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Latest Ferry NewsThe latest ferry news for February 2008 is below:
SeaFrance strike leads to partial closure of M20Date: 29 Feb 2008Source: Kent News The first phase of Operation Stack was still in place this morning as a result of industrial action by SeaFrance staff in France. The M20 is closed coastbound between junction 11, the Hythe turn-off, and junction 12, the Cheriton turn-off. Coastbound traffic has to leave the motorway at junction 11 and is diverted onto the A20. Lorries are directed back onto the coastbound stretch of the motorway where they park between the two junctions to wait for cross-channel services. Motorists are advised to avoid the area unless their journey is absolutely necessary. A SeaFrance statement said: "SeaFrance Dover Calais Ferries is experiencing disruptions to service due to industrial action by on board officers. "SeaFrance is currently booking all passengers onto alternative crossings with other operators to ensure passengers reach their destination with minimal disruption. Ferries to North Western France from £59Date: 28 Feb 2008Source: DirectFerries Brittany Ferries have announced some fantastic low cost deals aboard their luxury Cruise ferries and High Speed services from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth to Caen, St Malo, Cherbourg and Roscoff: Portsmouth Caen - from £59 - Monday to Thursday on afternoon sailings from Portsmouth, morning sailings from Caen. Poole Cherbourg - from £59 - Any sailings, Sunday to Thursday Portsmouth St Malo - from £69 - Sunday to Wednesday, evening sailing from Portsmouth, morning sailing from St Malo Plymouth Roscoff - from £64 - Sunday to Thursday, 10:30 sailings from Plymouth, 22:00 sailings from Roscoff All prices are each way, for a car + 2, valid for up to 5 days on the continent and do not include onboard accommodation or seating. For more information or to make a booking, please visit the following pages: - Brittany Ferries - Portsmouth Caen Ferry - Poole Cherbourg Ferry - Plymouth Roscoff Ferry - Portsmouth St Malo Ferry Please note, supplements may apply during peak times and offer is subject to availability. Spain for less via SantanderDate: 27 Feb 2008Source: DirectFerries If you're planning a short break to Spain before the peak of summer then look no further than the Brittany Ferries crossing from Plymouth to Santander. Due to the sheer luxury of their award winning vessels, the trip to Santander could never be classed as 'cheap', so we're referring to this offer as a 'low cost' deal... Travel from Plymouth to Santander from just £105 each way until July with car and 2 passengers. Valid for return sailings only and for up to 5 days abroad. On board accommodation is extra. For more information, or to make a booking, please visit our Plymouth to Santander Ferry page and enter your details into the fare search. Please note, supplements may apply during peak times and offer is subject to availability. Ferries Offer Freedom and FlexibilityDate: 27 Feb 2008Source: Holidayhypermarket Ferries offer holidaymakers greater freedom and flexibility compared with other forms of transport, according to one industry expert. The Port of Dover has highlighted the benefits of ferry travel this week, noting that setting sail allows Travellers to take their car abroad. Keith Southey, public relations manager for the Port of Dover, said: "You have the freedom and flexibility to travel where you want, when you want, and you always have your possessions with you. It gives you that freedom and flexibility." He added that at Dover ferries depart across the channel, on average, every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day, meaning that holidaymakers have great flexibility on when they can travel. Ferries from Dover sail to three destinations – Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne – with the shortest ferry crossing to Calais taking 55 minutes. According to official figures released by the Port of Dover in January this year, the number of motorists who used the port in 2007 rose by over seven per cent. Furthermore, the number of tourist car journeys through Dover during 2007 was 2.83 million, the highest amount since 1999. For more information on Dover Calais ferries or to make a booking, please visit the following pages: - Dover Ferry - Dover Calais Ferry - Ferries to France Major roadworks affecting the A20 in DoverDate: 25 Feb 2008Source: Highways Agency What is happening? The Highways Agency is going to replace the existing road surface on both carriageways and on all five roundabouts on the A20 in Dover from the Western Heights Roundabout (Aycliff