DFDS Add Extra Ship to help take the strain.
- 28 November 2011 16:26139485Latest just in.......
DFDS Seaways adds an extra ship to the Dover-Dunkerque route to help customers cross the Channel without unnecessary delays
DFDS Seaways will add an extra passenger and freight ship to its service between Dunkerque and Dover.
Currently, the service is operated with three passenger and freight ships, but the interruption to the SeaFrance cross-Channel service has been causing unexpected traffic pressure on the route. In spite of the committed efforts of staff at sea and ashore, current capacity on the route has not been enough to avoid longer than usual waiting times at check-in in Dunkerque and Dover.
"It is not acceptable that our customers experience longer waiting times, and for this reason we have decided to add an extra ship to the service. The introduction of a chartered ship will allow us to increase sailings from a departure every two hours to departures every 1½ hours. I am confident that this solution will re-establish the normal flow and service on the route so we can eliminate unnecessary waiting times and offer our customers the quality service which they are accustomed to,"
says Peder Gellert Pedersen, Executive Vice President and Head of DFDS' Shipping Division.
"The new ship on the route will be the NORMAN SPIRIT, which DFDS has chartered from LD Lines. The ship has capacity for 1850 passengers, 250 cars and 75 lorries and offers excellent passenger facilities, including restaurants, shops and comfortable resting areas. The NORMAN SPIRIT flies the French flag and will be a welcome addition to the Dover-Dunkerque crossing until a normal Channel ferry service has been re-established,"
says Peder Gellert Pedersen.
"We expect that the NORMAN SPIRIT will be able to assume service on the Dunkerque-Dover route from Wednesday (30 November). We will provide more information about booking details and the schedule shortly."
For the latest information on booking details and sailing schedule, please visit www.dfdsseaways.co.uk.
Endsemail: dover7@msn.com - 28 November 2011 16:29139486Not very new to Dover given it's previous lives
1991-1998: Prins Filip
1998-1999: Stena Royal
1999-2002: POSL Aquitaine
2002-2003: PO Aquitaine
2003-2005: Pride of Aquitaine
2006-2010: Norman Spirit
2010-2011: Ostend Spirit
2011-Present: ''Norman Spirit'Been nice knowing you :) - 28 November 2011 16:31139487The name Norman Spirit rings a bell of course, here she is , you may remember her from one of her previous trips in and out of Dover Harbour
Ah thats right well done Scotchie, we posted at approx the same time.email: dover7@msn.com - 28 November 2011 17:39139516Further pondering...LD Lines still very obviously have their eye on the Dover - Calais route. They made a bid to take over Seafrance, or some of their main ships anyway but the bid was rejected in Paris. They made this bid in partnership with DFDS and we can see them working in harmony here.
It could be the obvious way forward out of the current mess...an LD/DFDS partnership.email: dover7@msn.com - 28 November 2011 21:02139593Thats good DFDS have taken advantage of the situation, and have thought of the customers needs by adding that extra ship, it will be a sad day if we do indeed lose Seafrance but let us hope that there will be partnership, that can restore the Dover to Calais run, and not Let P&O have all the market for crossing the channel.
- 28 November 2011 21:14139595Well done DFDS, 75 pieces of freight is not a lot but all helps, it will also be a help when the Poles start going home for Christmas. Wonder if it will use 5 berth, the one that the NPC was in ?Audere est facere.
- 29 November 2011 09:11139656Yes I think Ed mentioned on a thread previously that the current DFDS ships were pretty packed with trucks etc, and carrying a much bigger payload than is normal for this time of year, so the extra capacity will help lessen the queues that affect us all.
Will keep an eye out for the ship and see if i can get a picture of it. If its coming today it will be enduring rough seas. Yes its rough out there...even my flat is moving in the strong winds...
Here is a pic of the situation about half an hour ago..I'm in the teeth of the gale..
email: dover7@msn.com - 29 November 2011 10:52139670a rather mean and moody sky.
- 29 November 2011 12:28139685It would indeed be a winning situation if LD/DFDS were to take over Seafrance giving the public another choice from Dover to Calais, competition is healthy and keeps everyone on their toes.
