Ferry Time blog

Genoa based ferry operator Grandi Navi Veloci yesterday signed a contract to take over the Quai Orsetti in the port of Sète near Montpellier as a base for a new range of services between the south of France and the Maghreb, North Africa. GNV managing director Ariodante Valeri said the company was studying connections to Morocco and Algeria in particular, with a view to launching in October.

The deal with Sète marks the end of a long-running search by GNV for a French Mediterranean home for its burgeoning North African business, which it views as a key driver of future growth.

GNV had appeared destined to settle in Marseilles until soaring bunker prices put talks on hold last year. As fuel prices fell and its interest in the project resurfaced, however, Sète emerged as the favourite to be GNV’s French hub.

Mr Valeri cited its good motorway connections, its location between Marseilles and Barcelona, and the Quai Orsetti’s two berths, which can handle the 200 m long vessels it will deploy on the new routes.

He added that GNV’s arrival in Sète would also provide the region with the competition it seeks on the North African routes, which are currently served out of Sète by Comanav Comarit.

The Italian operator has launched a new company, GNV France, with two French partners specialising in cargo and passenger traffic, to handle the operation.

Mr Valeri envisaged further investment in Sète, perhaps via a stake in a future operating company in the port.

He said GNV France would focus on passenger traffic more than cargo as it seeks to build the business, and that vessels such as the 39,800 dwt Excelsior or the 35,222 dwt Fantastic , would be candidates to operate on the new routes.

Kids travel free on all Irish Ferries crossings between 4 July and 31 August when booked by 30 June and 14 days before sailing.

And with a bargain offer of just £59 each-way for a car and driver and £20 for additional adults for midweek travel (Monday to Thursday), a family of four can cross the Irish Sea with their car – in peak season – for as little as £99.

These prices apply on the Pembroke/Rosslare cruise ferry crossing; add £10 for Friday and Sunday travel or £20 on Saturdays. On the Holyhead/Dublin cruise ferry the lead-in is £84 for car and driver or £99 for the fast ferry.

All prices represent savings of up to 30 per cent.

For more information and bookings, please visit http://www.irishferries.co.uk/

The new Fastnet line Swansea to Cork ferry will begin on St David’s Day 2010.

It was hoped a new ship would run the route between Wales and the Irish Republic earlier than 2010 but the co-operative aiming to restart the service says it will not run until early next year now.
The delay has been blamed on the lengthy negotiations to secure the vessel and many travellers already having made alternative arrangements for this year, so it will now set sail for the first time on St David’s Day 2010.

Last month, hundreds of shareholders voted in favour of forming a co-operative to purchase the 340-cabin, 1,400-passenger ferry MS Julia to run the route.

It will operate under The name of Fastnet Line.

Source: Lloyds List

LD Lines new high-speed ferry Norman Arrow left Hobart over the weekend to travel the 11,726 miles to Dover, where it is due to arrive on May 23, writes Sandra Speares.

The 11,000 gt vessel will become the largest ever fast ferry to operate on the cross-Channel route between Dover and Boulogne and the first freight carrying high-speed vessel across the Dover Straits.

LD Lines will begin its service on May 29.

Norman Arrow is also the world’s largest diesel-powered catamaran and the first Incat-built 112 m craft to operate in Europe.

When the ferry enters service, LD Lines will move from two return sailings daily by conventional ferry Cote d’Albatre to six. The fast ferry will make the crossing in one hour and will carry all types of traffic including vehicles, coaches and foot passengers, as well as freight.

The ferry will have a service speed of 40 knots and capacity of 1,200 passengers and 417 cars.

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North Sea Routes : Car Ferry Crossings from only £99 each way

If you are within half a day’s drive of Hull and you are quick you could enjoy a short break in either Belgium or Holland for less than £100 each way. There’s a six day summer sale starting today, June 5th 2009.

Twenty Thousand tickets have been put into the sale at a price of only £99 each way, that’s for sailing on
the following North Sea Ferry routes:

• Hull to Rotterdam
• Rotterdam to Hull
• Hull to Zeebrugge
• Zeebrugge to Hull

With night sailings on P&O luxury cruise ferries you can enjoy great
onboard entertainment, delicious food and relax in your own
comfortable ensuite cabin.