Roundabout) to the Eastern Docks Roundabout. The work will be undertaken in thirteen sections (ten phases as some are combined) using five different diversion routes. When will the works take place? The works will begin on Monday 3rd March and will take between 12 and 15 weeks to complete. The works will be stopped for: - Easter (from midday on 20th March until midday on 25th March), - All Bank Holidays (from midday on 1st May until midday on 6th May, and from midday on 22nd May until midday on 27th May) - During the Dover Maritime Festival (from midday on 27th March until midday on 31st March). Why are they doing the works? They are replacing the road surface to improve the overall safety of the A20 for all road users. This will include providing greater skid resistance, removing the existing ruts in the road and replacing the existing line markings to increase their visibility. They will be replacing the existing road surface with low noise material, which will help reduce the level of noise for all road users and those living nearby. During the works, the existing road will be strengthened to increase its lifespan and the manhole covers will be replaced to reduce possible future disruption. Will Operation Stack affect the works? They will be working closely with Kent Police to identify when Operation Stack is likely to be implemented and if likely, works will be suspended as soon as safe to do so. Depending on the stage of works it may be necessary to maintain lane or road closures, however they will do everything possible to open lanes as soon as we can. How will the weather affect the works? Poor weather conditions could result in the works being suspended, which could result in the works taking longer to complete. For more information, please visit the Highways Agency page by following this link: www.highways.gov.uk Newcastle Amsterdam Ferries cancelled until SaturdayDate: 24 Feb 2008Source: Evening Chronicle Ferries between Newcastle and Amsterdam have been cancelled this week while repairs are carried out on a runaway ship. The 30,000-tonne DFDS Seaways vessel, King of Scandinavia, crashed into an oil platform on Friday after it was torn from its moorings when freak winds battered the North East. Several ropes tethering the ferry in North Shields snapped, causing it to break free and drift towards the south side of the Tyne. No passengers were on board at the time and no crew members were injured. But due to damage to one side of the ship and the repair work needed, the vessel will be out of action until Saturday. A sailing from Newcastle to Ijmuiden, near Amsterdam, was cancelled yesterday evening, and departures from North Shields, due at 5.30pm tomorrow and Thursday, have been called off. Trips scheduled to depart from Ijmuiden at 6pm today, Wednesday and Friday, will also not take place. John Crummie, UK managing director of DFDS Seaways, said: “We are advising that due to repairs required to the King of Scandinavia following a weather-related accident which occurred on Friday, the sailings are being cancelled. “DFDS Seaways wish to apologise for any inconvenience caused.” The next scheduled departure is from Newcastle on Saturday. Now an investigation is under way following the crash into the decommissioned oil rig. An emergency maritime operation was launched just after 1.30pm on Friday. Three tug boats were scrambled by the Port of Tyne authority to hold the ship back as ferocious winds battered the ferry. It was then towed back to a river berth. The Northern Producer rig, at McNulty’s shipyard in Commercial Road, South Shields, was not damaged. Dave Scott, 45, a machine operator, of Wallsend, said he saw the ship floating down the Tyne. He added: “We were doing some work in the DFDS Port and it looked like the boat broke her moorings and then turned and went nose forwards down the river. “Then it was all hands on deck while they got her sorted out. They did eventually, though, and she was moored up on the south side of the river. “We all thought it was the weather. I’ve worked down here a few times and I’ve never seen anything like it.” Last Tuesday, the ferry was cancelled due to technical difficulties, leaving passengers stranded in Amsterdam. The ship was due to leave Amsterdam at 5.30pm but developed problems with its alarm system Families Who Ferry Get a 'Different Experience'Date: 20 Feb 2008Source: Holidayhypermarket Families who opt to travel by ferry get a "different type of holiday", according to an industry expert. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) made the claims, highlighting not only the different nature of a journey by sea but also its green credentials. Frances Tuke, spokesperson for ABTA, said: "I just think it offers customers and families another choice, really – it's a very different experience." He added that recently the concept of "green travel" has also become a priority for families when booking their holidays. "I think people are thinking very differently about how they travel and so green issues do come to the forefront," he added. Last Easter, the Shipping Times revealed a "holiday boom" for ferry travel from Dover ferry port. It revealed that more than 235,000 passengers passed through the Port of Dover over the four days of the Easter holiday weekend – seven per cent more than in the same period in 2006. Furthermore, the number of cars using the port's services to Calais, Dunkerque and Boulogne also showed growth, with over 38,000 cars and 2,500 coaches travelling with P&O Ferries, SeaFrance, Norfolkline and SpeedFerries. With Directferries.co.uk, you can book virtually any ferry route, and all at the best prices. For more information, prices, and booking, please visit our Ferry Offers page. Stena Line HSS fast ferry returns...Date: 12 Feb 2008Source: Responsesource The Stena HSS fast ferry sailing from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire is back this Valentines Day and to celebrate its return, Stena Line will be offering a complimentary chocolate gift to all female passengers travelling on this special day. Following the romantic theme, Stena Line will also be offering discounts on a range of perfumes and gift sets, for those looking for a special treat for their true love. The Stena HSS will be setting sail on 14 February from Holyhead Port and will be operating a full service; however changes made by Stena Line to the new schedule for the rest of the year means that the company wants customers to be aware that the afternoon sailing time is now 15 minutes earlier than before, at 1515 hours. Stena Line route marketing manager, Orla Noonan, said of the announced return of the Stena HSS crossing of the Irish Sea, “Travelling onboard the Stena HSS is a great way to cross the Irish Sea and I know our customers will be delighted to see it back in service on this route”. She continued, "With a crossing time of around 99 minutes and the convenience of bringing your own car and knowing that you don’t have to worry about expensive baggage charges or arranging onward transport at your destination, we believe that there is no better way to travel to Ireland”. Portsmouth Port on the 'Crest of a Wave'Date: 12 Feb 2008Source: Portsmouth.co.uk Passengers are returning to ferries in increasing numbers from Portsmouth and away from cheap flights, according to latest statistics. The upward trend is on all lines, and comes amid year-on-year growth for operators such as LD Lines and Brittany Ferries, as well for P&O Ferries. And it has increased enough for LD Lines to start looking around for an extra vessel to charter for a short-term measure to take advantage prior to the introduction of its new-build vessel in 2010. It also comes with ferries competing with the airlines in terms of product and price with numbers up on the Dover Straits. LD Lines, which operates between Portsmouth and Le Havre is reporting an 11 per cent increase in the numbers of passengers it has taken from 2006 to 2007, with the figures rising from 264,536 passengers in 2006 to 293,729 last year. Brittany Ferries, which runs vessels between Portsmouth, Caen, StMalo and Cherbourg, had seen falls of between four to six per cent last year but this year after a 15 per cent across the board cut in ticket prices, its forward bookings are looking far stronger. Spokesman Stephen Tuckwell said: 'Ferries are bouncing back and have been properly since last summer. We've shown good growth in October, November and December and in the first quarter of this year forward bookings are looking good.' For more information, please visit the following pages: Portsmouth Ferry Brittany Ferries LD Lines Fife Norway ferry hopes revivedDate: 11 Feb 2008Source: BBC News Hopes have been raised for a ferry service between Rosyth and Norway after the tendering process was readvertised. The Norwegian-led consortium had turned down all previous applications to operate the ro-ro ferry service. It will now invite three operators to submit bids for the route, although there is now no requirement for foot passengers to be catered for. It is anticipated that one bid will be for a freight link from Fife which can carry a small number of passengers. The consortium due to make the decision consists of a group of Norwegian businesses, Shetland Development Trust and Transport Partnerships ZetTrans and SesTrans. One hope is