Your flat moving from side to side! Sure you haven't been on the vino again PaulB?
Still able to hold the camera straight though, great picture 
- 29 November 2011 12:44139691Here's one from the archives. Nick Stevens left, PR for LD Lines at the time and our very own Roger Walkden promoting the Dover promotion leaflets which were distributed in France. Could LD Lines be making a return....?? You can see their fastcraft in the background there...
Roger...always at the forefront, trying to promote Dover.email: dover7@msn.com - 29 November 2011 13:08139704slightly off topic but these two ferries were stationery for what seemed a long time this morning.
maybe it was to rough to berth, ed will let us know i'm sure.
- 29 November 2011 15:31139725Snap Howard, I went for the same shot earlier...
email: dover7@msn.com - 29 November 2011 16:51139741Good to see that photo again PaulB, brings back thoughts of more successful times.
2009 I believe that was; I produced 30,000 Discover Dover leaflets that year - 20,000 in French (10,000 each for LD Lines and P. & O Ferries) and 10,000 in English.
Nick was very good and helped convince the Masters at LD Lines that they should invest a small sum of money in promoting Dover to the people of Boulogne. P & O Ferries approached me, so I was veery pleased about that.
Lots of hard work, but I felt it was worth it; the Dover VIC did too, they told me it was their most popular leaflet ever.
Things change and not always for the better, but hopefully DFDS will help more people cross the Channel to Dover.
Roger - 30 November 2011 02:47139836Re #11:
The P&O ferry is alongside loading on berth ED9. The Delft Seaways is manoeuvring to go astern into berth ED6. The winds have been very strong southwesterly all day, 40-45 knots, and it is necessary to go head up into wind across the ends of the berths and then drop back slowly into the berth, probably running out an anchor to keep the bow up. She may also have had technical issues which protracted the process if you say it seemed to take longer than usual. For example, here on the Dover Seaways we had one of our bow thrusters trip out on overload yesterday due to pushing it to the maximum in the prevailing conditions and had to abort and repeat the process. - 30 November 2011 09:20139858Great post 13 Roger. Yes we were all full of optimism for a while and you did great with that leaflet. i remember seeing it while in France. The new route to Boulogne with the fab seacat was exciting for sure...I went on that and enjoyed it greatly. Sadly it wasnt to last and the service slowly eroded away.
Thanks Ed..fascinating stuff there..insider info from the nautical man himself. Yes much use of the anchors yesterday. You can certainly hear it when they release the anchor.
email: dover7@msn.com - 30 November 2011 10:22139880Thanks Paul your comments are greatly appreciated.
If I had had more (financial support) the services offered could have been improved and certainly a better/bigger leaflet. The cost afterall was peanuts - the smallest advert was £30.
I was going to create another one for this year, but a couple of major businesses said their marketing budget for local initiatives had been taken away, which to my mind was counter-productive, as I was advised that these leaflets actually worked and did encourage people to come to Dover; for those already here, it helped them find good businesses, what ever they sold - food, drink, accommodation, gifts or whatever.
Ho Hum !
Roger - 30 November 2011 23:55140042Dunkerque West with the lorry park full to bursting and queuing back outside the gates.
The three ships carried over 14,000 freight vehicles last week, an average of 92 trucks per sailing.
Norman Spirit has just arrived in the evening and is berthed on the Quai d'Alsace. Taking up the run in the morning.
- 1 December 2011 09:56140081Ah! I see a strange funnel in the harbour where Seafrance funnels used to be....
Good pix from Dunkerque. Looks like you are packed out there Ed so the new ship Norman Spirit will lighten the load for DFDS.email: dover7@msn.com - 1 December 2011 10:22140089great one of the "norman spirit", i wonder what that one in the bottom pic from paul is.
doesn't seem familiar. - 1 December 2011 10:29140092Ah..I should have made it clearer Howard, thats the Norman Spirit but on a bit of a gloomy morning. It has just left the harbour and is now battling rough conditions on its way to Dunkerque...I was watching for it to see if I could get a pic of it leaving but alas..sods law.. I missed it going.
email: dover7@msn.com