When you arrive in Belgium or Holland, you’ll be refreshed and ready
to go and the excellent autoroute motorway connections in Belgium, Holland and
into France mean you’ll be spoilt for choice on where to spend your
short break.

You’ll have to be quick though, tickets are limited and the best fares
will go quickly. Book by 10pm on Wednesday 10th June and travel before
31st December 2009.

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The 13th June is the historic Le Mans 24 hour endurance race in the Pays-de-la-Loire region of France. The race is a hugely popular event and never fails to bring in a big crowd. P&O Ferries is the perfect way to attend this prestigious race and ensure that you and your car get there in style!

The 21st June brings a host of reasons why you would want to cross the channel. Firstly, it is the longest day of the year, which means it is perfect for a daytrip! There are a number of attractions within Calais and it’s surroundings, including the pleasant medieval villages of Ardres and Bergues, which are a short drive and perfect for a long lunch.
The 21st June is also Father’s Day, and what could be a better present than a short hop to France to pick up some of France’s finest wine!

Additionally, the 21st June is the British Grand Prix. This is the biggest motoring event in British racing and attracts F1 fans from far and wide. With Silverstone being less than two and a half hours from Dover, it makes it easily accessible for anyone travelling over from the continent.

Finally, the end of June brings one of the biggest events in the global sporting calendar, and that is of course Wimbledon Tennis Championships. This iconic British tournament is widely regarded as the biggest in the world, and attracts tennis and sports enthusiasts from all over the world. Running for two weeks between the 22nd June and the 5th July, it promises sun, rain, Pimms and great tennis. Thousands of people from all over the continent come to Wimbledon, South London for the Championships, and there is no easier way to get there than by making sure you plan your journey with P&O Ferries.

As if that wasn’t enough, P&O Ferries are running a “You deserve a holiday” competition throughout June. Holidaymakers can cross the channel for £30 each way, to help make sure that the holiday budget goes that bit further.

There is the chance to win an amazing 7 day holiday with accommodation and travel. Anyone who enters the prize draw telling P&O Ferries why their friend deserves a holiday can be in with a chance of winning this great prize.

Make sure you enjoy your summer, starting with P&O Ferries and the month of June!

The first voyage of the new ferry service linking Scotland to mainland Europe has just been completed.

The Scottish Viking, which will sail between Rosyth in Fife and Zeebrugge in Belgium three times a week, finished its maiden voyage and passengers were welcomed off the ship by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond as it arrived into the Scottish port.

He said: “I’m delighted to welcome the Scottish Viking and its first homecoming passengers to Scotland… Maintaining connections with major European markets is vital for Scotland at a time of global economic challenges.

“But not only will the Scottish Viking allow access to important commercial contacts, it will be a boost for the local economy in Fife, and an environmentally friendly route home for Scotland’s friends, family and visitors.”

The ferry, run by Norfolkline, took over the route after it was discontinued by Superfast Ferries in September last year. Its departure from Zeebrugge however was delayed by several hours on Monday when the captain suffered a non-fatal heart attack and a replacement had to be found.

The Scottish Viking was built in an Italian shipyard and registered in Italy, and is therefore required to have an Italian captain on board. However, the ferry service will receive €2 million (£1.8 million) from the Scottish Government through a Waterborne Freight Grant.

As part of his welcome, the First Minister gave each passenger on the Scottish Viking’s maiden journey a special ticket offer for The Gathering, an international clan gathering due to take place in Edinburgh in July.

The Gathering is part of Scotland’s Homecoming Year celebrations, a series of events and festivities taking place throughout 2009 that are designed to put people from across the world back in touch with their Scottish roots.

Plymouth to Santander by Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries have been plying the route from the West of England to Santander in Northern Spain for decades and have recently refurbished with faster bigger ferries. Sailing from either Portsmouth on the south coasts of England or Plymouth in Devon, Brittany Ferries are well equiped for the longer sea crossings, avoiding the need to drive all the way down through France. Portsmouth to Santander is the newest route, with the flagship vessel Pont Aven adding the departure port option to the existing route of Plymouth to Santander since March 2009. This new crossing takes 24 hours, reducing the need for overnight cabins to one night, which is faster than anything previously.

