After more than 60 years of service as a Mersey Ferry, the likely date of the final voyage of Royal Iris is revealed ahead of the introduction of the new £26m Royal Daffodil ferry this summer. Tony McDonough reports
After more than 60 years of service on the River Mersey Royal Iris is now just weeks away from her final voyage.
LBN has learned that her service to operate as a Mersey Ferry runs out on March 31. She will be replaced in summer 2026 by the new £26m Royal Daffodil vessel currently in the final stages of building at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead.
This will mean that for at least April and May there will only be one ferry in operation on the river – Snowdrop, affectionately known as the Dazzle Ferry due to its bright colours. That vessel is also more than 60 years’ old. It is hoped Royal Daffodil will be in service in June, subject to sea trials.
When Liverpool City Region Combined Authority confirmed a new ferry would be built it was announced that either Snowdrop or Royal Iris would be for the chop. It wasn’t until November 2025 that LBN revealed which one it would be.
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said it was likely parts from Royal Iris would be utilised to extend the life of Snowdrop. He added Royal Iris may be turned into a tourist attraction similar to the former Royal Daffodil, now a floating bar and restaurant in Canning Dock.
“We will look to see if we can do something similar to what has been done with the original Daffodil – maybe on the Wirral side of the river,” he explained in November.
In a statement this week, the Combined Authority said: “Royal Iris of the Mersey has now entered the decommissioning process as we prepare to welcome Royal Daffodil into the Mersey Ferries fleet later this year.
“Royal Iris has been a much-loved part of the river for many years, and we encourage everyone to take the opportunity to step aboard and enjoy a trip while she’s still sailing, before she bids her final farewell to the Mersey.
“As she approaches the end of her service on the Mersey, we’re reflecting on her legacy and considering how best to mark her farewell, with further details to be confirmed in due course.”
Royal Iris was commissioned in November 1957 and was built by Philip and Son in Devon. She came into service in July 1959 as MV Mountwood, operated by Birkenhead Corporation. The vessel was 152 ft long, had a top speed of 14 knots and was able to carry up to 860 passengers.
She continued to operate under Birkenhead Corporation until 1968, then Merseytravel from 1969 to 1990 and then Mersey Ferries from 1990. Withdrawn from service in 1989, she returned to service in 1990 following an overhaul.
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After another major refit at Cammell Laird in 2001 she returned to service in April 2002 as Royal Iris of the Mersey before being finally renamed as simply Royal Iris in 2011.
Although the new Royal Daffodil will initially burn diesel it is being future-proofed so it can be converted to run entirely on electric at a later date.
Cammell Laird, which has previously built 15 Mersey Ferries dating back to 1836, is installing a diesel-electric hybrid-ready engine, designed to be adaptable for future conversion to full electric propulsion.