, they are now preparing for an influx of non-essential travellers.

Trade Director on the Irish Sea, Paul Grant said: "I think the main difference for customers this week will be that facemasks are now mandatory on our services, but right throughout the whole operation, what we've done is we've reduced the capacity onboard our ships.

"We've trying to make it as normal as possible in the circumstances; people can still eat, people can still drink, get a cabin, so all of these things we are trying to normalise as best as possible."

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• stena line