History
Oleander was built by Schichau Unterweser AG for European Ferries services between Dover and Calais. Initially entering service with them in 1980. In 1987 European Ferries was purchased by P&O European Ferries, in the same year Oleander's sister ship, Herald of Free Enterprise capsized just outside Zeebrugge. As a result of these two events, Pride of Free Enterprise was renamed the Pride of Bruges under a rebranding exercise undertaken by P&O following the bad publicity of the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster.
In 1998 P&O European Ferries merged its Short sea routes with Stena Line to form P&O Stena Line. As a result of this merger the vessels were again rebranded, this time the vessel was renamed to P&OSL Picardy. In 2000 P&OSL Picardy was laid up pending sale, eventually being sold to Transeuropa Ferries.
Transeuropa Ferries renamed the vessel Oleander and introduced a freight only service between Ramsgate and Oostende which began on 4 July 2002. Two years later, on 20 July 2004 the Oleander was joined by the Larkspur to provide a joint passenger/freight service also operating between the two ports.
On 3 March 2010 "Oleander" was in service between Algeciras and Tanger Med for Comarit.
Read more about this topic: MS Oleander
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