More like a cruise than a ferry crossing, the Pont Aven is equipped with swimming pool and whirlpool, entertainment and children’s soft play and video areas. Two cinemas, bars and restaurants including seafood buffet meals help to pass the cruise time with quality offerings.

So why take a ferry to Santander?

Santander is a rather smart resort in Cantabria, with close associations with Madrid whose citizens tend to prefer to decant to the north and west of spain if possible in summer rather than to the steaming hot and over crowded southern costas. To the East is the Spanish Basque Country, and then France while to the West is Asturias and then Gallicia, so the whole of the North of Spain is available to explore from Santander.

LD Lines has announced the launch of the largest ever fast ferry to operate on the cross channel routes between England and France, with the introduction of a brand new, high speed Incat 112 metre Wave-Piercing Catamaran to its Dover – Boulogne service from 29 May 2009.

The fast ferry will be the first-ever freight carrying high speed vessel to operate across the Dover Straits and LD Lines becomes the first-ever French ferry company to operate high speed ferries on the short sea routes from Dover. The vessel is also the world’s largest diesel-powered catamaran and it will be the first Incat 112 metre to operate in Europe.

At nearly 11,000 gross tonnes, the new craft is one of the largest vessels yet built by Incat, providing significantly greater seakeeping qualities and passenger comfort than earlier generation fast ferries familiar to Dover Strait, cross channel passengers.

LD Lines new Dover-Boulogne service will be greatly enhanced as the new fast ferry will increase frequency from the current two to six return sailings daily. All types of tourist traffic will be carried including cars, caravans, motorhomes, motorcycles, coaches and foot passengers, in addition to freight.

The fast ferry will operate up to four return sailings daily between Dover (Eastern Docks) and Boulogne with a crossing time of 1 hour ; from Dover at 0415 ; 0745 ; 1230 and 1900 and from Boulogne at 0700 ; 1045 ; 1700 and 2230.

Two return sailings daily to Boulogne and one to Dieppe (Monday – Friday) will continue to be operated by the conventional ferry, which introduced the earlier than planned start of the new Dover – Boulogne service in February 2009. Crossing time by conventional ferry is 1 hour 45 minutes.

Both vessels will initially operate into the Port of Boulogne’s existing ferry berths, but following completion of Boulogne’s new Hub Port Ro Ro Terminal from 1 July 2009, both will then transfer to inaugurate and operate into the first linkspan of the new Hub Port Terminal.

The introduction of LD Lines’ first-ever fast ferry is a major development for the company, further emphasising the strategy to firmly establish its business on the cross channel routes from Dover, as Managing Director, Christophe Santoni explains.

“This is a very exciting, innovative step forward for LD Lines and with the introduction of this new high speed ferry, we will be dramatically revolutionising ferry transport across the channel, with a style of service never experienced before on the Dover Straits.

We will be offering a unique, combined high speed and conventional ferry sailing frequency via the Boulogne service, providing great appeal and choice, to meet the demands of tourist and freight customers and create new markets.”

Commenting on the expansion of the Dover – Boulogne service with a brand new fast ferry, Francis Leroy, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Boulogne-sur-Mer Cote d’Opale, said, ” By creating the new Hub Port Terminal, the commercial port of Boulogne is positioning itself strongly within the ferry transport market. For the port of Boulogne this new service is a new step in the development of rapid links.”

The introduction of the new high speed ferry to operate with the conventional ferry on the Dover – Boulogne service, will now mean that the ship “Norman Spirit” will remain on LD Lines’ Portsmouth – Le Havre route. This ship had previously been expected to operate the service to Boulogne’s new Ro Ro terminal from 1 July 2009.

LD Lines’ ferry route network comprises Portsmouth – Le Havre ; Rosslare (Southern Ireland) – Le Havre ; Newhaven – Dieppe ; Dover – Boulogne and Dover – Dieppe.

Scillonian III, heading to Penzance from the Isles of Scilly

Originally uploaded by Claire Stocker

Scillonian III, heading to Penzance from the Isles of Scilly. The third ship to bear the name Scillonian, this ferry travels daily between Penzance and St.Mary’s (Isles of Scilly). Taken at Mousehole by C H Stocker