The new Fastnet line ferry service from Cork to Swansea ( and also of course sailing from Swansea to Cork) begins in March and the ferry company website at http://www.fastnetline.com/special_offers.html is currently showing the following two special offers for March 2010 and one that continues through until June and then after the peak season right up until Christmas 2010.
Special Offer – Kids travel FREE! on Fastnet Line
That’s right – simply book at least one adult ticket with vehicle for travel during 2010
- and up to three children can travel with you free*!
*Bookings must be made before 1st April 2010, children must be under 16 on the date of travel, excludes cabin
Extra-special “Happy New Year” Offer!
Book before January 31st 2010 – and 1 adult & car can travel for only £89 / €99
on all dates from 1st - 31st March 2010 (inclusive)*.*excludes cost of cabin / seating
Enjoy a long weekend in Swansea, Wales or South West of England
Depart Cork Thursday evening arrive Swansea Friday returning on Sunday to arrive at 7.00 a.m with enough time to get to work after a restful nights crossing
For travel on any Thursday and returning on any Sunday evening from March to June and September to December 1 Adult & Car can travel for £ 89/ € 99 each way *excludes cost of cabin/seating
The service begins on 1st March 2010 – and is planned to operate year-round – for convenient travel both in and out of season.
Saves you 600km (375 miles) driving on a round trip and connects Cork direct to the M4 motorway (with hassle-free access to London, the south-west and the midlands)
Sailings between Cork & Swansea plannedsix nights a week, with additional sailings during peak periods and for special events.
Overnight sailings departing at 21.00 & arriving 07.00 next day – so you arrive relaxed and ready to continue your holiday or onward journey.
Efficient, straightforward on-line booking system (coming soon) – so you don’t have to spend hours ‘on hold’ waiting for an operator.
Over 300 Cabins and ample ‘Pullman’ seating, for a comfortable, relaxing trip
Capacity for 1,860 passengers, 440 Cars, 40 Trucks – plenty of room for commercial and leisure travellers alike
Extensive selection of Bars, Restaurants, Shopping, Cinema and Kids Area on board – not just a ferry crossing – more of a mini-cruise – your holiday starts the moment you get on-board!
Julia is currently docked in Cork City at Horgan’s Quay preparing for initial sailing – if you’re in the area, come and see her from the quayside – she’s impressive!
The Julia and Fastnet Line are owned by a co-operative of small investors – we aim to be the most customer-focused ferry service on the Irish Sea.
Visit the website for more information, to pre-register, to give us your comments and suggestions or to find out about partnering opportunities for Travel Agents and Group organisers with Fastnet Line
The Fastnet Line is the new passenger & freight ferry service linking Swansea in Wales with Cork in Ireland, replacing the previous service which stopped sailing in 2006.
It was a great example of how a community can get organised to prevent the big business ferry operators from cutting them off from important transport links. A local campaign was mounted and eventually succeeding in putting together a proposition to get the Swansea Cork ferry sailing again, this time as “The People’s Ferry”
Fastnet Line will provide holiday passengers with a comfortable overnight crossing in a fully-equipped ship, also carrying freight. Lorry drivers will be able to to rest overnight and cut out hundreds of miles of unnecessary driving in Ireland and Wales.
Fastnet Line to Swansea service from Cork will start on 1st March 2010 – the new ship MV Julia having been already purchased for only 7million Euros and now berthed at Horgans Quay in the centre of Cork City since 25th September 2009. Here she is sailing into the port of Cork with some commentary from the organisers .
With effect from 1st September 2009, the ferry company DFDS Seaways will be
introducing a fuel surcharge across all of their products. The price
of oil has reached a level which gives DFDS Seaways considerable extra
costs for the purchase of fuel. The temporary fuel surcharge will be
£5pp each way and children are exempt from the surcharge.
Their website at www.dfds.co.uk is updated with the new fuel-inclusive
prices since Saturday 29th August 2009.
The price of oil has fluctuated a great deal during the last year, and
the ferry company chose to wait as long as possible before
introducing a surcharge. Now the price of oil has stabilised at a high
level so they can no longer absorb the higher fuel costs by making
savings in other places.
Other ferry cpmpanies are expected to follow suit, if they have not
done so already.
Ferry from Pembroke Dock, Wales to Ferrol, Galicia, Spain
Here’s a new ferry route planned which sounds great for Wales and Galicia but with restricted passenger numbers. A new ferry service which could take cargo and passengers directly from Pembrokeshire to the north coast of Spain is now under discussion and could be up and running as early as next year, 2010. The possible route between Pembroke Dock and the city of Ferrol, in north western Spain, is still in its early stages, but could give huge advantages to haulage companies if it goes ahead.
Passenger ferry service
Unfortunately for potential holidaymakers and tourists, the ferry service being discussed by the Milford Haven Port Authority (MHPA) and port bosses at Ferrol would only have room for about 10 to 12 passengers, the main focus being on transporting freight, unaccompanied by drivers, which would be dropped off at the ferry in Pembroke Dock and picked up at the other side. In other words, this would be a container ferry rather than a car ferry or even long distance lorry ferry.
Ferries reduce environmental impact
MHPA commercial director Joe Besch said:
The benefit would be that you don’t have a lorry driving right across England, France and Spain. Companies can save on the environmental impact and on the roads and costs of drivers”
Research has already shown that there are between 90 to 100,000 potential truck loads which could use the service, with around 16,000 units needed to make the route viable.
Mr Besch continued
The more people we can get the better, because you are increasing the utilisation of the ferry terminal at Pembroke Dock and we also have a twice daily service with Ireland and this would allow for Irish cargo to come from Ireland and send cargo directly over to Spain. We have spoken to ship owners and ferry companies, the next stage is to do more market research and find out who the companies are who could use the service.
Where is Ferrol?
Ferrol is a city in the Province of A Coruña in Galicia. Located on the Atlantic coast in north-western Spain, it has urban population of 77,859 and metropolitan area of over 241,528 (2007)
The city has been a major naval shipbuilding centre for most of its history, being the capital of the Spanish Navy’s Maritime Department of the North since the time of the early Bourbons. Before that, in the 17th century, Ferrol was the most important arsenal in Europe. Today, the city is also known as the home of the shipbuilding yards of Navantia.
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.
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.
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.
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