Ferry News Archive
£100m ferry in home waters
Date: 14 Feb 2009 00:00 Source: BBC NewsA new £100 million ferry which was purpose-built to serve the route from Plymouth to Roscoff has docked in Devon for the first time.
Brittany Ferries has launched Armorique, named after the ancient term for coastal north-west France, and now a part of the Brittany region.
She has replaced the ageing vessel Pont L'Abbé, which had served the firm for three decades.
David Longden, managing director of Brittany Ferries, said: "I like to refer to the old ship as an old lady, but well-dressed. This one is more of a fashion model."
One of the key features of the new vessel is the sheer amount of space. She can carry 1,500 passengers and 470 cars, with plenty of capacity for lorries and caravans. She can accommodate 800 guests in overnight cabins.
After only one crossing from France to Plymouth, the new ship has already shown her superiority. The journey normally takes six hours when under schedule. But she made the trip in just five hours – a new record.
She is now expected to serve for up to 25 years on the route, which the company says justified the massive investment.
The decision to build the new ship was taken three years ago, but despite the credit crunch, the firm insists it would have still made the same choice today.
Mr Longden admitted the year ahead would be "challenging", but said he was not expecting the doom and gloom from other sectors. He added: "We have to make sure our tariffs are exceptionally good value, and at the moment they're the same as they were in 2007."
As well as lounge, dining, gaming and bar areas, the ship also boasts a Rolls-Royce stabilisation system and has been built extra wide, to provide a more comfortable crossing, designed to keep passengers free from seasickness.
The colours of the interior design are meant to echo those of Brittany, with blue carpets representing the sea and off-white ceilings meant to conjure up the image of a cloudy sky.
Cabins are larger and more comfortable, with disabled rooms featuring wide electric doors and larger bathrooms.
Mr Longden said the investment illustrated the firm's commitment to the region. "Plymouth is where we started in January 1973, when our main cargo was cauliflower and our main passengers were onion and garlic Johnnies coming to sell their wares in Plymouth.
"This ship is as good a demonstration as you can get for our commitment to services from Plymouth and the South West as a whole."
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