that the route will provide a vital sea-link for freight travelling between Scandinavia and the continent. Bidders must also demonstrate a willingness to boost tourism, according to the consortium. Tenders must be submitted by mid-March and a decision is expected to be made in April. Directferries.co.uk currently offer a variety of crossings to Norway from England. For more information, please visit our Ferries to Norway page. Ferry Companies to offer Five Daily Crossings To FranceDate: 1 Feb 2008Source: Directferries.co.uk LD Lines and Transmanche Ferries have recently announced they will soon be providing a total of five crossings a day to France. The sister companies, who operate cross channel ferry services out of Newhaven and Portsmouth to the Normandy Region of France, will begin the increased service in May. Already, Transmanche Ferries provide three return crossings daily from Newhaven to Dieppe, and in the spring and summer (1st May to 30th September) these will be augmented by a daily crossing from Newhaven to Le Havre. At the same time, LD Lines will continue to deliver their daily return crossing from Portsmouth to Le Havre. All three routes are serviced by state of the art ferries which offer a high standard of comfort on a human scale. Transmanche Ferries and LD Lines sail into two of the most interesting and striking of the French Channel ports. Dieppe with its elegant architecture, fabulous seafood restaurants (scallops a speciality) and spectacular weekly market and Le Havre, with its busy port, long beach, designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 2005 for its remarkable, post-war concrete architecture. Le Havre is also home to the striking Musee Malraux, a spectacular space housing, amongst others, Monet and Dufy paintings in a setting where you can get up close to them without the crowds. From 1st May 2008 LD Lines and Transmanche Ferries will operate 5 crossings a day as follows: (all times are local times) Newhaven - Dieppe Depart Newhaven: 01.00, 07.00 18.00 - crossing time 4 hours Depart Dieppe : 00.30, 07.30, 13.30 Newhaven - Le Havre Depart Newhaven : 12.00 crossing time 5 hours Depart Le Havre : 19.30 Portsmouth - Le Havre Depart Portsmouth: 23.00, arrive Le Havre 08.00 next morning Depart Le Havre : 17.00, arrive Portsmouth 21.30 For more information on LD Lines or Transmanche Ferries, please visit the following pages: LD Lines Transmanche Ferries Ferries to France Isle of Man ferry service in 'use it or lose it' warningDate: 1 Feb 2008Source: Liverpool Daily Post THE Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is launching a TV campaign in a bid to improve traffic figures for its two fast Irish Sea ferries. The campaign is part of a rebranding exercise for the vessels. The company is persevering with two fast craft this season, even though the introduction of a second vessel last year proved a loss- maker. As a result, chief executive Mark Woodward has issued a “use it or lose it” warning about the beefed- up services. He said that last summer the second craft handled just 3% of Irish Sea traffic, a situation that "can't be sustained in the long term". The company operates services between the island and Liverpool and Heysham. The outspoken company chief made his remarks on his blog which is used as a sounding-board for customer comments. With two ships operating the routes, the company can be flexible about offering customers a range of travelling options. Fast ferry SuperSeaCat 2 is being renamed Viking, while Sea Express 1 becomes Snaefell. Both are getting new liveries and the full Isle of Man Steam Packet Company logo will return. Referring to the "use it or lose it" comment, Mr Woodward states on his blog: "This statement wasn’t intended to cause alarm, it was just a realistic assessment that the provision of a second fast craft for only 3% of passengers is not a viable situation. "To avoid this, we would like to see significant growth within this market. That is why we have decided to continue with a loss- making service using Snaefell for a second year but to invest in an extensive TV advertising campaign." Meanwhile, the company announced that sailing figures for the conventional ferry Ben-My- Chree were up 29% in December when the vessel was based at Birkenhead. A company spokesperson said any comments about the rebranding and the 2008 season would be made in the next two weeks when the vessels are ready for service. Fast services from Liverpool kick off on February 24. To book tickets, or for more information, please visit the following pages: Isle of Man Steam Packet Ferries to the Isle of Man |
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